Beer of the Week. Kinnegar Black Rabbit Black Lager, set to "bring the house down".

Kinnegar Black Rabbit Black Lager 4.5% ABV 

440 ml can Bradleys 

Black Rabbit is really going to bring the house down!

It’s black, and the head, coffee-like, builds up like a stout. The guys at Kinnegar admit to taking some delight in messing your head. Explore a little further, sniff and taste, and you slowly begin to realise you have a black lager in your glass.

It takes a few sups, though, as this hybrid's flavours, mostly the roasted flavours of a traditional Irish stout, keep you puzzled. Hybrid because the Donegal tinkerers fermented this with lager yeast. Along with the clean and crisp character expected of a lager, the roasted malts deliver notes of coffee and cocoa. It finishes light and refreshing, like a lager. It is like very little that you have tasted before. This is quite a mould breaker and Very Highly Recommended.

Not surprisingly, the Kinnegar rabbits are hopping all over the place, declaring: “You’ll love it from the can, but just wait until you try the nitro version, …. on draught ..… …Black Rabbit is really going to bring the house down!”

The light body makes this an easily drinkable choice. It's perfect for those looking to explore the darker side of craft beer without the heaviness of a stout. It didn't take long to work its way into a favourite position here!

See the full 2024 Beer of the Week listing here

Beer of the Week. Hopfully, with NAH, Hair of the Dog, Night Time Ale

Beer of the Week

Hopfully, with NAH, Hair of the Dog, Night-Time Ale, 7.00% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

"smooth companion for your night time delight"

"Hair of the Dog—Night Time West Coast IPA" is the rather long-winded name of this ale, our Beer of the Week. It results from a collaboration between Hopfully and

Beer of the Week. O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale. A Hoppy Delight.

Beer of the Week

O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale, 5.2% ABV, on draught at the Lord Bagenal Inn in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow

A Hoppy Delight

O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale is a refreshing and flavourful brew that captures the essence of the modern style. With its balanced bitterness, zesty aroma, and long-lasting finish, this beer is a must-try for any craft beer enthusiast and is our Beer of the Week.

The copper-toned body is topped with a lightly carbonated head, inviting you to take a sip. The dry hopping adds a burst of fruit and floral notes, creating a complex and aromatic experience. The bitterness is well-balanced, providing a refreshing contrast to the sweetness of the malt.

A Perfect Pairing

Very enjoyable in The Lord Bagenal Inn, especially after a day's wandering in the beautiful County Carlow, where this beer is produced. Its refreshing flavours and crisp finish make it a versatile beer that pairs well with a variety of foods including my delicious Asian-style Roast Duck and my companion's Chicken Curry in the Inn's restaurant.

Also on this trip:

Arboretum Garden Centre & Cafe

Three lovely riverside towns in Carlow: Leighlinbridge, Bagenalstown and Borris

O'Hara's Craft Beer

BAHT Thai

The Lord Bagenal Inn

Duckett’s Grove

Cafe Mullichain

The fox is back in the chicken run! Our Beer of the Week is Kinnegar's Maddyroe American Red

 Beer of the Week

Kinnegar Maddyroe American Red, 5.8%, 440 ml can Carry Out St Luke’s

The fox is back in the chicken run!

Red is the colour of my true love’s hair (as Donovan sang away back when) and also the colour of

Beer Of The Week: Rye River Nocturne Export Stout

Beer Of The Week

Rye River Nocturne Export Stout, 6.0% ABV, 500 ml bottle, Dunnes

In the dark of the night, a nocturne worthy of an encore.

Rye River's Nocturne Export Stout is a midnight-hued masterpiece that blends the rich intensity of espresso and dark chocolate, laced with wisps of smoke that engage the nose. The flavours are equally intense, with rich roast caramel gently blanketing the palate and lingering long after the final sip.  It is a smooth stout with a harmony of flavours that demands to be savoured, and it's sure to leave you craving more.

One nocturne worthy of an encore. Very Highly Recommended.

The Rye River brewery also does a Eventide Irish Stout at 4.5% ABV. I haven’t had an opportunity to try this one so far.

Much of the flavour comes from the speciality malts used: Carafa Special 2, Chocolate Malt, Munich 2 Malt, Pale Malt, Special W, and, yes, Smoke Malt.

Rye River uses just one hop, the American Columbus. This is not at all unusual. Quite a few breweries use it solo for a range of beers from IPA to Barley Wine. 

See Beer of the Week Weekly Index here.

A Classic from 2013 still going strong! Beer of the Week: Blacks Kinsale Pale Ale (KPA)

Beer of the Week

Blacks Kinsale Pale Ale 5.0% ABV

A Classic from 2013 still going strong!

Blacks of Kinsale certainly crafted a classic when they produced their Kinsale Pale Ale in 2013. It is one of my favourite ales. I love 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.

Blacks had this spot on from the beginning. It is consistently excellent, as good as ever and is our current Beer of the Week. 

The Blacks classic has an inviting gold colour with the whitest head of foamy bubbles. Citrusy aromas introduce themselves.  And hoppy flavours galore as the golden liquid pleasures the palate and then the bonus of the crisp and refreshing finish.

it is that balance between malt and hops that I find attractive. Some brewers go too heavy on the malt for their pale ales but this recipe allows the hops, a mix of Centennial, Cascade, and Citra, to shine through, contributing flavours of grapefruit, lime and other citrus, while the malt also plays its part, not least in giving a delicious mouthfeel.

This is the brewery’s own take on it: An American style Pale Ale bursting with hoppy tropical and juicy citrus fruit flavours, masterfully fused with biscuit and caramel malt aromas to produce a fantastic taste sensation. Medium in body with perfect carbonation, this beer will zip around your mouth reaching a beautiful clean finish. Pair with: Burgers, Steaks, BBQ Meats