A Quart of Ale± #81. On the craft journey with a session of Brehon Brewhouse, Whiplash, Eight Degrees and Kinnegar

 A Quart of Ale± #81

On the craft journey with a session of Brehon Brewhouse, Whiplash, Eight Degrees and Kinnegar

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Brehon Brewhouse Oak & Mirrors Two Stacks Whiskey Cask Aged Imperial Porter 7.5%, 500ml bottle Bradleys

A Superior cask-aged whiskey porter that will please the most discerning of whiskey-loving palettes. That is the promise from the producers! A promise that is kept.

This cask aged Imperial Porter, made by the Brehon Brewhouse using whiskey cask from Two Stacks, has a dark black colour with a thin enough tanned head. The aromas are modest, compared to my expectations. But the palate, wrapped in warm whiskey notes, has no such modesty. The rich porter here unveils a tasty tempting package of roasted malt, dark chocolate with dark fruits, vanilla and much more as it meanders across and then down the throat for a memorable finish. Bring out the Christmas fare!

They say: Whiskey-aged porter from a collaboration with our good friends at TWO STACKS using their freshly emptied single malt cask to mature our brew. Of course, getting it right took a few tastings with the lads. This is a superior whiskey cask-aged imperial porter that will please the most discerning of whiskey-loving palettes. Limited edition – available while stocks last!

Whiplash The Sup Porter 5.0%, 330 can Bradleys

Well, The Sup is a glass of the black stuff with a classic tan head.

And there’s more! The aromas, chocolate and caramel, are a gentle and pleasant introduction. The firm shakehands come in the mouth, again chocolate and caramel, but now more assertive, again in the most pleasant of ways.

As with many porters, it is more about the malts. They say: This porter has been on our “to brew” list for years now and we decided it was finally time. Porters to us are all things softer, more coffee and dark chocolate and lower bitterness than their stout cousins so we focused on some more modern malts to achieve a more intense nose and flavour in this one. The main star in this is CaraBohemian – a kind of rich and decadent Czech Brown Malt but it oozes fruity Bournville dark chocolate with a hint of coffee in there too. Melanoidin for that toasted flavour, Dark Munich for the sweet bready goodness and Special B to round off the whole affair with that roasted caramel with cherry sweet nose. Restrained roasted malts, more for colour than bite and a light Pilsner malt base leaves room for all those parts to do their thing to their fullest extent.

via Pixabay

Not too sure about the Bournville bit; that bar was a favourite of mine (back in the day before the day!) and I can’t say I recognise it here. Nice soft finish though with a hint of sweetness. Been years since I had a bar of Bournville! Must try one soon.

Bournville or not, this is delicious, quite a sophisticated porter. Should be versatile at the table, morning with pancakes and Nutella, lunch with Smoked Scamorza by Toonsbridge, 

evening with a few squares of a certain chocolate.  

Eight Degrees Seisíun IPA 4.5%, 440 ml can

A clear yellow/amber in the glass with a white frothy head. No shortage of engaging citrus-y aromas plus a touch of malt. And malt too in the body. A crisp palate, more citrus before a superb hoppy and refreshing finish. Crisp, refreshing and aromatic, they claim and once again Eight Degrees get it spot-on.

Originally brewed as a low-alcohol sipper for beer festivals, this sessionable IPA has transcended its origins to become “one of our most popular beers”. “Woven deep into the fabric of Irish society and tradition is the seisíun, an informal coming together of people in a pub – over a beer – to play music, tell stories and enjoy each other’s company. For the best kind of seisíun, you need a low-alcohol beer, something that has lots of flavour but is not too high in ABV.”

While the session may be a popular term in the Irish pub lingo, the idea of a session was there long before that use of word. When I was growing up, I often heard two older guys (not always the same two) meet and chat on the road, especially on a Sunday. And one would ask the other: “Are ye going for a quart?” While the quart (a quarter of a gallon) meant two pints, I think the term was used just in case one of the wives was listening at the other side of the hedge. In her early days as wife, she might well think: “Two pints isn’t too much!” But the word was pronounced with an unseen wink and more than likely, at least one of the lads, had more than a quart in mind. And that is why my series on craft beer is called Quart of Ale!

Geek Bits:

Style: Session IPA
Malt: Irish pale malt, Carapils,
Hops: Mandarina Bavaria, Citra, Amarillo,Simcoe
Strength: 4.5% ABV
Bitterness: 44 IBUs

Food pairings via Eight Degrees:
Lots of flavour and low alcohol make this a perfect beer to serve over a period of time at a party, relaxed gathering or – as we’ve tested! – beer festival. An ideal pairing is pizza, particularly anything that includes the fabulous chorizo or salami from Gubbeen Smokehouse, as the beer crisply cuts through all that meaty, cheesy gorgeousness with each sip. On the lighter side, try this Seisiún IPA with a St Tola goat cheese and fresh beetroot salad, tossed in a ginger and lime dressing, and see how the hop bitterness complements the citrus.

Kinnegar 20÷2 Anniversary Rauchbier 5%, 440ml can, Bradleys

Colour is dark brown with a touch of copper. ABV for this style is between 5 and 6 so Kinnegar are within the range. And the aromas are also typical: smokey. Some people even refer to smoked beers as “bacon beer” because of the smoked flavour.

And that smokiness continues, perhaps with a little less intensity, through the mouth and into the finish. You’d better like smoke notes!

Kinnegar don’t disclose their modus operandi but Rauchbier or “smoke beer” is a style of German lager that uses malt smoked over beechwood to impart that unique smoky flavour to the beer.

While the Germans would say that only beer brewed in the time-honoured Bamberg tradition can be considered a true Rauchbier, that hasn’t stopped Kinnegar from trying and I must say I rather enjoy the result of this 10th anniversary beer. Apparently it, and the Pilsner, both influenced the personal development of Rick as a brewer.

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen is, I’ve read, the classic Rauchbier. Bamberg is, surprisingly, one of the top brewing cities in Germany, synonymous with the Rauchbier. We enjoyed this classic last April and you can check it out here. 

Beer of The Year 2021 The candidates, so far!

 Beer of The Year 2021

The candidates, so far!

November: Mescan Brewery Old Brown

October: Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop DIPA

September: Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner

August: Hope “Limited Edition No 25“ Classic Gose

July: Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale

June: O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro

May: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

April: Heaney New England IPA

March: Whiplash “Melodie Noir” Baltic Porter

February: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path” Lager

January: Lineman “Vesper" Pale Ale

Toying with the idea of using Twitter polls to tie down

our beer of the year, maybe three qualifiers of four and

then a final poll of three. What do you think?

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Favourite beers in brew pubs

IPA: Crew “Polly” IPA

Stout: Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout

Favourite Cider 

Johnny Fall Down Rare Apple Cider 2019 (from October)

Stonewell Cask (November)

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November final

Tough decision here with the Land & Labour and the Trouble Brewing DIPA also in the field. Not to mention the Stonewell.

Old Brown: Mescan

Spon: Land & Labour Crimson Kriek Framboise

Lager: Eight Degrees Original Gravity “Hoppy Lager”

Session: Trouble Brewing Little Monster Pale Ale

IPA: Larkin’s Drench, Wide Street Cashmere,

Wheat: Curious Society Wheat Beer

Coffee Oatmeal Stout: Ulster Black Oatmeal Stout 

DIPA: Trouble Brewing Lights Out DIPA

Cider: Stonewell Cask

October final selection

IPA: 9 White Deer Stag;

Wheat Beer: Clonakilty Inchydoney Blond;

Black IPA: 9 White Deer Black Lightning; 

Cider: Johnny Fall Down Rare Apple Cider 2019

DIPA: Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop DIPA

Session: Lineman Sundrops Table Beer, 3.3%; 

Pale Ale: Eight Degrees Kveik Pale Ale.

September Final Selection

Stout: Ballykilcavan Blackwell Stout

Session: Trouble Brewing Love Below Micro IPA 3.2%

Lager: Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner 4.9%.

Wheatbeer/Witbier: Whiplash Il Veliero DDZ Witbier 4.8%

Rye IPA: Kinnegar Bucket & Spade Session Rye IPA 4.2%

IPA: Hope Handsome Jack IPA 6.6%

Pale Ale: White Hag Duo Series Idaho 7 & Citra Pale Ale 5.5%

WATCH OUT WORLD!!! JUST RELEASED! Original Gravity Irish Oak-Aged Barleywine

press release

WATCH OUT WORLD!!! JUST RELEASED! 

Original Gravity Irish Oak-Aged Barleywine

It's that time of the year again! We've been busy brewing and barrel-aging something very special for your drinking pleasure this Christmas: watch out world, because our 2021 winter release is ORIGINAL GRAVITY Irish Oak-Aged Barleywine. A bright ruby red with pure Christmas on the nose folowed by lots of warm woody vanilla and oak tannins, alongside deep caramel malt, dried cherries, raisins and dates. There's a touch of candied fruit and a smooth lingering toffee flavour. 

Our ORIGINAL GRAVITY competition came about because we wanted to celebrate ten years of brewing at Eight Degrees by showcasing Ireland-based artists. Earlier this year we ran a competition looking for artworks that reflected our Naturally Adventurous values, expressing our desire to explore and roam again. The winners, each of whom won €1,000, have featured on this ORIGINAL GRAVITY series of five limited beer releases, giving emerging artists a can-sized exhibition space.

ORIGINAL GRAVITY Irish Oak-Aged Barleywine with Coireall Carroll Kent

Aged in especially rare Irish whiskey barrels that have been made from native Irish oak, this barleywine is a special seasonal sipper to be savoured with all the Christmas treats: blue cheese and spiced beef, dark chocolate and Christmas pudding, mince pies and Christmas cake.
More information here: https://www.eightdegrees.ie/original-gravity-barleywine/

Artist statement: Coireall Carroll Kent
I spent a lot of the pandemic trekking across the Irish countryside, and many of the roads that I took to are shrouded in trees just like these. The knots are naturally rooted in Celtic culture, with the concentric circles representing both the curves of our landscape and the bubbles in a good drink!
Discover the artist on Instagram: @coireallcarrollkent

A Quart of Ale± #76. On the craft journey with a session of Mescan, Land & Labour, Eight Degrees and Dead Centre

A Quart of Ale± #76

On the craft journey with a session of Mescan, Land & Labour, Eight Degrees and Dead Centre

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Mescan Seven Virtues “Old Brown” 7.1%, 330 bottle Bradleys

Old Brown, or Oud Bruin in Flemish, is a dark beer from Mayo’s Mescan with a mild sourness that has been brewed in West Flanders since the 17th century. Mescan fans, and more, will know that Bart, one of the two principals in Mescan, is a Belgian.

The colour is indeed a dark brown with an off white head that doesn’t hang around too long. Aromas are a little on the funky side, a slight sourness in the mix. Close to black in colour, yet the beer has a light enough body, a kind of ethereal mix where sweet and sour notes happily coexist. In other words, this Old Brown is quite something else, pretty unique so get out there and gather up as many of the limited bottling of just 1400 litres, a very limited release indeed.

They say: We are really excited about this beer - Old Brown, or Oud Bruin in Flemish, is a dark beer with a mild sourness that has been brewed in West Flanders since the 17th century. Our Old Brown has spent over 2 years in oak where it underwent a secondary fermentation with Brettanomyces yeast in the wood. 

The water for Mescan beers comes from deep underneath Croagh Patrick via a spring beside the brewery. Malts, hops and yeast for the beer come from Belgium. All Mescan beers are vegan-friendly.

Land & Labour Crimson Kriek Framboise, 5.5%, 375ml bottle Bradleys

Crimson is the Kriek Framboise (cherry, raspberry) blend produced by the Land & Labour mixed fermentation operation (under the guidance of Tom Delaney) within the Galway Bay brewery in Oranmore. Here they make Spon (spontaneously fermented beer) - think wild yeasts and cool ship. 

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Let Land & Labour tell you about this one: We aged 1 year old spontaneously fermented beer on 830 grams per litre of sour cherries for 6 months. Before bottling we blended another Spon beer aged on 300 grams per litre of raspberries with the cherry beer. The final assemblage of 75% Cherry beer & 25% raspberry beer transcends both their individual selves.

With all that fruit involved, you’d expect it to be fruity; and it is. It is also sour, not perhaps as sour as a real sour, but it can take your breath away if you are not expecting it. In other words, it takes a bit of getting used to. But it is well worth the effort. 

Cap & Cork.

Certainly a different animal to the Chouffe Cherry whose bitterness is on the lower end of the scale. Still it is not too difficult to get over that initial puckering from our Land & Labour and to go on and enjoy it.

Land & Labour were struck by the “fruit saturation” early on “..we decided not to mess with the fruit saturation by further blending more aged beer before bottling (standard practice ). By not blending back we’ve maintained its incredibly high fruiting level & have managed to preserve all the fun & intensity of these beautiful fruits in each bottle. Even after 6 months bottle conditioning it’s as vibrant now as the day it went in!”

Colour is a cloudy ruby red and you’ll spot little bubbles clinging to the glass. There’s a lovely head of pink froth but it is short-lived. The fruity flavours are prominent on the palate and the finish is dry, sour and superbly refreshing. 

Interesting label note: this is an unfiltered unpasteurised beer. It’s alive. So is the yeast. Keep it, grow it, brew your own!

Limited number of 375ml & 750ml bottles.

• ABV: 5.50%
• RRP:  €15.00 approx
• Source: Bradleys, Cork
• Stockists: Specialist off licences.

Eight Degrees Original Gravity “Hoppy Lager” 5.7%, 440 can Bradleys.

Certainly looks like lager with its light gold colour and soft white head. “It’s a beer packed with hoppy possibilities,” say Eight Degrees and the aroma is an early illustration of that point.

The blend of new and old world hops makes this a generous lager, it is after all harvest time! Quite a concentration of flavour, almost akin to what you’d expect from a dubbel. Very generous indeed but the refreshment factor, an essential factor in lager, is not neglected and it finishes clean and deep.

Always look forward to the Eight Degrees food pairings and here they are: This Oktoberfest-style bier will go superbly with traditional Oktoberfest-style food: bring on great big würstl with plenty of mustard and sauerkraut, warm pretzels and that spiced cheese-butter spread called obatzda, a spit-roasted half chicken and roasted ham knuckles. A plate of spaetzle or semmelknödel and that’s you filled up until Christmas. At least you have this hoppy lager to cut through all that dense, rich food. If you have a chance – or can take any more food – try this beer with Dampfnudel, those sweet steamed dumplings, and see how the fresh citrus notes brighten up what could otherwise be a heavy dish.

Quite a lot to be going on with. Personally, I’m inclined to try it with Skeaghanore Confit Duck leg and any kind of cabbage from boiled (Sweetheart, Greyhound or Savoy) to sauerkraut to roast.

This is the third in the brewery’s ORIGINAL GRAVITY and the can art work this time is by Niamh McCarthy of Yellow Lion Studio. This illustration represents the freedom that lies ahead of us, with opportunities and possibilities on the horizon. It’s all about the adventures we can have again, embracing Ireland, the beautiful scenery and nature we have on our doorsteps.

Discover the artist: niamhmccarthyillustrates.com
Etsy: Yellow Lion Studio
Instagram: Yellow Lion Studio

Geek Bits
Malt: Irish lager malt, Carapils.
Hops: Lublin, Hallertau Tradition, dry hopped with Loral and Mandarina Bavaria.
Get social: #ORIGINALGRAVITYHoppyLager
Availability: 440ml cans, limited draught.
IBUs: 27Launch Date: October 2021.

* You may well be asking what is Original Gravity? A gravity reading taken just prior to yeast being added, or pitched, is referred to as the original gravity (OG). The OG will provide the brewer with a good idea of the potential alcohol percentage for that particular beer more here. 

Dead Centre Common Element Extra Pale Ale 4.1%, 400 can Bradleys

Brewed by Athlone’s Dead Centre on Pale Malt and Chateau Wheat Blanc, this Extra Pale Ale is hopped with Talus and Citra for lots of bright hop character. 

An inviting gold colour with a bright white head is what you see. And it is hazy. Citrus and floral are what you smell in the aromas. It is bright and immediately refreshing on the palate with the malts showing up well to balance; excellent mouthfeel and good depth of flavour. One for your session list!

They say: Dead Centre is not a faceless corporation…milking the beer industry for all it’s worth. Instead, we’re a tight knit crew that relies on friends, family, colleagues and other breweries to create a product that we can truly be proud of.

Fresh, flavoursome and (wherever possibly) local ingredients are what give our beer it’s character. Cutting corners here is not an option at Dead Centre Brewing. We believe you get out what you put in…so only the best goes in.

And there’s pretty good stuff coming out. This Athlone outfit are worth keeping an eye on.

Beer of The Year 2021. The candidates, so far!

Beer of The Year 2021

The candidates, so far!

October: Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop DIPA

September: Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner

August: Hope “Limited Edition No 25“ Classic Gose

July: Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale

June: O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro

May: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

April: Heaney New England IPA

March: Whiplash “Melodie Noir” Baltic Porter

February: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path” Lager

January: Lineman “Vesper" Pale Ale

Favourite beers in brew pubs:

IPA: Crew “Polly” IPA

Stout: Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout

Cider: Johnny Fall Down Rare Apple Cider 2019 (from October)

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October final selection

IPA: 9 White Deer Stag;

Wheat Beer: Clonakilty Inchydoney Blond;

Black IPA: 9 White Deer Black Lightning; 

Cider: Johnny Fall Down Rare Apple Cider 2019

DIPA: Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop DIPA

Session: Lineman Sundrops Table Beer, 3.3%; 

Pale Ale: Eight Degrees Kveik Pale Ale.

September Final Selection

Stout: Ballykilcavan Blackwell Stout

Session: Trouble Brewing Love Below Micro IPA 3.2%

Lager: Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner 4.9%.

Wheatbeer/Witbier: Whiplash Il Veliero DDZ Witbier 4.8%

Rye IPA: Kinnegar Bucket & Spade Session Rye IPA 4.2%

IPA: Hope Handsome Jack IPA 6.6%

Pale Ale: White Hag Duo Series Idaho 7 & Citra Pale Ale 5.5%

A Quart of Ale± #74. On the craft journey with a session of Lineman, Dead Centre and Eight Degrees

A Quart of Ale± #74

On the craft journey with a session of Lineman, Dead Centre and Eight Degrees

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Lineman Sundrops Table Beer, 3.3%, 440 can Bradleys

A low abv beer, this from Lineman, a Dublin based independent brewery. 

Sundrops is the name and the colour is sunny, with much haze about.  The head sinks without too much delay. Aromas are rather special, thanks to the hops and yeast from down under. The Ozzie hop Topaz is bright and breezy and an efficient bittering agent while Nelson Sauvin, pretty popular these days, is known for its exotic fruits.

Sauvin is, I’ve read, shorthand for the white wine grape Sauvignon blanc (popular in New Zealand), and this beer certainly makes both the olfactory organs and the palate buds sit up and take notice before a lip-licking finish. All this with an abv of just 3.3! 

They are touting it as “A fantastically balanced sessionable beer” and I wouldn’t disagree! It is available in 440ml cans, is unpasteurised and unfiltered. Suitable for vegans.

Dead Centre Teeny Tiny Micro New England Pale Ale, 3.3%, 440 can Bradleys

A good early whiff of hoppy citrus indicates that this Teeny Tiny will be no weakling on the flavour side. Teeny Tiny, with its cloudy orange-y colour is, as its Athlone producers insist, ”a small but perfectly formed New England IPA”. 

Fresh and indeed loaded with flavour and an excellent balance between hops and sweet honey malt, I’d be happy to imbibe a few of these on a session or slip one or two in between some heavyweights.

Hops used are Citra, El Dorado and Idaho7 and its quite a beer at 3.3abv.

They say: Fresh, flavoursome and (wherever possibly) local ingredients are what give our beer its character. Cutting corners here is not an option at Dead Centre Brewing. We believe you get out what you put in…so only the best goes in.

Dead Centre have installed a beautiful copper clad brewery in their Brew Pub right on the banks of the River Shannon. “Serving a full range of wines, gins, soft drinks teas and coffees…our focus is first and foremost on great quality craft beer from our own brewery as well as local, guest breweries."

The brewpub is casual, laid-back and chilled. "We have four Dead Centre taps constantly pouring as well as 4 guest taps to make sure we always have a wide and interesting range available at the bar.”

Dead Centre Marooned Oatmeal IPA, 5.5%, 440 can Bradleys

An amber orange body topped with a foamy white head that tends to stick around, even from the can. Citrus elements figure in the aromas and on the smooth palate too and here the brewers give much credit to the locally grown and certified organic Kilbeggan oats. Flavours tend towards orange zest in the mouth before a classic bitterness takes over towards the dry finale.

Dead Centre is Westmeath’s first and only craft brewery. “Marooned, our flagship beer, has a silky smooth body, a result of using locally grown and certified organic Kilbeggan oats. This simple malt base delivers outstanding mouthfeel and gives the hops a perfect platform to shine.”

Malts:  Pale Malt, Red X and Kilbeggan organic oats.

Hops: Perle, Simcoe and Mosaic.

Eight Degrees Kveik Pale Ale 5%, 400 can Bradleys

This Pale Ale is named after a unique Norwegian Kveik that produces a tropical flavour and complex aroma. And I’m not talking about hops here. Kveik is a yeast. American Ale Yeast and the British Brett may be tops of the pops in yeast but Kveik is coming up fast, another illustration that “brewers and beer drinkers owe everything to these single-celled fungi”, that quote from Craft Beer for the Geeks. Yeast is responsible for many of the flavour compounds in beer including floral, fruity and spicy notes.

Back to our glass. Colour is a hazy dark gold and a fluffy white head lingers. Aromas are mostly tropical. Tropical also on the palate, multi-layered with  tangerine and pineapple getting a turn as the sips roll softly in. Slightly spicy too and there’s a good dry finish. Very quaffable indeed and highly satisfactory.

They say: It is packed full of Mandarina Bavaria, Cascade and Simcoe hops: lots of fruit and citrus flavours, with a backbone of grapefruit and pine. We’re adding Hornindal Kveik to the mix, a Norwegian yeast that brings some lovely tropical esters to the party. Dry hopped with HBC 522 and HBC 630. (Terrible names, great hops).

This is the second of their 2021 Original Gravity series which celebrates ten years in business for the Mitchelstown brewery. They ran a competition looking for artworks and the winners are featured on this series of five limited beer releases, giving emerging artists a can-sized exhibition space.

The Kveik Pale Ale design comes from with Michael Donnelly of Woolly Mammoth. Michael’s joy at getting out into the great outdoors after the lockdowns is reflected in his design which “depicts the beauty that this country has to offer and the amount of activities we can do…”. Discover more of his work on Instagram:  @woollymammothdesign

As always, Eight Degrees have food suggestions: 

Smooth, snappy and just right for an aperitivo. Puglian taralli – those curled up, crunchy little breadstick bites, especially good when flavoured with fennel – are a great pre-dinner nibble to have alongside this beer. Make up a platter of your favourite crostini (topped with ’nduja and crushed peas) or bruschetta (tomato and aged balsamic for the win) to contrast with the tropical fruit flavours. If you’re heading into the great outdoors with this beer, try it with halloumi burgers, campfire fish tacos or a barbecued steak with piquant salsa verde.

Get social: #OriginalGravityKveikPaleAle