Showing posts with label Hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hope. Show all posts

Thursday, January 13, 2022

A Quart of Ale± #86. On the craft journey with a session of Hope, Porterhouse, Treaty City and Journeyman

 A Quart of Ale± #86


On the craft journey with a session of Hope, Porterhouse, Treaty City and Journeyman


Hope Overnight Oats IPA 7.5%, 440ml can O’Briens Wine

A bit late to the party here. This is the 5th anniversary brew for Dublin’s Hope Brewery and was launched in the middle of 2021.  


They say: It was our Limited Edition 16 and you voted for its return as our official birthday beer! We brewed it using Norwegian Kveik yeast, flaked Irish oats (creamy) and our own home-made oat milk to give the beer a smooth body and hazy appearance.


It comes in an amber colour,  hazy (but you can see a crowded bubble scene, all on the up) while the head fades away soon enough. The aromas are modest but nonetheless complex with hints of the hops apparent. And it is certainly tropical on the palate, a quality for which the Mosaic hop (used in the dry-hopping) is noted. For all that, the sweet malt has its chance to shine in a very satisfactory anniversary beer indeed. For me, better late than never!


Founded in June 2004, Hope is now a proud local brewery at Howth Junction and drew its customers into the birthday celebrations, asking what would the celebratory brew be. “After all the votes were counted, Limited Edition #16 Overnight Oats IPA was the clear winner." Brewed in 2019 for the fruit time, the customers appreciated, among other qualities, the body and smoothness thanks “to the flaked oats and oat milk”. 


That unique Norwegian Kveik yeast also contributes to that tropical flavour and complex aroma. American Ale Yeast and the British Brett may be tops of the tops 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. Kveik is getting popular here: Eights Degrees, Metalman, and Wicklow Wolf have been among its users in recent months.


Porterhouse Sundown Session IPA 4.0%, 440ml can O’Briens Wine


A light orange is the colour of this 4% Sundown Session from Porterhouse and it comes complete with a soft white head that hangs around for a spell. Not surprisingly, given that Citra, Mandarina and Simcoe are three of the hops involved, both the aromas and flavours feature citrus in a lead role. It is a little more complex than that though as you’ll also find no shortage of more exotic fruit plus a touch of pine at the finalé.


They tell us that it is refreshing and you can sense that yourself the second it hits the palate. So plenty of hops, flavour and refreshment all wrapped up in a 4% package. Not bad at all! May not satisfy the out and out hop heads though as there is little enough bitterness here - IBU is low at 10. Still, should be a popular session beer, which was the intention.


Geek Bits

Malts: Ale, Wheat, Oats and Crystal

Hops: Magnum, Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, Simcoe



Treaty City Outcast Juicy IPA 3.8%, 440ml can O’Briens Wine


Yellow, very pale, is the colour of this cloudy session IPA from Treaty City. It has a “massive” all-American hop line-up of Idaho 7, El Dorado, and Columbus (also known as CTZ), so expect pine, tropical (pineapple), citrus, dank, pepper and pungent in aromas and flavours. That is more or less what you get with quite a bit of fruit on the palate before a dry finish. And that US hop trio certainly lend it a hefty hit, no doubting its hoppy credentials. Overall, it is more than a satisfactory session beer though some would prefer a bit more malt input.


Malts by the way are: Pale Ale, Munich, Oats, Wheat





Journeyman Pale Ale 4.6%, 500ml bottle, Xmas gift


Amber/Gold is the colour of this Pale Ale from Dundalk; it’s got a soft white head with some stability. Hazy enough but not so much that you can’t see the shoals of bubbles rising. There’s a moderately intense scent, grapefruit and pine. And more of the same on the palate where the malted barley and wheat make their presence felt. Actually, it all comes together quite well. 


The producers of Journeyman, at the Pearse Lyons Brewery, say of this Cooper’s special batch: “You need a great barrel to make a great beer. Journeyman is steeped in the tradition and highly skilled craft of coopering, the process of making watertight barrels out of wooden staves.”

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Beer of the Year 2021. The Reveal!

Beer of the Year 2021


Very difficult to separate the contenders but the nod for my Beer of the Year goes to the Brehon Brewhouse Oak & Mirrors Cask Aged Imperial Porter. Brehon: "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.."

1 - Cask-Aged Brehon Brewhouse Oak & Mirrors Two Stacks Whiskey Cask Aged Imperial Porter

 2 (joint) - Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale

                  Whiplash “Melodie Noir” Baltic Porter


4 -       Mescan Brewery Old Brown 


5  (joint) -   Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop DIPA 

                 - Hope “Limited Edition No 25“ Classic Gose

                 -  Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale


8 - Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner

Mescan's Old Brown


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Below are more of my favourites from the past 12 months. I'm lucky to have a great supplier here in Cork City and virtually every brewer in the country will know of Bradley's in North Main Street. There's a wall of beer there but I'm conscious that quite a few others don't make it this far south and so I've used various online shops to broaden my scope. If you feel, your beer is missing out, do please let me have a DM with info as to where I can buy it.


Category favourites 2021


Pale Ale:  White Hag “Magic Mist” Juicy Pale Ale (from a very competitive section)


IPA (also very competitive!): Blacks St Tropez IPA Summer IPA 4.8%


Session: Eight Degrees Seisíun IPA 4.5%. No shortage of competition here.


Lager: Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner 4.9%, from a crowded field


Less competitive categories, even sub-categories


Coffee and Oatmeal Stout: Dungarvan Brewing.


Cask-Aged: Brehon Brewhouse Oak & Mirrors Two Stacks Whiskey Cask Aged Imperial Porter 7.5%; 


Porter: Whiplash The Sup


Rauchbier: Kinnegar 20÷2 Anniversary Rauchbier 5%


Barleywine: Eight Degrees Irish Oak-aged Barleywine 12.2%


Old Brown: Mescan


Spon: Land & Labour Crimson Kriek Framboise


Baltic Porter: Whiplash Melodie Noir Baltic Porter


Wheatbeer/Witbier/Wheat: Curious Society Wheat Beer


DIPA: Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop DIPA, 9.45%


Black IPA: 9 White Deer Black Lightning; 


Rye Pale Ale: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale


Bitter: Lough Gill Five Candles Extra Special Bitter


Stout: Ballykilcavan Blackwell Stout.


Kolsch: Rye River Grafters Clocking Off Kölsch Style


Red Ale: Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale 4.5%


Gose: Hope “Limited Edition No 25“ Classic Gose


Non Alcoholic: Stonewell 0% Cider


Amber Ale: Kinnegar Devil’s Backbone 


Sour: Wide Street “Peach Berliner”Sour or Wheat? 


Brown Ale: Whiplash “The Ocean Wide” 


NEIPA: Heaney New England.


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Favourite beer in brew pubs:

Crew “Polly” IPA.


Also enjoyed:

Cotton Ball "Lynch’s" Stout (Cork City); Elbow Lane's "Angel" Stout (Cork City); and Tom Crean's "Six Magpies" Stout in Kenmare.


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Favourite Cider 2021: 

Stonewell Cask


Also enjoyed:

Johnny Fall Down Rare Apple Cider 2019. Longueville “Mór” Cider 8%.


Others to note:

Mac Ivors Traditional Dry Cider; Viking Orchard Cuvée; Con’s Irish Cider; Viking Hop It Craft Cider; Highbank “Proper Irish Cider” 2016. 


Irish Perry

Cockagee Cider Piorraí Irish Sparkling Perry


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Friday, December 31, 2021

Beer of the Year 2021 - the short list!

Beer of the Year 2021

- the short list!

Cheers!

Not very short but shorter than it was! It is going to be a blanket finish. List below is in alphabetical order. Final result next week.

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Cask-Aged Brehon Brewhouse Oak & Mirrors Two Stacks Whiskey Cask Aged Imperial Porter 

Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale


Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner


Hope “Limited Edition No 25“ Classic Gose


Mescan Brewery Old Brown

Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop DIPA

Whiplash “Melodie Noir” Baltic Porter 

Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale

 


Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Beer of the Year 2021 - the long list!

 Beer of the Year 2021 - the list!


Brehon Brewhouse Oak & Mirrors Two Stacks Whiskey Cask Aged Imperial Porter 7.5%

Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path” Lager

Eight Degrees Irish Oak-aged Barleywine 12.2%

Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner

Heaney New England IPA

Hope “Limited Edition No 25“ Classic Gose

Land & Labour Crimson Kriek Framboise

Lineman “Vesper" Pale Ale

Mescan Brewery Old Brown

O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro

Trouble Brewing Lights Out DIPA

Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop DIPA
Whiplash “Melodie Noir” Baltic Porter

Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale


- Will be "working" on this long list of my favourite beers in 2021 over the Christmas break. Soon, a short list will be published and then my champ!

Will also name a selection across the various style.


December (short list)

Coffee and Oatmeal Stout: Dungarvan

Cask-Aged: Brehon Brewhouse Oak & Mirrors Two Stacks Whiskey Cask Aged Imperial Porter 7.5%

Porter: Whiplash The Sup

Session: Eight Degrees Seisíun IPA 4.5%

Rauchbier: Kinnegar 20÷2 Anniversary Rauchbier 5%

Barleywine: Eight Degrees Irish Oak-aged Barleywine 12.2%

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

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%


Wednesday, November 3, 2021

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%






Monday, September 27, 2021

A Quart of Ale± #70. On the craft journey with a session of Galway Bay, White Hag, Hope and Dungarvan

 A Quart of Ale± #70

On the craft journey with a session of Galway Bay, White Hag, Hope and Dungarvan

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Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner 4.9%, 440 can Bradleys


Safe to say, this Pilsner from Galway Bay has seen more hops than all the bunnies in the county. And the hop doing the business here is the Kiwi Motueka, an impressive performer in both bittering and aroma. I’ve been looking it up on Hoplist and it seems this was bred from Saaz and an unnamed New Zealand breeding strain and lends itself well to Lagers, Pilsners and Belgian Ales. It sure does a good one.


They say: “..a Motueka dry hopped Pilsner. Decoction mashed with Pilsner and spelt malt. Hopped in the boil and whirlpool with Motueka hops to 60IBU before a long cool fermentation with our favourite lager yeast. Then dry hop with more Motueka before packaging…a beautiful simple beer. A delicate lemon and grapefruit profile bolstered by a little bread crusts with a refreshingly crisp & bitter finish. Cheers! 


Colour is light gold, a slightly hazy one. Nice head but doesn’t hang about too long. Aromas are of the tropical and citrus variety and so too are the flavours. This is a Pilsner that starts well, carries itself well and finishes well. Another one to note from the prolific brewery in Oranmore.



White Hag Duo Series Idaho 7 & Citra Pale Ale 5.5%, 440 can CraftDirect



This White Hag ale has a pale gold cloudy colour with a fluffy white head that doesn’t rush away. Citrus and mango feature in the sweetish aromas. And that sweetness is evident too on the palate, tangerine the carrier here but don’t worry, there’s a decent balance at play in quite an impressive beer.


The brewers are also at play here: this Idaho 7 and Citra is first pair of hops used in the Duo Series. The second is El Dorado and Cascade which “has a grapefruit, tangerine and citrus aroma, with a smooth, slightly bitter zesty Grapefruit, Mango, and Citrus flavour. The Duo Series allows us to explore the best combinations of our favourite hops, in one beer, two per time”

They have a mixed case available: “the perfect ‘paint by hops’ mix and comes with 24 beers made up from 2 different styles. The styles in this box will allow you to explore the best combinations of our favourite hops.”

Hope Grunt Citrusy Wheat Beer 4.8%, 440 can



Light orange is the colour, slightly hazy but you can plainly see a myriad soft bubbles rising; soft white head stays a spell. Aromas are citrusy but you’ll also note some banana and juniper. Grunt is very refreshing though, straight from the bone-dry citrusy intro to the bitterness in the middle to the dry finish with a touch of juniper. It is a very pleasant beer, easy-drinking. 


They say: “ … citrusy and spicy ale inspired by Walloon farmhouse brewers that’s packed with flavour and refreshment.” And they also suggest some food pairings. Grunt is an excellent accompaniment to most food, in particular fish, to replace a traditional dry white wine, but also spicy food, where the strong flavours and refreshing quality of the beer can hold its own where a wine could not. It is also good with both strong cheese, and creamy cheese. EBU, the bitterness count, by the way, is 21.


And the name? If a Howth fisherman didn’t fancy going to sea after a heavy night’s drinking he would tie a pig to the ship’s mast. With it’s devil-like cloven feet, the sheer mention of the word pig was thought to bring forth gales and storms. Only a brave captain would set sail, unless he fancied a rasher sandwich!


Dungarvan Brewing Greenway Waterford Pale Ale 4.5%, 440 can Bradleys


A day out walking or cycling by the Waterford coast and this Greenway Pale Ale is your reward. Colour is tending towards amber, the hazy variety, perhaps there was a drift of fog out by Bunmahon. 

Anyways, we’re sitting down as the white head is creeping down. Citrus is strong in the aromas and indeed quite robust on the palate. A good sip though and refreshment immediately seeps across the mouth and soon the restorative effect spreads deeper. Just the job!

This is the most recently Dungarvan beer to be canned. They say: Celebrating the Waterford Greenway, we are delighted to announce the 2019 launch of our Greenway Waterford Pale Ale. First launched in the summer of 2018.., this refreshing beer has been generously hopped with Simcoe, Citra and Amarillo to give a lively citrus flavour which we think is the perfect restorative beer after a (long or short!) trek on our coastal route.

The Waterford Greenway opened in 2017 and is a 46km scenic coastal walking and cycling rail along the old railway line from Waterford to Dungarvan. Sandwiched between the Comeragh Mountains and the Copper Coast, it hosts unparalleled views and wonderful features such as the Durrow Tunnel, Ballyvoile Viaduct and Mount Congreve Gardens.