On the craft trail with Whitefield and Mescan. A couple of excellent lagers. Supporting craft brewers every week!

 On the craft trail with Whitefield and Mescan.

A couple of excellent lagers.

Supporting craft brewers every week!

Whitefield Oldtown Czech Style Pilsner, 5.4% ABV, 

500 ml bottle Bradleys

Another high quality beer from leading Tipperary brewery

This Tipperary Czech-style lager is an attractive golden colour with a soft, creamy white head. The clear liquid is well-populated by a multitude of bubbles rising to the top. Low to medium hop elements are noted in the aromas. There is no shortage of flavour, including bready notes, as the beer refreshes the palate and beyond. Ready for another sip! Very Highly Recommended.

Water from their well is used in the Whitefield Brewery and in this beer.. Otherwise, the Pilsner is brewed using all Czech ingredients, including floor-malted Bohemian Barley and Saaz hops, known for their low bittering quality and serving as a traditional and key part of Pilsners, resulting in a smooth beer with a slightly spicy aftertaste.

Whitefield Brewery is well-known for consistently hitting the high-quality mark with its lagers, wheat beers, and ales. Founder Cuilan Loughnane explains: "Our brewhouse was commissioned initially by Pauliner, so it was designed as a wheat beer brewery. The fermentation tanks are low, wide and flat-bottomed to help maintain a consistent flavour profile while using a volatile yeast. It comes as no surprise that our best-selling beers in both draft and bottle are Weiss beers. This makes it challenging to brew drier, hoppy beers, so we focus on malty beer styles with plenty of sweetness. Our core beers are traditional, southern-style German Wheat and lager beers." 

German-style pilsners versus Czech-style pilsners.

German-style pilsners present a pale yellow colour and are frequently unfiltered, resulting in a hazy appearance. The bittering characteristics are more pronounced due to the use of German hops in their production. These pilsners also conclude with a crisp taste, accompanied by a lingering bitterness.

Conversely,  Czech-style pilsners are characterised by a pale gold hue and remarkable clarity. These beers typically exhibit a lower hop profile, relying predominantly on the indigenous Czech Saaz hop, which imparts a distinctive spiciness to the overall flavour profile. Additionally, they are often slightly more malt-forward, providing a crisp and refreshing finish.

Mescan Seven Virtues Lager, 4.8% ABV, 

330 ml bottle, Bradleys

thirst-quenching and ideal to enjoy on its own

Our Mayo-produced lager has a nice typical golden lager colour and billions of bubbles rising to a soft, white head. A bit of citrus and grass (not that grass!) in the aromas. On the palate, it is a bit more than your usual lager. It is crisp and refreshing, making it an easy-drinking beverage. Well worth a try! Very Highly Recommended.

A high-quality lager, then. So what are Mescan doing differently? This may be the answer. Owner-Brewer Cillian explained that his beers take a minimum of 4 months, with the heavy ones getting 6-8 months, whereas your normal craft beer takes just a few weeks from start to counter (can vary from brewer to brewer). While the extra time makes the Mescan more expensive, Cillian believes it is crucial for the quality of the beer.

He also pointed to another, local, advantage. Their water comes from deep underneath Croagh Patrick via a spring well on the farm. The water is soft, which suits the beer styles they brew. “We filter it manually to remove some manganese from the raw water. It’s a physical process – we don’t use any chemicals. “

“Virtues lager was the first in a series of one-off brews. Crisp and slightly dry hopped, a nod in the direction of both tradition and innovation.  Serving Temp 2 - 4 °C.” 

Note that the serving temperature is somewhat lower than usual.

It makes a great aperitif and pairs well with a steak or a bowl of fresh Irish mussels served Belgian-style with chips; it also pairs well with smoked cheese. Did you know that Mescan has a Food Wheel drawn up? Check it out on their website here. 

Beer of the Week: Whitefield Old Smoke Porter. Explore its dark, delightful depths.

Beer of the Week: Whitefield Old Smoke Porter, 5.4% ABV

500 ml bottle Bradleys

Explore the dark, delightful depths of an exceptional brew!

Delve into the dark depths of Whitefield’s Old Smoke porter, an exceptional brew by Cuilán Loughnane that stands as a testament to the art of balance in craft beer. 

With its pitch-black pour and tantalising smoky aroma accented with

Another top beer from Templemore. One that those Bavarian monk brewers would appreciate. Whitefield Bock is Beer of the Week!

Beer of the Week

Whitefield Bock 7.0% ABV, 500ml bottle Bradleys

Another top beer from Templemore. One that those Bavarian monk brewers would appreciate.

Whitefield's traditional strong lager has a clear copper colour with a persistent and soft off-white silky head. There’s toasty malt in the aromatics and more on the rich, deep, and complex palate. There’s an old legend that Bavarian monks subsisted on bock during long spells of fasting and indeed you feel that some sweet malty sustenance is being delivered with every sip. Maybe that's where the saying "there's eating and drinking in it" came from😉.

The sweet, toasty, nutty aroma and flavour is an excellent addition to a hearty meal of veal, pork, or beef or a nice companion to an earthy cheese course.

Very Highly Recommended. Not altogether a surprise as Whitefield is consistently coming up with the goods, particularly when it comes to ales and lagers and bock is a form of lager.

The brewery kit in Templemore was made to make wheat beer. Brewer Cuilan expands: “So it comes as no surprise that our best sellers in both draught and bottle are Weiss beers. This makes it tricky to brew drier hoppy beers, so we focus on the malty styles of beer with plenty of sweetness.” And their Bock is a fine example, one that those Bavarian monks would recognise and appreciate.

Traditionally Bock is a sweet, relatively strong (6.3–7.6% by volume), a lightly hopped lager that should be clear, with colour ranging from light copper to brown, and a bountiful, persistent off-white head. That’s a summation from Wikipedia. Doppelbock is the bigger and stronger brother of Bock and others in the family include Maibock, Eisenbock, and Weizenbock.

Whitefield's "Banker" is Beer of the Week. From a brewery that was made to make wheat beer! .

Beer of the Week 

Whitefield The Banker Wheat Beer, 5.2% ABV, 500 ml bottle Bradleys

Tipperary's Whitefield Brewery was made to make wheat beer!

Believe it or not, the brewery kit in Templemore’s Whitefield Brewery was made to make wheat beer. Really! 

Brewer Cuilan:  “Our brewhouse was originally commissioned by Pauliner, so it is designed as a wheat beer brewery. The fermentation tanks are low, wide and flat-bottomed to help maintain a consistent flavour profile while using a volatile yeast. So it comes as no surprise that our best sellers in both draught and bottle are Weiss beers. This makes it tricky to brew drier hoppy beers, so we focus on the malty styles of beer with plenty of sweetness.”

Colour here is a mid-amber and you can see fountains of little bubbles rising to the soft white head. Aromas are on the modest side, with hints of spice and rye. On the palate, there is no shortage of flavour, banana and clove included. An excellent supple malty drink with flavours continuing to a refreshing finish.

Cuilan again: “A slight twist on the German classic wheat beer the addition of rye malt gives a drier, lighter flavour profile and is very refreshing on warm summer days. Yes! I know we live in Ireland.”

No doubt the brewery kit (and brewer) worked their magic here and The Banker is Beer of the Week. Very Highly Recommended.

CorkBillyBeers #53. Craft with Rye River, Rascals, Whitefield and Camba

CorkBillyBeers #53

Craft with Rye River, Rascals, Whitefield and Camba.

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Rye River Upstream Pale Ale, 4.5% ABV, 500 ml bottle Dunnes Stores

Rye River sums this up neatly: ..Dry hopped classic pale ale…..bitter, citrus and malty.

Amber gold is the colour with a white head that doesn’t hang about, at least when poured from the bottle straight from the fridge. As the label indicates, it is really well balanced, the citrus aromas being matched by the hop bitterness with the malt keeping any potential hop extremes in check.

It is light and very drinkable, yet there is a good bite to it and it is also refreshing. You may well have had this previously under its original name of "Rosie's Pale Ale”. This is my first tasting of it and it is Very Highly Recommended.

Geek Bits

Best Before 07.24 (bought 05.10.23)

Pairs with: Grilled meat, spicy sausages, dishes with garlic,

Hops: Chinook, Columbus, El Dorado, Mosaic, Vic Secret

Malts: Carapils, Honey Malt, Pale Malt, Vienna Malt

IBU: 37

Format: Draught, bottle, can

2022 World Beer Awards:  Bronze Medal

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Rascals The Phoenix Dark Autumnal Ale 5.3% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

“Savour the taste of Autumn with our subtly smoked dark ale. Warm your bones with this medium-bodied cold-fermented smoke brown ale.”

That’s the invite from Dublin brewery Rascals. The colour is indeed a dark brown/black with a slight fleeting head. Aromas are smoky, not overly forceful, with a hint of bacon frying in the next room.  And yes, it is nuts and chocolate combined on the palate to give a dark sweetness. The balance is pretty good all through to the smooth finish.

Highly Recommended.

Rascals say: The Phoenix Dark has been cold fermented for a nobler taste and fuller body. It’s a real fireside beer for the evenings drawing in and kicking up leaves on autumnal walks in the park….. Dark autumnal ale with a delightful palette of flavours, nice body, and smooth finish.

Geek Bits

Malt: Beech Smoked Malt, Melanoidin, Cara Blond, Dark Crystal Malt, Chocolate Wheat, Oak Smoked Malt, Lager Malt.

Hops: Hops: Hallertau Mittelfrüh, 

Yeast: LAX

ABV: 5.3%

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Whitefield Brewery Morning Dew Saison style, 6.0% ABV, 500 ml bottle Bradleys

Realised I was a good bit late coming to this one as I read the label from the Templemore brewery: “Ah Spring! Finally, the spirits start to lift, the birds begin to sing and the hope of a long good summer is just around the next bend. To celebrate we’ve brewed a beer with a variety of traditional grains in the French Saison style.”

The summer was long. But not so good. Having waited all summer, I just had to wait a bit longer as that head took its time to settle down. Malt makes a smokey impact on the aromas. And there’s no shortage of malt in the flavours either. The taste though is light and refreshing, and a hint of clove adds interest. Just the job for refreshment after work on a summer's day and not too bad either on a wet October night with Storm Babet for company!

Very Highly Recommended. The beer that is, not the storm. I’m thinking this Saison from Tipp is up there with the best of them, including the Dupont. Whitefield says: “it is a seasonal beer brewed with traditional grains in a French saison style”.

Geek Bits

Brewed with water from own well. 

Ingredients: Malted barley, spelt and rye, hops and yeast.

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Camba Märzen 5.8% ABV, 500 ml bottle Bradleys

“It is the love for the craft of brewing, the desire to discover and a unique landscape shaped by nature and culture in a variety of ways that make every Camba a special taste experience: a beer with character.”

Most of the German beers we come across in Ireland are from breweries whose history reaches back over multiple centuries. Not Camba! "Camba Bavaria" was originally founded in 2008 as a showroom for the brewing equipment manufacturer BrauKon in Truchtlaching. 

Founder Markus Lohner wanted to show customers from all over the world how his brewing systems work and the variety of beers that could be brewed with them. His sample beers tasted so well that in a short few years, Camba has carved out a place for itself in the beer industry with a range of traditional and international beers.

This Marzen has a darkish colour, red in the gold, and a soft white head. There are sweet malty notes in the aromas. There is an immediately noticeable if slight, bitterness on the palate along with the nutty tones from the malt. Somewhat fuller than regular lagers, this is a smooth and well-balanced beer, refreshing too.

They may well be a “young” Bavarian brewery but, like their older siblings, they have food recommendations for this bottom-fermented beer and they are roasts, home cooking or roasted chicken.

Geeks Bits

Type of beer: Marzen

Alcohol Vol: 5.8%

Bitter units/ IBU: 16

Malt: Pilsner, Munich, caramel malts

Yeast: Bavarian lager yeast

Hops: tradition

Ingredients: water, barley malt, hops, yeast

CorkBillyBeers #52. Craft with Whitefield, Lineman, Blacks, and Lomza

CorkBillyBeers #52

Recommended wines 2024

https://www.corkbilly.com/2023/12/happy-christmas-to-you-and-yours.html

Craft with Whitefield, Lineman, Blacks, and Lomza

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Whitefield Harvest Ale 5.8% ABV, 375 ml bottle Bradleys

Seasonal. Classic tastes to suit the seasons. Brewed in Tipperary.

“To celebrate each year’s harvest we brew a beer with a unique ingredient. This year we are using raspberries from Con Traas’s farm in Cahir in a blend of sour beer and weisss beer. The raspberries were added at the start of cold maceration to preserve their unique flavour.” 

Orange is the colour (opaque) here and the white head vanishes quickly. The longish cork is secured with the normal wire trap and takes some removing. Smell the beer and you get a sour whiff, no hint of the wheat beer as yet! No hint of the raspberries from the Apple Farm though I did detect a hint of crab apples. 

That refreshing sourness rushes through on the palate, a concentrated hit, some clove notes interspersed, that my palate welcomed,. Probably one of the rarest flavours I've ever tasted. But I'm not backing off. I'm ready for more, taking my time though, sipping small the more to enjoy the flavour and the refreshment.

Out on its own in more ways than one! Go for it. Very Highly Recommended.

Best before date is March 2025 (bought 10.10.23). Wonder if I got a few and kept them until ‘25! They could well be even better.

Whitefield is a small family-owned brewery dedicated to brewing authentic, traditional-style beers. “Our focus is on using the best available malt and hops from farmers and people we’ve actually met and visited. Beers are brewed using a traditional style German brewhouse, matured over many months and then we self-distribute all our beers to publicans and off licences we respect and trust. This we believe, allows us to provide you, the customer, with a genuinely authentic beer.” See our feature on the Tipperary brewer from earlier this year here. 

 

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Kilohertz or kilohops, KHZ is just buzzing, just the job for the Lineman himself.

Lineman KHZ IPA, 7% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

There’s this promise on the label: “With the bitterness to refresh and the fruitiness to satisfy your hop cravings..”

Lineman’s KHZ is back after a 2-year break, “one of our dankest and funkiest IPAs thanks to the lashings of Ekuanot and Azacca we give it.”

Colour is a light orange but a very hazy one whose white head holds on for a brief moment. Aromas tell of the dankness to come. And it comes in a power-packed rush, bitterness welling across the palate as a shoal of strong citrus flavours swirl about. The dry hopping has worked like a dream but this is no heavy metal performance. It is Booker T cool and smooth, knocking out a rhythm of fruity hop aromas. Jamming it up so you don't want it to end.

Very Highly Recommended. Kilohertz or kilohops, KHZ is just buzzing, just the job for the Lineman himself.

Geek Bits

BB: 15.08.24. Bought 25.09.23 

ABV: 6.9%

Hops: Azzaca, Ekuanot, Centennial, Citra

Suitable for vegans

Format: 440 ml can

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Blacks KPA Kinsale Pale Ale, 5.0% ABV, 500 ml bottle Dunnes Stores

Can’t blame folks for blowing their own trumpet! “Our world-famous KPA is all about perfect balance and amazing drinkability.” I have been drinking this since 2014 and would gladly help with that trumpet.

You know the story. This is an American-style Pale Ale bursting with Cascade and Citra Hops. Tropical and citrus flavours are beautifully balanced with malt sweetness. Loved the way the flavours spread over the palate from the first sip and that dry clean lingering finish. Indeed, linger is the word. Take your time sipping, the better to enjoy every single drop.

The Magic of Malt and Hops

The delicate balance between malt and hops is what makes this pale ale so special. Some brewers go too heavy on the malt, but this recipe allows the hops—a mix of Centennial, Cascade, and Citra—to shine through with their grapefruit, lime, and other citrus flavours. The malt still plays its part, giving the beer a delicious mouthfeel and a crisp clean finish.

This is how Blacks themselves put it: Blacks escape the mundane of the mass market, producing beers with passion, personality and lots of hops. American-style Pale Ale bursting with Cascade and Citra Hops. Tropical and citrus flavours are beautifully balanced with malt sweetness.

Very Highly Recommended

Geek Bits

Style: Top Fermented
IBU: 60
Hops: Centennial, Cascade, Citra
Best before: BB: 12.06.24 (purchased 05.10.23)
Pair: Burgers, Steaks, BBQ Meats
Released: 2013
Available: Draft, Bottle 500ml, Cans

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Lomza Lager 5.7% ABV, 500 ml bottle Dunnes Stores

Spotted this Polish lager on the shelf and thought, thanks to my long-standing European spirit, that I’d give it a twirl.

Their recipe consists of nothing more than three carefully selected ingredients: water, barley malt and hops. It is distinguished by being non-pasteurised.

It certainly looks (with its gold colour and white head and millions of bubbles) like a lager. Smells like one also with its malt qualities prominent. The flavour is excellent and the beer is refreshing, a simple well-made lager.

“At Łomża we believe that simplicity is a great thing. In an increasingly complex world, we offer clarity - just the highest quality ingredients with nothing to hide. The only complicated thing about Łomża is our name.”

The Łomża brewery is one of the last remaining independent big-capacity breweries in Poland. “The decisions we make directly affect us and our business. We don’t compromise on quality. We stay true to ourselves and our aim to produce good quality, honest beer.”

Expiry date is next January. I didn't take too much notice of the non-pasteurised note even though it is flagged very clearly on the label until I photographed the bottle for this post.  The cans and bottles of pasteurised beers are run through a hot water spray that’s around 140 degrees to kill any bacteria and stop any yeast still in the beer from growing. Unpasteurised don’t get that treatment.