The Very Highly Recommended Beers for 2023

The Very Highly Recommended Beers for 2023

(in no particular order!)

January 2023

Strong Blond Ale: Mescan Westport Extra

Porter: West Kerry Carraig Dubh.

IPA: Cotton Ball Fury

Session: Whiplash Rollover.

Barrel Aged Beers: 9 White Deer Stag BA Export Stout; Brehon Oak & Mirrors BA Imperial Porter.

Lager: Kinnegar Brewers at Play #27 Black Lager

 

December 2022

Ales with Wild Yeast: Black Donkey Underworld Rua Amber Ale; Black Donkey Underworld Allta Farmhouse Ale; Black Donkey Underworld Savage Farmhouse /Saison Ale.

IPA: Third Barrel Electric Eyes Idaho & El Dorado IPA

Witbier: Whiplash Alma Witbier 

Stout: Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout; Dungarvan Coffee & Oatmeal Stout; Lineman (with Craic Beer Community) Pulse Irish Extra Stout; Whiplash The Wake Export Stout; 

CorkBillyBeers #4. Craft journey with IPA, including Cotton Ball’s first can, a Whiplash session , the famous Thornbridge Jaipur and Duvel Tripel Hop.

CorkBillyBeers #4

Craft journey with IPA, including Cotton Ball’s first can, a go-to session from Whiplash, and the famous duo of Thornbridge Jaipur and Duvel Tripel Hop. 

**********************

Cotton Ball Fury Tropical IPA, 5.4%, 440ml can sample.

This is a Hazy East Coast style IPA, brewed with Irish malt, hopped with Galaxy (Australia), Columbus (USA) and “our favourite” Amarillo (USA) to give a tropical flavour and aroma. That’s the intro from the Cotton Ball Brewery for their Fury, the first of their beers to be canned (Dec 12th 2022) at the brewery, which is attached to the late 19th century pub in the north-east Cork suburb of Mayfield.

Colour is a dense orange with a fine bubbly white head. Aromas feature citrus, herbal notes too, even a hint of dank. The palate is a pleasure, more of the citrus, plus grapefruit, peach and a hint of resin, all in super balance, all before a very satisfactory finish. Very drinkable indeed.

The Cotton Ball is quite close to me and I often pass it while out walking the dog of a morning. On one of those jaunts, I met Eoin Lynch and he told me, that after a few minor tweaks, they went ahead with the canning of this, just a tiny batch as the machine is no bigger than your average sized kitchen table. He was happy with the outcome and I was happy when he handed me a can to sample and even happier now having sampled it!

This hazy IPA style has, over the past ten years or so, become one of the more popular beer styles in the world, thanks to the juicy exotic aromas and its smooth almost creamy texture, not to mention its bold fruity flavours and low bitterness. The Fury sits comfortably in the range.

Quite a few Irish examples at this stage, including Black’s “Ace of Haze” and Rascals’ "Hazy In Love” and the Heaney New England IPA. An American worth considering would be the Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing.

Very Highly Recommended.

**********************

Whiplash Rollover Session IPA 3.8% ABV, 330 can Bradleys

Looking for a decent session beer? No shortage but my go-to is this Whiplash Rollover. Murky orange is the colour - no way you’re going to see through this haze - and it boasts a big foamy white head! Aromas are packed with ripe citrus-y fruits. It was our session beer of 2020 and this most recent tasting confirmed it’s as gluggable able as ever.

The quartet of hops dominate the palate. Amazing that this juicy beer has so much hops and still weighs in at less than 4.00% ABV. Quite a concentration of hops then, but all soft and smooth before a lip-smacking finalé.

They say: Same hop rate as our DIPA’s, less than half the alcohol. A very heavily hopped Session IPA: this comes at you with buckets of Simcoe, Ekuanot, Citra and Mosaic hops with a light touch of malts and an easy crushable body. Unfiltered, hazy, hoppy and juicy – Rollover is a New England inspired IPA without the heavy alcohol in tow.

With its burst of aromas and flavours and low ABV, this is what a session beer is all about and is Very Highly Recommended.

Very Highly Recommended

**********************

Duvel Tripel Hop Citra Belgian IPA, 9.5% ABV, 330ml bottle Bradleys

This Belgian beer pours a cloudy light gold, with an attractive white head. Looks like an IPA and smells like one too, citrus mostly with hops there also. Rich concentrated flavours, mostly tropical, flow across the palate, a subtle bitterness in the mix, and a hint of the high alcohol, yet all the elements combine in a very pleasant harmony indeed. An unanimous thumbs up for the folks at Duvel! They sure can make a devilish beer.

The Brewery says they noted the “trend towards more hoppy beers - thanks to our first brews in 2007 and 2010 - was set to continue. This Duvel Tripel Hop will please special beer lovers, while we will continue to ensure that the intrinsic characteristics of Duvel are preserved.”

It was in 2016 that Duvel went in search of the ultimate Duvel Tripel Hop. More than 5,000 fans tasted and voted, and Citra was clearly the favourite. And so they added Citra to the Saaz-Saaz and Styrian Golding already used in their regular strong ale.

Duvel is a natural beer with a subtle bitterness, a refined flavour and a distinctive hop character. The unique brewing process, which takes about 90 days, guarantees a pure character, delicate effervescence and a pleasant sweet taste of alcohol. The Beer Bible lists the Tripel Hop Citra as one of a handful of essential “beers to know” if you are trying to get a handle on IPAs.

The Duvel story though goes back well beyond 2007. It all began when Jan-Léonard Moortgat and his wife founded the Moortgat farm brewery in 1871. Around the turn of the century, Moortgat was one of the over 3,000 breweries operating in Belgium and is still going strong. The beer is still brewed with profound respect for the original recipe and the time it needs to mature. More details here .

Geek Bits

HOPS: Saaz-Saaz, Styrian Golding & Citra

Dry Hopping: Citra (Yakima Valley, Washington, USA)

TASTING PROFILE: Grapefruit and tropical fruit

EBU: 40

ALC: 9.5%

SHELF LIFE: 18 months

**********************

Thornbridge “Jaipur” IPA, 5.9% ABV, 330ml can Bradleys

This beauty from the UK brewery, with six hops aboard, wears its complexity lightly and you’ll have no problem sipping your way through. 

It has a fairly cloudy pale yellow colour and hoppy aromas (whiffs of citrus and pine). Smooth on the palate, hoppy, citrus notes too, and a beautiful balance all the way to the lip-smacking hoppy lingering finish. Not too much more to say except that this is more or less the perfect IPA.

Match with Thai Curry, they say. No problem, I say, I love my massaman!

Thornbridge, based in Derby, are regarded by many as Britain’s leading 21st century brewery. Not surprised that their award tally worldwide has soared to over the one hundred mark

The complexity of this multi award winning American style IPA is down to no less than the six hops used: Chinook, Centennial, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Columbus and Cascade. Low Colour Maris Otter is the malt used.

They say: Jaipur is our flagship beer, and the one that really put us on the map back in 2005 when we were just starting out.… We are often told “this is the beer, that got me into beer” and we are always very proud to hear this. It’s usually recognised as the first UK craft IPA, and was brewed with a huge amount of US hops at a time where this was very unusual.

**********************

December's Very Highly Recommended Irish Beers

IPA: Third Barrel Electric Eyes Idaho & El Dorado IPA

Witbier: Whiplash Alma Witbier 

Stout: Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout; Dungarvan Coffee & Oatmeal Stout; Lineman (with Craic Beer Community) Pulse Irish Extra Stout; Whiplash The Wake Export Stout; 

Ales with Wild Yeast: Black Donkey Underworld Rua Amber Ale; Black Donkey Underworld Allta Farmhouse Ale; Black Donkey Underworld Savage Farmhouse /Saison Ale.

CorkBillyBeers #1. Craft journey with Third Barrel, Bradleys, Whiplash, Black Donkey, West Cork Brewing

CorkBillyBeers #1 

Craft journey with a mix: Third Barrel, Whiplash, Black Donkey, West Cork Brewing

Today, we start a new series and will be trying to get beers from all over the country, including from small breweries who may not be able to produce specials every week, so lots of core beers to be included. 

Some weeks, the focus may be on one brewery, another week may concentrate on a style - I have one on stout coming up. Again, it will be mostly Irish beer but I will throw in a "visitor" from time to time!

Just let me know your stockist(s) in Cork where I can buy them. I know some of you have terrific boxes for sale online but I don't need six or twelve of the same beer. As a regular blogger, I need six or twelve different beers!

********************

Third Barrel Electric Eyes Idaho & El Dorado IPA, 5.6% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Volatile thiols are highly impactful aroma compounds that evoke grapefruit, passion fruit, and guava and are found in a variety of tropical fruits, wine grapes, and hops, according to a producer. 

Here, Electric Eyes “has been fermented with a thiol boosting yeast, from our friends in WHC Lab in Wicklow, which produces savage esters of tropical fruits (Pineapple and Mango). On top of this, we loaded it with a stupid amounts of Idaho 7  and El Dorado hops, all wrapped up in a sessionable 5.6% abv.”

Since the hops used also produce exotic results, including pineapple from Idaho and tropical from El Dorada, we have a good idea of what to expect!

This one is hazy and certainly juicy and, as they say themselves, “pops with aromas of pineapple and citrus”. And so it continues on the juicy palate. But, for all the boosting yeast and the particular hops used, there is a certain balance and the fruity side, while certainly prominent (pleasingly so), is not at all over the top. And that’s the way I like it!

Geek Bits

Hops: Idaho 7 and El Dorado (both USA)

Plato – 13.56

Available in 24 x 440ml cans and 30l Key Keg

Very Highly Recommended

********************

Whiplash Alma Witbier 5.0%, 440 ml can Bradleys

Very engaging, on the light side, full of flavour and totally drinkable. My immediate verdict on a second “reading” (after a six months absence), of the Whiplash Alma Witbier.

Bright fresh lemon peel, tangerine, white wine, limes, white pepper and a hint of clove dominate the initial aroma while the body and flavour is airy, silky, fluffy, gently sweet and reassuringly citrus forward.

A Belgian style beer from Whiplash, a Witbier. Amarillo is the main hop and it is used in the dry hop while the other two,   Nelson Sauvin (gooseberry, Grape, passion fruit) and Motueka (tropical, lime, lemon), both from New Zealand, are small additions to the brew at the whirlpool stage.  Just before finishing they add fresh lemon zest to the tank, “electrifying the whole affair and transforming this Wit into something extremely special.”

Colour is a light orange, hazy for sure. Aromas are zesty as is the first impression on the palate. The lovely and lively lemony zestiness continues strongly on the palate, with peach and pine there also. 

Whiplash say they “always approach our Belgian style beers in a less than traditional way” and the divergence continues throughout, though you may find little hints of clove in the aromas and at the end. Something different, something special as they say themselves. 

Geek Bits

ABV 5.0%

440ml Cans & draught

Artwork by @sophie_devere

Pilsner Malt

Wheat Malt

Amarillo

Lemon Zest

WLP550 (yeast)

Very Highly Recommended

********************

Black Donkey Western Warrior Irish Lager, 4.2% ABV, 500ml bottle BD Online

Like all their beers, this Western Warrior lager from Black Donkey, is unfiltered, unpasteurised and bottle and keg conditioned and so a little murky in their own tall glass.

It is a close to orange colour with a short-lived head. The aromatics are of modest intensity, with malt leading the way. Malt too leads on the slightly sweet palate but there is a soft bitter counter, courtesthe traditional noble hops. But make no mistake about it, this understated lager is one supple and refreshing drink with a lovely lip-smacking malt-licking finish, flavour all the way to the very satisfying finalé.

They say: Truly a beer for any and every day. Versatile would be an understatement. Lets start with fish; scallops, sushi, steamed mussels, even oysters. Grilled pork chops and schnitzel, traditional sauerkraut and its accompanying smoked meats and sausages (natürlich!). Round it off with a slice of lemon meringue pie and all you need is cheese; just about any cheese you fancy. Personally, I’d be inclined to go fish and chips!

It is available in 500 and 330ml bottles and 30L kegs

Highly Recommended

********************

West Cork Brewing Spice Island Red Ginger Irish Red Ale, 5.1% ABV, 500ml bottle Ballymaloe Craft Fair

In Ireland traditionally, redheads are nicknamed ginger. So, in a reverse of that, a beer with ginger as an ingredient, is called an Irish Red Ale. And it is really red with a white top that doesn’t really hang around to see what’s going on in Baltimore, home of the West Cork Brewing Company who claim it as Ireland’s most southerly brewery..

And that ginger starts in the aromas. And continues to the palate where you get the spicy lift along with notes of honey and biscuit. Must say I rather like the ginger, particularly towards the warming finalé. Just goes to show West Cork Brewing are following their own compass, exploring new paths and making very interesting beers indeed. 

As always, their beers are brewed using their own spring water, are bottle conditioned, unfiltered and vegan friendly. West Cork Brewing was launched in December 2014 by Dominic Casey, Henry Thornhill and brewer Kevin Waugh.

An interesting beer. Recommended

********************

A Quart of Ale± #130. On the craft journey with Third Barrel, Bradleys, Sullivan's, Wicklow Wolf, O'Shea's, Aldi, Bullhouse, Whiplash, Crew, Kinnegar,

 

A Quart of Ale± #130

On the craft journey with Third Barrel, Bradleys, Sullivan's, Wicklow Wolf, O'Shea's, Aldi, O'Briens, Bullhouse

Third Barrel Day Drinkin 111 Revenge of the Hops Session IPA, 4% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Third Barrel are busy these days: “The UK are going through Prime Ministers like we go through beer specials..”

Like their previous two Day Drinkin beers, this Revenge of the Hops weighs in at just four per cent, and is aimed at the session drinker though I’m sure quite a few other beer drinkers would enjoy it.

It has a pale orange colour and it’s murky in there. The label “forecasts” aromas of grapefruit, raspberry and sweet candy. Grapefruit yes but I’ve found the others elusive! It is pretty big and bold in the mouth where the grapefruit also leads the refreshing charge along with peach and banana.

A duo of hops boot this on. One is HBC 630, an experimental hop from the Yakima Valley. It is recommended for Wheat Ale, Golden Ale, American style lagers, Pale Ales, India Pale Lager (IPL), India Pale Ale (IPA), Session IPA, New England IPA, Hazy IPA, Imperial IPA. The other hop listed is the well-known Mosaic, a contributor to the tropical notes. 

The carbon produced in the making of this beer has been offset by planting native Irish trees.

Our reviews on the other Day Drinkin beers

Part Deux Citra Strata Session IPA 

Third Barrel Day Drinkin Simcoe Session IPA  

Sullivan’s Black Marble Stout, 5.1%, 500ml bottle O’Brien Wines

Enjoy the true taste of traditional bottled Irish stout. Brewed with roast barley, chocolate and wheat malts, and choicest hops. A generous stout with extra depth of flavour.

That is the encouragement on the bottle’s label, so let's have a taste… Black as Kilkenny marble for sure and with a soft floppy tan head that sinks rather slowly. Light coffee aromas and fruity notes also rise from the glass. And they get to tango on the palate, a melange of dancing flavours and sharp acidity waking up the taste buds, and keeping the show going, generously throwing in an encore or two at the finale. If the O’Shea’s (below) is mid-table, this neighbouring stout is championship material.

The hops used are Admiral, Magnum, Goldings and Sullivan’s say it is delicious with roasts and cheese dishes.

Did you know that Sullivan’s were brewing in Kilkenny before Smithwick’s? And then the two got intertwined?

Here’s the timeline, from the O’Sullivan website:

1702 Sullivan’s Brewing Company is established, and grows to be biggest in the area 

1827 The Smithwick name is launched as a beer brand in Kilkenny

1918 Smithwick’s acquires the Sullivan’s brewing brand after it is forced to close

1965 Guinness (now Diageo) takes control of Smithwick’s, buying the family interest 

2014 Diageo relocates Smithwick’s to Dublin, marking the first time in 800 years that Kilkenny is without a commercial brewery 

2016 Smithwick family relaunches the Sullivan’s brand in Kilkenny; brewery launches its North American market entry via Buffalo, NY.

See October review on Sullivan’s “Maltings” Irish Ale here.   

Wicklow Wolf Sirius Black IPA, 6.0%, 440 ml can Bradleys

Not too sure if the Sirius of the name refers to Sirius the brightest star in the night sky or to Sirius Black a character in Harry Potter. Probably not after the famous steamship Sirius, well-known in Cork in the 19th century and the first of its kind to cross the Atlantic.

In any case, the beer is black, black as night, with a tan head.  Aromas are quiet, just some faint floral and even fainter spice notes coming through. It is much more assertive in the mouth though,  with a backbone of milk chocolate, coffee and roast malt flavours. There’s a posse of malts in this one. 

No shortage of hops either with no less than four, all from the USA, employed combining to give flavours of passion fruit, subtle orange and an earthy resinous bitterness. One to make those taste buds sit up and take notice.

They say: “A magical Black IPA, Sirius was brewed with a robust malt bill to provide strong depth of flavour and colour to the beer. This robust malt bill gives the beer a dark opaque appearance… .Sirius is a West Coast style Black IPA that was double dry hopped with a massive amount of Amarillo, Simcoe and Strata hops.”

"The endangered species brews are a series of small batch, limited edition crafted beers. These beers are so rare that only a lucky few will get to experience them in the wild before they become extinct." This is #34

Geek Bits:

Hops - Bravo, Simcoe, Amarillo, Strata

Malts - Pale Malt, Carafa Special Type 1, Carafa Special Type 3, Caramalt, Dark Malt, T50

O’Shea’s Cold Dark Stout, 4.5%, 500ml bottle Aldi

Seldom easy to find detailed info on supermarket beers and this is no exception. But you’ll read this line on the neck: Traditional Dry Irish Stout bursting with flavours of coffee and chocolate.

Okay. Pours out into the glass as black as midnight with a tan head (short-lived). That coffee and chocolate seep out of the glass and there’s a toasty note as well.

While named O’Shea’s, it is made by Carlow Brewing who also make O’Hara's beers (including some really excellent stouts). It could be a bit more full-bodied, more robust, on the palate and it continues to a reasonably dry if shortish finish.  That coffee/chocolate duet persists to the end but it needs a bit more to shift it out of mid-table.

*************

Whiplash: Few Riddlers, be grand. After a brief hiatus on the webshop, Body Riddle is freshly canned and ready to go! Grab it in a Big Huge Slab or in a 6-pack Mixtape with other styles. Scroll on to see more  New to Body Riddle? It's our interpretation of an American Pale Ale, weighing in at 4.5% and in a 330ml can, it's perfect for suppin'. It has a really bright hop bill with loads of Lemondrop, Galaxy, Simcoe, and Ekuanot leaving us with notes of passionfruit, lemon rind, grapefruit juice and some piney goodness.

Shop Body Riddle

*************

Bullhouse Brew Co : Modest Beer & Cheese Night

Beer and Cheese at Bullhouse East. Join us on Tuesday 8th November for an intimate beer and cheese pairing with Chris Morris, owner and head brewer of Modest Beer. These intimate tastings are limited to 20 tickets per tasting and include a guided talk on 5 different beers paired with 5 excellent local cheeses. The event kicks off sharply at 7:30pm and we ask you to be there for 7pm.

BUY TICKET

*************

Crew's Irish Night...

Irish Night in Limerick
Every Thursday, 8PM

Irish Night happens every Thursday from 8PM. It’s a great chance to use your cúpla focail in a supportive environment. Any level of the Irish language is welcome, from total beginners to fluent speakers. It's been said that it's easier the more pints you've had!

*************

Kinnegar New Beers Alert

There are no fewer than five new beers jostling for position in the release queue. First to burst out of the holding pen was our 2022 Barleywine which will appear in just a few weeks wearing its smart BAP28 uniform. Not yet packaged but next in line for canning and first in line for release is BAP27, a Black Lager that Rick was curious to try as part of our Brewers at Play series. This is the first of our lagers to go over to the dark side so we’re pretty excited about tasting it in its finished form. And there's more to follow...