Showing posts with label Hopfully. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hopfully. Show all posts

Sunday, November 28, 2021

A Quart of Ale± #79. A craft session of Brehon & Hopfully with cider from Stonewell & Mac Ivors.

A Quart of Ale± #79

On the craft journey with a session of Brehon and Hopfully and cider from Stonewell and Mac Ivors.






Stonewell Cask Irish Craft Cider 9.5% abv, 75cl bottle Bradleys


“It’s not often that one gets to indulge in two of one’s passions, for me that’s cider and whiskey,” says Daniel Emerson as he introduced his latest cider.


“I have added cider for 6 months in fresh whiskey barrels, kindly lent to us from a distillery in East Cork, then blended it with a select bittersweet ferment to create this woody tannic cider with whiskey overtones. It is effervescent, opulent, viscous and rich in character, but not for the faint-hearted.”


The amber colour is that bit darker than normal. Aromas are of moderate intensity but very much of the orchard. The whiskey cask makes its presence felt on the palate, adding a slight toasty flavour. It is smooth and delightful, with a bitter-sweet finalé, an amazing amalgam of the orchards, the cidery and the distillery. Very Highly Recommended (unanimous here - not always the case!). Go get it!


The Stonewall and Nohoval listing already contains quite a few innovative ciders from Daniel and wife Geraldine. As they say themselves, it takes courage to only use apple juice to make cider and more courage to take it a step further as they have done here. Their apples come from orchards in Waterford, Tipperary and Laois.


Starting this year, when you buy a bottle of Stonewell Cider, Stonewell will make a donation to the Irish Bee Conservation Project (IBCP).


These funds will go towards the general activities of the organisation, including the creation of pollinator trails, the construction of bee lodges and raising awareness of the plight of the Irish Bee species. 


Mac Ivors Traditional Dry Cider 5.6%, 50cl bottle Bradleys


Mac Ivors, inspired by the aromatic ciders of Northern France, made this Traditional Dry Cider, an elegant blend of over ten different apple varieties. “Our crisp Armagh Bramley apples balance the fragrant flavours of traditional dessert apples and bittersweet cider apples, giving a deep and dry cider style.”


It is a much lighter colour, as you’d expect, than the Stonewell. Aromas are yeasty, a little sourness there. And on the palate it has deep apple flavours (thanks to the slow, cool fermentation), and is dry with a lip-smacking finish. One tarty tipple for sure, the tannins drying those lips.


They also do a Medium Cider, a Plum & Ginger, a White Reserve Cider, a Non Alcoholic version, and a Juicy Session Cider.


Armagh is well known as “The Orchard County”. It is here that Mac Ivors Cider has its roots.

“Our farm was established in 1855 in the townland of Ardress. Our cider takes its name from our Cider Maker, Greg Mac Neice’s grandmother Annie Mac Ivor.

Annie, her husband Matt Mac Neice and their nine children had a passion for apple growing. Her son Sam and her grandson Greg continue that tradition, farming over 100 acres of prime Armagh orchard, packing and processing the apples grown and now making great craft cider too!”

The 2013 Cider Celebration was held at the Apple Farm in Cahir and a great day it was too with cider makers from all over the country displaying their produce! Good day for Mac Ivors as their sweet won the Best in Show in that category. Would love to see that Celebration revived!.



Brehon Brewhouse Ulster Black Oatmeal Stout 5.0%, 440 can Bradleys


Beware The McMahons”
It wasn’t the Vikings you had to fear, it was the McMahons. Or at least that’s how they tell it in this part of Ulster. We were the notorious ruling clan for centuries, raiding the Pale for whiskey and beer. These days, we brew our own….. once we’ve finished milking the cows. Always ready for a quiet pint.”


And this Ulster Black Oatmeal Stout is a winner. At least, it was my favourite beer in 2020 and this current version smells and tastes just as good. It is not be hid under a bushel; it is a star in this particular firmament. 


Black as a wet sod after a rainy week in the bog. The fleeting head has some of the colour of a well-dried sod. Aromas also from the dark side: coffee and dark chocolate. And that theme continues on the palate. 


But it is not exactly like other oatmeal stouts, not over-rich. There is a balance, a harmony, that lifts this toasty stout well above the normal. All before a lip-smacking finish. Try it out for yourself! Best served around 8 to 10 degrees. That’s more or less what I wrote last year. No need to change much, I’m delighted to say.


They say: “A sweet, toasty Oatmeal Stout with a dark chocolate and coffee finish. Bottle conditioned with strong notes of dark chocolate, roasted malt and liquorice. Hopped with magnum.  Full bodied and full of flavour, this cozy stout always hits the spot. Ideal with game or strong red meat, smoked meats and hearty stews. Also great with desserts such as chocolate, caramel or dark fruits.”


Hopfully Tangerina  DIPA 8.5%, 440 can Bradleys


“Here’s our new and ‘very limited’ edition small-batch brew, Tangerina Double IPA 8.5%,” said Hopfully back in September.


It has a slight murky orange colour and the white head doesn’t last too long at all (despite the fact that Dextrin is one of the malts used). It is packed with “a gorgeous amount of whole tangerine purée” and you do get it in the aromas. And very much so on the palate, thanks to the addition of the purée. And then it seems to fade out at that - just wondering if that addition was over-generous. Tangerine for sure so it does what it says on the tin. Dry at the end.


The label names the malts; Pale, Oats, wheat, Vienna and Dextrin. “Drink fresh - do not age.” Hops are Simcoe, Cascade and Centennial hops into the whirlpool and “dry-hopped this beauty with Citra, Galaxy, Simcoe, and Centennial”. 


This artwork is a master piece by @staselejakunskaite and is part of her SWAP project in which parts of common images or situations are swapped with each other creating new somehow unusual and surprising senses and ideas. Staselė is a Lithuanian visual artist and illustrator working in fields of conceptual illustration, advertising, publishing, indie print projects, and murals. 

Sunday, July 25, 2021

A Quart of Ale± #61. On the craft journey with a mixed session, rounded off by a superb Yellow Belly "Red Noir"

A Quart of Ale± #61


On the craft journey with a mixed session, with this superb Red Ale the final can of the four. 



Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale 4.5%, 440ml can Bradleys


They say it’s a dark red and it is, very dark, more black than red with a slim milky-coffee coloured head (shortlived). Aromas, caramel and toasted malt, are pleasant, if modest. You get much the same but more intense on the palate, caramel, chocolate prominent here. It is very smooth, very flavourful, very dark. Just wondering have Yellow Belly come up with a new style here, the dark Irish red ale?


They say: How a Red Ale is supposed to taste. Mild aromatics of sweet toasted malt and light smoke entices the drinker to this dark decadent red ale. What follows is a velvety smooth beer with a complimentary combination of chocolate and dark forest fruit flavours on the tongue. 

Style: Dark Red Ale


The Wexford brewery didn’t quite realise that it had a big hit in this one in its earliest incarnation, regarding it as a seasonal if not a one off. But popular demand has its way and, since early this year, they responded to demand and now Red Noir is part of their core range. I can understand why and very happy that the Belly took notice! Tending more toward the simple than the complex yet simply superb!


Geek Bits 

Malts - Irish Pale, Cara Gold, Wheat, Roast Barley

Hops - Cascade, Huell Melon.


Mescan “Seven Virtues” Lager 4.9%, 330ml bottle O’Briens Wine


It’s got the nice golden lager colour and billions of bubbles rising up to the soft white head. A bit of citrus and grass (not that grass!) in the aromas. On the palate, it is a bit more than your usual lager - it is after all dry-hopped. But it is crisp and refreshing, easy-drinking. Well worth a try!


They say: Virtues lager is the first in a series of one-off brews. Crisp and slightly dry hopped, a nod in the direction of both tradition and innovation.  Serving Temp 2 - 4 °C. Note that serving temperature, somewhat lower than usual.


Mescan always pay attention to matching their beers with food and last year even invented the Mescan Food-Pairing Wheel, designed to take the angst out of matching beer and food. It’s an easy way to pair each Mescan craft beer with the foods that complement it. It’s available on the website and is easily printable from a pdf format. It’s a useful resource for all the home chefs who are exploring new options in their kitchens during the pandemic.


The Mescan Food-Pairing Wheel was developed by Inge Roels, a Belgian expert in food-pairing who has worked with the brewery since its early days. She has produced a guide for nine Mescan beers so far – Mescan Blond, Westporter Stout, Mescan White, Mescan Red Tripel, Mescan Extra, Mescan Saison, Mescan Special Reserve, Seven Virtues Lager and Seven Virtues Lambik.


“Mescan craft beers are exceptionally suited to enjoying with food”, said Cillian Ó Móráin of Mescan Brewery, “We were inundated with queries as to the best pairings from consumers and from restaurants and bars. We wanted to create something simple yet effective that would help people enjoy our beers with the optimum foods – hence the Mescan Food-Pairing Wheel was born”.


Check it out here to see what goes with this lager. 



Rascals with Hopfully “Siamese Dream” Pale Ale 4.5%, 440ml can Bradleys



This Pale Ale collaboration between Rascals and Hopfully brings you a bagful of Far Eastern flavours, specifically coconut, pink guava and lime zest (all listed as ingredients).


There’s a hazy yellow colour. Aromas are rather modest. But it certainly delivers on the palate reaching, as promised, every corner with aromatic sweet pink guava, lime zest and coconut. A delicious easy-drinking ale, nicely-timed for the summer!



They say: The beer is brewed with Sabro and Sorachi Ace hops. The latter is a Japanese hop known for its lemon, coconut and even bubblegum properties. Meanwhile, Sabro hops offer fruity and herbal flavours and aromas, with noticeable coconut, sweet citrus and tropical fruit characteristics. Overall you’ll get a nice coconut hit up front, followed by a gorgeous tropical sweetness from the guava, and then in the finish there’s a spirited citrus payoff from the lime zest. Oat malt and Vermont yeast ensure a smooth mouthfeel and enticing hazy appearance.


For the geeks

Malt: Pale Malt, Torrified Wheat, Oat Malt

Hops: Sabro, Sorachi Ace

Yeast: Vermont

Other: Lime Zest, Coconut, Pink Guava Puree

ABV: 4.5%



Otterbank Brewing “Mates Rates” Tart Session IPA 4.9%, 440ml can Bradleys 



Poured this a little too vigorously and got myself quite a head, a head that was slow enough to sink. Actually a fingerful of that head gave me the clue that citrus would be a factor. Light gold is the colour and there’s no shortage of carbonation activity. And citrus is a key feature on the palate; refreshment’s another. A sour for sure but a well balanced one. Sour is not my favourite style but the balance here keeps me onside.


Otterbank are described as a brewing and blending outfit and the brewer is none other than Declan Nixon of Yellow Belly, themselves known for their sours. Otterbank is a bit on the side. By the way, this was brewed at Third Barrel by and for Otterbank who are based in Muff, Donegal.


The label also informs us that the malts are Pils, Cara, Clair, Wheat, and Oats while the hops are Pacifica and Citra (used in the dry-hopping).


By the way, Session is also used on the label. I’d have thought that the abv would have to be at 4.5 or under to earn that tag. What do you folks think?


Monday, March 22, 2021

Brewers Chat About Hops and IPA on Beoirfest

Brewers Chat About Hops and IPA on Beoirfest

Cris (left) and Will


Ronan Russell of Blacks Kinsale, Cris Gasporoti of Hopfully and Brian Kelly of Wicklow Brewery had a great chat, moderated by host Brian O’Connell, on a recent Beoirfest edition where the subject was IPA and hops. And a further distinctive flavour was added to the conversation when hop expert Will Avery joined in as guest.


Will: “I don’t claim to be an expert but I like hops and have acquired a lot of knowledge over 15 years in the business. There is a historical conundrum in that a secondary aspect of hops, its disinfectant properties, brought it fame. But there has to be something to balance the sweetness in beer and hops did the trick, before that there were herbs. That the alpha acid of hops was a deterrent to various bugs was an extra bonus.”


Ronan Russell took on a request from host Brian to explain IPA, a task getting more difficult by the day with so much variation around. “The term has been expanded away from the original meaning over the past 10 to 15 years. IPAs are not what they used to be and now there are many sub-categories not focused on the bitterness. But IPA should be a juicy smooth ale that lets the hops shine through the malt, more than is the case in stout for example. You can write IPA on virtually any can or bottle these days, some do it so the punter will pick it off the shelf.”

Home on the range. Ronan relaxes (for a mo) in Blacks. Pic by Blacks

Cris said there are different styles such as West Coast and New England and craft drinkers know what to expect. “There are lots of choices but it is good to be aware of the styles.. and the label should mean something.”


Ronan agreed that the label should be accurate, “should point you in a certain direction. The front of the can just wants to grab you but there should be a few hints on the back.” He grew up in Belgian - “lots of sweet beer there”. Now he likes the hazy beers, which Kinsale do well. “Lots of malted wheat and oats.. a richer mouthfeel…juicy and full-bodied… aromatic including floral.”

Hops


Not too sure Will would fully agree! Later in the discussion, he said he was tired of drinking beers with Citrus and Mosaic “…. A lot of New England IPA are just sweet,.,. start well but finish flat… You gotta have contrast (Amarillo or Comet). If all you get is juice, you don’t really appreciate it, you gotta have contrast to lift it!”


And there is no shortage of hops. Will said there are dozens of well-known ones but hundreds of others “you’ve never heard of”. Like Comet (which Cris uses well in his beers, eg Quicksand and Shinebright); this is an old-school hop that can provide a lot of flavour and can complement the likes of Citra.


Cris agreed but there is much to understand, the amount of oils and what they do in the brew. “I have done a lot of pilots but there is a bundle of complex stuff that is important to understand.. a lot to learn ...”



Will emphasised that farmers “will plant what they can sell” and will quickly shift to what is in demand. And that could mean certain old-school hops, even more recent ones, could fall out of favour (for instance, you get 8 bales an acre from Citra, 13 to 16 from Cascade or Centennial). Prices could rise for the popular ones and the less popular ones would be even harder to get. And so he underlined the importance of brewers continuing to use a range of hops.


Ronan confirmed the trend towards newer hops.”New varieties, eg Strata, are very popular and it is hard to look past them.” But he agreed that “old” varieties must not be neglected. And Cris nodded: “our job is to use old-school hops.” Hopfully, by the way, have all their beers produced by Waterford’s Metalman. They earn great praise (I’ve enjoyed them here in the Quart of Ale series), not least from fellow panel-members at BeoirFest.


After messing up the home kitchen more than once, Brian Kelly  “jumped at the chance” when the opportunity came up to work in Wicklow Brewery in early 2016. “I quit my job and, I have never been more excited to clean floors in my life. Eventually I began brewing and my passion became a job. In May 2017 I became Head Brewer and I oversee all operations from grain to glass.”



Brian was comparing making beers with fruit additions with the others brewers with Will warning that “doing Mango is not for the faint-hearted!”


Wicklow make a full range including a WB-40 Dank IPA that sounds more or less West Coast to me. Don’t think I’ve had one of their beers since a visit to Brooklodge in 2015!  Haven’t seen their bottles in this neck of the woods, must keep an eye out.


The next Beoirfest presentation is down for 3.00pm on April 3rd and will feature Craft Cider with Stonewell, Tempted and Legacy providing the speakers. Put that in your diary!

Friday, February 26, 2021

Cheers on beer, whiskey and wine. With O'Briens Wine, Franciscan Well, Waterford Distillery, Wines of the World, JJ Corry, Blackwater.

Cheers on beer, whiskey and wine. #212702.

With O'Briens Wine, Hopfully, Treaty City, Franciscan Well, Waterford Distillery, Wines of the World, JJ Corry, Blackwater Distillery.

NEW CRAFT BEER RELEASES At O'BRIENS WINES



This week Paul Barry takes a look at some new craft beer additions to our fridges in O'Briens. We have some great new beers to liven up dreary February with two Irish breweries joining our range this month. Each bringing a line-up of great core range beers, not just great beers for February but all year round!


Hopfully Brewing

 

Hopfully are a Dublin based gypsy brewer, meaning they contract brew in other breweries, that was set up in 2017. All their craft beer cans feature artwork from up-and-coming artists. Their mission as they see it is to “create a series of craft beers that introduce distinctive flavours and give emerging artists a platform to showcase their work.”


Treaty City began in the spare room of a two-bedroom apartment in Vancouver, Canada. Here, husband and wife team Stephen and Treasa perfected some of their recipes on a home brewing kit before deciding to make the move back home and set up a full-scale brewery in Limerick city. This month Treaty City launched a new craft beer can range.


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 Franciscan Well Bar's
 Online Easter Beer Fest
Online Event
Apr 2 at 3 PM UTC+01 – Apr 3 at 9 PM UTC+01
Price: Free · Duration: 1 day
Public Anyone on or off Facebook
"We couldn’t not run our Easter Beer Fest two years in a row....so we've moved it online....all information to be announced soon! #WatchThisSpace"

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TERROIR-DRIVEN: THE WATERFORD WHISKY PODCAST

We have been accused of many things, but being short of insightful content is not one of them.

When we say we bring the same intellectual drive, methodology and rigour as the great French winemakers to single malt whisky, what does that actually mean?

In our new podcast series, award-winning whisky communicator Barry Chandler has unfettered access to the Facilitator and our people, as well as those behind our landmark peer-reviewed study on terroir in whisky. In addition, Barry interviews a number of people from around the whisky community to get their insights on the processes and perceptions of terroir in the wider world.

He breaks down each step of the production process from growing the barley to bottling the whisky so that you, the curious whisky connoisseur, can see what the possibilities are when a distillery chooses to obsessively explore that prime raw ingredient of single malt whisky: barley.

Subscribe now on your preferred platform of choice to follow all episodes.

SUBSCRIBE ON SPOTIFY
SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE PODCASTS

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Wines Of The World Exquitite Mixed Cases


Are you more of a white wine lover or red wine lover?


 

Did you know we have mixed cases of our top selling white and red grape varieties?

 

Checkout out below our top 3 whites - Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay and the top 3 reds Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.
 

Each case an exquisite mix from Around the World!

Check Them Out Here

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Behind The Gates: J.J. Corry St. Patricks Day Live Virtual Tour 🍀



This year, we wish to invite you behind the gates of the
J.J. Corry Farm for a LIVE virtual tour on
Sunday 14th March at 8PM GMT / 3PM EST.

Guided by our Founder and Whiskey Bonder, Louise McGuane,
we will take you through our library of whiskey flavours in our Rackhouse,
a detailed behind the scenes look into our Bonder's Blending Room
(the room where the magic happens), followed by a live Q&A session with
Louise in our 17th Century Barn and Tasting Room.

Tickets available now. Places are limited. Sláinte!


Buy Now

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Blackwater Distillery are proud to support the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival for the third year in a row and are very excited at this year's line up of films.

To celebrate we have a fantastic prize to giveaway which includes an online festival pass to over 60 films and a Blackwater goodie bag which includes a bottle of our Blackwater No.5 and Wexford Strawberry Gin along with 2 highball glasses. Details on their Facebook page here