On the craft trail with a trio of Very Highly Recommended Beers from Hope, Bullhouse and Third Barrel
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Hope Overboard Witbier 4.8% ABV, 440 ml can O’Briens
Hope tells us this pale gold beer is a Belgian-style Witbier, disclosing also that it is infused with curacao orange peel and juniper berries, not that there’s any major sign of
On the craft trail with Mescan, Western Herd and Bullhouse
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Western Herd Blue Jumper IPA, 6.2% ABV, 440 ml can
The bright amber colour and all those little bubbles of this Western Herd IPA is quite a come-on. The beer’s name is apparently a Father Ted reference: “Do you remember when you were drinking Blue Jumper?”
There’s a citrus and tropical fruit presence in the aromatics, plus a hint of pine and resin, even a little dankness as well. And that vibrant hoppy edge continues all the way. After all, as the brewery indicates, India Pale Ale, or IPA is a bigger, hoppier version of a pale ale.
This one certainly
CorkBillyBeers #48
Craft with Bullhouse, Rascals, Lough Gill and Wicklow Wolf.
Nothing over 5% ABV in this foursome
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Bullhouse Frank The Tank Hazy IPA, 5.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys
Mosaic makes the difference!
“The Fruity Hop That Changed Craft Beer.”
Colour of this Belfast-brewed IPA is pale, more or less lemon, and it is indeed hazy, like a foggy night on the docks. Frank seems quite the character and is not shy about promoting itself: "Once it hits your lips, it's so good!” It is that extra pale base “to showcase the aromatic, tropical and stonefruit flavours of our Mosaic DDH”.
No kidding with Frank. It is indeed pretty damn good, packed with just the one hop Mosaic and giving up slightly sweet flavours of tropical fruit and a whole lot of hoppy backbone in a complex mouthfeel. Good refreshing finish also.
Bullhouse is emerging, in this house at least, as a brewery to note and Frank the Tank’s IPA is Very Highly Recommended.
California-based Kegerator, well known in home brewing in the US, say their aim is “To provide beer aficionados with the best selection of dispensers, brewing supplies, and home bar accessories.”
They know their hops. The Mosaic hops that Bullhouse have used here - it is just over 10 years old - is highlighted by Kegerator who call it “The Fruity Hop Variety That Changed Craft Beer.”
“The hop variety was an instant hit and, according to For the Love of Hops by Stan Hieronymus, the variety gained a reputation even before it was named or fully released onto the craft brewing scene in 2012.
The name Mosaic was given to the variety because of the complex and broad aromas it imparts. This complex profile is backed by a clean bittering, which makes it especially remarkable in single hop ales.”
They confirm that it is as versatile as Bullhouse indicate: “Mosaic hops cover all three corners of hop usage pretty well. A fact that becomes obvious when you see the amount of single-hopped IPAs being churned out with this variety. It could also be used in the aroma and flavour department backed by a clean bittering hop like Magnum or Galena. Because of its fruitiness, Mosaic plays well with other fruity or citrusy hops.”
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Rascals Session IPA, 4.4%% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys
This Session IPA is one of the brewery’s Outbreak Series, one of “three seriously classy IPAs, each with a particular inspiration”..…
And this is “blissfully citrus and delightfully tropical”. “At 4.4% we're making it an easy-going beer to be sipped, shared and ideal for any bag-of-cans enthusiast: spruce up your sesh with our Session IPA!”
The colour is pale, more or less lemon, with a slight haze. Sweet tropical fruits (mango, lychee, passion fruit) in the aromas. Flavours are quite complex, a blend of floral, tropical, fruity, and earthy characteristics. But it never gets to cross to the sweet side, the balance provided by the hops’ bittering qualities.
A small ABV yes but a serious session contender. Nice bit of work from the Rascal brewers.
And they know it! “This beer really benefits from the flavour and aroma intensity of using hop oils in the brew. There’s an instant ‘wow factor’ the minute you get a nose – and mouth – full of what’s on offer. There’s a crisp green grape and ripe lime finish, making our Session IPA a proper hoppy belter.”
Can’t argue with that. Very Highly Recommended.
Hops used were Citra T90, Galaxy and Mosaic.
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This lemon-coloured IPA comes from the excellent Lough Gill Brewery in Sligo. It is murky, with a soft white head and, at 3.8% ABV, slips comfortably under the session bar. Aromas are moderate, are of the tropical kind and very pleasant. And so it continues on the palate with a smooth citrus flavour and a mouthfeel that “has been amped up with the addition of oats and Dextrin malts”.
Another well-balanced beer with a refreshing finish and well suited to a session.
Highly Recommended.
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Wicklow Wolf Raindrop, 0.5% ABV, 330 ml can No 21 Midleton
“Introducing 'Raindrop 0.5', number 39 in our Endangered Species series. A beer inspired by our Mixed Berry Sour, Raindrop - our brewers were excited to brew a non-alcoholic version of our favourite sour.”
This 0.5% Raindrop comes in an unmissable vibrant red colour. Aromas are fruity, sweetly so. No lessening of the fruit on the palate but here there’s a sour backbone. But it is very refreshing indeed, this mix of jam-packed flavours of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
One of the more interesting non-alcoholic beers on the market and that includes the imports. But, there’s always a but, this is a limited edition, one of Wicklow’s endangered species. Worth a try if you can get your hands on one, or more than one.
CorkBillyBeers #39
Craft August Sessions with Wicklow Wolf, Whiplash, Bullhouse and Rascals
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Wicklow Wolf Pocket Dial Juicy IPA 4.2% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys
This recent Wicklow Wolf beer, tagged as a modern hazy IPA, is called Pocket Dial and is a Juicy IPA, double dry hopped with Citra, Centennial and Idaho 7.
Colour is orange, hazy of course, with a bubbly white head. Expect citrus and tropical flavours with soft stone fruit undertones, they say. And you get that, with a bit more, from the all-American hop line-up. It is clean and refreshing though, well-balanced even if tilted more towards the hop lovers, that tilt enhanced by the double dry hopping.
Very Highly Recommended.
Pocket Dial is best enjoyed with friends and with your phone on silent. But where did that name come from? Our direct line to the lair explains: “…inspired by the countless times we've all been pocket dialled by Quincey (the founder & CEO) and the numerous overheard conversations on the other end of the line”.
Geek Bits
Hops: Citra, Centennial& Idaho 7 .
Malts: Pale Ale, Wheat, Cara Ruby, Oats
IBUs 20
Pocket Dial is number 38 in the brewery’s Endangered Species brews, a series of small batch, limited edition crafted beers. These beers are so rare that only a lucky few will get to experience them in the wild before they become extinct.
Catch it while you can!
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Whiplash Rollover Session IPA 3.8% ABV, 330ml can, No 21 Coburg Street
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! This was our session beer of 2020 and this most recent tasting confirmed it’s as likeable as ever.
Pale yellow colour with a short-lived white head over a hazy body. Citrus fronts the aromatics. And the quartet of hops dominate the palate. Amazing that this has so much hops and still weighs in at less than 4.00% ABV. Quite a concentration of hops then, 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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Bullhouse Road Trippin’ Extra Pale 4.0% ABV, 440 ml can No 21 Coburg St
“Everyday beer for the everyday hero. Showcasing our love of Citra.”
That’s the introduction to their Extra Pale by Belfast Brewery Bullhouse.
It is pale for sure and a murky one at that, with a short-lived head. Citrus notes top the aromas and play the top flavour role as well. I’ve read, in more than one place, that this is a “Citrus banger”. I can agree with that but don't worry it won't blow your head off. It is quite supple and nicely hoppy and thanks to the deployment of the extra pale base and house yeast, is an easy-drinking ale, fresh, crisp and clean
Highly Recommended
Geek Bits
Malts - Pale, Dextrin, Oats, Wheat
Hops - Citra (10g/L)
Yeast - AY5
All 440ml Cans
Vegan friendly!
The story of Bullhouse Brew Co began in 2011, when founder Willy Mayne got a taste for great beer on a road trip around the west coast of the US with his brother. Visiting Green Flash Brewery in San Diego was the epiphany moment. Drinking flavoursome beers on an out-of-town industrial estate on a Friday afternoon with a mix of local office and factory workers and seeing how beer and particularly breweries can be an integral part of the community was a real eye-opener.
Back home, Willy started homebrewing on the farm he grew up on just outside Belfast. Four years, he set to work converting the old bull’s house into a tiny 500sq ft brewery. Twelve months later, he converted the Bullhouse into a small brewery, buying second-hand equipment from dairy farms and other breweries across Ireland, including a mash tun made from a converted catering fridge. Starting a commercial brewery for £600 doesn’t result in anything too pretty, but it was something, and it made some tasty beer.
Good to report that the beers are still tasty, even if production methods now are a bit more sophisticated.
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Rascals Happy Days Session Pale Ale, 4.1% ABV, 330 ml can Bradleys
Expect hints of Passionfruit and honeydew Melon.
That’s what the label indicates on my unfiltered, unpasteurised 330 ml can from Bradleys. Brewers Rascal also sell this in 5-litre mini-kegs, ideal if you are planning a session.
“There's any and every reason to have one of our mini-kegs chilling in your fridge. Best consumed within 24 hours of opening, these little beauties are an ideal way to have fresh Rascals on tap for you and your gathering. Pick one up at Rascals HQ Inchicore (open Mon-Fri from 4pm, Sat & Sun from 1pm) or buy one online and we'll deliver.”
An attractive alternative to all the hassle of party organising is to head over to the Rascals HQ in Inchicore. Grab yourself one of their pizzas and a pint poured straight from the tap, sit down and enjoy the tap-room experience!
And that Passionfruit and Melon? Well yes, it is there, on a well-balanced palate as the hops shine through. Nothing too heavy though, just a pleasant summer thirst quencher.
Recommended.
A Quart of Ale± #130
On the craft journey with Third Barrel, Bradleys, Sullivan's, Wicklow Wolf, O'Shea's, Aldi, O'Briens, Bullhouse
Third Barrel Day Drinkin 111 Revenge of the Hops Session IPA, 4% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys
Third Barrel are busy these days: “The UK are going through Prime Ministers like we go through beer specials..”
Like their previous two Day Drinkin beers, this Revenge of the Hops weighs in at just four per cent, and is aimed at the session drinker though I’m sure quite a few other beer drinkers would enjoy it.
It has a pale orange colour and it’s murky in there. The label “forecasts” aromas of grapefruit, raspberry and sweet candy. Grapefruit yes but I’ve found the others elusive! It is pretty big and bold in the mouth where the grapefruit also leads the refreshing charge along with peach and banana.
A duo of hops boot this on. One is HBC 630, an experimental hop from the Yakima Valley. It is recommended for Wheat Ale, Golden Ale, American style lagers, Pale Ales, India Pale Lager (IPL), India Pale Ale (IPA), Session IPA, New England IPA, Hazy IPA, Imperial IPA. The other hop listed is the well-known Mosaic, a contributor to the tropical notes.
The carbon produced in the making of this beer has been offset by planting native Irish trees.
Our reviews on the other Day Drinkin beers
Part Deux Citra Strata Session IPA
Third Barrel Day Drinkin Simcoe Session IPA
Sullivan’s Black Marble Stout, 5.1%, 500ml bottle O’Brien Wines
Enjoy the true taste of traditional bottled Irish stout. Brewed with roast barley, chocolate and wheat malts, and choicest hops. A generous stout with extra depth of flavour.
That is the encouragement on the bottle’s label, so let's have a taste… Black as Kilkenny marble for sure and with a soft floppy tan head that sinks rather slowly. Light coffee aromas and fruity notes also rise from the glass. And they get to tango on the palate, a melange of dancing flavours and sharp acidity waking up the taste buds, and keeping the show going, generously throwing in an encore or two at the finale. If the O’Shea’s (below) is mid-table, this neighbouring stout is championship material.
The hops used are Admiral, Magnum, Goldings and Sullivan’s say it is delicious with roasts and cheese dishes.
Did you know that Sullivan’s were brewing in Kilkenny before Smithwick’s? And then the two got intertwined?
Here’s the timeline, from the O’Sullivan website:
1702 Sullivan’s Brewing Company is established, and grows to be biggest in the area
1827 The Smithwick name is launched as a beer brand in Kilkenny
1918 Smithwick’s acquires the Sullivan’s brewing brand after it is forced to close
1965 Guinness (now Diageo) takes control of Smithwick’s, buying the family interest
2014 Diageo relocates Smithwick’s to Dublin, marking the first time in 800 years that Kilkenny is without a commercial brewery
2016 Smithwick family relaunches the Sullivan’s brand in Kilkenny; brewery launches its North American market entry via Buffalo, NY.
See October review on Sullivan’s “Maltings” Irish Ale here.
Wicklow Wolf Sirius Black IPA, 6.0%, 440 ml can Bradleys
Not too sure if the Sirius of the name refers to Sirius the brightest star in the night sky or to Sirius Black a character in Harry Potter. Probably not after the famous steamship Sirius, well-known in Cork in the 19th century and the first of its kind to cross the Atlantic.
In any case, the beer is black, black as night, with a tan head. Aromas are quiet, just some faint floral and even fainter spice notes coming through. It is much more assertive in the mouth though, with a backbone of milk chocolate, coffee and roast malt flavours. There’s a posse of malts in this one.
No shortage of hops either with no less than four, all from the USA, employed combining to give flavours of passion fruit, subtle orange and an earthy resinous bitterness. One to make those taste buds sit up and take notice.
They say: “A magical Black IPA, Sirius was brewed with a robust malt bill to provide strong depth of flavour and colour to the beer. This robust malt bill gives the beer a dark opaque appearance… .Sirius is a West Coast style Black IPA that was double dry hopped with a massive amount of Amarillo, Simcoe and Strata hops.”
"The endangered species brews are a series of small batch, limited edition crafted beers. These beers are so rare that only a lucky few will get to experience them in the wild before they become extinct." This is #34
Geek Bits:
Hops - Bravo, Simcoe, Amarillo, Strata
Malts - Pale Malt, Carafa Special Type 1, Carafa Special Type 3, Caramalt, Dark Malt, T50
O’Shea’s Cold Dark Stout, 4.5%, 500ml bottle Aldi
Seldom easy to find detailed info on supermarket beers and this is no exception. But you’ll read this line on the neck: Traditional Dry Irish Stout bursting with flavours of coffee and chocolate.
Okay. Pours out into the glass as black as midnight with a tan head (short-lived). That coffee and chocolate seep out of the glass and there’s a toasty note as well.
While named O’Shea’s, it is made by Carlow Brewing who also make O’Hara's beers (including some really excellent stouts). It could be a bit more full-bodied, more robust, on the palate and it continues to a reasonably dry if shortish finish. That coffee/chocolate duet persists to the end but it needs a bit more to shift it out of mid-table.
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Bullhouse Brew Co : Modest Beer & Cheese Night
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Crew's Irish Night...
Irish Night in Limerick
Every Thursday, 8PM
Irish Night happens every Thursday from 8PM. It’s a great chance to use your cúpla focail in a supportive environment. Any level of the Irish language is welcome, from total beginners to fluent speakers. It's been said that it's easier the more pints you've had!
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Kinnegar New Beers Alert
There are no fewer than five new beers jostling for position in the release queue. First to burst out of the holding pen was our 2022 Barleywine which will appear in just a few weeks wearing its smart BAP28 uniform. Not yet packaged but next in line for canning and first in line for release is BAP27, a Black Lager that Rick was curious to try as part of our Brewers at Play series. This is the first of our lagers to go over to the dark side so we’re pretty excited about tasting it in its finished form. And there's more to follow... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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