A Quart of Ale± #109. On the craft journey with Whitefield, Rascals, Porterhouse, Lough Gill and Kinnegar

A Quart of Ale± #109

On the craft journey with Whitefield, Rascals, Porterhouse and Lough Gill

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Whitefield “Eastwood” Irish Pale Ale 5.8%, 500ml bottle Bradleys

Whitefield’s Irish Pale Ale is more red than pale when poured from their usual bottle. It has a pillowy off-white head that hangs about for a while. The aromas are malt driven. It is immediately refreshing on the palate, nicely balanced between the Tipperary barley (from Tim Connolly’s farm) and Slovenia hops (from Blaz Bosnar’s farm).

Whitefield say:  “This pale ale brings out the best of our philosophy. Tradition, terroir and time.” Add in the long and creamy finish and I’m tasting a really beautiful beer, full of character. A big thumbs up for this one from Tipp.

 

I was reading on their website, looking for a bit of background on this beer (including why it is named Eastwood), and found there is quite a story behind the gear at this brewery: The brewery was commissioned by Paulaner in 1996 for a brewpub in Singapore. The Asian crisis meant the brewery had a very short life of less than six months.

It was then purchased by the Kiley brothers from Kinsale.  So, the brewery undertook it’s second journey all the way to Ireland and was commissioned in a beautiful building in Kinsale town in 2002.

 No reflection on the owners however as the Irish market was difficult nut to crack in the hay-days of the Celtic tiger and it was idle again by 2004. The brewery lay dormant for the next 4 years after 2 false starts.

Whitefield (then White Gypsy) purchased the brewery in August 2008 just as another crisis loomed! It all worked out well this time, according to Whitefield: "They say it’s a long way to Tipperary, well it is when you start in Germany go to Singapore then on to Kinsale and end up in Templemore. She has a loving home now and fingers crossed she’ll see her retirement here.”

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Rascals Hazy In Love IPA 5.0%, 330ml Bradleys

It’s a case (for me it’s a can) of love at first sip! Rascal’s are obviously very happy with this one and it is now part of their core range.

It is not that overly hazy as you can see streams of bubbles rising in the amber/orange colour. Aromas are tropical with Mango heading the posse. And all that exotic fruit, along with some citrus, shows up well on the juicy hoppy palate and there’s a smooth mouthfeel as well. No wonder they’re happy, as well as hoppy of course, in Inchicore. The bitterness in the beer is more or less middle ranking and prepares the palate for the next sip.

They say: This is a hazy IPA hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Ekuanot. Not only does it have all the flavour and aroma profile you’d expect from those world-class hops, but we’ve added wheat and oats to give a lovely hazy appearance and smooth mouthfeel. … Cloudy, juicy, hoppy, crushable: it’s a beer that delivers!

Quite happy to agree with that!

Geek Bits:

Malt: Pale Malt, Flaked Oats, Wheat Malt, Torrified Wheat, Naked Oat Malt

Hops: Mosaic, Citra, Ekuanot

Yeast: US-05

ABV: 5%

Ingredients: water, barley, wheat, oats, hops, yeast

By the way, because you may well ask, the tropical flavours found in hoppy beer can include Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Mango, Lychee, Kiwi, Jackfruit, and Papaya.

And another by the way. It may well be worth your while visiting Rascal’s Inchicore (Dublin) headquarters. “We’ve a world class pizza restaurant with the freshest beer pouring on tap.” You can also check out their off-licence, do the brewery tour and enjoy the taproom of course. Details at www.rascalsbrewing.com 

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Porterhouse XXXX Full-On Stout 5.9%, 440 ml can Ballymaloe May Fair

Glossy black colour and a foamy tan head are what you see on this Porterhouse stout. But what do you get? Exactly what they say - a full-on dry crisp flavourful stout, introduced by a classic aroma. Hops have their say in the aromatics but it is the malts that drive the flavour on the palate before the hops, with a fruity citrus streak, take over again in the the dry and bitter finish

They say: XXXX refers to the alcohol level and the depth of flavour in this stout. Our kettle hops drum up a fabulous aroma, flaked barley delivering big time on texture and the darkly roasted grain building a flavour as solid as a rock. Not for the faint hearted. Can you handle it?

They certainly seem to have struck an excellent balance between the fruit and bitterness of the hops and the darker roasted qualities of the malts. Having spent a few hours the previous day drinking one of the main stream stouts, this Porterhouse was different class.

Geek Bits

Malts: Pale Malt, Flaked Barley, Roast Barley, Black Malt

Hops: Nugget, Galena, East Kent Goldings

IBUs: 50

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Lough Gill I’ll Be Late Oat Cream IPA 7.2%, 440ml can Bradleys

Craft brewed in Lough Gill, an independent brewery in Sligo, this Oat Cream IPA, has a mid-orange colour, a soft foamy head and cloudy haze. Aromas are fruity (citrus and exotic). The palate comes on strong and complex, all those exotic fruit while the oats and lactose help give it a creamy feel.

Geek Bits

Style: DDH Oat Cream IPA 7.2% ABV

Hops: Citra, Galaxy and Idaho 7

Malts: Golden Promise, Flaked Oats, Wheat and Dextrin Malts

Format: 440ml Can

They say: Dry Hopped with 18g/L of Citra, Galaxy & Idaho 7, this IPA is an explosion of Citrus, Grapefruit, Passionfruit and Apricot which bring out bright tropical fruit and peach aromas followed by a little dankness. 

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FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Follow the Hops – A Day at Kinnegar with La Pompe, String Ninjas and Tanya McCole Saturday 16 July, 1–6pm Join Kinnegar and Earagail Arts Festival for a concert on our newly sown front lawn, featuring La Pompe, a five piece band with a repertoire of 30s, 40s, ballads, waltzes and latin music, the Belfast-based duo String Ninjas and Donegal’s own Tanya McCole. Tickets are available on the Earagail Arts Festival website.

A Quart of Ale± #107. On the craft journey with Third Barrel, Kinnegar, Wicklow Wolf, Mescan, Larkin's

A Quart of Ale± #107

On the craft journey with Third Barrel, Kinnegar, Wicklow Wolf, Mescan, Larkin's 

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Third Barrel Some Dance To Remember Extra Pale Ale 4.8%, 

440 ml can Bradleys

Beautiful gold/amber colour, hazy of course, with a soft head that takes its time to say goodbye. Exotic fruit as expected in the aroma with Mango and Passion Fruit leading the dank charge. Those flavours also feature on the well-balanced palate along with the tart gooseberry from the Nelson. Another excellent well-executed beer, a slam-dunk, from the Third Barrel crew.

They say: We're kicking off the slamming season with an absolute slammer of a pale ale. This little beauty was brewed with our favourite hops. Strata and Nelson Sauvin.. All this, with a simplified malt bill leaves a crisp and fruit forward extra slammable extra pale ale.

Who are Third Barrel? Initially formed in 2016 as a collaboration between two gypsy brands who wanted their own space. Third Barrel has now grown to be one of the most respected brands in Irish craft beer. Brewing everything from the most wholesome Pils to Triple IPAs and everything in-between. “Our one and only passion in life is making savage beer and we love sharing that passion with you.”

  

Some Dance to Forget is the name of a companion to this one - it takes two to tango. “Big, Bold and in your Face is how we describe this beer. A Triple IPA brewed with 25g/l of Mosaic and Idaho 7. With a trimmed back malt bill to let the hops shine. You can expect a HUGE punch of Grapefruit, Pineapple with a touch of fruit candy.”

Kinnegar Brewers at Play 23 Mango Gose 4.3%, 440ml can Bradleys

This Mango Gose from Kinnegar Brewery comes in a hazy lemon robe with a head that is something of a shrinking violet.  Aromas indicate the expected sourness, mango in the background, yeasty hints too.  The mango gets its chance to shine on the palate, where the beer is now confirmed as tart and refreshing. No big finish but the refreshment came earlier.

Kinnegar say: “Brewers at Play presents new beers designed to keep our brewers on their toes and our customers on their tenterhooks. .No 23 in the series, Mango Gose does pretty much what it says on the tin…If this tart refreshing beer balanced with bright mango doesn’t herald the arrival of Spring, surely nothing will.”

Spring has started but this well balanced gose, with gentle salt and mild sourness, and its refreshing tartness, will also shine during the summer.

Ingredients: water, barley, wheat, oats, mango, hops, yeast. 

This once-off comes in a 440ml can with an ABV of 4.3%. 

Wicklow Wolf Mescan Wit or Without You Belgian Wit 5.0%, 440 ml can Bradleys

For the latest in the brewery’s Crossbreed Series, Wicklow Wolf collaborated, very successfully as it turned out, with Mayo’s Mescan Brewery:

“We are delighted to welcome our good friends from Mescan to brew something special. Cillian is a wizard (he even looks like one) when it comes to brewing Belgian inspired Irish beers, so when we discussed brewing a beer together, it was always going to be a Belgian style. Wit or Witout you is a perfect summer beer.” 

This is indeed a light and refreshing Belgian style Witbier and pours a hazy lemon with a white head that soon sinks. Of course you’ll immediately note that banana heads up the aromatics. The palate is more complex, the banana still there along with traces of the fresh orange peel and herbal notes as well. A very pleasant beer indeed with a touch of sweetness evident, low carbonation and light with a malty sweetness and excellent flavour. A big thumbs up!

This unfiltered and unpasteurised natural beer contains Indian C coriander, orange zest, and black peppercorn. No banana!

Larkins with Dot Brew American Breakfast Stout 8.5%, 440ml can Bradleys

Billed as “Our north American interpretation of their breakfast stout classic, with vanilla ice cream and maple syrup”. They named it, well, American Breakfast Stout.

It is black, so far so good. The off-white head vanishes quickly. And coffee heads up the aromatics. As you drink, the coffee continues in the aromas while the Maple Syrup (and vanilla to a lesser degree) get showtime on the palate. Sweet for sure, no denying that, but there is something of a balance here, something of a saving grace but hardly a stairway to beer heaven.

At least I can finish this one, one of a trio Larkins produced in collaboration with Dot Brew. But I should have paid much more attention to the labels when buying, especially the list of ingredients: Barley, Lactose, Coffee, Oats, Hops, Water, Yeast, Maple Syrup and Vanilla. American yes but not the Full Irish! 

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A Quart of Ale± #89. On the craft with West Cork, Journeyman, Whiplash and Killarney. News from Rascals, Kinnegar, BeoirFest

A Quart of Ale± #89

On the craft journey with a session of West Cork, Journeyman, Whiplash and Killarney

West Cork Stout X Stout West 5.5%, 500ml bottle Bradleys

From Ireland’s most southerly brewery comes this Stout x StoutWest Milk Stout. Black as the Baltimore night with a slowly sinking tan head on top. Mild aromas of chocolate and coffee and a hint of cinnamon. And these continue to the palate, the milk chocolate still moderate, pleasantly so, with a sweet touch of honey and lemon. 

Not one of those beers that blows you away. None the worse for that. This is more on the traditional side, sails rather than horse power, steady as she goes, she’ll get you home, relax and chat as your boat comes in. A decent finish.

They say: Located in picturesque Baltimore on the shores of the Atlantic, West Cork Brewing Company, hand-brews each brew “using our own well-water and the most traditional methods. We hope it does for you what it has done for us - bring friends together.”

Geek Bits

Grain – Pale ale malt, flaked barley, flaked oats, roasted barley, chocolate and carafa III.

Hops – East Kent Goldings.

Water: Brewed using our own spring water.

More: All beers are unfiltered, unpasteurised and vegan friendly as only whirlfloc (carrageenan moss) is used to aid in clarification.

Killarney Golden Spear Blonde 4.8%, 500ml bottle Bradleys

This blonde is a honey blonde from Killarney, with a foamy white top that slides down slowly enough. Lots of bubbles spouting up through the clear beer.

Refreshing from first contact, with its malt character “from several specialty malts and a touch of wheat” showing well. There’s a modest floral aroma and enough hops on the palate to balance this easy-drinking beer. Easy-drinking from me means no rush, take it easy and enjoy. As you’d expect with an IBU of 30, the finish is quite dry, lipsmackingly so!

The brewery relates the legend that gave rise to the name:  Fionn Mac Cumhaill, Ireland’s heroic warrior and hunter, often hunted on the shores of the lakes of Killarney and throughout the McGillycuddy Reeks. One day while climbing Torc mountain, he was attacked by a magical, ferocious boar. With a single blow, Fionn killed the lunging boar in mid-air with his fabled golden spear. Savour a pint of our delicious Golden Spear while toasting our legendary warrior!

No food pairings on the Killarney website but, last summer, I enjoyed this with Free Range Rosscarbery Pork Belly (Thai spices, roasted turnips, peanut rayu, and fresh apple salsa), at the Garden Restaurant in Liss Ard (West Cork).

Killarney update

"Construction is well under way at our new brewery, distillery and visitor centre on the picturesque Ring of Kerry, with views of the MacGillycuddy Reeks and lakes of Killarney. This state-of-the-art facility will meet growing demand for our beers and with a custom built malt and grain distillery, it will be home to our luxury spirits portfolio. The €24 million investment, a stunning one-of-a-kind 62,000 sqft complex, will be Ireland’s largest independently owned facility. It will provide a cultural home to the thriving business, local employment and meet the growing demand for premium Irish products and experiences."

Journeyman Juicy IPA 5.9%, 500ml bottle, X-Mas present

Journeyman’s Juicy IPA has a murky orange colour with a white head that hangs about a while. It is hoppy for sure, no shortage of fruit flavours, thanks in large measure to generous dry hopping. This is another well made beer in the Cooper’s Special Batch series brewed for SuperValu and Centra.

It is produced by the Pearse Lyons Brewery at the Stationworks Brewery in Dundalk, a new brewery opened in late 2018 on the site of the former MacArdle Brewery (closed 2001, after 140 years). Stationworks was the name of a Newry brewery that Lyons (via parent company Alltech Beverage) bought a few years earlier and that name was reused in the Dundalk brewery where the award-winning own-brand Foxes Rock range (also available in SuperValu) is also produced.

There’s an interesting MacArdle’s “tribute” site here http://www.macardles.ie 

Whiplash The Mash & The Fury Double Decoction Märzen 5.8%, 440ml can Whiplash Online

This is a lager, though you would not say so if you were going solely by the colour which is a darkish red topped by a tan head already fading to a thin disc. This lager is “at the dark end of the spectrum”. Aromas are complex, rum and raisin, caramel too.

And that caramel and raisin are prominent on the palate in this amazing beer with its unreal depth of flavour. No doubt it is hard to classify this one, but is fermented with their influential lager yeast and “lagered until it’s ready.” It is ready, according to Whiplash (who should know!), so give it a lash and enjoy it from first whiff to that slightly sweet finish.

Geek Bits:

Dark Munich Malt

Aromatic Malt

Vienna Malt

Magnum Hops

WLP833 yeast.

They say: Our lager series continues with The Mash & The Fury, a hyper traditional Double Decoction Märzen…..For the uninitiated, decoction is the age old process of boiling a portion of the mash to better utilise undermodified grain. As malting technology has improved, this has become an anachronism and most modern brewhouses are now built without the means to decoct mashes. Only the few who still believe that the distinct caramelisations that decoction produces cannot be imitated still employ this sorcery. We are one of those breweries.

Brewery News

On the lookout for Rascals Big Smoke?

You should be..

The Big Smoke returns! This exceptional imperial stout has been brewed in collaboration with The Dubliner Liberties Distillery, in whose bourbon barrels we aged a smoked porter for over half a year. The results are sublime and intense: a rich, smoky 12% stout with subtle hints of chocolate and vanilla, underlined by a gently warming bourbon taste. The complex malt bill includes beech-smoked and oak-smoked barley for a rounded fragrant smoky flavour as well as chocolate malt and chocolate wheat for hints of dark, bitter cocoa. Magnum hops provide a clean bitterness and hint of spice.

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Beoirfest

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CAREERS at KINNEGAR We’re looking for 2 new full-time players to strengthen the squad: -- Junior in Marketing, Communications, Visitor Experience & Sales -- Brewery Assistant in Packaging -- You'll find full details on our website here: https://kinnegarbrewing.ie/down-to-business#section-careers…. #jobfairy #jobs

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A Quart of Ale± #82. On the craft journey with a session of Eight Degrees, Kinnegar and Brehon Brewhouse.

A Quart of Ale± #82

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

Eight Degrees Irish Oak-aged Barleywine 12.2%, 440 ml can

This seasonal Barleywine pours a ruby colour in the glass, great to reflect the lights on the Christmas trees, appropriate too as this beer is deftly produced to accompany you through the festival meals.  

Aromas are malty and complex. The complexity continues on the palate, yet it is not at all over over-intense, a condition that hampers many high abv beers. 

This aromatic and multi-flavoured seasonal special was aged in especially rare Irish whiskey barrels that have been made from native Irish oak. And it is certainly a good fit for the festive season, for the pudding, the cake (think raisins and dried fruit), candied fruit, toffee. While you may get some vanilla during the tasting, the cask input is very nicely judged, there is no sharp whiskey hit at all. Oh, there is certainly cask influence but all’s in balance.

And keep it handy for the cheese course, especially if you have the likes of Cashel or Crozier or Wicklow blue at hand. I enjoyed it with a wee wedge of Crozier and it was quite a match, both the beer and the cheese enhanced by the coming together of the golden liquid and the cream of Cashel.

The blue cheese may not be everybody’s cup of tea but I’m sure you’ll find quite a few other pairings for this superb barleywine, starting with the brewery tasting notes below. I did absolutely enjoy it with the cheese and am really looking forward to trying another can with the cake and pudding on the big day!

Don’t rush this beauty, a sip will go a long way. I remember that tip from César Saldaña, Consejo Regulador Jerez. In 2011, while speaking of sherry at an event in Ballymaloe, he said: When drinking sherry with your meal you should always have a glass of water at hand. When you want to “wash” down the food use the water and then take “a few drops” of the sherry as it goes a long way! The same advice may be applied to quality abv beers like this.

The artwork on the can may have caught your eye. They say: To celebrate ten years of brewing at Eight Degrees, we wanted to showcase Ireland-based artists in our 2021 Original Gravity series. We ran a competition looking for artworks that reflected our Naturally Adventurous values, expressing our desire to explore and roam again. Artist Coireall Carroll Kent ( @coireallcarrollkent ) explains her design: 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!

Geek Bits

Malt: Pale ale malt, Carapils and Cararoma.

Hops: Nugget and Cascade.

Yeast: US05 yeast.

IBUs: 82

Launch Date: November 2021.

Availability: 440ml cans, limited draught

Style: Irish oak-aged barleywine.

Food pairings

Get those brandy snifters out! You definitely don’t want to hurry this gorgeous beer. Try it with the bluest of the blue cheeses that you can get your hands on as it will happily stand up to any funk that you throw at it. Stilton is the obvious pairing but we like to stick with Irish cheese on our Christmas cheeseboard so Louth’s Bellingham Blue, Young Buck from Northern Ireland and our local Crozier Blue from Cashel are all worthy pairings. It’s also the time of the year when all the flavours of spiced beef need a foil: get the best award-winning spiced beef from Tom Durcan in Cork’s English Market, slice thinly and layer it into a sandwich that also involves some of that blue cheese. Serve with ORIGINAL GRAVITY Irish Oak-Aged Barleywine on the side for a wintertime supper with style. Keep a little beer for the end of the meal and pair it with dark chocolate, dried fruit and nuts – or any bar that combines those flavours. Ireland is blessed with a variety of wonderful bean to bar chocolatiers so seek out the darker chocolate from producers like Exploding Tree, NearyNógs, Bean & Goose and Hazel Mountain Chocolate. Closer to home, chocolatier and pastry chef Norma makes truffles and bars at Praline in Mitchelstown which are worth a try with the barleywine. My pick? The 65% dark chocolate tropical bar with mango, passionfruit and pineapple.

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

Pilsner is actually a type of lager, named after the Czech city Plzen. Their most notable differentiating feature is that pilsners tend to have more hop forward flavours and a  different yeast is used.

You notice that “hoppier” element immediately in the aromas, nothing too forward mind you in this clear amber beer from Donegal. There’s an extra degree of oomph on the palate, the crisp and clean lager equipped with a bit of extra muscle, thanks to the noble hops used.

They say: “A once-off of a classic style that played a part in Rick’s personal development as a brewer.” And then they don’t say anymore. Should customers be told the full story? In any event, this excellent simple beer is a good one to celebrate the brewery’s 10th anniversary.

Brehon Brewhouse Crann Beatha Whiskey Aged Imperial Stout 10.0%, 500ml bottle Bradleys

Here’s the Brehon intro to this Imperial Stout: We are proud to present a limited run, not to be repeated: Crann Beatha Whiskey-aged Imperial Stout - Vintage 2019.

Dark as a moonless night, it has (briefly enough) a tan disc as a head. Aromas are vanilla, coffee and caramel, a hint of the whiskey in the dark-roast malt. And the warm and rich palate intensifies the aromas with rich fruit (plum and raisin) also in the flavours. Quite a good balance right to the satisfactory finish.

Brewed and bottled by Brehon in County Monaghan for Gaelic Delight and exclusively for sale in the Netherlands. I got mine in the Republic of Bradley’s. Crann Beatha means Tree of Life. It is a celebration of their 200th brew and the whiskey casks used came from one of the new distillers in Mayo. Of the two cask aged Brehon whiskeys tasted recently, I’m inclined to give the nod to the Oak & Mirrors, though I enjoyed both.

Brehon Brewhouse Stony Grey IPA 6.0%, 440 can Bradleys

This has a close to amber colour, hazy with a foamy white head, altogether attractive. Nice mix in the aromas, floral notes (including rose), spice and pine and hints from the malt. And much the same elements, with a layer of citrus, combine on the palate giving a terrific balance, smooth all the way to the dry finish. A very pleasant beer indeed. A superb beer actually, quite a flavoursome thrust to it and a deep refreshing finish. 

I first enjoyed this in the autumn of 2020 and was the beer that led me to adding the Monaghan brewery to my short list. And where did the brewery name come from? It was inspired by the old Brehon laws that ruled medieval Ireland, which claimed every clan could brew beer for their own family!

They say: Great on its own but just perfect with spicy foods like Indian, Mexican, chicken wings or mild blue cheese, lemon curd cake or key lime pie. Serve around 8 degrees. Our small brewery is housed on the farm, just a short distance from the old homestead.We are set amongst the rolling drumlins of County Monaghan, just a few miles from the birthplace of Patrick Kavanagh, the inspiration for our India Pale Ale –  Stony Grey IPA.