Showing posts with label Western Herd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Western Herd. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Beer of The Year 2021. The candidates, so far!

Beer of The Year 2021

The candidates, so far!





October: Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop DIPA

September: Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner

August: Hope “Limited Edition No 25“ Classic Gose

July: Yellow Belly “Red Noir” Dark Red Ale

June: O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro

May: Dungarvan “Mahon Falls” Rye Pale Ale

April: Heaney New England IPA

March: Whiplash “Melodie Noir” Baltic Porter

February: Eight Degrees “The Pilgrim’s Path” Lager

January: Lineman “Vesper" Pale Ale


Favourite beers in brew pubs:

IPA: Crew “Polly” IPA

Stout: Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout


Cider: Johnny Fall Down Rare Apple Cider 2019 (from October)


*********







October final selection

IPA: 9 White Deer Stag;

Wheat Beer: Clonakilty Inchydoney Blond;

Black IPA: 9 White Deer Black Lightning; 

Cider: Johnny Fall Down Rare Apple Cider 2019

DIPA: Western Herd Flora and Fauna 10 Hop DIPA

Session: Lineman Sundrops Table Beer, 3.3%; 

Pale Ale: Eight Degrees Kveik Pale Ale.






September Final Selection

Stout: Ballykilcavan Blackwell Stout

Session: Trouble Brewing Love Below Micro IPA 3.2%

Lager: Galway Bay NZ Pils Motueka Dry Hopped Pilsner 4.9%.

Wheatbeer/Witbier: Whiplash Il Veliero DDZ Witbier 4.8%

Rye IPA: Kinnegar Bucket & Spade Session Rye IPA 4.2%

IPA: Hope Handsome Jack IPA 6.6%

Pale Ale: White Hag Duo Series Idaho 7 & Citra Pale Ale 5.5%






Sunday, October 31, 2021

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 finalĂ©. 


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. 

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Falls Hotel Provides A Comforting End To A Wet Day. Three Days In Clare.

The Falls Hotel Provides A Comforting End To A Wet Day In Clare.



Hake & Gubbeen Chorizo at The Falls, Ennistymon


Three Days In Clare


(Day 3, Days 2 & 1 below)


Our final day in Clare wasn’t the best weatherwise. It just got worse as we drove around and we were glad to end it in the comfort of the magnificent and spacious Falls Hotel with its splendid elevated site over the Cascades.


After that lovely breakfast at Hazelwood Lodge, it turned out to be a misty morning as we took the coastal route towards Doolin and then it just got worse. Hadn’t really intended to visit Doolin Cave but we were glad we did as it took us out of the rain for an hour or so and we got to see again the magnificent Great Stalactite which, at 7.3 metres (23feet) is the longest free-hanging stalactite in Europe, third in the world.



Before the guided cave trip, we enjoyed a light lunch by Wild at the Cave. It was outdoors of course and we, and others, found some shelter at the tables that were close to the building and had some overhead cover as well. 


Wild at the Cave, whose parent company are Wild Catering, now run the cafĂ© here. Wild’s menu offers soup and variety of salads, sandwiches and desserts and supports local eg cheese by St Tola, teas by Guru and  coffee by Anam.



The Cueben toastie, with real ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and Tarragon mustard, came with a helping of two side salads (rocket, chickpea) and was a welcome tasty boost on a miserable misty day. The same two side salads accompanied another very welcome toastie, the roast chicken with mature cheddar and basil mayo, another fine pick-me-up for the second half of the day. Each toastie came in a box and two large cups of excellent tea completed the meal.


After the cave, we said we'd head on down to Doolin Pier to see if any dolphins were following the ferries in. It seems they don’t like the rain either! But there were ferries coming and going and no shortage of customers either.

Lisdoonvarna


We had a call to make in Lisdoonvarna and noted that the Roadside Tavern and its store next door has quite a bit of outside seating, most of it under cover. Hard going here for all the hotels in the town with the matchmaking festival having to be cancelled yet again but still they’re keeping the bright side out!


In Ennistymon, we had hoped to enjoy the cooking of Ash Gribben (ex Little Fox) who this summer is doing her own Middle Eastern food at Pot Duggan’s but the constant heavy rain ruled that out. Byrnes is another popular place for outdoor dining, as they have a terrace over the famous Cascades, but while they have some overhead cover, the night was just too bad.

The Cascades from our dining room at The Falls


We had the considerable consolation of dining in style at our hotel, The Falls, a very large building alongside the Inagh River. We had a choice of two venues, the Cascades Dining Room or the Dylan Thomas Bar (essentially another restaurant). 


We picked the bar and got a table with a great view over the Falls (which, considering all the rain, were a little disappointing)  I’ve seen them in a more magnificent flow on previous occasions - you can’t have everything!



What we did have was an enjoyable meal with excellent service. Starters were Thai style Fish Cakes with kaffir lime, ginger and chilli served with coriander, garlic and sweet chilli dip and the Confit Silverhill Duck and Asian Vegetable Spring Rolls with a soya and chilli dipping sauce were also excellent, well cooked, the little bowls of sauce spot-on.


And so were the mains. The Battered Fish and Chips (sustainably caught fresh haddock in a light crisp craft beer batter served with home cut chips, mushy peas and sauce gribiche) was better than expected while the Seared Fillet of Wild Hake Gubbeen chorizo and potato hash, grilled asparagus, bell pepper relish and citrus crème, was another excellent combination.  Disappointingly, they had no craft beer, not even the local Western Herd.

Reception desk at the Falls


For breakfast, served in the lovely Cascades room, you picked your juices and cereals from a buffet  (one way system) and the hot dishes (aside from a few that you could order from the kitchen) were also buffet style but here you handled nothing as the staff put it on a plate for you.


Plenty of space to lounge about in this magnificent hotel and they also have a popular spa area. Our room was very comfortable indeed and we enjoyed the visit. After that hearty breakfast it was time to say goodbye to County Clare (for a while) and we headed back to the south.



Day 2:

Highlights Galore, including Hazlewood Lodge, as Clare Trip Continues


(Day two of three, Day one below)




Our stay at Hazelwood Lodge was one of the highlights of the second day of our late June trip in Clare. Hazelwood is just outside of Ballyvaughan, on the same road as Aillwee Caves, and is very highly recommended indeed.


We got the warmest of welcomes from Victor as we were shown to a large and well-equipped room. The interior of the building is very well designed indeed - it had the benefit of being on the Brennans makeover TV programme and you could the influence of an interior design, especially on the bright and airy dining-room where colourful Le Creuset teapots matched the napkins and the light shades.





Attention to detail means happy customers and the breakfast menu was superb. You don’t often get waffles in B&B’s or even hotels but Victor had two on the menu, both made here, one packed with strawberries, the other with bacon. It was perhaps the best breakfast we’ve had. Add in that warm welcome, lots of local info and a warm farewell also and you can see why we enjoyed our night in Hazelwood. Check it out here


Overall the day went very well indeed, even the weather improved as the day went on and we were able to dine outdoors in the evening sunshine at Monks in Ballyvaughan. Monks is rather famous for its fish dishes, it strength mainly in shellfish and molluscs; in fact they had hardly any fin fish on the menu that evening. No matter. I enjoyed six of the best oysters in a long while, supplied by Kellys whose farm is located at Killeenaran, a small beautiful inlet of Galway Bay, about 30 minutes drive from the Monks front door. 



No shortage of prawns here and another good starter is their Chilli Prawns, with leeks,  peppers and sweet chilli sauce. We also enjoyed The Monks Scampi; the mains dish included Nobashi prawns, panko crumb, lemon pepper, Espelette aioli, house slaw, and chunky chips.  The colourful Prawn Curry with all its colours, and served with chickpeas and turmeric infused rice, was also very satisfactory indeed.


It had been  a “busy” enough day, starting with a long walk on Fanore beach where a bunch of youngsters were getting lessons in surfing. Headed off then to Ballyvaughan thinking we might have a light lunch at The Larder but found it closed (opening only at weekends - that may have changed by now). Got a little snack instead at the Farm Shop Aillwee Caves; you can also watch as they make Burren Gold cheese here.

Batty


We had a tour booked for the Birds of Prey Experience. Had a stroll around the aviary first and saw the full range of eagles, owls, and falcons and more in their cages. Soon we would see two of them in the arena. First up was Batty (a Bateleur eagle), a common resident of the African savannah. He swooped in low over our heads to land on his handler’s arm and claim a treat and demonstrated his amazing eyesight when unerringly retrieving little crumbs scattered  (when his back was turned) in the gravel.

Simon


Simon, the Lanner Falcon (Africa, SE Europe, Asia), was next “on stage”, amazing us with his speed of flight as he tried to retrieve a treat that was spinning at high speed at the end of a rope. He didn’t quite succeed though but came very close on occasions. His speed was amazing and apparently his eyesight is incredible. The caged birds all get a run in the demo from time to time and can escape of course (the arena is not enclosed). But they are usually spotted and we are told some of them like the drive “home” in the handler’s car.


Then it was time to drive up to the Aillwee Cave for a masked and socially distanced tour. Maybe not as exciting as the birds but, aside from stalactites and stalagmites (stalactites hang from the ceiling of caves, whereas stalagmites grow from the ground), it has an underground river and waterfall.

A white-tailed sea eagle.


Thought we deserved an ice-cream after all that and headed to New Quay to find Linnalla, well-known ice-cream producers. What we found instead was Linnane’s Lobster Hut - the Flaggy Shore oysters are brought ashore here too. It was about 2.30pm at this stage and their outdoor area was packed with punters. But, with Monks on our mind, we didn’t hang around. 

Chilli Prawns at Monks


Instead we got directions for the ice-cream and headed off. Eventually we found Linnalla miles away and isolated in the countryside. We asked our server about how the New Quay address covers both Linnanes and Linnalla but he wasn’t from around the area. After all that, the ice-cream was just about average. There is a hard path from Linnalla down to the Flaggy Shore so we took a walk and enjoyed the views before heading back to the car and set the Sat-Nav for the lovely Hazelwood Lodge. 




Sweet Start To Trip to Clare 2021. 

(Day one of three) 



Our latest trip to County Clare began with a visit to Kilkee and we got off to the sweetest of starts at Holly’s Cafe in O’Curry Street. Before that, I enjoyed an excellent Chicken and Pesto sandwich: Grilled chicken with roasted red peppers, Mozzarella & Basil Pesto on freshly baked baguette.


The highlight though came with the dessert. They have a short list of just three. If the Passionfruit and White Chocolate mousse is on - and it usually is - go for it. This is signature item here and one of the very best desserts you are likely to come across anywhere.    

Pollock Holes

It consists of Valrhona white chocolate with passion fruit on a coconut sable with a touch of gold leaf, the perfect treat for any day. And they say “to glaze it with a shiny white chocolate mirror glaze … is oddly satisfying". Not as satisfying though as having one all to yourself!



Down on the cliffs.


After that delightful treat, we headed for another very popular café here. The Diamond Rocks was indeed also very busy but our purpose was to take the cliff walk that begins just here - there is a quite a large carpark.


One thing that catches the eye at The Rocks though is a sculpture of a player wielding a racquet. I was wondering who it was before finding out it was none other than film star Richard Harris, a very handy squash player in his day.


The cliff walk is quite spectacular. You may go down onto the rocks in places and in certain locations it looks like a moonscape. You’ll also pass the famous Pollock Holes, three natural and apparently safe bathing places here. And why Pollock Holes? Well, small pollock may be found therein for part of the year.

Wild Atlantic Break, Doonbeg


Felt like a cuppa as we arrived in Doonbeg. Didn’t make it to Trump International but refreshed ourselves at the blue painted Wild Atlantic Break. The rain had started by now and the tea warmed us up after a tasty tub of Glenown Farm ice-cream. They have a couple of long stools on the pavement but not much use as it was bucketing down by then.


If you’d like a drink in Liscannor then Vaughan’s have some partially sheltered seating for 20 or more outside the pub. Made another few stops, including Lahinch, before arriving in Doolin and checking into the Doolin Inn, on the road down to the pier and indeed overlooking the colourful groups of shops and bar that seem to appear in every article about the strung-out (talking about topography here!) village.



By then the rain had eased off and we went walk-about. Perhaps the most interesting place we saw was the
 Bow & Fiddle with lots of covered outdoor eating and drinking spaces. Very impressive and they also do accommodation.


Back then to our 22-room inn for dinner and that turned out very well indeed, not least because they had quite a selection of Western Herd beers in bottle. They have a nicely glass-walled open-air restaurant, with a view over that colourful terrace, but it is not entirely weatherproof and was unused as the night was wet and windy.

Halibut at the Inn


Inside, aside from the local beer, we enjoyed a couple of excellent starters. Fish feature also and the mains of Poached Halibut, Connemara crab salad, pickled courgette, delicious heirloom tomato, quinoa, avocado cream was that bit different and excellent. The Moroccan spiced cod fillet vegetable couscous tomato and rocket leaves was also well up to the mark. Good too to see they support local food producers at the Inn.


Breakfast too, even with Covid restrictions, was quite good. Nothing overly adventurous but we did enjoy the Eggs Benedict and the Pancakes with Maple syrup. Ready for road after that and Day Two saw us on the way to beautiful Ballyvaughan.



Tuesday, June 8, 2021

A Quart of Ale± #55 On the craft journey. Time for a session!

 A Quart of Ale± #55

On the craft journey. Session Time!



Wicklow Brewery Hopknut Irish Pale Ale, 4.9%, 330can Bradleys


Amber is the colour here with a strong touch of orange. The white head persists for a spell. You get the hops smell the second you pull the tab; later, there’s robust orange, and some caramel from the malt aromas. The flavours follow the aromas on the palate, medium-bodied, and finishing crisply dry. It is very approachable, very drinkable indeed, refreshing, almost Märzen like. Neat and tidy, well put together and one to put on your short list.


The label tells me that Knut was a Danish Viking king who ruled over the Scandinavian empire including Wicklow (Wykinglo) in the 11th century. My scepticism was on high alert when I first saw this on the label on April 1st. You don’t have to believe everything you read but there is some factual basis for this.


The main thing to take away from this is that the beer is excellent. Looking forward now to trying a few more from the Redcross brewery, preferably in their Micky Finn pub. It might well have been called the Wykinglo Pub - that would have harder to pronounce!



Western Herd Atlantic Irish Red Ale 4.0%, 440ml can Bradleys



There’s a vibrancy about the colour of this red ale from the County Clare. The soft off-white head sinks slowly enough. Malt leads the way in the aromatics. And there’s a malted intensity too on the palate, a traditional one but none the worse for that. Far from it. Something deliberately clean and precise about this one. Straight on to the short list!


So what is Red Ale? They say: Similar to English Pales and Bitters, the Red Ale is brewed with a variety of specialty malts such as caramel malts, chocolate malt or roast barley to provide a rich, complex maltiness and this beer’s signature red hue. Traditionally, hop aroma and flavour are kept very low to highlight malt character. However, in recent years, many brewers have begun hopping their red ales more heavily in an effort to brew a very balanced, easy drinking beer.


For the geek:

Colour/Appearance
Vibrant red and crystal clear

Aroma
Honey and malted barley

Flavour
Dark fruits, bread and honey

Hops
Magnum, Perle

Malts
Pale, Melanoidin, Caramunich I, Special B, C-150, C-120

O’Hara’s Leann Folláin Extra Irish Stout 6.0%, 500ml bottle via Radical Drinks





The head, off-white, shrinks pretty quickly over the gleaming black body of this well-known stout. There’s a moderate coffee scent in the nose. And that coffee turns up also on the palate along with chocolate. The full-bodied stout is pretty intense, boasting a refreshing bitterness that rounds it all up, all leading to an intense dry finish. Quite a knockout beer with an abundance of dark flavour  and a refreshing bite towards the end. A true contender! But that’s pretty well acknowledged by now as it has spawned a series of barrel-raised follow-ups. Carry on Carlow!


They say: True to it’s name, “Leann Folláin” being the Gaelic for “wholesome stout”, our full-bodied extra Irish stout is a fantastic example of how good stout can taste. Opaque black in appearance with a tan head, this luxurious stout has a classic European hop bitterness giving a refreshing bite after the chocolate subsides. Leann Folláin takes its name from the Gaelic “leann dubh” meaning “dark ale/stout” and “folláin” being the Gaeilc for “wholesome”.


Geek bits .
Style - Extra Irish Stout

ABV - 6.0%

Plato ° - 14.5°

IBU -42

Fermentation -Top fermentation

Availability - Keg (carbonated), Bottle 50cl and 33cl (occasional 41L cask)

Serving Temperature 6-8°C (Some enjoy this stout served in the traditional way in southeast Ireland at room temperature “off the shelf”.) 

Food Pairing -Dark meats such as venison or beef make an excellent companion. Also to be enjoyed with blue cheeses.

Glass - O’Hara’s Irish Craft Beer conical glass.


Klosterbrau WeiĂźenohe Bonator Dopplebock, 8.0%, 500ml bottle via Bradleys



Colour of this Dopplebock is a deep amber with an off white head that sinks pretty quickly. Difficult to separate the aromas, caramel is in there, something more vegetal too. It keeps the tastebuds working too. First impression is that it is a light stout, then some sweetness unsettles the balance a bit before a choir of hops chips in to restore harmony. It stays interesting right to the finish.


And the story is interesting too. The local Cork saying “there’s atin’ an’ drinkin’ in it” could apply here. “Liquids don't break the fast – this was a generally accepted rule for fasting during the times of the Benedictine monks in WeiĂźenohe. To this rule we Franconians owe the mirror carp as an accepted Lenten fare in our landscape that is rich in ponds stocked with carp, and the stout Doppelbock as a liquid food during this time of slender eating.”


The “atin’ an’ drinkin’ in it” may not be too far out. Consider the Brewer’s note: Of course, beer was not only drunk because of the alcohol content. Beer contains a whole range of minerals and vitamins, as well as broken-down sugars that are easily utilized by the body. The monks were highly knowledgeable in issues of health and medicine, so they knew that beer prevents deficiencies. Hence, Lenten beer was, to put things into today's jargon, one of the first nutritional supplements in human nutrition.



Geek Bits

  • Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops
  • Original wort: P 18
  • ABV 8.2 %
  • EAN code: 41 05 91 66
  • Packaging: 500 ml glass bottles
  • Best before: at least 9 months after bottling