A Quart of Ale± #75. On the craft journey with a session of Western Herd, Treaty City, Heaney and Lough Gill

A Quart of Ale± #75

On the craft journey with a session of Western Herd, Treaty City, Heaney and Lough Gill

Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop Double IPA, 9.45%, 440 can Bradleys

This much hopped and hyped beer comes from the Western Herd Brewery in County Clare and is in the style of a West Coast DIPA.

It is gold in colour and you can see zillions of micro bubbles rising towards the white head. Aromas, with pine needles and pineapple prominent, are intense (some would say dank* - see below).

And that dankness is a force on the palate, leading an army of tropical flavours. Such flavours often get lost when the ABV is high but that is not the case here so major credit to the brewery. And the umami just goes on, the beer power-packed with flavour right to the very satisfactory finalé. 

They say: ..we’ve packed in the largest number of hops ever into this Double iPA. Designed to let the hops shine through, we’ve built a complex and layered flavour profile. the result is an intense fruit scent with pine, citrus and, in brewing parlance, a wonderfully dank aroma.”

Eight of the hops listed below have been used in the kettle and then they double dry-hopped it “heavily” with Nelson Sauvin and Strata.

Hops
Columbus, El Dorado, Cascade, Citra, Centennial, Nelson Sauvin,
Strata, Amarillo, Chinook

Malts
Pale, Stout Mix

Adjuncts
Dextrose

Yeast
LAX

Original Gravity
1.075

% ABV
9.45%

• When not describing something as “moist” and “humid” like a basement, dank is a slang term describing something as “excellent,” especially marijuana. Dank can also refer to memes that are played out or extremely weird.

Treaty City Pigtown Pilsner 4.8%, 440 can (gift)

This Pigtown Pilsner was brewed by Treaty City Brewery as an exclusive beer for the September 2021 Pigtown Culture and Food Series. It is called the ‘Pigtown Pilsner’ and is a Bohemian Pilsner.

Colour is a golden blond with tints of amber while aromas (fruity and floral) are mild. There’s an immediate refreshing bite from this one, nothing over the top, and it is more malty than hoppy. It has a pretty full body and is clean and crisp, with a mild bitterness, and is very drinkable indeed.

As you might expect, the main ingredients are all geared towards a Pilsner (or Lager) finish. Floor malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt has been used and the three hops  - Aurora (spicy, herbal and moderately bittering), Hallertau (mild aroma, slightly fruity and spicy, flowery, and even hay-like), Mittelfruh ( has a mild bittering potential), are all well-suited to the style.

Heaney Look! No Hands IPA, 7.0%, 440 can Bradleys

A very murky orange is the colour of this “true farmhouse” beer from Bellaghy, Northern Ireland. 

Fruity aromas, including pineapple. Earthy flavours along with fruit (mostly tropical) on the palate all the way through to the dry and bittered finalé. It has been dry-hopped with Vic Secret (well known for its clean pineapple flavour) and Ella (spicy, floral character like star anise). They tell us to expect a well-balanced hit of hazy pine, pineapple, grapefruit, and floral flavours with a dry spicy finish. Not quite hitting the bullseye for me but pretty close.

They say: A true farmhouse brewery from Bellaghy, Northern Ireland! The brewery was founded by Mal McCay and his wife Suzanne, who is a niece of the late poet Seamus Heaney. Since opening their doors, they are writing a new chapter in the history of The Wood – one all about grain, hops, and pure Bellaghy spring water.

We feature Heaney’s regularly here and are big fans of their Irish Stout, the Big Little IPA, the New England IPA, the “Way Over Yonder” Saison (with a few dried apricots at hand) and their Irish White Ale.

Lough Gill Five Candles Extra Special Bitter, 5.0%, 440 can Bradleys

A slightly murky orange/red is the colour of this Five Candles from Lough Gill, a celebration of their fifth birthday: “A traditional beer brewed for the perfect marriage of Malt & Hop bitterness.This is an updated recipe of Thieving Bastards, our first beer brewed here”.

Hints of orange from the aromas. Some light fruit too on the palate and a light roastiness also that hints of darker ales. The warming beer, a slightly biscuity ale, should go well with the birthday cake. 

Cheers on Beers, Wine and Spirits. Lots of Tastings Coming Up. And More Packed in this Issue. Mothers Day. Patrick's Day.

 Cheers on Beers, Wine and Spirits. Lots of Tastings Coming Up. And So Much More Packed into this Issue.  #211003

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Clonakilty Distillery Mother's Day Gifts 

Celebrate the special woman in your life this Mother’s Day with gifts of love from Clonakilty Distillery that goes beyond the ordinary.

Whether they're a mum, step mum, mother-in-law or foster mum.

 We’ve got a gift to make every parents day, for every type of family, this 14th March.

Shop now

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Greenes And Wines Direct

'Meet the winemaker' zoom wine tasting We are excited to announce our online event with

@derrickneleman

Valencia in Spain including 2 wines, artisan cheese & charcuterie. The tasting will take place on Friday 19th March @ 8pm.

@WinesDirect

http://greenesrestaurant.com/menus

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Laurent Miquel Tasting Case

O'Briens Wine Host French Tasting Event

Join us for a virtual online wine tasting on Thursday, 8th April 2021 at 7pm

O’Briens Wine Director, Lynne Coyle MW will be joined by Vigneron and Winemaker Laurent Miguel along with his Irish wife Neasa from their beautiful home at Château Les Auzines, Corbières, in the South of France leading you on an expert tasting session you don’t want to miss. We will be tasting an Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé and a velvety Languedoc red while Laurent and Neasa chat about their wines, vineyard stories and give us a taste of their South of France lifestyle.

Save your spot by buying your Laurent Miquel Online Tasting Case, limited spots available – don’t miss out!

What you’ll get:
1x Laurent Miquel La Gaupine Sauvignon Blanc usual RRP €14.95
1x Les Auzines Alaina Rosé usual RRP €16.95
1x Les Auzines Alaina Albariño usual RRP €16.95
1x Les Auzines Hautes Terres Rouges usual RRP €14.95
1x Tasting Sheet
1x Exclusive access to the Wine Tasting via Zoom
Offer Price including delivery €60

Order before Friday 19th March to ensure delivery of your wines! Your tasting pack will be dispatched from the 24th March onwards (please allow between 3-5 days for delivery).

On Monday 5th April your link to the Zoom tasting will be sent to the email address you provide when placing your order. Please note this pack is not available for sale in our stores.

If you have any questions please contact online@obrienswine.ie

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NEW BEER ALERT!!

From Galway Hooker

15 Year Anniversary Double IPA   This Double IPA will be hitting shelves in Mid March to celebrate our 15 year anniversary. We're really excited for this release! ShopShop   ********* Lough Gill Brewery presents... ☘️☘️☘️ KELSEY GRAMMER ☘️☘️☘️ Faith American Brewing Co. With no pubs or parades this St Patrick's Day, what better way to celebrate the day than by brewing a very special collab beer with New York's Faith American Brewing Company. The brewing collaboration will be carried out virtually on March 17th with brewery founder and famous Hollywood actor, Kelsey Grammer. Tune in to our instagram on the St Patrick's Day where we will be going live with Kelsey on the day to announce details of the collaboration. Don't miss it!  VISIT OUR INSTAGRAM

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LIVE Virtual Tasting Friday March 26^th 7pm

Wines Of The World

We are really looking forward to our Virtual Tasting via ZOOM with Casa Silva.

This will be a live interactive virtual tasting with our wine expert Kate Barry and Stephen Ludlam from Casa Silva.

Casa Silva is Chiles most awarded winery of the 21th Century – outstanding wines of great quality and fantastic value.

Viña Casa Silva has the oldest wine cellar in the Colchagua Valley. Beneath its traditional and historic facade, however, is one of Chile’s most modern wine facilities.

More here.

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St Patrick's Hamper of all Hampers from Blacks.

This St Patricks day looks like another party at home situation so why not mix it up a bit and finally get the cocktail bar you have always wanted. This mega pack includes everything you need to make over 100 cocktails at home (except the ice). For a bargain price of only €600.00 That`s 60 cents a drink Tom? "sure is, Show Me The Money".

Don`t be a basket case this year at Paddies, get the hamper of all hampers and Boss the day. Be the cocktail supremo, be the Tom Cruise off the gaff. Wow the crowds ( or just the wife and kids) with your bottle twizzzling skills as you bang out a whiskey sour, a dirty colado and a good Ol` fashioned. Only a limited number of hamper of all hampers are available. Hit the button below to transform your Paddies at home.

Click below for all the details, including discount! Send me the Hamper of all Hampers ********* Sheridans and eight degrees CHEESE & CRAFT BEER TASTING MARCH 19TH €60.00 A VIRTUAL CHEESE & CRAFT BEER EVENING MARCH 19TH 2021 Kevin Sheridan & Caroline Hennessy of Eight Degrees Brewery will host a beer & cheese evening on Friday March 19th 8pm to 9.30pm A selection of Irish Farmhouse cheeses and crackers along with three specially selected beers will be sent to the participants before the event. Participants can then log on to the event where Kevin & Caroline will chat through the beers and cheeses as well as answering all your questions on the fascinating worlds of Irish Artisan Cheeses and Craft Beers. The atmosphere will be fun and educational. A single ticket is suitable for one or two people in the same household. Details here. ********* St Mel's Brewery Introduce Monthly Subscription Boxes  We know so many of you love having our brilliant beers delivered to your door on a monthly basis, after all, who wants to run out of beer?!  So we've created something we think you're all going to love.....introducing our monthly subscription boxes. All you have to do is pick your beer option once and every month you'll have your choice of brilliant beer delivered from our doors to yours!  Start shopping anseo.

Cheers . Beer, Wine, Spirits with Bertha's Revenge, Supervalu, Chateau Feely, Wines of the World, Lough Gill, Rascals

Cheers 210502

Beer, Wine, Spirits with Bertha's Revenge, Supervalu, Chateau Feely, Wines of the World, Lough Gill, Rascals

Bertha’s Revenge Navy Strength Gin

Ballyvolane House Spirits Company are delighted to introduce you to a new nautical member of our little herd Bertha’s Revenge Navy Strength Gin.  We have raised the ABV to a lip-pursing 57.1%, and have shuffled the botanical blend slightly to accentuate one or two of the more pronounced flavour notes.  The extra strength gives our merry crew of spices a megaphone through which to convey their message, which is as smooth and as well-balanced as you would expect from a cow riding at anchor.

Bertha’s Navy Strength gin tastes divine when sipped over ice.  She is also an excellent base to gin-forward cocktails, especially a Gimlet.

What is Navy Strength?  Britain historically boasted the largest and most powerful navy in the world and during the Napoleonic wars, more than a quarter of the Royal Navy’s 17,000 men were Irish including including one of Justin’s ancestors, Vice-Admiral Sylverius Moriarty who was born in 1735 at Ballyferriter on the Dingle Peninsula in Co. Kerry.  He was also one of the only Irish-speaking Vice-Admirals in the Royal Navy. More here.

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Meet the Special Guests at Supervalu's Spanish Wine Sale that begins 11th February.

Just a small selection of the many Spanish wines on offer.

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NATURAL APHRODISIACS: LOVE BOXES & VIRTUAL VALENTINE FUN

Natural aphrodisiacs are great for passion and for health. In this article you’ll discover some of these wonders, Chateau Feely’s Aphrodisiac Love Box, a love potion secret from Cleopatra, treats and wines to pair with them AND the Virtual Valentine Party to kick off your Valentine weekend with sizzle and laughter. Check out the Love Box here!

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Monthly Wine Subscription

Wines Of The World

 

You are one of the first in Ireland to know…

 

Our Monthly Wine Subscription now live on our website......Click here for more.

 

We are delighted to introduce our new Monthly Wine Subscription. The perfect subscription for you - The Wine Lover!

Our wine experts carefully select 6 delicious wines and send them to you each month.

These will include:

•            6 Wines (Mix of Red, White & Rosé)

•            Free Delivery Nationwide

•            Tasting Notes for each wine

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Lough Gill Have A Discount For You!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN 2020

10% DISCOUNT CODE: GOODBYEDRYJAN

As an independent, family-run craft brewery, your support is what keeps us alive and allows us to do what we love and we are very grateful. Thanks to you, we were able to continue creating exciting new beers in 2020. Use the above discount code at the checkout to receive 10% off your next order. This code is valid for until 14th February 2021.

Order here

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Rascals Got A Whole Lot Of Love. In A Box

If you’re looking for a St. Valentine’s Day gift that says ‘Hey, I decided to express my love for you through the medium of beers and chocolates’, well you’re not going to believe this, but we can sort you out! The Love Box is a collection of eight beautiful Rascals beers, sixteen beautiful chocolates, one sizzling hot love songs playlist and a beer-chocolate pairing guide. It’s yours for just €29.95 and we deliver nationwide. It’s the perfect gift for when you want to do that thing where you buy someone a gift but really you’re buying it for yourself too. Don’t pretend you’ve never done that! Buy The Love Box

€1 from every webshop order this month will be donated to our local National Council for The Blind shop. You can read more about the initiative here.

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A Quart of Ale± #10. Moving on over to craft. American Style IPA

A Quart of Ale± #10

Moving on over to craft. 

American Style IPA

First, there was IPA. In the 18th century, English beer, on its way to India was highly hopped. It became known as India pale ale and went down well with the soldiers and later found favour with drinkers at home. 

Two hundred years later, just like the empire, it was slipping into oblivion, until the Americans revived it by using their more aromatic and flavourful hops and more of them. And so the American IPA was born. And that led to a revival in the UK.

In Part 1 here, we start with a 100% American IPA and an answer from the UK and a worthy effort too from our own Porterhouse. Both Lyons and Lough Gill have strong US connections. Part 2 will focus on some excellent American style IPA produced here in Ireland by the likes of Kinnegar, Whiplash, Blacks and Yellowbelly.

Founders All Day IPA 4.7%, 42 IBU, 355ml can, Bradley’s of Cork

Light amber colour, no shortage of bubbles, white head falls quickly. Aromas are sharply hoppy. Mouth-filling, with strong but not by any means overpowering hop input, not too bitter at all. Excellent, and certainly sessional as they indicate on the label. A classic Founders without all the alcohol.

They say: The beer you’ve been waiting for. Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp. An all-day IPA naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains and hops. Balanced for optimal aromatics and a clean finish. The perfect reward for an honest day’s work and the ultimate companion to celebrate life’s simple pleasures.

Brewer Jeremy Kosmicki  made the All Day his mission: “Not too malty, not too bitter, not too much alcohol. Something I would get satisfaction from. Pretty excited that the company got behind it and said go for it. It’s not a light beer.. the only thing light about it is the alcohol.” Reckon he cracked it! See his video onsite at www.foundersbrewing.com

Thornbridge Jamestown New England IPA 5.9%, 330ml can, Bradley’s of Cork

Lighter colour, a light hazy gold, than Founders, big white head, a bit slower to sink. Hoppy aromas. On the palate, you get a fruity greeting, little trace of bitterness. Very quaffable indeed. And if you’re inching your way into craft, you could do worse than try this English made beer.

Hops: Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, Citra. Mosaic

Maris Otters, Wheat, Oat

They say: Jamestown is soft in body and huge in character. Expect a bouquet of stone fruit and citrus, followed by flavours of papaya and pineapple on the palate. Vegan friendly!

Porterhouse Renegade New England IPA 5.3%, 440ml can, Bradley’s of Cork

Again a hazy gold, a little heavier than the Jamestown, big white head that lingers a while. Hops peep through in the aromas. Well flavoured as you’d expect from the hops but this smooth New Englander from old Dublin is very drinkable, well balanced with hops enough but no overt bitterness.

They say: Renegade is our take on a NEIPA. With an extended whirlpool at lower temperature for a smooth soft finish. Unfiltered and heavily dry hopped with Amarillo, Galaxy and Mosaic for notable flavours of passionfruit, mango, lemon with a touch of blueberry. This NEIPA is fermented on traditional East Coast yeast.

Malts: Ale, Oats, Cara, Wheat.

Hops: Magnum, Citra, Mandarina Bavaria, Simco.

Lough Gill Native IPA 5.5%, 440ml can, Aldi

In Lough Gill, a couple of years back, with James (left) and Tony

The label shows a buffalo with the stars and stripes background. More than enough to indicate that this is more than likely an American style Indian Pale Ale. No big surprise really considering that head brewer Tony is a Lakota Sioux. It came into the Aldi offering about two years back and I hadn’t heard of it until a chance visit to the local store recently. The surprise is that this has some characteristics of an English style IPA.

It comes in a reddish brown colour with an off white head that doesn’t last as long as an Aldi queue. Aromas of moderate intensity with both malt and hops at level pegging. And that equilibrium is repeated on the palate. Nice bit of flavour though and a dry malty finish from a beer that falls somewhere between American and English, between pale ale and red. Pretty good one though.

With COVID-19 hammering small business right across the country James Ward, founder, Lough Gill Brewing Company, is delighted that Aldi has extended its usual summer contract for Native to last through the autumn. 

Pearse Lyons “Brown Bear” IPA 5.2%, 500ml bottle Aldi

The late lamented Pearse Lyons (clip from distillery tour video)

Amber is the colour of this Aldi beer. The soft white head soon sinks to a lacy disc. Hops and their floral notes feature in the aromas of moderate intensity. It has been dry hopped and that comes across clearly on the palate right through to the finish but the malt has a strong enough part to play here as well. 

Well-made, well balanced as you’d expect from the Pearse Lyons company who own a distillery and a brewery in the US. Their distillery in Dublin’s Liberties is a must visit while their beers are being produced, for Aldi, in the old McArdles brewery in Dundalk. I haven’t had the pleasure of a visit there yet.