A Quart of Ale± #114
On the craft journey with Dot Brew, Wicklow Wolf and Whiplash, Rye River and Abbot's Ale House.
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Dot Brew Loose Session IPA 3.5%, 440 ml can Bradleys
Dot are happy with this one: ”A perfect all year round thirst quencher.” Think I could go along with that.
A light orange colour with a fleeting white head. Citrus-y aromas, notes of pine there too. And the bold hoppy stuff marches on through the palate. Low ABV yet mid to full bodied with high refreshment values. One to look out for when organising a session.
Dot indicate there’s a place for Loose Session as a “new core”. “Full thundering hits of fresh stone fruit, built with flaked & malted oats / low rider yeast whirlpool & dry hop additions of Idaho7 & Centennial.”
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Dot Go Go IPA 6.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys
Closer to orange than lemon is the colour of this Dot Brew IPA. It is of course hazy and is classed by some, though not the brewery (at least not on their limited social media info), as a New England IPA.
Used my usual finger in the (short-lived) foam to test for flavour, and citrus was the first to show. But there’s more as we progress to actual drinking including mango and other sweet fruits. The reinforcements lift the Go Go from a middle of the road beer and it chugs amiably, if not over impressively, but never really threatening the leaders of the IPA pack.
Geek Bits:
Hops: Mosaic, Citra and Centennial (all USA)
Suitable for vegans.
Ingredients included malted and flaked oats.
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Wicklow Wolf West Side Story West Coast Kveik IPA 6.6%, 440 ml can Bradleys
Wicklow Wolf seem to be on quite a run this year and this West Coast IPA, featuring the popular Kveik yeast, is another quality beer.
Colour is an amber/orange, hazy of course. Aromas on the dank side, citrus and pine. Strata is one of the hops used and has been described as described as “Passion fruit meets pot.” So maybe I’m on the money with dank.
And that dank quality is found on the palate also, along with citrus-y traits and floral notes. It is bitter but not overly so, as any extremes are smoothed down by the dank influence.
The other hops used by the way are Idaho7 and Talus and malts are listed as Golden Promise, Pilsner and Cara Clair.
American Ale Yeast and the British Brett may be tops of the pops in yeast but Kveik is coming up fast, another illustration that “brewers and beer drinkers owe everything to these single-celled fungi”, that quote from Craft Beer for the Geeks. Kveik is getting popular here: Eights Degrees, Metalman, and Wicklow Brewery have been among its users in recent times.
The endangered species brews (this is #29) are a series of small batch, limited edition crafted beers from Wicklow Wolf. "These beers are so rare that only a lucky few will get to experience them in the wild before they become extinct.”
By the way, Wicklow Wolf have been in touch about their taproom news. "We've just added a whole new list of tour dates for the rest of the Summer! Book in for your tour and beer tasting now. We're delighted to now offer flights of beer at the taproom, the perfect accompaniment to a pizza from our friends in the firehouse!"
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Whiplash Alma Witbier 5.0%, 440 ml can Bradleys
Bright fresh lemon peel, tangerine, white wine, limes, white pepper and a hint of clove dominate the initial aroma while the body and flavour is airy, silky, fluffy, gently sweet and reassuringly citrus forward.
A Belgian style beer from Whiplash, a Witbier. Amarillo is the main hop and it is used in the dry hop while the other two, Nelson Sauvin (gooseberry, Grape, passion fruit) and Moteuka (tropical, lime, lemon), both from New Zealand, are small additions to the brew at the whirlpool stage. Just before finishing they add fresh lemon zest to the tank, “electrifying the whole affair and transforming this Wit into something extremely special.”
Colour is a light orange, hazy for sure. Aromas are zesty as is the first impression on the palate. The lovely and lively lemony zestiness continues strongly on the palate, with peach and pine there also.
Whiplash say they “always approach our Belgian style beers in a less than traditional way” and the divergence continues throughout, though you may find little hints of clove in the aromas and at the end. Something different, something special as they say themselves.
Geek Bits
ABV 5.0%
440ml Cans & draught
Artwork by @sophie_devere
Pilsner Malt
Wheat Malt
Amarillo
Lemon Zest
WLP550 (yeast)
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