A Quart of Ale± #115. On the craft journey with Wicklow Wolf, Whiplash, Lough Gill, O Brother and Kinnegar.

 A Quart of Ale± #115

On the craft journey with Wicklow Wolf, Whiplash, Lough Gill and O Brother.

Wicklow Wolf Locavore Summer 2022 Foraged Elderflower Saison 6.5%, 440 ml can Bradleys

In introducing Locavore Summer 2022, Wicklow Wolf tell us it is a Foraged Elderflower Saison brewed with elderflower foraged right on the hop farm and our very own malted barley and wheat.

There is a slight and short-lived white head and the colour is a clear amber/gold. The Elderflower is immediately noticeable in the aromatics with herbal and floral notes, and hints of resin in the background. Quite a current of tropical fruit and orange comes through on the palate of this light and crisp beer, deeply refreshing and with a lip smacking finish. Pretty unique and another worthy effort from the Wolf pack, another cub to be proud of.

And that uniqueness owes much to Wicklow. The brewers: “In early June we made a trip to the hop farm to forage some elderflower for this year’s Locavore Summer 2022.For our Summer Locavore release, we forage the wild landscape of Wicklow for flavours that will allow us to experiment and champion the local terroir. We hand picked some vibrant elderflower from the hedgerows that border our hop farm. It is these native Irish hedgerows that provide a picturesque backdrop, increases biodiversity and that will give this Elderflower Saison a taste of the Wicklow hills.

Pic by Wicklow Wolf

For the brewing of this season’s locavore release, we brewed a saison using our very own malted barley and wheat. The elderflower was hand picked and added straight to the brewhouse at 15g/l. Our Locavore Project epitomises the core philosophy that Wicklow Wolf was founded upon, provenance and pride. The Locavore Project allows us to celebrate the terroir of Wicklow, our home and champion it with small batch, local, experimental beers.” 

Geek Bits

Hops: Mosaic, Centennial, plus15g/l Foraged Elderflower

Malts: Wicklow Wolf Pilsner, Wheat & Munich Malt

Whiplash Ephemeral Table Beer 2.6% ABV, Whiplash Online

Whiplash’s first table beer comes in a hazy lemon colour with a soft white head that sinks slowly enough. It has an ABV of just 2.6, hence the table beer designation. Don’t let that put you off. There’s a genius at work here, well in Dublin 10.

I did the old foam finger test (as I was once shown by the Belgian beer sommelier Marc Stroobant) and what do I get but basil or “bays-il” as one prominent chef terms it. There is much more of course, after all the ever inventive Whiplash crew are driving this one. As well as basil, they have added lemon zest and that too comes through on the pleasing palate.

You’ve got a full team of malts here and Whiplash rely on the Hersbrucker hops to add noble spice notes. And you certainly get that. Indeed, there is quite a lot going on here, so much that you (well, “I”) don’t notice the modest ABV or should I say the lack of a higher rate. Fine by me. At a table this summer, indoors or out. Worth a check for sure!

The Brewery say: Introducing our first Table Beer, Ephemeral. Traditionally, this style is for everyone at the table, low ABV, great with a meal and something to take you through the evening & beyond. However, the exact style would have differed from place to place. We've gone for the continental interpretation. It's then fermented on our Belgian yeast with fresh lemon zest and basil added for a brief time before crashing and canning. The sum of all these parts results in a beautiful beer that's just perfect for sipping on these long summer nights.

Geek Bits:

Pilsner Malt

Wheat Malt

Oat Malt

Carapils

Hersbrucker

Lemon Zest

Basil

WLP410 (yeast).

Pic via Lough Gill

Lough Gill Wild Irish Gose 4.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Poured this into a glass that is shaped like a can. And the “can” helped show off the nice big soft white head over a mid-gold colour and lots of bubbles racing up towards the top.

The added ingredients, salt and coriander, can be detected in the aromas. The head has just about vanished as I take the first sip; vaguely salty now but most definitely refreshing, tartily so, as many of these goses are. 

Should be good with oysters! Refreshing for sure but I don’t think I’d be calling for a second can on the night but would have no problem starting the next night with one and a couple of Harty’s oysters.

Gose is a sour beer, usually soured with the lactic bacteria that is included here. It is a German beer, traditionally brewed in Leipzig and named after a local river.

Ingredients: Lough Gill Water, Malted barley and wheat, hops, yeast, sea salt, coriander and Lactobacillus Plantarum.

O Brother Social Proof Amarillo Mosaic IPA 6.5%, 440 ml can Bradleys

The O Brother philosophy: Take the first step and you’ve the hardest part done. OBB started with 3 lads who left their jobs to pursue a passion and we haven’t looked back since! A person’s journey toward their dream can begin at any time, you just need to take that leap of faith.

Top tip: Enjoy a nice cold one now and again to calm the nerves, it helps.

The first step here is to take a look at this IPA in the glass. It’s a murky orange with a soft and fairly quick shrinking head. Aromas are on the citrusy side with hints of resin in the background. Tropical flavours abound on the palate, stone fruit too (such as peach and nectarine). Quite a strong showing in the mouth before a good dry finish.

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WORLD BEER CUP AWARDS PRESENTATION

Understandably not many European breweries make their way to America for the World Beer Cup Awards ceremony in May. The American Brewers Association very nicely throws a party for them a little while later in conjunction with the German Brewers Association annual Brauertag, held this year in Berlin. This was a sweet coincidence for Kinnegar’s owner duo, Rick and Libby, who spent the best part of a decade in this fascinating city directly after the fall of the Berlin wall. Returning to their old stomping ground to collect a 2022 World Beer Cup gold award for Black Bucket was a very proud moment.

The above, including pic, is just a little extract from the current Kinnegar newsletter, one of the very best I've come across.

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A Quart of Ale± #108. On the craft journey with Whitefield, Whiplash, Porterhouse, O Brother

 A Quart of Ale± #108

On the craft journey with Whitefield, Whiplash, Porterhouse, O Brother

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Whiplash “Prisoner of Love” Cascade Pale 5.2%, 440ml can Bradleys

Colour is a hazy mid-orange colour with a soft slow-sinking wheat head. Nose is fruity (citrus), floral notes too and a background touch of pine. It is certainly very drinkable, more grapefruit on the fruity palate but little enough bitterness evident until the lip-smacking finalé. Indeed, there is a slight sweetness in the juicy mouth.

This beer goes down well with Whiplash, and their customers: “A relatively new beer in the history of Whiplash, but one that's earned its spot as a team favourite. Prisoner of Love is an all Cascade Pale Ale that we just have to slip into the schedule every year now. These hops are bright & lemony with complimentary floral and herbal notes and that translates beautifully in this beer.”

Geek Bits

Malts: Maris Otter, Wheat Malt, Oat Malt, Caramel

Hops: Cascade

Whitefield “Bradley’s Row” Dortmunder Style German Lager 5.3%, 500ml bottle Bradleys

Lots of crafty beer out there for the hop addicts but this one is for the malt heads.

The Dortmunder style is a pale lager but this has a bit more colour, closer to a dull amber. The bubbled head is soft and sticks around a bit. As well as a “malty finish” it also has a malty start which comes through on the aromas. And indeed it is malt led all through. 

The Whitefield label tells us their Dortmunder style German lager has a malty finish with a complex hoppiness. “Brewed with 100% German Brake Pilsner Malt, a variety of barley grown throughout the 80s in Germany and became synonymous with the German style lagers we all grew to love. Brewed with water from our own well, master barley, hops and yeast.”

The Beer Bible says the Dortmunder is “not a style  of enormous character” and that “the style’s future looks uncertain”. 

There are, for some reason, a few Welsh words on the label and Google translates as “there is a black sheep in every flock”. 

As you know the Templemore brewery was previously called White Gypsy. The rebranding also led to changes in their beer names, now being called after local landmarks. But their website doesn’t always keep up with their new beers so I can’t tell you what the ‘Bradley’s Row” refers to. I think though you can take it it refers to a local landmark rather than to the famous Bradley’s off licence, a beer landmark in Cork’s North Main Street.

Don’t think I’d be going out of my way to find a Dortmunder style. But I did appreciate this one and, so if you are a malt person rather than a hop person, then you will certainly like it.

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Porterhouse Rambler Juicy Pale Ale 4.6%, 440ml can Ballymaloe May Fair

The Rambler has a light orange colour (and haze) in the glass, with a white head. “One for the juice heads,” say Porterhouse, based on the three hops used at whirlpool and hop. Well, it is juicy, moderately hoppy also, with a good dry finish.

The three hops added to the basic Magnum are: El Dorado (Apricot, tropical, citrus), Enigma (Grape, Berry, Melon), Eukanot (Mandarin, Melon, Mango). Their individual characteristics are in the brackets so you can see how they contribute to the result with a mild enough citrus and mango to the fore. Crisp and refreshing to the finish.

Dextrin, Ale, Wheat, Oats, and Crystal keep the malt end up, noticeable in the fuller body and a touch of caramel. Quite a delicious and easy drinking fruity ale to be fair, well made, and worth a try for sure.

They say: Rambler pours a light orange colour with a tight white head. We have used 3 hop additions of El Dorado, Enigma, Eukanot at whirlpool and dry hop. This combo contributes flavour & aromas of orange peel, watermelon, citrus and white grape for drinkability of smooth fresh juice with low carbonation.

Geek Bits

Malts: Ale, Wheat, Oats, Dextrin, Crystal

Hops: Magnum, El-Dorado, Eukanot, Enigma

ABV: 4.6% IBUs: 10

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O Brother Singularity IPA 6.3%, 440ml can Bradleys

This IPA by the brothers has a hazy light orange colour with a big soft white head that sinks but slowly. There’s a kind of sweet tangerine peeping through in the mostly tropical aromas including a hint of coconut. 

Quite a complex melange on the palate (a smooth one - they have oats in the ingredients), tropical for sure including mango (strongest), pineapple and a touch of coconut, not forgetting the citrus. They’ve struck quite an impressive balance here and the beer is all the better for it, nothing off the scale at all. Sure to find quite a few admirers, I’d say, including myself!

Hard to find much on the web about this one other than that the hops are Mosaic and Sabro.

But, while searching, I found out on the O Brother site, that craft beer didn’t reach America until the 1970s when air travel became cheaper. “As Americans sampled the hoppy delights of countries like Belgium and Germany many were hooked by their superior quality and began brewing similar beers illegally back in the U.S. As the craze didn’t appear to be slowing down, home brewing in the United States was legalised in 1979. A great decision we think!”

Very interesting indeed, but I would like to see a little bit more, not necessarily every little detail, about their individual beers.

A Quart of Ale± #104. On the craft journey with Wicklow Wolf, Boundary, Otterbank and O Brother

A Quart of Ale± #104

On the craft journey with Wicklow Wolf, Boundary, Otterbank and O Brother

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Wicklow Wolf Locavore Spring 2022 Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale with Brett 11.9%, 330ml bottle Bradleys

Locavore Spring 2022 is a Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale aged for 36 months in Chianti Red Wine Barrels. “Conditioned with wild yeasts from the brewery’s hop farm and carefully monitored by the watchful eyes of our brewing team, the beer was allowed to slowly mature over time to give a magnificent depth of complex flavours.”

The result? A wild, sour farmhouse ale that champions the wild yeasts of the Wicklow Wolf Hop Farm and the Wicklow terroir.

Colour is a black/brown with a light tan head. And yes, there is indeed a “magnificent depth of complex flavours”. And very little physical sign of the high ABV. 

Three years in the Chianti Barrels, plus the wild yeast, has undoubtedly worked on the beer, giving it waves of flavour, everything from fruit flavours (sour cherry) to Balsamic  to darker (espresso), rich for sure but no shortage of a balancing tart acidity. 

Brett (or Brettanomyces, to give it its full title) has a bad rep and scares the life out of many but this Wicklow Brett seems very amicable indeed, from initial sniff to aftertaste. Three years in the wood have rounded the beer into an amazing experience on the palate. Very Highly Recommended. Don’t worry too much about the details here - just sip and enjoy.

The Locavore project consists of small batch, local, experimental beers that champion terroir. Locavore was founded on provenance and pride. “It allows us to honour the landscape of Wicklow, our home, and celebrate it with small batch, local and experimental beers.” This is the 9th in the series. I’ve missed many of the earlier ones but am determined not to miss any more!

Boundary Double Nelson DIPA 8.0%, 440ml can Bradleys

Just one hop.. but a serious hop-bomb..

That’s how Belfast’s Boundary introduced this Double Nelson DIPA last March.  Colour is a very hazy orange with a soft white head. “Juicy,” they say. “ You'll catch a hint of gooseberry, passionfruit maybe.”  The fruits mentioned are typical when Nelson Sauvin is used. Nelson’s named for the grape Sauvignon blanc and that too, especially when it is grown in Marlborough (NZ), can have the same fruit flavours.

This DIPA has been dry-hopped with the Nelson (22 g/l) and it is juicy and full of flavour and finishes with quite a bitter touch. Not too sure about the gooseberry here as flavours seem more exotic. Perhaps they have different gooseberries on the South Island! 

Yet, it is a serious hop-bomb indeed and Boundary are happy: “You may have enjoyed our Full Nelson before. It's like that. But bigger.

We don't do that many single-hop beers, but this one works so nicely.”

They are also happy that they have opened Northern Ireland’s first Taproom right next door. “The Taproom will be a space for all things Boundary. Here you will be able to enjoy the freshest (and cheapest!) Boundary in the Universe…. As a Cooperative, the Taproom will also become a real community hub. We now have over 1800 members! In the new taproom we'll be able to run book clubs, running clubs, board game clubs, helping with finance classes etc.” 

You may not have come across this hops before but it is in common enough use in the craft beer world (more so recently) for American Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, and Pale Ale.  Hoplist: “The variety has gained popularity in American-style Pale Ales but is definitely a hop that requires prudent and discerning application in brewing. Nelson Sauvin’s oil profile is complex and fortunately works well as an aroma hop, flavor hop and also for bittering.”

Full nelson is a wrestling term for a type of hold; you also have a quarter nelson, a half nelson and three-quarter nelson. Not too though that there is a double nelson. But Boundary’s could well get a hold on you.

Otterbank Middle Lane American Pale Ale 4.4%, 440ml can Bradleys

This American Pale Ale from Donegal based Otterbank has a light hazy orange/gold colour and a soft white head. Aromas, not surprisingly considering it has been dry-hopped (“generously”) with Citra, are citrusy with notes of pine. Pretty damn good on the palate, refreshingly forward-hopped but not at all over the top as they get the balance spot-on.

 

Otterbank is a microbrewery based at the start/end of the Wild Atlantic Way (the brewery at the other start/end is Blacks of Kinsale) in the border village of Muff. They focus on barrel ageing, mixed and experimental fermentation (as well as the odd IPA). And the odd Pale Ale too, it seems.

Geek Bits

Malts: Stout, Cara Gold.

Hops: Centennial, Chinook, Citra.

Web: American pale ale dry hopped with Citra

Beernut: nil

O Brother You’ll Pay With Your Souls Single Hop (Simcoe) Pale Ale 5.3%, 440ml can Bradleys

Colour of this Wicklow produced Single Pale Ale is a light orange with a big soft white head that hangs around awhile. Did the old finger test in the head and came up with pine. Also found in the aromas and in the mouth where some grapefruit, passionfruit and apricot also comes through. Noticeably dry with a muscular lingering bitterness. Not bad at all but a bit one dimensional and lacks balance methinks. 

The Wicklow based O Brother are a trio of O’Neill siblings (Barry, Brian and Paddy) and they are quick to point to the contribution of their brewer Rich Barrett. On Insta, they say: “Rich is the man responsible for producing all that beautiful fresh liquid we're so proud of, and aside from being incredibly talented and a key ingredient in our success, Rich has been with us pretty much since the beginning of our journey, and is every bit one of the bros at this stage!”

 

Their core beers are The Sinner (American style IPA), The Dreamcatcher (session NEIPA), The Chancer (Pale Ale), The Nightcrawler (Milk Stout). Their beers are Unfiltered. Unpasteurised. 

Unadulterated.

Geek Bits

Hop: Simcoe (USA)

Malts: Extra Pale Malt, Pilsner Malt, Oats, Flaked Barley and Cara Pils

Ingredients: Water, Malted Barley, Oats, hops, yeast. 

A Quart of Ale± #87. On the craft journey with a session of Whiplash, Journeyman, O Brother, Trouble Brewing

A Quart of Ale± #87

On the craft journey with Whiplash, Journeyman, O Brother, Trouble Brewing

Whiplash Immolator Triple Decoction Smoked Dopplebock 8.6%, 440ml can Whiplash Online

This lager, for that’s what it is, has a red colour, thanks in part to the treble decoction. Treble what? Look decoction up here. And this dopplebock is also smoked! And that means you get quite a bit of bacon in the flavours! According to the ever enthusiastic, ever inventive crew at Whiplash this is the lager you need but don’t deserve this winter! Not your common garden lager. One to enjoy though.

That smokiness is down to the Beech Smoked Malt, straight from the German town and beer pilgrimage site of Bamberg. 

I’ll let the Whiplash gang tell you the story: A simple base of Light Munich and Beech Smoked Malt straight from Bamberg, this one is a homage to a Bamberg classic. We’ve brought our own flair to the party by lashing this one into our dedicated decoction vessel not once, not twice, but thrice. The benefit of which has added colour and caramel malt richness to this one without incorporating any cloying sweetness. A touch of Magnum in the boil, a ferment on our house lager yeast WLP833, and a very long cold maturation has delivered something that’s both huge and strangely nuanced and all the while is like living in smokehouse, supping big German lagers in the middle of a bacon fight.

Geek Bits

Malts: Smoked Malt, Munich Malt.

Hops: Magnum

Yeast: WLP833 (house lager yeast)

Artwork: @izzyrosegrange

After opening on the red colour, you may well sniff out a little bacon in the modest aromas. Modest then goes out the window on the intense palate. Intense but not at all overly so. That caramel malt richness is certainly there.  And the bacon is there but not a dominating factor. Overall, there’s a good balance, a Marzan style richness, between the main actors, the malt and smoke, right through to the finish. Be sure and try one for this is a beer to shift you from the routine.

Better again, try this along with Kinnegar’s Rauchbier, Galway Bay’s Marzen to the Fire Smoked Marzen and Wicklow Wolf’s Ranchero. Could be quite a session especially if you add the Bamberg classic Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen (fairly widely available in Ireland).

Wikipedia describes an immolator as “One of a sect of Russian fanatics who practised self-mutilation and sacrifice”. Would the lash of a whip have anything to do with that self-mutilation? Don’t see anything on the can’s small print emoticon!!! In any event, I’m up for a can of this Whiplash anyway!

Journeyman Session IPA 4.5%, 500ml bottle, X-Mas present

Pale orange colour, a hazy one, but lots of bubbles visible. Nice soft head is not for hanging around. Aromas are fresh and tangy, citrus led, hints of pine. Fruity enough on the palate and here too the malt shows up well and then a bitter-sweet finish. Refreshing with good balance, easy-drinking and well fitted out for that session.

Based at the Station Works in Dundalk, the Pearse Lyons Brewery is known for The Foxes Rock range of Irish Craft Beers. Foxes Rock is produced alongside well known Irish brands such as our Journeyman and Brown Bear. Lots of brew specials hit the bars and shops throughout the year. Station Works and the Pearse Lyons Distillery (near St Jame’s) are part of the family owned Alltech Beverage company that is also brewing and distilling in the USA.

O Brother The Chancer APA 5.4%, 440ml can O’Briens Wine

“The Chancer is our American-style pale ale, a bold and fresh one.” 

It has a straw/orange colour, a soft white head with little staying power. More pleasant than bold in the aromas with citrus leading the way, pine notes in there too, the hops having their say.  And the grapefruit flavours, now with more exotic companions, are found on the palate but quite a bit of balance there too thanks to the light malt base of Irish Pale and Cara Malt. All in all quite a refreshing thirst quencher, with a clean crisp finish. Go on and take a chance!

The hops are Galaxy and Cascade. The American Cascade gets much of the credit for the Grapefruit and floral notes while the Cascade (from Oz) shows its paces with Passionfruit and Peach and also some citrus.

Trouble Brewing Park Life, Helles Lager 4.9%, 440ml can O’Briens Wine

Light amber is the colour of this Helles Lager from Kildare’s Trouble Brewing; the white fluffy head is quick to vanish. Aromas are light, just a touch of citrus. It is though full-bodied on the palate with malty biscuity-flavours, very refreshing. Pretty true to type and one of their core beers.

Helles is a type of lager, traditionally produced around Munich in Germany. The Trouble version was originally brewed in collaboration with The Taphouse in Ranelagh

Ingredients – Water, malted barley, hops & yeast

A little bit on Trouble, in their own words: When we started making beer ten years ago, there were less than ten craft breweries in Ireland. From the get-go we set ourselves apart by brewing styles that no one else was producing. Take our now legendary Pumpkin Ale, a first for Ireland and brewed with pumpkins grown by our founder Paul’s mom Deirdre. We were also at the forefront of bringing the east coast pale ale style to these shores and we continue to push the boundaries with new styles. We mainly brew hop forward, session beers to be enjoyed by all, but we’re always happy to experiment — only a few ideas are too dumb.

A Quart of Ale± #80. Craft journey with a session of Dungarvan, O Brother, and Brehon Brewhouse

A Quart of Ale± #80

Craft journey with a session of Dungarvan, O Brother, and Brehon Brewhouse

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Dungarvan Coffee and Oatmeal Stout 4.7%, 440ml can, Bradleys

Coffee is promised and Dungarvan Brewing deliver with this latest edition (the first to be canned) of their always much-awaited seasonal Coffee and Oatmeal Stout. Coffee is in the short-lived tan coloured head. Smell it and also stick your finger in for an early sweetish taste!

If you were in the brewery during production, you might well have been thinking of taking a nose dive into the100 litre pot of the Coffee House Lane Ethiopian, the coffee used for the 2021 edition.

I’ve been a fan of this Christmas stout since its first appearance. And still very much a fan after my initial few sips of this one. It is as smooth as ever with citrus and berry notes from the coffee giving a lift and add a rich warmth. 

Now that I've finished it, I'm delighted to say that this is one of the very best of the style. Lots of big bad stouts out there with alcohol muscle ripping into the double figures. But this one is the prize. Keep your senses on it, its sleek smooth elegance, the gorgeous aromas and flavours and the sheer pleasure of its easy-going company. Make a Christmas date with Dungarvan!

No pairing done here yet but they suggest it’s great with earthy casseroles and dessert. It is can conditioned - expect a harmless yeast sediment (I didn’t notice any).

Malts - Pale, Chocolate, Munich, Oats. Hop: Challenger; Adjunct: Coffee.

They say: Our head brewer, Cormac O’Dwyer believes that it takes quality ingredients, time, care and attention to detail to create the perfect brews and this is the methodology that he employs when brewing our Dungarvan beer.

All the beers are traditionally brewed and bottled, canned, kegged and casked on-site in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford made using only four ingredients – barley, hops, yeast and water. No chemicals are added to the beers, they are unfiltered, unpasteurised and vegan-friendly.

Over 330 years ago, in 1690, Coffee House Lane, adjacent to the then busy trading port of Waterford, had what is long believed to be Ireland’s first ever coffee house. Green Coffee was traded at the port, then roasted, brewed and sold at John Aikenhead's Coffee House on what became, Coffee House Lane of Waterford. Nowadays, the Bergin Family have a strong reputation in coffee roasting in the South East and carry on the Coffee House Lane tradition. More here.  

O Brother “Sipping Soma” Single Hop El Dorado IPA, 5.6%, 440 can Bradleys

O Brother Brewing “is all about brewing full-flavour beers..”, they declare.

This single hop is El Dorado, quite a versatile one, excellent as a bittering hop and also brings bright tropical fruit flavours and aromas of pineapple, pear, watermelon, and stone fruit. No wonder El Dorado has become a fan favourite in hop-forward styles, according to growers Yakima Valley Hops.

Colour here is a hazy lemon with a frothy enough white head that hangs about a bit. Aromas are fresh and fruity. Fresh and fruity too on the palate, juicy tropical stuff. Oddly enough, after the build-up of El Dorado’s qualities, there is no pronounced bitterness. But there’s a decent enough finish.

The brewers are well into their glasses and they have an impressive set available on their website; must say I rather fancy the middle one below. 

They say: “One glass to rule them all. For any beer lover, this versatile Teku stemmed glass replaces a tacklebox worth of niche glassware - and they look good doing it. Save cabinet space and provide the proper stage for any beer to shine. Designed to functionally concentrate aromatics with enough versatility to support an array of flavours. This is the way.”

Brehon Brewhouse Killanny Red 4.5%, 440 can Bradleys

This red ale from Brehon is a very dark red indeed, close to black. Aromas of the malt are evident. And it is malt that also dominates on the palate. Pretty well balanced too to be fair, as a tart touch plays a role towards the end. Not bad at all!

The label indicates that this “traditional Irish ale…. hopped with Magnum and Williamette….is great on its own and just perfect with BBQ red meats, lamb, stew, roast beef, black pudding or mature cheddar”.

Brehon Brewhouse Blonde 4.3%, 440 can Bradleys

This white-topped blonde has an attractive gold colour. Aromas are on the weak side, weak hints of citrus. More assertive on the palate, quite refreshing with a malty biscuity finish, dry on the lips. 

This has been hopped with Magnum and Saaz, neither of which is noted for its bittering qualities. Brehon recommend their Blonde with white fish, shellfish, BBQ chicken or food from the Mediterranean, but equally as enjoyable on its own.

They say: Oh, to be an Irish clansman. From the sixth century, Brehon law decreed that every local kingdom have a brewery, and every brewer have “a never-dry cauldron, a dwelling on a public road and a welcome to every face”. They were to be open 24 hours a day, offering food, drink and song. At Brehon Brewhouse we’ll not turn you away. Come visit…