Showing posts with label good beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good beer. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

A Quart of Ale± #3. An impressive trio from Thornbridge and one from Berkshire's Siren

Bliss
A Quart of Ale± #3

An impressive trio from Thornbridge
and one from Berkshire's Siren

Thornbridge are best known (to me anyhow) for their superb Jaipur, a classic Indian Pale Ale. They started life in a local stately home and are now based in Bakewell, a small market town in Derbyshire, and you’ll find them on the banks of the Wye.  Having associated the brewery with Jaipur, I thought they were long established and was surprised to see they started up as recently as 2005. Following an array of awards and national recognition, Jaipur (launched in mid-2005) catapulted Thornbridge into the spotlight and eventually into a brand new brewery.
Thornbridge “Shelby” India Pale Ale, 5.0%, 330ml bottle, Bradley's of Cork

Shelby, the official beer of Peaky Blinders the TV series, pours a golden amber, the white head vanishing as quickly as an opportunist thief. Surprisingly fruity nose and that continues onto the arresting palate. Here too the maltiness makes a discreet and pleasant appearance and there’s a citrus enhanced bitterness. Excellent mouthfeel too. This is full of flavour and character, and so much better than many celebrity drinks. 
Looks as if you were a beer drinker of 1919, the year in which the TV series is set, you did very well for yourself indeed. Once you weren’t doing porridge, of course.
Hops used are Fuggles and Bramling Cross while the malts are Low Colour Maris Otter, Crystal, Munich.


Thornbridge “Bliss Point” Hazy American Pale Ale, 5.0%, 330ml can, Bradley's of Cork


It is yellow and, just to confirm, a hazy one, more than slightly so.  Aromas see the hops float up with fruit coming through as well. Just a small little can but one with big juicy flavours from the backbone of a quartet of US hops, namely Cascade, Simcoe, Azacca, Citra. Malts, you may like to know are Low Colour Maris Otter, Wheat. Quite a combination. Lots of hazy stuff around nowadays but, clearly, this is one of the better ones. 

I see craftcentral.ie describe this as “extremely crisp” but I can’t agree with that assessment. This is as smooth as they come, packed with those expected tropical fruits, with the American hops performing prominently in both the aromatics and flavours. Relax and enjoy. This is what craft beer, good beer, is all about. Cheers!

By the way, having finished a wine session and feeling lazy, I drank this from a Lumin Arc balloon type wine glass and found it worked out very well indeed, the 330ml can fitting in precisely with room for a fine if short-lived white foamy head.

Thornbridge “Tupelo” Hazy Pale Ale, 5.5%, 440ml can
(in collaboration with Salt Beer) Bradley's of Cork

You can smell the hops almost at “social distancing” here as this hazy ale fills your glass with a pale yellow, a big white head too but, unlike the hops, that soon clears down to a sparse cover. Tropical fruits aromas come from the Sabro (“fantastic”) / Citra / Ekuanot / Galaxy / Chinook / and Centennial hops. Malts by the way are Maris Otter / Wheat / Oats.

The hops also make their presence felt later on but there is no jarring domination. The beer is harmonious, pleasant and easy drinking, quite an exotic fruity juice bomb in the mouth and refreshing for sure with a dry finish.

The Salt Beer Factory, the other party in this collaboration, are based in a disused power station in the Yorkshire village of Saltaire, about 90 minutes north of Thornbridge (which is in the Peak District). And Tupelo? Must be the city in northern Mississippi, most famous as the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

Siren White Tips Session IPA, 4.5%, 440ml can, Bradley’s

Pale yellow (hazy) is the colour of this session beer that lists wheat as one of the ingredients. The white foamy head beats a hasty retreat. Quite a lot of citrus, including sharp lemon, in the aromas. And, with the addition of a hint of clove, the story is much the same on the palate. Not surprising really, considering the brewers have added zest of orange, grapefruit and lime. Quite a distinctive beer to be fair and one sure to suit quite a few drinkers.  Yet there’s good harmony here and a lip smacking finish.

Siren brew this every spring and they say: “White Tips is our expression of a wit beer combined with IPA levels of hops. A traditional wit yeast works in harmony with the citrus peel and a healthy hop dosing to create a balanced IPA that is sure to pull you in wave after wave.”

Malts: Lager, Wheat, Malted Oats
Hops: Hallertau Blanc, Centennial, Cascade, Simcoe

Adjuncts: Orange zest, Grapefruit zest, Lime zest 

Monday, July 13, 2020

To Øl City - A Brewer's Paradise

To Øl City - A Brewer's Paradise
A pilsner worth waiting for.

To Øl started life in 2005 when founders Tore Gynther and Tobias Emil Jensen “pirated” their high school kitchen facilities during closing hours and began turning it into a brewing lab.

It wasn’t until 2010 when they released their first commercial beer. They quickly gained attention and were named in the Top 100 breweries in the world in 2012 and in 2014 To Øl was awarded the world’s 9th best brewery. For a decade they operated as gypsy brewers, brewing their beers in other breweries with spare capacity, but they have now set up their own brewery in Zealand, Denmark, called To Øl City.

Like to take the brewery tour? Just click here. And, if you're a brewer, you may well get a chance to use the facilities. After all, Tore and Tobias were gypsy brewers themselves. 

Pronunciation "rough" guide for To Øl: An bhfuil tú ullamh? 

To Øl 45 Days Organic Pilsner 4.7%, 44cl can, Bradley's Cork

Showers of bubbles race up through the pale gold (slight haze) of this pilsner. And what a pilsner. Superbly fresh and clean as promised, well-flavoured too and absolutely refreshing. The slower the fermentation, the better a pilsner tastes, they say, and the proof is on any palate lucky enough to be washed in this beauty. Not sure I’ve tasted anything better in this style. Crisp, complex and golden - do watch out for it!

Lager is always the slow-coach in the brewery but this one, the fourth product in their new Core Range, is an authentic German Pilsner, lagered for 45 days at -1 degree Celsius. It is also organic and the malts used are Organic Chit, Organic Golden Light and Organic Pilsner.

To Øl City Session IPA 4.5%, 44cl can, O'Briens Wine

This Danish Indian Pale Ale is a “New England style thirst quencher for the hop-heads” in disguise. It has a pale gold colour and is cloudy; white head vanishes quickly. Aromas are mild, slight citrus and floral notes in there. On the palate it is crisp, with juicy exotic fruit, before a quite dry and refreshing finish. Named after the new brewhouse To Øl City (Tool city, I think!), this is certainly easy-drinking and one (or two) for a session, in the city or elsewhere.

They say: “In the land of Denmark and small town of Svinninge, To Øl City is our new home. The vision is to brew the best beers in the world, and build a craft beverage hub of diverse and talented producers….the industrial rhythm of progress pulsating beneath our feet - as all the creative minds get together over the kettle once again to brew up something special.”

The hops are Mosaic while the hops line-up is Carahell, Flaked Oats, Golden Promise, Pilsner and Wheat.  A terrific combination and well worth looking out for.


To Øl City “House of Pale” Pale Ale 5.5%, 44cl can, O'Briens Wine

A step up in alcohol for the Pale Ale but the colour and the head is much the same as the Session. A little more hop in the aromas. More flavour and less crisp but as they say themselves come here to “get your full-bodied juicy fix”.  That smoothness shows a lot of malt but the hops is not shy either and that juicy stuff is a treat. Put this on your short list for sure.

They say: House Of Pale is one of the recipes we’ve taken from our beloved mad laboratory (brewpub!) in Copenhagen, BRUS. It’s seen many changes and tweaks over this year, experimenting with hop doses and overall ‘crispiness’ - and now we’re pretty sure we’ve got exactly what we’ve been looking for. 

Hops in the ale are Mosaic and Simcoe while the long line of malts consist of Chit Malt, Flaked Oats, Golden Naked Oats, Melanoidin, and Pilsner.


To Øl Whirl Domination IPA 6.2%, 44cl can, O'Briens Wine

To Øl are going for world domination with this IPA, the first to be brewed in their shiny new brewhouse. Colour is a lemon/yellow, with a thin white head that has more staying power than you’d expect. Aromas are hoppy and citrusy and there’s more of the same on the smooth palate. 

The word “extreme” is used as regards the amount of hops used in it yet the hops, while certainly evident, are moderately intense. Just to be clear, the hops come through, no mistaking the Simcoe, with its exotic citric fruitiness. Overall the IPA is quite exquisite, a very enjoyable drink indeed, right the way through to a lip-smacking finish. 

So much so that you can see how To Øl hope to make this one of their core beers. “We pushed the hops to the limit, packing in as much aroma as possible to this fresh beauty. Thus begins a new era of our hoppy world domination - drink it, and embrace the future.” The hops, by the way, are added not early on but at the “whirlpool” phase, hence the name.



Wednesday, July 1, 2020

How about Chimay and Scallops? . Red and Pale Ales too.

The Belgian-Irish Session #8
Chimay Péres Trappistes Bière Tripel, 8%, 33cl bottle

It’s a hazy golden beer from Belgium, one of the famous Trappist beers, a white head, like that of the elderly friar in the brewhouse, and that soft white crown is long lasting. Only 13 beers in the world, including 6 in Belgium, can carry this label of Authentic Trappist Beer.

This is a Tripel, with a high abv, but there’s no big heat here, just a marvellous balance, the combination of fresh hops and yeast, and the fruit of course. An amazing balance yes, but also a concentration of flavour that takes it to an orbit outside of the usual and into space,  a rather special beer space.

All’s in harmony, like a choir of monks. I like this sentence from their website: “Beer can of course be served with its yeast. It is quite edible if you wish. Otherwise leave the last centimetre in the bottom of the bottle.” I’d be the last to leave even a millimetre of this liquid gold.

They say: “Chimay is an authentic Trappist beer: Our recipe has remained unchanged since its creation (1966) by Father Théodore and we want to be transparent about the ingredients that make up our beers. We clearly indicate them on our labels: Water, barley malt, sugar, wheat starch, hops, yeast and bitter orange peel.
All the sparkle of our beers comes from the transformation of sugar by our yeast, as has always been done traditionally. The refermentation in the bottle is a guarantee of quality.”
As always with Belgium beers, food pairings are suggested. Top of the list here is CARPACCIO OF APPLES, SCALLOPS AND GRAND CHIMAY  (note: not fish ’n chips). Check out the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bD78zzJoE0&feature=youtu.be
Cotton Ball Velvet Red Ale, 5%, 500ml bottle

 A very dark red indeed with a coffee coloured head (which departs pretty quickly leaving just a lacy hint or two remaining on the top). Aromas are moderately intense, floral and fruity (citrus). Pretty much in the classic mode (though it is gluten free) but there’s a refreshing tangy hint and a touch of clean pine in there as well as citrus and more exotic fruit like mango. 

A well-made beer, nicely balanced between the various hops, the bitter and flavour, nothing extreme. Makes a pleasant smooth drink on its own and I expect it makes a good companion at the table. Might go down well with one of those tasty Wild Boar burgers from Ballinwillin Farm or perhaps a pizza in the Cotton Ball when it reopens.

Hops used are Herkules and First Gold with a dry hopping of the versatile Mosaic. They have (or at least did have) a nitro draught version in the bar. They brew quite a range of beers and the core ones are all on draught in the bar and indeed in lots of other bars. And there’s a handy growler service as well.

They say: “We are brewing our beers in the true spirit of our Great Grandfather Humphrey J Lynch, an American civil war veteran and cotton mill foreman. Three wives later, Humphrey returned to his native Cork in 1874, to set up his very own public called the Cotton Ball. The pub and the family are still here today and three generations later we are finally brewing our very own selection of craft beers in his honour.”  The brewery was founded in 2013.

Trouble Brewing Ambush Juicy Pale Ale, 5.5%, 440ml can

This is a hazy beer (little evidence of carbonation) with a light straw colour, and a soft white head that slowly sinks. Exotic fruits aromas, mango and pineapple in the mix. And then much the same fruits combining delightfully on the palate, this juicy pale ale makes you stop and take notice. 

You’ve been ambushed. So, sit back and relax with each silky juicy mouthful (make that each sip - you’ll want to let the magic linger), as you’ve got one of the best of class in your hand.

Malts used are Irish Pale, Oats (credited with imparting the smoothness), Carapils and Crystal while hops are Mosaic, El Dorado and Citra. 

They say: Trouble Brewing is a craft brewery based in Kill, Co. Kildare. Set up in 2009 by three close friends Paul, Thomas and Stephen. Trouble Brewing is one of a small number of Irish breweries producing quality craft beer in order to offer people an alternative to the large multinationals, that spend more money on advertising than on ingredients, and specialise in bland.



Brehon Brewhouse Seisiún Pale Ale, 3.5%, 500ml bottle

Made in Monaghan, this pale ale comes in a light amber robe, with a big white head that lasts a fair bit. Aromas are modest, slightly citrusy. Great depth of flavour on the palate though, exotic fruits, mango and passionfruit in the mix, and that flavour takes you right through to the finalé, after which you could be thinking of a second one. May be light in bitterness and alcohol, as they say, but no shortage of personality. Another well made, well balanced beer from Brehon.

They say: Seisiún from the Irish for a rousing songs, great drinks, good company and craic. .. delighted to bring you a light session ale with citrus flavours of passion fruit and mango. Light in bitterness and alcoholic content. A truly sessional beer. 

* Bought the Red Ale from the Cotton Ball itself; the other three bought in Bradley's of Cork.

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Direct from the Cocoon, Round Four of our Irish and Belgian Beers

Round Four, direct from the cocoon, of our Irish and Belgian Beers
#4

Canning line at Kinnegar

Kinnegar “Crossroads” American Style IPA 6.2%, 500ml bottle

Colour is close to amber, plenty of bubbles rising (naturally carbonated), white head hangs around for a while. Good hoppy backbone carrying tropical fruit flavours across the palate and into the very satisfying finish. One of the best bottles of IPA you’re likely to come across and you can taste why this is one of their core range. 
You may see natural sediments at the bottom of the bottle. Avoid, if you wish, by pouring carefully.
Kinnegar’s craft beers are brewed in a new brewery in Letterkenny.  “Our roots are deeply embedded in the hilly fields and farms of northeast Donegal. This is the perfect environment for the way we make beer. We don’t filter or pasteurise, and we let our industrious little friends, the yeast, carbonate the beer naturally during fermentation.” We visited the brewery last autumn and you may read all about it here.

O Brother “The Sinner” IPA 6.2% abv, 440ml can
A light gold colour, white head (for a shortish stay). Aromas fruity (citrus, exotic) and floral. Lively and fruity (those soft fruits again) with malts and hops balanced on the palate, before a dry finalé with the hops to the fore. Different, somewhat drier, compared to the Kinnegar and another for my short list. Going well tonight!
This is unfiltered, unpasteurised, unadulterated and you are advised to drink it fresh with the recommended serving temperature at 8°- 10°. 
Barry, one of the three brothers involved in the independent Co. Wicklow brewery, tells me The Sinner was their third beer ever, after The Chancer and The Fixer (now retired), back in 2015, and remains part of the core line up.
“Originally brewed with the clean Chico yeast strain, with a pronounced bitterness, over time we have switched fermentation to the Vermont yeast strain, for a softer fruitier profile, but still retaining the strong bittering and structure of the original recipe.”

All O Brother beers are now being packaged exclusively in cans (as of March 2020).
Chouffe Blonde 8.0%, 330ml bottle
This award winning beer comes in a golden robe, and a big white head that stays around for a while. It is a beer with oomph and, the story goes, might well have been named something like that until Chris Bauweraerts, co-founder of the Achouffe Brewery (now under the Duvel wing), came out with the word Chouffe. ‘“What does that mean?” colleagues asked. Sweet FA was more or less the answer. But it now means a high quality beer with an 8.00% abv.

Not that you really notice the alcohol as you drink. Instead, there are calm citrus notes and a slightly hoppy taste. Indeed, the beer seems light,  the balance of flavour and alcohol is more or less perfect and has seen Chouffe win many awards, including this thumbs up from me.

You’ll note quite a lot of humour (be sure and check their Facebook page) in the hype surrounding this beer. For instance, the website gives three reason to drink it:

01 - Awaken the gnome inside you. (They have a gnome on the label instead of the usual jolly monk)
02 - It makes unicycling easier (try it and see!)
03 - You can officially be part of the CHOUFFE community
Enjoy, as I did, and let your inner gnome shine. By the way, I’m second on the right, red nose and all, as you come into the garden,.


 Brouwerij Bosteels Tripel Karmeliet 8.4%, 33cl bottle
Colour of this lovely three-grain beer is a mid gold, slightly cloudy with plenty of bubbles, and it holds its white head well. Aromas of banana, even a little clove I thought. A really smooth beer, fruity (banana and citrus), light and fresh and no jarring evidence of the high abv. That creamy smoothness may be coming from the oats. A surprising delicacy and harmony all the way to the highly satisfactory finish. One for the short list!
The Carmelites from Dendermonde in East Flanders were brewing a three-grain beer in the area in the 1600s. This information, published in a recent book on local brewing history, happened to come to light after Brouwerij Bosteels (located in Buggenhout) had decided to start brewing a three-grain beer as its next specialty. It was only after the beer was created that the name of the Carmelites was linked to the beer.
They say: Tripel Karmeliet was launched in 1996 and was received to great and fully-deserved acclaim. It is a Tripel (8.4 % in volume), but brewed with barley, wheat and oats. It could even be considered a six-grain beer as each of these grains is used in their raw as well as malted form. Steiermark hops  (from Austria) has good herbal flavours. It owes its fruity character (banana and vanilla) to the home-cultured yeast.
They recommend serving at 6 - 7°C on the website, a degree or two higher for the upper limit on the bottle. Food pairing note from the brewers: The citrus aromas and the ripe fruits are beautifully complemented with ginger. This beer makes a perfect pairing with mussels, served with black and white rice for example. It can also be used in the preparation of certain dishes, for example to add to stock for cooking mussels. We tried it with a fish pie (packed with great fish, mostly from Star Seafood: salmon, trout, and white fish), and it proved an excellent match.
Serving Glass Video link: https://youtu.be/BagJTUwFMuQ 

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Bottoms Up with Belgian and Irish Beers. #3

Bottoms Up with Belgian and Irish Beers.
#3

Porterhouse Hersbruker Hops Pilsner, 5.0%, 500ml bottle

Gold in colour, nice white head (doesn’t last long), plenty of bubbles. Fruity, floral and spicy aromas. A very pleasant step-up on the normal lager, good clean taste, excellent backbone of hops, a refreshing balanced Pilsner, and very satisfying overall.

They say: a classic Mittel Europa style of Pilsner and a seriously good night.This is a classic, stylish Pilsner. Think Rolling Stones, not Justin Bieber. We brew for taste and in the brewing we look carefully at how we do it. We don’t add any “extras” – no additives, no enhancing chemicals. Just simple, pure ingredients.

By the way, how many think of Justin Bieber while having a pint?

Closed with cap, with pull-off tab. Label tells us it’s an Honest Independent Beer. No guidance on bottle as to serving temperature, but around the 8 degree marks seems fine.
Malts: Lager Malt, Cara Malt, Vienna Male, Munich Malt
Hops: Galena, Nugget, Hallertau Hersbrucker, Hallertau Perle.

Wicklow Wolf “Apex Oatmeal Stout”, 6.5%, 440ml can

Pours black with a short-lived coffee head. Chocolate and coffee mingle on the smooth and slightly sweet palate. Creamy and full flavoured from start to finish. Nothing wrong with cream, as we know very well in Cork, but personally I’d prefer a little more bite, just a little, from the black wolf.

They say: A member of the Alpha Pack, their core range, Apex champions a heavy malt bill, brewed with only the best flaked Irish Oats, specialty chocolate and coffee malts. Expect an intense burst of fresh roast coffee, milk chocolate & a delicious creamy smoothness. A full flavoured stout that will leave you wanting more.

Hops used is Apollo and the advice is to serve this stout at 8 degrees.

Did you know, they have their own hop farm in Roundwood?  They are committed to sustainability - that’s why they’ve moved from bottles to cans - and you can also read about that on the site.


Westmalle Trappist Dubbel, 7%, 33cl bottle

As you pour, note the raised Trappist collar around the neck, a material reminder that this revered beer comes from the Westmalle abbey, about 40 minutes drive east of Antwerp.
Colour is a reddish brown with a big off white head. The mildly intense aromas of ripe banana, caramel and hops are unusual, at least to me.  And you’ll find that mildness also as you savour the complex taste (remember this beer has had a re-fermentation in the bottle), malt and fruit in harmony, right through to the fresh and hoppy dry finalé. An elegant grown up beer to be served at 6-14 degrees. 
The brewer makes three beers. Westmalle Tripel and Dubbel are sold by stores and served in cafés and restaurants in Belgium and the Netherlands. You will also find them in selected outlets around the world.
Westmalle Extra is only brewed twice a year and is produced for the monks’ own use. The monks and their guests consume it with their midday meal.
What to pair with your Dubbel? Check some very interesting suggestions here.
Westmalle Abbey forms part of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance. All communities in the Order maintain ties of mutual solidarity. Each community is a training school in the art of loving thy neighbour. This love and solidarity is extended to all people of good will, as can be clearly seen in the way visitors are received at the abbey.  

Straffe Hendrik Brugs Tripel, 9%, 33cl bottle

This comes from Bruges in a golden robe with a big white head. Mildly citrusy in the aromas. Citrus again on the palate, banana too. Early sweetness turns to bitterness, caramel to citrus, as we reach the finish where the hops come into their own. Well made, well balanced. So far though, the best Belgian has been the Duvel Tripel Hop Citra.

They say: The name means strong Henri. Straffe Hendrik Tripel is a golden triple with a sturdy white collar. The aroma is spicy with hints of black pepper, coriander and ginger, and is even insinuating the presence of oranges.

The beer is brewed with a selection of Saaz and Styrian hops of a very high quality. The subtle blend of six special varieties of malt gives the beer a well-balanced and powerful taste. Refermentation in the bottle generates a long natural shelf life. Serving temperature: 6 degrees.

Food pairing advice: The combination with zesty fish plates is a real treat, but Straffe Hendrik can also be paired with cheeses such as Camembert or Bruges Blomme. Straffe Hendrik is known to be a real delicacy when combined with desserts based on pineapple or mango.


*****
The round, by the way, it not like a boxing round. Not really looking for a winner here. If we have four winners, then so much the better, for me!


Also in this series:
An Irish and Belgian Beer Quartet play a pretty tune on a Friday evening.
Best of Beers. Another Belgian v Irish Round #2


All the beers above were bought in Bradley's, North Main Street, Cork.
Their Belgian Selection box (12 bottles) costs €45.00.
Their Irish Selection box (14 bottles/cans) costs €65.00. 

More details here.