Beer of the Year 2022. New contender added!

My Favourite Irish Beers of the Year 2022

So far!!

(just two months to go!)

Contenders to end of September

September: Bradleys with Dot Brew Nice One IPA

August:12 Acres Pale Ale

July: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Summer 2022 Foraged Elderflower Saison

June: Wicklow Wolf Mescan Wit or Without You Belgian Wit

May: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Spring 2022 Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale

April: Whiplash True Love Waits Dry Hopped Pils

March: Lineman Schadenfreude Schwarzbier

February: Wicklow Wolf  “Apex Cherry” Black Cherry Oatmeal Stout.

January: Whiplash Dry the Rain Double Decoction Dunkel

December: Lough Gill Mac Nutty Macadamia Nut

Best of September Short List

IPA: Bradleys with Dot Nice One.

Helles/Pils/Lager: Hope Limited Edition No. 27 Munich Helles. 

Session: Third Barrel Day Drinking Part Deux Citra Strata; 

Belgian Style Pale Ale: Wide Street Sound by Design 

Pale Ale: Post Card Ha’penny Bridge

Here's a plea  for info (for a forthcoming podcast) from Brian O'Connell of Beoirfest: Any brewers out there who want to tell how the energy prices are affecting them can do so quickly and in their own words at https://event.beoirfest.com/e6d59220  

Beer of the Year 2022. The September Long List

My Favourite Beers of the Year 2022

Best of September Long List

Helles/Pils/Lager:

Hope Limited Edition No. 27 Munich Helles;  Third Barrel Counter Culture Modern Style Pils; Wicklow Wolf Toto Sorachi Italian Pils.

 

IPA:

Hope Limited Edition No. 28 Double Rye; Rye River Miami J;  Rascals X Yeastie Boys Krush Groove; Bradleys with Dot Nice One; Blacks Mango & Mosaic.

Session: 

Third Barrel Day Drinking Part Deux Citra Strata; Larkin’s Tiny Sesh IPA 4.0%,  Stone Barrel Boom Session IPA 4.5% ABV; Post Card Ha’penny Bridge Pale Ale, 4.2 ABV.

Belgian Style Pale Ale: 

Wide Street Sound by Design 

Pale Ale:

Lough Gill Sligo Bay American; Hope American.

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Contenders to end of August

September?????

August:12 Acres Pale Ale

July: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Summer 2022 Foraged Elderflower Saison

June: Wicklow Wolf Mescan Wit or Without You Belgian Wit

May: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Spring 2022 Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale

April: Whiplash True Love Waits Dry Hopped Pils

March: Lineman Schadenfreude Schwarzbier

February: Wicklow Wolf  “Apex Cherry” Black Cherry Oatmeal Stout.

January: Whiplash Dry the Rain Double Decoction Dunkel

December: Lough Gill Mac Nutty Macadamia Nut

A Quart of Ale± #124. On the craft journey with Post Card, Third Barrel, Wicklow Wolf, Rye River, Bradleys, Yards & Crafts

A Quart of Ale± #124

On the craft journey with Post Card, Third Barrel, Wicklow Wolf, Rye River, Bradleys, Yards & Crafts

And Toto!

Post Card Ha’penny Bridge Pale Ale, 4.2 ABV, 400ml can Bradleys

A hazy orange colour here with a generous foamy head that soon settles and sinks. Aromas are modest, citrusy with a touch of pine. It certainly loses its reserve on the palate, full of deep and lasting flavours (citrus, more exotic stuff) all on a hoppy backbone and no shortage of malt either. The finish is also impressive, the dry-hopping having helped in the balance. 

The base malts used are Irish-grown, from Loughran’s Family Malt. The American hops include the pretty well-known trio of Centennial, Citra and Idaho 7.

Decent info on the label where the main visual is based on a Ha’Penny Bridge painting by Sarah Magee. When built in 1816, it was the first pedestrian bridge to cross the Liffey. Post Card beers are brewed in Farmington’s Brewery (Kildare).

Post Card Brewing Company is "a small but adventurous craft brewery. We brew our beers to both tempt the average beer-drinker and enthrall the enthusiast”.

They point out that Ha'Penny Bridge Pale Ale is not so pale “but an old school style” that will remind you of your first Pale ale all those years ago”.

Third Barrel Counter Culture Modern Style Pils 4.9% ABV, 400ml can Bradleys

Counter Culture Modern Style Pils (quite a mouthful!) comes in a golden lager colour. Malt and hops share the aromatics here and the engaging engagement continues in the mouth, a mouth full of flavour and refreshment, this clean crisp beer doing its job to perfection.

Two hops feature: German Saaz and Lorien. The latter is the less traditional one, hardly traditional at all as it is a relatively new hop from the American Indie Hops Flavor Project, a hop that has been advanced through the “development process with crisp, refreshing low-gravity beer in mind. This hop has a unique ability to let the tasty malt platform shine, yet contributes an addictive finish of citrus zest, fresh melon, sweet hay and wildflowers, all capped by a cinnamon spice that cleanses your palate and lures you back for more.”

For its part, the more traditional Saaz (this from Germany apparently, rather than Czechia) contributes aromas/flavours of hay, tobacco, and herbal. Not quite the modern magic of Lorien (which echoes some of the Saaz qualities) but still a player.

The Lorien though is certainly full of promise and the excellent lager is a good example and a welcome addition to our bottle shop shelves.

So who are third Barrel? Initially formed in 2016 as a collaboration between two gypsy brands who wanted their own space. Third Barrel has now grown to be one of the most respected brands in Irish craft beer. Brewing everything from the most wholesome Pils to Triple IPAs and everything in-between.  

Our one and only passion in life is making savage beer and we love sharing that passion with you.

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Wicklow Wolf Toto Sorachi Italian Pils 4.9% ABV, 400ml can Bradleys

Wicklow Wolf tell us Toto Sorachi is brewed with Pilsner malt, Sorachi Ace hops for bittering and German hops Huell Melon and Ariana for flavour and aroma. An Italian style Pils, named after an Italian, but no Italian hops.

The Italian? Why, Toto Schillaci of course. The then little known Sicilian struck like an island pirate to snatch a quarter-final winner after a hopeful Pakie Bonner parry and send Ireland tumbling out of the World Cup of 1990 or Italia Novanta as George Hamilton revelled in pronouncing at every single opportunity.

Back to the beer then. It is, as touted, a refreshing pils with bready, malt sweetness, citrus and melon aromas and a clean, crisp bitterness to finish. Excellent then for a World Cup game and will score well in any exciting encounter.

Schillaci, sorry Sorachi, is a versatile hop, excellent in several beer styles, lager among them. It has been used here for its bittering qualities. The German hops Huell Melon (look for Melon, Strawberry, Vanilla) and Ariana (Tropical, Berry, and Jasmine) are employed for flavour and aroma. But, as with most good lagers, the Pilsner malt has quite a say in Toto. 

By the way, do you remember which beer Toto later advertised on Irish TV? Check it out here.

Rye River Miami J IPA 6.5%, 440ml can Yards & Crafts

One of a series of “Seasonal Small Batch Beer, the range developed as a way to explore our passion for our craft”.

It is a hazy mid-orange with a soft bubbly head. Lots of juicy citrus and exotic fruits in the flavours, dank here too as in the aromas. It has has quite a soft feel on the palate. Lots of promise so far but the expected delivery never quite arrives. It lacks a finish. A bit like Shamrock Rovers against Ghent on the TV. 

Rye River say: “In this edition of our beloved Miami J, we collaborated with our friends at Barthhaas X to pack their advanced hop products into this juicy IPA. Lupomax, Incognito and Spectrum have saturated this brew to accentuate all the things we love about the softer side of hops. Brace yourself!”

No doubt this collaboration will have its fans. Different strokes for different folks. I’m not having much luck with collabs this year though there was at least one memorable work between Wicklow Wolf and Mescan. If it weren’t for that and one or two others, I’d be inclined to give them a wide berth

Geek Bits

Malts: Carapils, Maris Otter, Wheat, Oats

Hops: Amarillo, Cascade, Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy.

Yeast: London Fog

Centrifuged. Unpasteurised. Natural sedimentation.

A Quart of Ale± #121. On the craft journey with Bullhouse, 12 Acres, Wicklow Wolf, Eight Degrees

 A Quart of Ale± #121

On the craft journey with Bullhouse, 12 Acres, Wicklow Wolf, Eight Degrees

12 Acres Pale Ale 4.6%, 440ml can O’Brien’s Douglas

Not my first time coming across this 12 Acres Pale Ale, from County Laois, with its soft white head that sinks fairly quickly. The colour has more amber than pale. And the aromas speak more of malt than hops and so it continues onto the palate. In addition to their own malt, they also use a small quantity of three European speciality malts, giving even more malt body, texture and additional caramel flavours to the beer. 

But the three Americans hops,Cascade, Willamette and Citra, help give bitterness plus citrus and tropical flavours to balance the malt sweetness. So what you get is a delicious refreshing dry hopped golden pale ale.

They say: Our award winning flagship beer, our pale ale is a take on the American Pale Ale (APA) style, with more emphasis on the malt flavour than a traditional APA. Our own spring water is the main ingredient and we add our own pale ale base malt which forms the majority of the grist, to give the fermentable sugars and flavour to our beer…By brewing with our own malted barley and Killeshin spring water from deep beneath the same land, we are producing unique Irish craft beers with traceability from our ground to your glass.”

A lot of attention to detail here and it pays off. Best served 6-8 degrees and it goes great with spicy foods.

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8 Degrees Citra Single Hop IPA, 5.7%, 440ml can O’Brien’s Douglas

They, 8 Degrees, say: Citra, with its fruity, juicy aroma and flavour, is one of our favourite hops. To showcase it, we’ve used a simple, yet elegant, malt body …. This is a beer that is both sweet and tart, with a gloriously juicy mouthfeel.

Orange/gold is the colour of this Citra Single Hop from Eight Degrees, the adventurous brewery. It’s got a white bubbly head. Aromas are, surprise, surprise, citrus with a floral touch as well. The combined fruit flavours come out to play on the juicy palate and you’ll note peach, melon, lime, gooseberry, passion fruit and lychee in the mix with the malt on display. It’s a refreshing really well-balanced beer, with a nicely judged bitter finish. 

Geek Bits
2020 World Beer Awards – Gold
2019 World Beer Awards – Gold

Style: Single hop IPA
Malt: Irish pale ale malt
Hops: Citra, Citra and…Citra!
Strength: 5.7% ABV
Bitterness: 62 IBUs

Food pairings from the Mitchelstown brewery are among the best around:
The bitterness in this Citra Single Hop IPA will cut beautifully through sweet low-and-slow pulled pork served with a chilli-spiked peach relish. The beer also will counterbalance the bold flavours of barbecued chicken wings and play nicely with some grilled spicy fresh Gubbeen chorizo sausages. Try it with a not-too-sweet Key Lime pie for a full-on citrus ending to your meal.

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Bullhouse Suds DDH Pale Ale 4.5%, 440ml can Yards & Crafts

Slurp down some Suds! More hops.

That’s the can label encouragement from Belfast Brewery Bullhouse. And this Double Dry Hopped murky orange coloured Pale Ale is certainly well endowed with hops  (Eldorado, Talus and Azacca) especially in the aromas, and also on the palate.  By now the soft pillowy head has slumped to mere disc but you won’t be worried as the tropical fruits and an input of citrus take over on the smooth and satisfactory ride to the finish. Well made, well balanced.

Last May, Bullhouse took delivery of a brand new (to them) 25HL brewhouse and 6 additional 25HL FVs. 

“We’ve always invested more heavily in our cold-side equipment than in any hot-side stuff, because you can make really good wort on pretty basic kit, but you can’t make really good hoppy beer with poor quality cold-side equipment.”

“We ended up going for a system from a cask brewery in England that had closed down. We now have a 50HL direct fire HLT, 40HL German made mash tun (with side manway) and a 30HL direct fire kettle.” 

The new kit means Bullhouse have the capability to “double our weekly production to 60HL with the same amount of effort”. Well if this Suds is anything to go by, the investment is well worthwhile. Best of luck.

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Wicklow Wolf Jeff Bezos Hopfenweisse 6.3%, 440 ml can Bradleys

Introducing No. 30 in our Endangered Species series; Heff Bezos. This release is another example of our brewer’s passion and creativity running wild. A modern twist on the classic hefeweizen beer style, Heff Bezos is a hop forward wheat beer. 

That’s the Wicklow Wolf intro to Heff Bezos. Colour is a murky, opaque, orange with a. Soft slowly sinking bubbly white head. Aromas are a puzzle. I’m expecting banana and clove but initially getting a smoky bacon whiff but go again and it is somewhat closer to the expected combo.

On the palate, the Hopfenweisse continues to carry the banana clove combo yet is is somewhat tartier than the usual. Perhaps the yeast ( a hefeweizen yeast strain from our friends at WHC) is the disrupting factor? No shortage of flavours though with notes of citrus, tropical (including mango) and pine. And, as this first meeting comes to an end, I’m feeling very much at home with Jeff, sorry Heff!

I’m presuming the name Heff Bezos is a play on Jeff Bezos. Jeff, the multi-billionaire (ex Amazon), may be rare but hardly endangered.

Wicklow say this is a style of beer “that we have planned to brew for quite some time now, this Hopfenweisse is brewed with modern hops (Citra, Idaho 7 & Talus)  and fermented using a hefeweizen yeast strain from our friends at WHC*. You can expect a burst of citrus & tropical fruit flavours complimented by aromatic, fruity esters coming through from the hefeweizen yeast.” 

* WHC Lab is a Fermentation and Quality control company in Wicklow

Beer of the Year. My favourites so far.

Beer of the Year 2022

Rye River

My nine favourites to date.

Wicklow Wolf are having a great year, at least in my neck (of the woods). As you can see below, they feature at the top in four of the nine months so far (December '21 is counted). Whiplash have two number ones.  And that points up the fact that the more productive breweries are more likely to get the nod than those who have a great core range but who, for whatever reason (and I'm sure they have good ones), don't go in as much for seasonals and specials. I'll have started to try and balance that! Any ideas? Anyone! 

Confirmed to date

August:12 Acres Pale Ale

July: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Summer 2022 Foraged Elderflower Saison

June: Wicklow Wolf Mescan Wit or Without You Belgian Wit

May: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Spring 2022 Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale

April: Whiplash True Love Waits Dry Hopped Pils

March: Lineman Schadenfreude Schwarzbier

February: Wicklow Wolf  “Apex Cherry” Black Cherry Oatmeal Stout.

January: Whiplash Dry the Rain Double Decoction Dunkel

December: Lough Gill Mac Nutty Macadamia Nut

Best of August Short List

Pale Ale: 12 Acres Pale Ale

Aged Stout: Porterhouse Slvr Skin Barrel Aged Coffee Stout 13% ABV. 

Brown Ale: Lineman Big Calm 

Single Hop IPA: 8 Degrees Citra 

Oatmeal IPA: Galway Bay Goodbye Blue Monday

Kolsch: Rye River (collab.with Old Street) Die Hundstage Köter Kölsch

Belgian Stout: Wide Street Monksland 

Hopfenweisse: Wicklow Wolf Jeff Bezos

Cider: Cockagee Irish Keeved Cider 5% Simply outstanding

Pints in Bars:

The Maritime, Bantry: 9 White Deer Kölsch

The Lake, Killarney: Ale and Lager by Killarney Brewing Co.

Merry’s, Dungarvan: Wicklow Wolf Ale

The Shelbourne, Cork: Beamish

The Cotton Ball, Cork: Lynch’s Stout, Indian Summer

Mellet’s Emporium, Swinford: Reel Deel Jack the Lad, Mescan Seven Virtues Lager.

Keenan’s, Tarmonbarry, Co. Roscommon: White Hag Little Fawn; Kinnegar’s Scraggy Bay

Finín’s Midleton: Black’s KPA

Franciscan Well: Original 7 Weisse

Elbow Lane: Angel Stout

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A Quart of Ale± #117. On the craft journey with Rye River, Galway Bay, newcomers Outer Place, Porterhouse, Wicklow Wolf, Crew Limerick, Hopfully,

 A Quart of Ale± #117

On the craft journey with Rye River, Galway Bay, newcomers Outer Place and Porterhouse, Wicklow Wolf, Crew Limerick, Hopfully,

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Rye River (collab.with Old Street) Die Hundstage Köter Kölsch 5.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

This seasonal small batch beer is a collaboration between Rye River and East London’s Old Street Brewery. It has a pleasant light gold colour, tonnes of bubbles and a bubbly white head. Aromatics are fresh and fruity as you’d expect, more or less, from the hops. On the palate, it is crisp and clean, dry, with a sweet shot of fruit. Totally refreshing for sure.

Rye River: “Introducing our paw-some new Rye River Seasonal brew... Die Hundestage Köter Kölsch! A collaboration brew with our good friends over at Old Street Brewery in East London, this Kölsch is *chef's kiss* perfect to knock back on a hot summer's day. This one is for the dog days of summer! …Part of a seasonal range we developed as a way to explore our passion for our craft. Each beer is never like the last..”

Callista and Tango were used for the dry hops. Callista, as you may know, is from Germany and noted for its fruity qualities such as Melon, Strawberry and Apricot.

Tango, also German, is a relative newcomer, and is following in the footsteps of its grandmother “Hallertauer Tradition” while being the pacemaker into the future. It is also very versatile, something of an all-rounder. In kettle hopped beers: hoppy fresh aroma notes similar to Hallertauer Tradition and Perle − in late and dry hopped beers: fresh and fruity aroma (especially passion fruit) − pleasantly mild bitterness − excellent drinkability. What’s not to like?

This collaboration looks like a win win for Rye River though I’m sure they also played a full role in Die Hundestage Köter (The Dogs Days). 

Kölsch is the signature beer of Cologne, Germany, and has a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). “At first glance, kölsches seem to be doing a fine pilsner impersonation,” according to the Beer Bible. But there are delicate subtle differences, more yeast, more minerality. If you are drinking at source, The Bible recommends Gaffel, Früh (I got this in Bradleys 2021) and Reissdorf as top Cologne examples.

Otherwise, try the 9 White Deer one (gentle hops and malt character, it is easy-drinking, full flavoured with fruity hints and a crisp and lager style character); Rye themselves make the excellent Grafters Clocking Off Kölsch (available in Dunnes).

Galway Bay Goodbye Blue Monday Oatmeal IPA 6.6% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Goodbye Blue Monday was first brewed in 2013.. in collaboration with Chicago’s Begyle. Galway Bay: “This oatmeal IPA is brewed with Irish Malt and lashings of Irish oats. Hopped continuously in the kettle with Citra and Columbus, then dry hopped several times with more Citra. A fan favourite on both sides of the Atlantic.”

That’s the story behind this trans-Atlantic collaboration. Quite a success story for this hazy light orange coloured IPA. Aromas are modest but, importantly (thanks to the Columbus) firm hints of dankness abound. And those hints are confirmed on the complex palate, lots of it and lots of citrus also, on its smooth journey to a dry and bitter finish. A fully grown up beer. Take heed of their own shout:  Super super stuff this year! Grab some while you can.

Outer Place Interstellar Pale Ale 5% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Outer Place promote this as “a sip of sunshine in a can”. Colour is a light orange, hazy with a fluffy white head that soon starts to sink. Aromas, of moderate intensity, are of tropical fruits. Mouthfeel is smooth enough but hop reinforced flavours are anything but, so you get intense flavours, deep and refreshing. Not too sure about the “dank weedy goodness” that the producers claim but it is a characteristic of the Strata hops (used in the whirlpool and dry hop).

It is an excellent debut by Outer Place, a new Irish Craft brewery in Kildare, who are focused on hoppy styles of beer. And they began selling their beers in April 2022.“Interstellar is our new Pale Ale. It's a sip of sunshine in a can. Clocking in at a session-able 5% ABV this one is made for sunny days and summer nights. ….. Lashings and lashings of new 2021 crop Cascade and Strata in the whirlpool and dry hop.” 

The story of Outer Place begins at the home of Mark Clarke and Vivien Lough. Mark has home-brewed for years as a hobby and has always dreamed of opening a brewery to satisfy his desire for hoppy beer. Now is the time.

“For now we are going to create beer with friends and collaborators in breweries around Ireland and beyond.

Our vision is to create a destination brewery that is fiercely independent, ethically inclined and sustainable.

Our goal is to create modern, progressive, delicious beers inspired by friends, family, art, music, nature and whatever else takes our fancy along the way.”

Porterhouse Slvr Skin Barrel Aged Coffee Stout 13% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

“Our latest collab with the crew in @silverskin_coffee_roasters Is a 13% barrel aged, Imperial Coffee Stout cut with cold Brew coffee for an extra kick…..We don’t add any ‘extras’ – no additives, no enhancing chemicals. Just simple, pure ingredients.”

That’s the intro to Slvr Skin Coffee Stout by Porterhouse. It is a very dark brown verging on black with a tan coffee head that doesn’t hang about. Aromas are rich and coffee dominated, hints of vanilla too. And the same combo get to play on the palate as well, smooth, well rounded, yet with quite a punch (coffee and bourbon) and it lingers sweetly. Boy, does it linger. Terrific stout with amazing balance. Just about 7,000 cans were produced. I’ve got mine. You better get your hand up quickly!

It’s been Barrel Aged in Bourbon casks and the result is claimed as the first “Barrel Aged Imperial Coffee Stout in Ireland made with cold brew”.

The advice from the brewers is to serve it chilled and “savour the rich, distinctive flavour”. After fermentation, the resulting beer was matured for nine months in Dingle Distillery Bourbon casks and following this ageing process a second addition of coffee was made, this time as a cold brew into the conditioning tanks before canning”.

All the hard work and precision yields an increased flavour profile and the result is an imperial stout full of rich flavour. Quite a treat!

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Wicklow Wolf continue on the sustainability trail...

This year we have taken our commitment one step further, we have commissioned the installation of over 120Kw of solar panels, covering the entirety of our 17,000 sq ft brewery roof to become the First Solar Powered Craft Brewery in the Republic of Ireland.

More here. 

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News from Limerick's CREW

The Crew's Ale Talk series continues in August with a representative of Hopfully Brewing coming to share some beers and stories. You might know Hopfully from some of their belters like Inside Out, Boo, and their No Cars gose selection. Limited tickets are available from the bar for €20, which gets you a seat at the event including four cans of delicious Hopfully beer. More at @crewbrewco on Facebook.