Showing posts with label White Hag. Show all posts
Showing posts with label White Hag. Show all posts

Monday, August 28, 2023

CorkBillyBeers #40. Craft IPA with Torc Brewing, White Hag, Brú and O Brother.

CorkBillyBeers #40

Craft IPA with Torc Brewing, White Hag, Brú and O Brother.

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Torc Kerry Natterjack IPA 5% ABV, 500 ml bottle Carry Out Killarney


In Castlegregory, County Kerry, there is a bar/restaurant called Natterjacks. It is named after the toads in the county. Both the bar and the toad can be happily noisy occasionally. This IPA is named for the toad who has a very loud and distinctive mating call amplified by the single vocal sac found under the chin of the male.

The toad has a yellow line down the middle of the back. The Torc beer is more orange than yellow with a soft white head. It is fairly hazy but you can just about see the fountains of bubbles rising towards the top.

Aromas are fairly delicate, mostly floral and resinous with a touch of citrus also. Flavours are piney and fresh, with a refreshing punch to it, and an excellent balance between malts and hops (bitterness is mid-range). If you want an IPA with a difference, this is well worth trying.

Very Highly Recommended.

Torc says: Our IPA packs a flavour punch, brewed using Irish Pale Ale Malt, Irish Wheat, and speciality Caramunich Malt. This blend, combined with select hops, results in a well-balanced India Pale Ale…. Ideal food pairings include pork, steak, BBQ, and spicy dishes.

And about those natterjacks? Well, the label tells us they are an endangered species in Ireland.  Their natural range is restricted to the coastal zones around Castlemaine Harbour and Castlegregory in Co Kerry. In Spring, when the male is most active, the loud croaking call can be heard from as much as one kilometre away.”


Geek Bits

SRM: 4.3 • IBU: 83 • ABV: 5%
Style: Indian Pale Ale • Released: 2023

Malts: Irish Pale Ale Malt, Irish Wheat, and speciality Caramunich Malt

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White Hag Atlantean NEIPA 5.4% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys


This hazy pale orange ale comes with a white foamy crown that soon dissipates. It is, of course, meant to be cloudy as that is part and parcel of a New England IPA. Aromas are of the tropics, nothing too strong though.


“Drink the beer as fresh as possible, when all the Alpha & Beta oils from the hops are the most powerful.” And I did just that and got a creamy rush of refreshment, a velvet glove equipped with a big, juicy, fruit punch. I’ll take a count and go again.


The White Hag has expended “copious amounts’ of American hops in this one. But the bitterness you might have had expected has been subdued by the use of oats and lactose that add a rich creaminess. It is not that unusual for New England IPAs to exhibit a tropical, juicy sweetness rather than the classic bitter.


  • The ABV is 5.4%, which is on the lower end for a NEIPA. This makes it a bit more sessionable.
  • The beer is unfiltered and unpasteurized.
  • The beer is best enjoyed fresh, as the hop flavours will fade over time.

Very Highly Recommended.

Breweries can come up with amazing yarns. This is the one on the Atlantean label: Atlantean is inspired by mythological sea journeys that took curious voyagers beyond the ninth wave in search of the magical Otherworlds and the secret treasures they held. For this IPA our inspiration has travelled back from the other lands of New England across the cloudy foam of the Atlantic.


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

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Brú Urban Jungle Citrus IPA 5.5% ABV,


“Amarillo, a pioneer of American hops, is blended with Ekuanot. This mix has created a vortex of fresh fruity flavours, above all the citrus side with a hint of pineapple sweetness.” That’s the intro to this IPA from Brú.

Colour is mid-gold, slightly hazy with a soft white head. The aromatics are moderate, mostly on the Citra side: lemon, orange and lime. The two hops combine well and give a complex mix on the palate, that “vortex of fresh fruit flavours” according to the brewery. Above all, it is refreshing, with a decent bittering at the finish.

Fruity and refreshing then and Highly Recommended.

Geek Bits

Hops: Amarillo, Ekuanot

Malts: Carapils, Golden Promise, Oat Flakes, Pale

Brú is proud to champion local ingredients. “We’re engaged with our community, working alongside local producers to bring our customers the best examples of Irish food and drink.

As an Irish company, we’re committed to supporting local charities and the communities around us. In brewing, our Irish partners include:

• Loughran Family Malt
• Wicklow Hops Company
• Malting Company of Ireland"

Brú, established in 2013 in County Meath, nowadays offer two core ranges “driven by the same brewing spirit”: BRÚ core and Urban Jungle. “BRÚ Brewery brews beer for all tastes, whether you’re a seasoned craft beer drinker, or just looking for a familiar quality pint.” The beers are widely available and well worth checking out.

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O Brother Ikigai Oat Cream IPA 6.1% ABV, 440 ml can No 21 Coburg St


Some similarities between this and the Atlantean above. Colour is common, a hazy pale orange, though Ikigai has a larger head, soft and longer lasting. Aromas are subtle, citrus, grassy and grapefruit. These along with citrusy, spicy and herbal notes follow through just about to the palate, with hints of sweetness thanks to the lactose, and the expected creamy feel (from the oats) barely materialises as the beer seems to lose its way.


They say: “Ikigai is your true purpose in life or reason for being. We know what gets us up in the morning and keeps us going through the challenging times: Finding new and exciting ways to make delicious beer, meeting and working with like-minded independent souls who are pushing the boundaries of their fields and bringing it all together to create an elevated beer experience for all our thirsty beer drinkers. Beer is our Ikigai.”



Geek Bits

Label: Citra, Comet

Ingredients - Water, Malted Barley, Oats, Lactose, Hops, Yeast

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

CorkBillyBeers #33. Four excellent IPAs. Worth looking out for from White Hag, Boundary, Wicklow Wolf and McGills

CorkBillyBeers #33

Craft journey with White Hag, Boundary, Wicklow Wolf and McGills


Four excellent IPAs. Worth looking out for.

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White Hag Danann Juicy IPA 5.8% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys


Dark orange colour, hazy of course, topped with quite a big soft white head. Aromas are hoppy, pine and citrus. A pretty stern bitterness. There are no less than five hops employed) fronts the palate though the caramel malt sneaks in its sweet contribution to make this an intense flavour experience. Quite a beer actually, especially if you like your hops to have the edge that results in a bitterish lip-smacking finish.


They say: Our brand new Juicy IPA Danann, has unlocked a whole blast of juice from a combination of Citra, Mosaic, Columbus, Strata and Chinook hops.

From that quintet, you can expect the juicy blast they mention and flavours ranging from tropical to strawberry, plus dank notes and hints of spice and pine. Quite a melange then for their first juicy IPA but well balanced.


Enjoyed this juicy one with its hoppy spine and malty sweetness at the edges. 

Very Highly Recommended.


For your Diary: Hagstravaganza 9 - August 12th 2023.

“Tickets for this annual event, which is the highlight of our year and of many of our customers, are officially on sale!


As ever, we are striving to continue setting the bar even higher for ourselves and we're aiming to make this our biggest festival yet.


On top of having some of craft beer's global leaders & plenty of top-class up-and-coming breweries, we will host the best of Irish food producers we work with, live music, the usual beer garden Olympics, and some other surprises... and of course a magical train journey to the afterparty!!”

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Boundary Imbongo Tropical IPA 5.5% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys 

“Imbongo is our Tropical IPA. It’s absolutely jam-packed with all of the juicy, tropical and stone fruit goodness.” So pleased are the brewery, and of course its customers, with this beer that it has been promoted to core status.


Colour is a light hazy orange with a soft fluffy head that sinks slowly. Hints of mango and apricot in the modest aromas. And more of the tropical on the palate. Bursting with flavour for sure but also well-balanced.


Boundary Brewing was established in 2014 and is a cooperative brewery, shaped and run by its own members. At the core of the brewery is the drive to produce brews inspired by both Belgian and US beers and styles. This one is certainly different to your usual tropical IPA, serious yet seriously quaffable.


Tasty and clean and Very Highly Recommended.


They strive to use only select high-grade ingredients which include Simpsons Malts and American hops. And if this doesn’t sound exciting enough, check out the cans! An IPA that apparently took 18 months to perfect.  Extra pale malt and Mosaic and Azacca hops were used in the worthy and worthwhile effort.

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Wicklow Wolf Tundra Tropical IPA, 5.6%, 440ml can.

“Tundra is a New England-style IPA, dry hopped with a massive amount of tropical hops.”


That is how Wicklow Wolf introduces their Tundra Tropical IPA, now one of their core beers. It has a hazy colour and a soft white head. Aromas are tropical, like mango lassi, even a little dank and resin. It is tropical, sweet and tangy on the palate, and is even more tropical here including a burst of mango and pineapple but with enough of a modest acidity to keep it all in balance. Just a slight bitterness in the finish but it is very satisfying and leaves one licking one’s lips as HM might say.


Very Highly Recommended


Best served at 8 degrees and I’ve seen pairing suggestions of Grilled sardines, a Morbier cheese or a grapefruit/peanut/spinach salad. I’m thinking it would be fine with meats and veg from the BBQ, and quite a few pizzas. A big juicy NEIPA like this will be perfect with a big juicy burger; if you're an untidy drinker or eater, then have a roll of heavy-duty kitchen paper handy. Happy Summer.


Geek Bits

Best served at 8  degrees

IBU: 30

Hops: Citra, Mosaic, Idaho 7 & Sabro.

Malts: Pale, Wheat, Flaked Oats, Cara


By the way, if you are a hop nut, then the White Hag Danann might be a safer bet. An unsafe bet? That would be staking your wad that New England is in the tropics even if the tropics are in New England. Confusing!

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McGill’s Waterville IPA 5% ABV, 500ml bottle Centra Waterville


Up to about ten years ago, it was almost impossible to get craft beer in Kerry. But, with at least five breweries in the county, all that has changed. 


MCgills are the most recent of these breweries and their beers are widely available in the county including now available at both Killarney Carry Outs. We came across it first in the Lobster Bar and Restaurant in Waterville where McGills are based. Very happy with it this well-balanced drink. That led to a spur-of-the-moment meeting with brewer Joe McGill on the following morning and we are now well into his beers.


Colour of the Waterville IPA is a mid-gold, very slightly hazy, with no shortage of carbonation. Pine and citrus feature in the aromatics. In the palate, you'll find a subtle, malt sweetness and refreshing bitterness. Smooth, really bursting with flavour.


“Like an angel crying on your tongue,” brewer Joe McGill sings its praises. Not too sure I’d go that far but Highly Recommended.  Joe suggests pairing it with“ Strong, spicy food: curries, burgers, fish & chips”. 



Joe says that each beer is unique to the area of South Kerry. “They reflect our local heroes, culture, and history. To give you a few examples: “Our blonde is named in honour of the famous Skellig Monks. Our Stout is named after the local Dark Sky Reserve which is one of only three gold-tier reserves for stargazing in the world. Our Red Ale is named after local woman Maude Delap who was the first person in the world to study the full life cycle of jellyfish in captivity.” 





Thursday, March 4, 2021

Cheers on beer, spirits and wine. #210403. With White Hag, Beara Distillery, Wine Australia, Ballykilcavan, Kinsale Mead, Rascals, Blackwater Distillery

Cheers on beer, spirits and wine. #210403. 

With White Hag, Beara Distillery, Wine Australia, Ballykilcavan, Kinsale Mead, Rascals, Blackwater Distillery



The White Hag Comes Up

 With A Magic Mist.  Juicy stuff


The ‘Juicy’ style was only recently recognised by the Beer Judge Certification Program in the United States, as a result of the emergence of more and more New England IPAs (NEIPAs). Juicy pale ales (also known as hazy pale ales) fit into the NEIPA category at an official level.

Magic Mist is highly aromatic with a soft bitterness that explodes with tropical notes of mango, citrus, and passionfruit, followed by subtle hints of orange and strawberries.


More here

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Beara Distillery



We here at Beara Distillery have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to perfect this black cask blend whiskey
A unique blend that we hope our loyal customers enjoy just as much as we do

It is now on the shelves of SuperValu Castletownbere and Kenmare and will expand to your local SuperValu and off-licences 


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Australian Wine


Australian Wine Discovered is a free wine education program offering flexible courses, tools and resources spanning over topics including key Australian regions, varieties and themes. Learn more: wineaus.co/edu


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Ballykilcavan Farm & Brewery Announce Joe O'Driscoll as Head Brewer.

Start of a new era today (1st Mar 2021) as Joe takes over as Head Brewer. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. Since Joe joined us, he's brought a huge amount of passion, energy and creativity in his role as innovation brewer, so it's brilliant to know that the future of the brewery is in great hands.

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Kinsale Mead OnLine Talk and Tasting



Want to learn more about the story behind Kinsale Mead and the fascinating history of mead and honey? Join our online mead talk and tasting on Saturday March 13th at 8pm live from the meadery oak bar with Kate and Denis.
How does it work?
Order your tasting kit before end Sunday March 7th at https://www.kinsalemeadco.ie/product/online-talk-tasting-m/ We will email your tasting link and ship your tasting kit to your door so you can sip along with the Mead Makers live online from the comfort of your sofa. Details here.

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One of your favourite beers is making a return 🍺

Thanks to Rascals!

Well it’s certainly looking like bag o’cans weather out there this week. Mind you, lads going round in shorts and flip-flops? Ah come on. You’ll catch your death.
Here are some new beers to fill your bag with: Betty's dry-hopped New Zealand 4.5% Helles lager and Bruce's hazy New Zealand 6.2% IPA. The former is a bright lager with a crisp, refreshing finish, offering gooseberry and lime flavours and aromas. The latter is a full-bodied IPA with ripe tropical fruit, citrus peel flavours and a perfectly balanced sweetness.

You can get a full case of 12, a mixed case of 12, or even mix either with one of your fave Rascals core beers in a box of 12 or 24. We’ve even put Bruce and Betty into 5L mini kegs. You’ve options galore! €1 from every order in March will be donated to My Lovely Horse Rescue. You can read more about the initiative here.

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Blackwater Distillery 


Irish Mammies are the salt of the earth so why not treat your mother to a bottle of Blackwater Gin. To celebrate this Mother's Day Sun 14th March we are treating your amazing mother to a FREE box of decadent Lily O'Brien's chocolates with every bottle of gin purchased*. Check out our E-Store to avail of this fantastic offer.

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Bubble Brothers Ready To Tango, and more on wine, beer and spirits in Cheers #7

Bubble Brothers Ready To Tango 
Once upon a time, we tasted some samples from Finca Agostino in Mendoza, Argentina, and knew immediately these were wines we shouldn't miss out on. 

Our first consignment arrived in Cork last week, and we're excited to bring five new wines to Ireland.

Four of them are Malbecs, representing four tiers of quality and complexity. What we liked at the original tasting was that there was no suggestion of compromise with even the least expensive of the four, the Uma Malbec. More details here.

White Hag Brews Up
 Hagstravaganza 2020

For one year only, we're going all cyber for our annual festival - you'll be able to order your beer in advance and join us online on the day to enjoy it!

Learn more about our plans and which guest breweries we've lined up so far by heading over to the event page here

SARAH JESSICA PARKER ADDS A NEW ROSÉ WINE

This premium rosé – Invivo X, Sarah Jessica Parker Rosé – comes from the South of France and has been crafted in partnership with Sarah Jessica Parker, the founders of Invivo and a family winery in Provence. The new Invivo X, SJP Rosé will have a suggested retail price of €18.00. Currently available from www.WinesOfTheWorld.ie and will be available in other stores throughout summer.



IT'S WHISKEY TIME!
at Blacks of Kinsale
Looking back over the past 6 months and all the curve balls that have been thrown our way it's very hard to explain the immense feeling of satisfaction, joy, relief, in fact a whole mixture of emotions as we filled the 1st Founders Club Cask. The ball is now well and truly rolling and momentum is picking up with every day and every still run we complete. More here on the Founders Club (still open for membership!)
Wines Direct Make The Case For Father's Day
This case is full of blockbuster reds to accompany Dad-like activities such as BBQing a big dry-aged steak or dusting off his collection of vinyl. He will enjoy everything from Malbec to Bordeaux and a few new surprises that he may not yet know he likes. Check it out here


Franciacorta has seen exports grow in recent years to the point 20% is now being exported to key markets including the US and UK. As the region starts to recover from the devastating effects of Covid-19, Justin Keay talks to key players Bellavista, Ca del Bosco and Ferghettina, along with Consorzio President Silvano Brescianini about where the region goes from here...Read More