CorkBillyBeers #26. Craft Beer Fruit and Nut. And Honey. With Galway Hooker, Clancy's Cans, Lough Gill and Bacchus

CorkBillyBeers #26

Craft Beer Fruit and Nut. And Honey. With Galway Hooker, Clancy's Cans, Lough Gill and Bacchus

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Galway Hooker Honey Beer, 5.3% ABV, 500ml bottle

This Galway Hooker Honey Beer comes in an amber colour with a slightly off-white head, a soft one. The aromas are more like those of a lager, grassy and floral and just a little hint of honey. The honey does come in a wee bit stronger on the palate, adding a little sweetness but nothing over the top. Well balanced overall and quite a crisp refreshing finish.

This unique beer is a collaboration between the brewery and locally based Leahy Beekeeping “to bring you a special taste of the West of Ireland.” And it certainly does.

By the way, the ABV is given as 4.1% on the website but it is 5.3% on the bottle. IBU is 25.

No matter the figures, this is an excellent beer and is Very Highly Recommended. Indeed, I think you may like it whether you like honey or not! And a big thank you to Dermott of the Pantry and Corkscrew Restaurant in Westport for introducing me to this one!

from craftbeer.com

"Both lagers and ales can be brewed with honey. Some brewers will choose to experiment with ingredients, while others will add honey to traditional styles. Overall the character of honey should be evident but not totally overwhelming. A wide variety of honey beers are available. U.S. brewers may add honey to the boil kettle (as a sugar source) or post-boil (to preserve more volatile aromatics)."

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Clancy's Cans #11 Maple & Pecan Brown Ale, 7.5% ABV, 440ml can CraftCentral

Surprise, surprise. This brown ale pours into the glass and it is brown, though you might see the odd “flash” of ruby. The head is a bubbly one with a tan shade. A mild chocolate, mild caramel too and a toasty touch feature in the initial aromatics and get stronger on the palate along with a fleeting in and out sweet input from the roasted pecans (not so much from the syrup). Quite complex and long-lasting on the finish. That fresh sweet-sour taste is, the producers say, typical for this type of beer.

And you come across that too in Ballykilcavan's highly regarded Bambrick's Brown Ale. This is, after all, the Export strength version of Bambrick’s. 

Highly Recommended.

Oddly enough, I’ve scoured the Ballykilcavan site for a mention of Clancy’s Cans but nary a sign. Why? I wonder. The label comes to the rescue with some info: “a limited edition series of cans.  We’ve called them Clancy’s Cans, in recognition of the five generations of the Clancy family who have worked and continue to work on the farm."

The label sums it up: “Dark chocolate and burnt toffee meets sweet nutty sweetness.” And advises to enjoy it between 7 and 11 degrees.

Yes, Maple essence and Pecans are included in the ingredients list.

It has much the same ABV as Old Brown, a dark beer from Mayo’s Mescan with a mild sourness, of the type that has been brewed in West Flanders since the 17th century. Enjoyed one of those a month or so back in that superb Westport restaurant The Pantry and Corkscrew. The Mescan, which is matured in oak barrels for more than two years, is somewhat ahead of this one.

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Lough Gill Macadamia Nut Brown Ale, 5.5%, 440ml can Bradleys

Lough Gill emphasise that “This Brown Ale is brewed with real Macadamia nuts, roasted in our own kitchen, along with top quality malts and hops for a rich nutty flavour and luxurious dark brown colour.”

It has been around for a while and is definitely a favourite here. Colour is a rich dark brown with hints of red leaking through occasionally. Aromas are from the roasted nuts, mostly. And lead to a decadent sweet and roasty flavour on the luxurious palate and note that outstandingly smooth texture. No need to change my opinion on this one, a winner every single time.

Very Highly Recommended.

Attention to detail has paid off for Lough Gill. “Things were getting a bit squirrely over here; it must be the trays upon trays of macadamia nuts we hand-roasted for this beer. Some would say we’ve gone nuts – but taking our time over each and every step is part of what makes every one of our craft brews unique.”

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Bacchus Kriekenbier (Cherry Beer), 5.8% ABV, 330 ml can Bradleys

Looking for a refreshing fruit beer? This is one.

Cheery cherry beers are quite the thing in Belgium. This one comes in a dark robe but there’s a red glow off it. The off-white head doesn’t stay around for long. No mistaking the cherries in the aromas or on the palate either. In the mouth though there is quite a bit of tart acidity which results in a sweet and sour taste. Quite a thirst quencher! Serve at about 5 degrees.

The name tells you this is a beer with cherries. And the ingredients list names cherry juice, cherries, and cherry flavour.

They say: The basis for this surprising cherry beer is Bacchus Vlaams Oud Bruin (Bacchus Flemish Old Brown). During the brewing process, the brewer adds roasted malts to this Flemish red-brown beer. By the way, we enjoyed a bottle of that Old Brown recently 

Some Other Belgian Krieks:

Lindemans; 

Chouffe; 

Liefmans;

Kriek De Ranke;

Cantillon Kriek;

Mort Subite Kriek;

Floris Kriek;

Boon Kriek. 

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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CorkBillyBeers #11. Craft with APA style beers by Western Herd, Ballykilcavan, West Cork Brewing, Larkins

CorkBillyBeers #11

Craft with APA style beers by Western Herd, West Cork Brewing, Ballykilcavan, Larkins

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Western Herd Spanish Point APA, 5.9%, 440ml can, The Cru

In September 1588, the Spanish Armada came to grief on the Clare coast in a savage storm. The legend lives on in the name of the place and in the name of this American Pale Ale (APA) from the Western Herd brewery. 

The pungent aromas of the all-American hop quartet make their presence felt at the outset, even as you pour this mid-golden American Pale Ale with its white head that doesn’t hang around too long. Notes of pine and citrus shine in the dank background of the palate. Good thing! (I’ve been listening to Roland Gift recently). The impression has been building, time to sit back and enjoy (and put away the notebook and maybe play the FYC on YouTube).

The Western Herd brewery stands on a picturesque Clare hilltop farm in a converted shed built over 80 years ago “by our great-grandfather”.

“We are a brother and sister team brewing beer the way nature intended.  Our great, great, great, great, great, grandfather farmed the land where our brewery now stands.  Every time we would visit the farm growing up we would think ‘if only we could bottle this’!!!  We aspire to brew beers that embody the charm and character of this idyllic hilltop farm on the west coast of Ireland.”

The brother and sister are Michael Eustace and Maeve Sheehan and the brewer, who just turned up and walked in one day in 2018, is Bridger Kelleher from Montana.

Geek Bits

Style: American Pale

Hops
Colombus (Dank, pepper, pungent), Centennial (blossom, orange, resinous), Chinook (Grapefruit, pine, spice), Simcoe (pinem grapefruit, berry)

Malts
Stout Mix, Crystal

Very Highly Recommended.

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West Cork Brewing Beacon of Hops American Pale Ale, 4.1% ABV, 500ml bottle Ballymaloe Craft Fair

Sherkin Lass has been a favourite with West Cork Brewing customers since they opened in 2014. Now the long standing favourite is reportedly under pressure from this relative newcomer.

Colour is a hazy orange with a soft white top that soon sinks down too to a slim disc. It’s got quite an attractive aroma, citrus and malt. And that sets the scene for the palate where the flavours are citrus led with the malt  (with a slight hint of caramel sweetness) again providing the balance so it turns out fruity and just mildly bitter. Excellent body feel and a lip smacking finish. The brewers recommend pairing it with fish, white meats, mild cheese and salads.

Like all of their beers, this is brewed using their own spring water, is bottle conditioned, unfiltered and vegan friendly. The 2014 brewery is the first Brew-Hotel to set up in Ireland.

Highly Recommended

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Ballykilcavan Line Blocker Hazy Pale Ale, 4.9%, 440 ml can, CraftCentral

Ballykilcavan tell us this New World hazy pale ale “is packed with Citra and Amarillo hops”. By the way, did you know Citra is one of the top three most grown hops in the world and is also in the US top five? 

The Line Blocker was one of first ever canned beers at Ballykilcavan. A hazy pale ale, double dry hopping helped promote the aromas and flavours of citrus and tropical fruits that you’ll find.

Colour is a murky amber/orange with a white head that soon runs out of depth. Hops are certainly evident in the aromas with exotic fruits (mango, pineapple, grapefruit and guava) fighting with citrus for space. And it is much the same on the packed palate with mango getting its nose in front of the hop posse. A good stiff drink though (with a resinous backbone), strong lip-drying finish too, thanks to all those hops.

The other ingredients are Malted Barley, oats, water, and yeast. IBU is  54.

If you'd like to join visit the brewery, they’d love to show you around. “You'll hear the family stories from the more than 380 years that we've been at Ballykilcavan, and see the 18th century farmyard behind the brewery. Weather permitting, we'll bring you to the old stable yard, the champion black walnut tree of Ireland and the remains of the walled garden. Then we'll bring you into the brewery itself to find out how we make our beers.”

A few tips here from suppliers CraftCentral

• Refrigerate on delivery. Especially the hoppy ones.
• Store beers upright
• Avoid light
• Enjoy with friends!
• Do not age for too long - hoppy beers are very sensitive!

The Line Blocker is Highly Recommended.

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Larkins Hustler Pale Ale 4.5% ABV, 440ml can CraftCentral

Larkins tells us this is their “classic best-selling pale ale rebranded for the new range. Hoppy but low in bitterness this beer has been a craft beer favourite since 2018.”

Pale it is, almost lemon in colour, and also very hazy, certainly not see through. The bubbly white head sinks slowly. Aromas are of the hoppy citrus kind and the hops are also in charge of the refreshing palate. For all that though, the finish is not as grippy as you might expect. Not a bad balance at all and a decent refreshing drink indeed.

Recommended

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