A Quart of Ale± #46 On the craft journey with IPA, hazy, tropical and session.

A Quart of Ale± #46

On the craft journey with IPA, hazy, tropical and session.

Blacks The Session IPA 3.5%, 330can Bradleys

It’s a light yellow colour and the haze seems well populated by bubbles. Aromas are floral from the hops. And it is refreshing immediately on the palate. Light and crisp, excellent play between malt and the hops, citrus character and good dry finish. They recommended trying it with Spicy Chicken wings. Reckon it could do much more than that.

And for sure, you’ve got to put this on your session shopping list, ideal for those relaxing spells in the back garden or the beer garden. As they say themselves, “A taste of summer that’s available all year round!”

Between lockdowns last year, we had been driving around West Cork and were feeling the July heat. A cool glass of water, from reception, helped immediately on arrival at the Celtic Ross Hotel and our order for a couple of Blacks Brewery Session IPAs was soon delivered to our room and we enjoyed them! Revived, we took a short walk in the direction of The Warren. Enjoyed that beer and enjoyed this one as well.

They say: Packed full of hoppy goodness, and at 3.5% abv, it’s the ideal beer for days when you’re in the mood to drink a few. A Session Ale that’s light and crisp in character with a streamlined malt structure, and the addition of new world hops bring floral, grassy and orange zest aromas to life. 

IBU 60

Hops: Cascade, Citra

Released: 2014

Available: 500ml bottle, 330ml can

Rising Sons Fandango Hazy IPA 5%, 440ml can, The Poor Relation hatch

I’d possibly be missing out on the cans from Rising Sons but for the hatch outside the Poor Relation pub on Parnell Place. Down town the odd weekend evening to collect Take-outs, it is easy to spot the hatch (and not too easy to pass by). As Rising Sons and Poor Relation share ownership, they sell the cans here and it was here that I got my Fandango.

It is the third of the brewery’s beers to be canned and is a 5% hazy oatmeal IPA. Colour is a yellow/gold and, through the haze, you can see quite a lot of bubble activity. The white pillowy head is not very long-lasting. Citrus seems to lead the aromas which are quite modest. Flavours in the palate are more exotic and include passionfruit and grapefruit along with smooth and juicy mango. This well balanced beer has a lovely soft mouthfeel and it is very easy drinking, a very pleasant drink indeed.

Brewery GM Judy tells me they’ll have added the 5th Horseman, a low ABV session pale ale, by the time you read this. And the initial quartet will be joined in mid May by the return of Mayhem, a hoppy saison. Think you’ll be seeing me at that hatch again!

• We reviewed Changeling and Dreamcatcher, their first two cans, here.   Of course, the two were bought at that hatch!

Whiplash Ratio IPA, 6.2%, 440ml can* 

Very hazy lemon is the colour of this Whiplash and the bubbly head is short. Quite a bitter nose on this one, including citrus and pineapple, even savoury hints.

Flavours follow along the same lines on the pretty dense palate and, in addition, “the dry hopped to hell” Sultan and BRU-!bitterness, kicks in. Quite a mouthful, not to be rushed, as a sip will go a long way with this complex customer. Leave the last sip or two though - some lurking sediment! Their beers are unpasteurised, unfiltered.

They say: Not like us not to pepper your week with some big hoppy bangers so here’s Ratio. We’re pushing our mash filter to its limits here, packing this grist out with 50% Oats and Wheat while leaving just enough room for some Barley to really fluff and cream this silly thing up. Heavy additions of Columbus, El Dorado and Chinook in the Whirlpool, fermented on peachy and soft bodied London Ale III then dry hopped to hell with some favourites of ours – Sultana (formally Denali) and BRU1 at 20g/L….It’s a belter of an IPA. 

Geek Bits:

ABV 6.2%

440ml Cans

Artwork by Sophie Devere

Maris Otter, Wheat Malt, Oat Malt, Carapils, Sultana, BRU-1

 

O’Hara’s Tropical IPA, 7.2%, 500ml bottle via Radical Drinks

Amber’s the colour of this hazy IPA from O’Hara’s, an IPA with a 7.2abv.  Lots of hops here and you’ve also got oats, wheat and barley malts. Aromas have citrus and mango and more. And the palate overflows with flavours of citrus, mango, tangerine and papaya, as the beer lives up to its name, with a superb balance. And the finish is long, fruit and floral notes contributing all the way.

There’s the usual density associated with high ABV beers but this is no black hole, smothering everything. It has been well made, well orchestrated, allowing both malts and hops to star together, not the Planets by Holst exactly, more like Harmonies by O’Hara! No clashing extremes here, not with that superb balance.

They say: A golden, hazy, yellow coloured beer with a malt base due to the addition of oats, wheat and barley malts that is brewed using plenty of our favourite hops including Mosaic, Azaca, and El-Dorado. A juicy, malt,  sweetness is complimented by additional flavours from dry hopping with Citra and Mosaic hops.

Geek Bits

Style- IPA
ABV- 7.2%
Plato °-17°
Fermentation- Top fermentation
Availability- Bottle 50cl

Serving Temperature 6-8°C
Food Pairing- Works incredibly well with Tomato and Sourdough Salad and Blue Cheese.
Glass - O’Hara’s Irish Craft Beer conical glass

 

* sample