CorkBillyBeers #12. Craft with Saisons by Black Donkey, Mescan and Galway Bay

CorkBillyBeers #12

Craft journey with Saisons by Black Donkey, 

Mescan and Galway Bay

Mark Dredge’s recently published Beer: A Tasting Course says that Saisons are brewed in an old Belgian Farmhouse tradition and that they vary widely in character. As indeed do farmhouse ales that come “from a romanticised farmhouse tradition”. Just enjoy, don’t get too hung up on the exact style. If you’d like try an excellent Belgian Saison then Michael Creedon of Bradleys in Cork recommends the Saison Dupont: “If you don’t like this, you won’t like saison”.

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Black Donkey Sergeant Jimmy Barrel Conditioned Saison, 7.7%, 500ml bottle BD Online

This is the strongest saison I’ve drank. It is barrel-aged, weighing in at 7.7%. Colour is gold, a deeply hazy one, under a soft white head. There’s banana and vanilla in the aromas. The palate is amazing, so smooth, no heavy hint of the high-ish alcohol, just a caressing ambush by the elegant flavours plus traditional spicy saison yeast character and a gentle satisfying finish including just about a hint of the alcohol that comes more as an expected guest than a whiskey heavy gatecrasher. A welcome guest. 

I’m kind of getting used to writing Very Highly Recommended when the beer is from Roscommon’s Black Donkey Brewery. Long may the habits, mine and Richard’s, continue.

Black Donkey tell us it’s easier to say what this doesn’t pair with, a bowl of cornflakes, that’s about it. "From appetiser to dessert, this beer is possibly the most food friendly beer ever produced on the Emerald Isle. Try it, you’ll see what we mean.”

Very Highly Recommended

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Mescan Westport Saison, 5.8% ABV, 330 ml bottle No. 21

Saison is a traditional farmhouse style from the South of Belgium brewed to sustain the workers during long days of toil in the sun. Reckon I'd appreciate one (or two) after a hard day’s labour or even after an idle day.

Colour is a fairly murky orange, with a soft white head that sinks slowly. Aromas include clove and citrus notes. It is dry and light on the palate, fizzy and refreshing. Indeed, that refreshing fizziness is quite a feature. It is also very well balanced, the New World hops matched by the earthy spicy yeast flavours, and you don't really notice the high alcohol. But do sip rather than gulp!

This one is something different, refreshing and quite a thirst quencher (which is the whole idea), and Mescan, as you may know, was St Patrick’s brewer and no doubt the odd conversion was facilitated by a jug of his cloudy brew. The modern bottle conditioned beer is still cloudy! All Mescan beers are bottle conditioned. To enjoy them clear, store upright and pour into a glass, leaving the yeast sediment in bottle.

Would you like to visit the Mescan Brewery. They’d love to have you: “Let us show you around the brewery and tell you the story of how the founders, Cillian and Bart, left their busy lives as vets to run a microbrewery. We will lead you through our range of beers describing the flavour profiles and some of the history of each style. Light snacks are served, the tours are informal and fun and we encourage questions.” 

Very Highly Recommended.

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Black Donkey Sheep Stealer Irish Farmhouse Ale, 5.6% ABV, 500ml bottle BD Online

It is a Farmhouse Ale or a Saison? Or something in between? Don’t worry too much about the exact style, just enjoy this well established favourite from the Roscommon brewery.

Colour is straw to a deeper gold, nice small-bubbled white head that hangs about for a bit. Aromas have notes of sweet malt but also a little tart touch. Fruity and a little bit spicy, a lively, natural carbonation, with a subtle hop bitterness, quite complex with the yeast also getting into the flavour act. And that flavour is retained right through to the lip-smacking finalé.

Obviously, Black Donkey can talk the talk and walk the walk. There’s a tall tale about sheep stealers on the label before the beer inside makes quite a statement. An excellent bottle from the Roscommon brewery.

But there is some important info on the label. So note the beer, an “Irish saison, is multi-award winning, is dry, crisp, and ultimately refreshing. Also unfiltered, all natural bottle-conditioned beer. Store upright,  8-10c and pour gently into glass, do not disturb the yeast.”

Delighted to note that Black Donkey are one of those breweries that make an effort (beyond the usual pizzas or fish ’n chips) to come up with matches for their beers. “An incredibly versatile beer to accompany grilled and roasted lamb and game, rib eyes and salmon or mackerel on the BBQ. Stuffed, cheesy mushrooms and cheeses of almost types will match perfectly with this saison for all seasons.”

Nothing’s out of synch here in this very drinkable ale, a core beer since 2014.

"At Black Donkey Brewing we value technique over technology. We brew traditional beers in our traditional, hands-on brewhouse. All our beers are unfiltered, unpasteurised and bottle or keg conditioned."

Very Highly Recommended.

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Galway Bay (with Boundary) Beers That Nobody Asked For Petite Saison, 3.8% ABV, 440ml can CraftCentral

This little saison, Petite because of the lower ABV (I presume), has lemongrass listed as one of its ingredients. It has a bright golden colour, is clear with a bubbly white head, a short-lived one. Some sweet notes along with “countermeasures" from the hops in the aromas. Quite a refreshing drink with flavour mix of floral and citrus, some pith in the background, and a crisp and clean finish.

Galway Bay and Boundary Brewing got together for this one. Galway tell the yarn: “In June we welcomed our good friends Boundary Brewing back to Galway for a long overdue collab. We first brewed together in 2015. For this 2022 brew we decided to turn back time to when brewers made Saisons with reckless abandon. BEERS THAT NOBODY ASKED FOR is a petite saison brewed with Lemongrass. Mashed with Pilsner malt, Wheat & Oats & gently hopped & dry hopped with Amarillo. ..The perfect low alcohol thirst killer.”

Recommended.

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The Very Highly Recommended Beers for 2023

The Very Highly Recommended Beers for 2023

(in no particular order!)

January 2023

Strong Blond Ale: Mescan Westport Extra

Porter: West Kerry Carraig Dubh.

IPA: Cotton Ball Fury

Session: Whiplash Rollover.

Barrel Aged Beers: 9 White Deer Stag BA Export Stout; Brehon Oak & Mirrors BA Imperial Porter.

Lager: Kinnegar Brewers at Play #27 Black Lager

 

December 2022

Ales with Wild Yeast: Black Donkey Underworld Rua Amber Ale; Black Donkey Underworld Allta Farmhouse Ale; Black Donkey Underworld Savage Farmhouse /Saison Ale.

IPA: Third Barrel Electric Eyes Idaho & El Dorado IPA

Witbier: Whiplash Alma Witbier 

Stout: Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout; Dungarvan Coffee & Oatmeal Stout; Lineman (with Craic Beer Community) Pulse Irish Extra Stout; Whiplash The Wake Export Stout; 

CorkBillyBeers #4. Craft journey with IPA, including Cotton Ball’s first can, a Whiplash session , the famous Thornbridge Jaipur and Duvel Tripel Hop.

CorkBillyBeers #4

Craft journey with IPA, including Cotton Ball’s first can, a go-to session from Whiplash, and the famous duo of Thornbridge Jaipur and Duvel Tripel Hop. 

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Cotton Ball Fury Tropical IPA, 5.4%, 440ml can sample.

This is a Hazy East Coast style IPA, brewed with Irish malt, hopped with Galaxy (Australia), Columbus (USA) and “our favourite” Amarillo (USA) to give a tropical flavour and aroma. That’s the intro from the Cotton Ball Brewery for their Fury, the first of their beers to be canned (Dec 12th 2022) at the brewery, which is attached to the late 19th century pub in the north-east Cork suburb of Mayfield.

Colour is a dense orange with a fine bubbly white head. Aromas feature citrus, herbal notes too, even a hint of dank. The palate is a pleasure, more of the citrus, plus grapefruit, peach and a hint of resin, all in super balance, all before a very satisfactory finish. Very drinkable indeed.

The Cotton Ball is quite close to me and I often pass it while out walking the dog of a morning. On one of those jaunts, I met Eoin Lynch and he told me, that after a few minor tweaks, they went ahead with the canning of this, just a tiny batch as the machine is no bigger than your average sized kitchen table. He was happy with the outcome and I was happy when he handed me a can to sample and even happier now having sampled it!

This hazy IPA style has, over the past ten years or so, become one of the more popular beer styles in the world, thanks to the juicy exotic aromas and its smooth almost creamy texture, not to mention its bold fruity flavours and low bitterness. The Fury sits comfortably in the range.

Quite a few Irish examples at this stage, including Black’s “Ace of Haze” and Rascals’ "Hazy In Love” and the Heaney New England IPA. An American worth considering would be the Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing.

Very Highly Recommended.

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Whiplash Rollover Session IPA 3.8% ABV, 330 can Bradleys

Looking for a decent session beer? No shortage but my go-to is this Whiplash Rollover. Murky orange is the colour - no way you’re going to see through this haze - and it boasts a big foamy white head! Aromas are packed with ripe citrus-y fruits. It was our session beer of 2020 and this most recent tasting confirmed it’s as gluggable able as ever.

The quartet of hops dominate the palate. Amazing that this juicy beer has so much hops and still weighs in at less than 4.00% ABV. Quite a concentration of hops then, but all soft and smooth before a lip-smacking finalé.

They say: Same hop rate as our DIPA’s, less than half the alcohol. A very heavily hopped Session IPA: this comes at you with buckets of Simcoe, Ekuanot, Citra and Mosaic hops with a light touch of malts and an easy crushable body. Unfiltered, hazy, hoppy and juicy – Rollover is a New England inspired IPA without the heavy alcohol in tow.

With its burst of aromas and flavours and low ABV, this is what a session beer is all about and is Very Highly Recommended.

Very Highly Recommended

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Duvel Tripel Hop Citra Belgian IPA, 9.5% ABV, 330ml bottle Bradleys

This Belgian beer pours a cloudy light gold, with an attractive white head. Looks like an IPA and smells like one too, citrus mostly with hops there also. Rich concentrated flavours, mostly tropical, flow across the palate, a subtle bitterness in the mix, and a hint of the high alcohol, yet all the elements combine in a very pleasant harmony indeed. An unanimous thumbs up for the folks at Duvel! They sure can make a devilish beer.

The Brewery says they noted the “trend towards more hoppy beers - thanks to our first brews in 2007 and 2010 - was set to continue. This Duvel Tripel Hop will please special beer lovers, while we will continue to ensure that the intrinsic characteristics of Duvel are preserved.”

It was in 2016 that Duvel went in search of the ultimate Duvel Tripel Hop. More than 5,000 fans tasted and voted, and Citra was clearly the favourite. And so they added Citra to the Saaz-Saaz and Styrian Golding already used in their regular strong ale.

Duvel is a natural beer with a subtle bitterness, a refined flavour and a distinctive hop character. The unique brewing process, which takes about 90 days, guarantees a pure character, delicate effervescence and a pleasant sweet taste of alcohol. The Beer Bible lists the Tripel Hop Citra as one of a handful of essential “beers to know” if you are trying to get a handle on IPAs.

The Duvel story though goes back well beyond 2007. It all began when Jan-Léonard Moortgat and his wife founded the Moortgat farm brewery in 1871. Around the turn of the century, Moortgat was one of the over 3,000 breweries operating in Belgium and is still going strong. The beer is still brewed with profound respect for the original recipe and the time it needs to mature. More details here .

Geek Bits

HOPS: Saaz-Saaz, Styrian Golding & Citra

Dry Hopping: Citra (Yakima Valley, Washington, USA)

TASTING PROFILE: Grapefruit and tropical fruit

EBU: 40

ALC: 9.5%

SHELF LIFE: 18 months

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Thornbridge “Jaipur” IPA, 5.9% ABV, 330ml can Bradleys

This beauty from the UK brewery, with six hops aboard, wears its complexity lightly and you’ll have no problem sipping your way through. 

It has a fairly cloudy pale yellow colour and hoppy aromas (whiffs of citrus and pine). Smooth on the palate, hoppy, citrus notes too, and a beautiful balance all the way to the lip-smacking hoppy lingering finish. Not too much more to say except that this is more or less the perfect IPA.

Match with Thai Curry, they say. No problem, I say, I love my massaman!

Thornbridge, based in Derby, are regarded by many as Britain’s leading 21st century brewery. Not surprised that their award tally worldwide has soared to over the one hundred mark

The complexity of this multi award winning American style IPA is down to no less than the six hops used: Chinook, Centennial, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Columbus and Cascade. Low Colour Maris Otter is the malt used.

They say: Jaipur is our flagship beer, and the one that really put us on the map back in 2005 when we were just starting out.… We are often told “this is the beer, that got me into beer” and we are always very proud to hear this. It’s usually recognised as the first UK craft IPA, and was brewed with a huge amount of US hops at a time where this was very unusual.

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December's Very Highly Recommended Irish Beers

IPA: Third Barrel Electric Eyes Idaho & El Dorado IPA

Witbier: Whiplash Alma Witbier 

Stout: Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout; Dungarvan Coffee & Oatmeal Stout; Lineman (with Craic Beer Community) Pulse Irish Extra Stout; Whiplash The Wake Export Stout; 

Ales with Wild Yeast: Black Donkey Underworld Rua Amber Ale; Black Donkey Underworld Allta Farmhouse Ale; Black Donkey Underworld Savage Farmhouse /Saison Ale.

CorkBillyBeers #3. On the Craft journey, Underworld, with Roscommon's Black Donkey Brewery

CorkBillyBeers #3

Craft journey with Black Donkey Underworld Series

Richard Siberry, owner and brew-master at Roscommon’s Black Donkey, tells us “The Underworld series was born out of our quest for adventure, our sense of history, and our respect for tradition”.

“Before industrialisation, before lab techs in white coats took over the brewing industry, beer was fermented with whatever wild yeasts occurred in and around a brewery." 

Before we start on the trio of Underworld beers, just a brief word on yeast which is, as you know, an agent of fermentation. It converts sugar in the wort into alcohol. But it is much more than that. It also adds flavour (fruit notes, known as esters) and spicy and herbal notes (phenols) to the final beer.

Back to Richard: Work started on Halloween 2017 when we gathered samples of the air, flora and substrate from in and around Oweynagat cave, also known as the “Hellsmouth of Ireland”. …These samples were returned to IT Tallaght where they were isolated, purified and yeast strains identified. The resulting samples were then propagated, monitored, analysed and classified. Three successful strains returned home to Roscommon in early January 2018. 

See more on this quest here. 

Morrigan Strain 1 was the yeast eventually propagated for use, and named after the legendary warrior goddess who once inhabited the Oweynagat cave. It was harvested from a blackberry bush just above the cave’s tiny entrance. On March 8th 2018 the first pilot batch of beer was created and this new native Irish beer was called “Underworld”.

Ancient tales and stories of Queen Medb and the warrior Goddess Mórrígan inspired the beer label designs and the Underworld artwork. The Underworld logo was inspired by the entrance to Oweynagat cave. Each of the three beer represented by an animal connected to the legendary cave, with its accompanying backstory on the label. They were designed by Roscommon creative Dimple Design.

Quite an amazing venture by Richard Siberry and his team at Black Donkey and they certainly seem to have got the very best from Morgana 1, achieving a stunning harmony, across the range, of flavour and complexity from all ingredients without any single part dominating.

Not the only wild yeast used in Irish brewing. In 2019, Peter Curtin of the Roadside Tavern in Lisdoonvarna introduced me to Euphoria, a no-hop beer that used a wild yeast from. the locality. Link here. And then you have Galway Bay and Wide Street using the coolship method of harnessing local yeast.

Black Donkey Underworld Rua Amber Ale, 6.0% ABV, 500ml bottle BD Online

This Irish ale, available year round, is introduced by Black Donkey: Rich Irish and Belgian malts combine to deliver a full, rounded maltiness with notes of candy sugar and stone fruit, coupled with the spiciness of Morrigan 1, our unique wild Irish yeast.

Colour is an opaque copper/red with a tan head. Not a red ale according to Black Donkey but an amber ale.  With an Irish red you are expecting a full maltiness, an extra touch of sweetness. And that is what you get here, along with the spiciness of Morrigan 1.

But that sweetness hardly holds sway on the palate. Here you find a touch of toast, stone fruits and again that floating fog of spice from the Roscommon yeast, that unreal spirit of the cave that adds an unique ethereal quality to the ale, not otherworldly mind you, just an enhancement of this often dull world.

Put it like this. I don’t believe in ghosts or spirits but these beers take me beyond the normal, not to the paranormal, just to a better place for an hour or two and, if I have company to join in, then so much the better. And if one or two prefer to drink something else, choice is fine, after all that is what craft beer is all about.

And if someone else offers food? The Black Donkey suggest “It is great with hearty dishes; this brew also holds its own with the spiciest foods, Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican and Sichuan. Go ahead turn up the heat. It goes well with cheeses also such Cloonconra raw milk cheese, Dozio Barr Rua and other full flavour cheeses.” Traditionally, red (or amber) ale is one of the reliable food beers and this beauty is an exception only in its excellence.

And the label? “Like a red mist, a flock of birds poured from Oweynagat cave every Samhain, withering every plant they breathed on. The growing season was done and a lean winter lay ahead. Samhain first celebrated at Oweynagat, is today better known as Halloween. Those same red birds represent Underworld Rua; native Irish ale exclusively fermented with “Morrigan 1”, our wild Irish yeast.”

Black Donkey Underworld Allta, 4.6% ABV, 500ml bottle BD Online

Colour is a beautiful burnt gold with a soft white head. Aromas are hoppy, citrusy. Citrus too on the palate, notes of pine as well with a wisp of spice from the yeast. The malt and the hops, not to mention the yeast, are in harmony here, in a medium body. All the way to a satisfying refreshing finish. 

Hard to beat their own take: Our wild yeast, Morrigan 1, extends a tendril and embraces New World hops in balanced synchronicity. …. 

Pairs with pizza, grilled chicken and zesty salads. Coolattin and 15 Fields cheddars, along with other mature hard cheeses.

And the wolf on the label? “Her romantic notions spurned, the outraged goddess Morrigan unleashed her fury. Taking the form of a silver wolf she caused a cattle stampede, aimed squarely at the object of her unrequited desire, Cú Chulainn.”

Again available all year round.

Black Donkey Underworld Savage Farmhouse Ale, 5.6% ABV, 500ml bottle BD Online

Savage, a 5.6% ABV native Irish Saison style and another of the Underworld Series, also has a burnt gold colour and a soft foamy head. Moderately intense aromas of citrus, sweet notes too, with the yeast and malt also getting a look-in. Medium bodied on the palate, its is once again superbly balanced; though the malt gets an edge here, Savage is quite dry with rounded fruit flavours and always the yeast spices ghosting in the background. A complex refreshing beer then with the lip-smacking finish lingering.

Again they have excellent pairings for us: Supremely versatile at the table roast & grilled meat, game and seafood. Cheese? Yes please, Velvet Cloud, Cooleeney Farmhouse, Durrus and Gubbeen to start with.

Good news is that it is available all year round. In 2020, Underworld Savage won a gold medal at the international beer challenge awards.

“A legendary shapeshifter was the goddess Morrigan. After the warrior Cú Chulainn repeatedly rejected her advances, she assumed the form of a crow, and alighted on his shoulder as he lay dying on the battlefield. Together at last! That same crow represents Underworld Savage; native Irish ale fermented with “Morrigan 1”, our wild Irish yeast.”

CorkBillyBeers #1. Craft journey with Third Barrel, Bradleys, Whiplash, Black Donkey, West Cork Brewing

CorkBillyBeers #1 

Craft journey with a mix: Third Barrel, Whiplash, Black Donkey, West Cork Brewing

Today, we start a new series and will be trying to get beers from all over the country, including from small breweries who may not be able to produce specials every week, so lots of core beers to be included. 

Some weeks, the focus may be on one brewery, another week may concentrate on a style - I have one on stout coming up. Again, it will be mostly Irish beer but I will throw in a "visitor" from time to time!

Just let me know your stockist(s) in Cork where I can buy them. I know some of you have terrific boxes for sale online but I don't need six or twelve of the same beer. As a regular blogger, I need six or twelve different beers!

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Third Barrel Electric Eyes Idaho & El Dorado IPA, 5.6% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Volatile thiols are highly impactful aroma compounds that evoke grapefruit, passion fruit, and guava and are found in a variety of tropical fruits, wine grapes, and hops, according to a producer. 

Here, Electric Eyes “has been fermented with a thiol boosting yeast, from our friends in WHC Lab in Wicklow, which produces savage esters of tropical fruits (Pineapple and Mango). On top of this, we loaded it with a stupid amounts of Idaho 7  and El Dorado hops, all wrapped up in a sessionable 5.6% abv.”

Since the hops used also produce exotic results, including pineapple from Idaho and tropical from El Dorada, we have a good idea of what to expect!

This one is hazy and certainly juicy and, as they say themselves, “pops with aromas of pineapple and citrus”. And so it continues on the juicy palate. But, for all the boosting yeast and the particular hops used, there is a certain balance and the fruity side, while certainly prominent (pleasingly so), is not at all over the top. And that’s the way I like it!

Geek Bits

Hops: Idaho 7 and El Dorado (both USA)

Plato – 13.56

Available in 24 x 440ml cans and 30l Key Keg

Very Highly Recommended

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Whiplash Alma Witbier 5.0%, 440 ml can Bradleys

Very engaging, on the light side, full of flavour and totally drinkable. My immediate verdict on a second “reading” (after a six months absence), of the Whiplash Alma Witbier.

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 Motueka (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)

Very Highly Recommended

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Black Donkey Western Warrior Irish Lager, 4.2% ABV, 500ml bottle BD Online

Like all their beers, this Western Warrior lager from Black Donkey, is unfiltered, unpasteurised and bottle and keg conditioned and so a little murky in their own tall glass.

It is a close to orange colour with a short-lived head. The aromatics are of modest intensity, with malt leading the way. Malt too leads on the slightly sweet palate but there is a soft bitter counter, courtesthe traditional noble hops. But make no mistake about it, this understated lager is one supple and refreshing drink with a lovely lip-smacking malt-licking finish, flavour all the way to the very satisfying finalé.

They say: Truly a beer for any and every day. Versatile would be an understatement. Lets start with fish; scallops, sushi, steamed mussels, even oysters. Grilled pork chops and schnitzel, traditional sauerkraut and its accompanying smoked meats and sausages (natürlich!). Round it off with a slice of lemon meringue pie and all you need is cheese; just about any cheese you fancy. Personally, I’d be inclined to go fish and chips!

It is available in 500 and 330ml bottles and 30L kegs

Highly Recommended

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West Cork Brewing Spice Island Red Ginger Irish Red Ale, 5.1% ABV, 500ml bottle Ballymaloe Craft Fair

In Ireland traditionally, redheads are nicknamed ginger. So, in a reverse of that, a beer with ginger as an ingredient, is called an Irish Red Ale. And it is really red with a white top that doesn’t really hang around to see what’s going on in Baltimore, home of the West Cork Brewing Company who claim it as Ireland’s most southerly brewery..

And that ginger starts in the aromas. And continues to the palate where you get the spicy lift along with notes of honey and biscuit. Must say I rather like the ginger, particularly towards the warming finalé. Just goes to show West Cork Brewing are following their own compass, exploring new paths and making very interesting beers indeed. 

As always, their beers are brewed using their own spring water, are bottle conditioned, unfiltered and vegan friendly. West Cork Brewing was launched in December 2014 by Dominic Casey, Henry Thornhill and brewer Kevin Waugh.

An interesting beer. Recommended

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