My Favourite Beers of the Year 2022 Announcing the October winner. Wide Street Coolship.

My Favourite Beers of the Year 2022

Announcing the October winner: 

Wide Street Coolship

Contenders to end of October:

October: Wide Street Coolship Spontaneously Fermented Ale

September: Bradleys (with Dot Brew) Nice One IPA

August:12 Acres Pale Ale

July: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Summer 2022 Foraged Elderflower Saison

June: Wicklow Wolf Mescan Wit or Without You Belgian Wit

May: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Spring 2022 Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale

April: Whiplash True Love Waits Dry Hopped Pils

March: Lineman Schadenfreude Schwarzbier

February: Wicklow Wolf  “Apex Cherry” Black Cherry Oatmeal Stout.

January: Whiplash Dry the Rain Double Decoction Dunkel

December: Lough Gill Mac Nutty Macadamia Nut

October. The Final List

Spon: Wide Street Coolship Spontaneously Fermented Ale

Stout:Brehon Shanco Dubh Porter

Red Ale: Sullivan’s Maltings Irish Ale

Session: Lineman Group Therapy Session IPA, 4.6%

Pils: Farringtons Bohemian

October Short List

Session: 

White Hag Little Fawn Session IPA 4.2% 

Outer Place Mini Mini Session Disco IPA, 4.4% ABV 

Farringtons Clever Plucker Session NEIPA, 4.5% 

DOT Brew Spin Off Series Session IPA, 3.2% 

Lineman Group Therapy Session IPA, 4.6%

IPA:

White Hag West Coast to West Coast. 

Blacks Pineapple & El Dorado 

Stout: 

Brehon Shanco Dubh Porter, 7.7%

Pils: 

Farringtons Bohemian Pils 

Spon: 

Wide Street Coolship Spontaneously Fermented Ale  

Red Ale: 

Sullivan’s Maltings Irish Ale, 5%

Craft on Draught:

The Maritime, Bantry: 9 White Deer Kölsch

The Lake, Killarney: Ale and Lager by Killarney Brewing Co.

Merry’s, Dungarvan: Wicklow Wolf Ale and more

The Shelbourne, Cork: Beamish and more

The Cotton Ball, Cork: Lynch’s Stout, Indian Summer and more

Mellet’s Emporium, Swinford: Reel Deel Jack the Lad, Mescan Seven Virtues Lager.

Keenan’s, Tarmonbarry, Co. Roscommon: White Hag Little Fawn; Kinnegar’s Scraggy Bay.

Finín’s Midleton: Black’s KPA

Franciscan Well: Original 7 Weisse and more

Elbow Lane: Angel Stout and more

The Mad Monk by Quinlan’s, Killarney: Killarney’s Casey Brothers Extra Stout and Golden Spear Blonde

Castlerosse Hotel Bar, Killarney:  Killarney’s Golden Spear Blonde

Celtic Whiskey & Larder, Killarney: Tom Crean St Brigid’s Lager and Rascals Black Horse Stout 4.4% and more

Café Pigalle Cork: White Hag’s Atlantean NEIPA (also White Hag lager)

Spooky Beers??

Black Donkey Have You Covered.

"Samhain Season is upon us ,

It is a time for welcoming the harvest and ushering in the dark half of the year. Samhain holds a special place in our memories as our Underworld series was born from this darkness.

The Underworld series of native Irish beers was born out of our quest for adventure, our sense of history and our respect for tradition. If you haven't tried the three Underworld beers yet, you are missing out on Ireland's only beers fermented with a native Irish yeast.

On October 31st, 2017, we embarked upon the Wild Yeast Chase and harvested a yeast we named Morrigan from Oweynagat cave. The cave is considered to be the “Gate to Hell” or entrance to the Underworld and the origin of Samhain. You have been warned!

Sergeant Jimmy 2022 is on its way, scheduled for a late November release. 
And something sour, barrel conditioned and special this way comes in the next month or less, stay tuned!

Forever and always, we ask you to support local wherever you can. This support helps small independent brewers like ourselves to keep brewing."

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Rye River Celebrate Again

World's Best Helles/Münchner!

Celebrations are in order! Our Bidin' Time Irish Lager has been officially named the 'World's Best Helles/Münchner' at the World Beer Awards 2022. Yes, that's right, the world's best! And it didn’t stop there. We picked up a further 40 awards to be named the World's Most Decorated Brewery for the 3rd consecutive year. 

Beer of the Year 2022. Best of October - The Long List

My Favourite Beers of the Year 2022

Best of October - The Long List

(whittled down from a much longer list!)

 

Session: 

White Hag Little Fawn Session IPA 4.2% 

Outer Place Mini Mini Session Disco IPA, 4.4% ABV 

Farringtons Clever Plucker Session NEIPA, 4.5% 

DOT Brew Spin Off Series Session IPA, 3.2% 

Lineman Group Therapy Session IPA, 4.6%

IPA:

White Hag West Coast to West Coast. 

Blacks Pineapple & El Dorado 

Stout: 

Brehon Shanco Dubh Porter, 7.7%

Pils: 

Farringtons Bohemian Pils 

Spon: 

Wide Street Coolship Spontaneously Fermented Ale  

Red Ale: 

Sullivan’s Maltings Irish Ale, 5%

Contenders to end of October:

October: ??????

September: Bradleys (with Dot Brew) Nice One IPA

August:12 Acres Pale Ale

July: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Summer 2022 Foraged Elderflower Saison

June: Wicklow Wolf Mescan Wit or Without You Belgian Wit

May: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Spring 2022 Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale

April: Whiplash True Love Waits Dry Hopped Pils

March: Lineman Schadenfreude Schwarzbier

February: Wicklow Wolf  “Apex Cherry” Black Cherry Oatmeal Stout.

January: Whiplash Dry the Rain Double Decoction Dunkel

December: Lough Gill Mac Nutty Macadamia Nut

A Quart of Ale± #128. On the craft journey with Farringtons, Bradleys, DOT, ALDI, Roadworks and Outer Place

A Quart of Ale± #128

On the craft journey with Farringtons, Bradleys, DOT, ALDI, Roadworks and Outer Place

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A couple of good session beers here.

Farringtons Clever Plucker Session NEIPA, 4.5% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

Trading for 200 years, Farringtons Mill has sold many varieties of beer over the counter and now they are very proud to be brewing on site. Based on their organic farm in Co.Kildare, the brewery sits alongside Farringtons Mill Pub & Restaurant.

This Clever Plucker New England IPA has a mid-orange colour with a soft white head. Both the aromas and flavours tend towards the tropical, passion-fruit and mango, along with citrus of course. Nothing too extreme in the flavours though and the bitterness is also mid-range (perhaps a little higher) so this could well be a popular beer. It is certainly very drinkable, ideal for a session.

The Farrington Beers, and it is a relatively new venture for them, “include some of the popular craft beer palate as well as appealing to the regular beer lover who wants something refreshing. Not everything needs to be high in alcohol and we are enjoying experimenting with beers that you can drink without worrying how you will feel the next day….Farringtons Brewery is all about fresh, crisp wholesome brew that can be shared amongst friends and family.”

DOT Brew Spin Off Series Session IPA, 3.2% ABV, 440ml can Aldi

Lovely soft head atop a gold hazy body. Exotic fruit prominent in the aromatics. Pretty tropical too on the palate, a delightful mixed bag of orange, passionfruit, peach, citrus, mango, apricot too and all present. Mouthfeel is soft and the bitterness levels are low making it pleasant and easy-drinking, just what many prefer for a session.

Geek Bits

Ingredients: malted barley / pale wheat / flaked & malted oats New England style yeast. 

Hops are Centennial (US) and Galaxy (Australia) round drinking. Exclusive to Aldi.

Roadworks Early Start Non-Alcoholic IPA, 0.5%,  500ml bottle Aldi

Amber to dark gold is the colour of this non-alcoholic beer from Roadworks called Early Start. Lots of bubbles make up the white head and no shortage of replacements as herds of them rush to the top. Aside from a touch of malt, the aromas are on the shy side. And it is the pleasant contribution from the malt that gives the palate its flavour.

This 0.5% non alcoholic option is the first in the Roadworks range and is best served chilled. Water, Malted 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐲, Rolled 𝐎𝐚𝐭𝐬, Malted 𝐎𝐚𝐭𝐬, Hops and Yeast are the ingredients. It is brewed by the Pearse Lyons Brewery Dundalk, Co. Louth. Exclusively for Aldi who promote it as having a food-friendly finish.

An Examiner tasting (of quite a few non-alcoholic beers) concluded that it was great value and a good barbecue beer. Maybe so but, for me, the search for a really good Irish beer in the n/a segment continues.

Outer Place Perpetual Dawn IPA, 6% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

Perpetual Dawn IPA is a new IPA from a relatively new brewery.

And it is not a clear dawn. It is quite hazy with a small-bubbled white top and a mid-orange colour. Aromas hint of mango, citrus and pine. The beer is smooth on the palate but it is here that the more exotic flavours, including mango, exert an undue influence, edging away from my preferences. 

No bother in acknowledging that it’s not the worst strip of Mango-land I’ve been in and that many drinkers will be be quite happy in this over-saturated space. Different strokes for different folks and thanks to the craft beer movement for giving us the choices.

Citra, Simcoe and Cascade are the hops here; ingredients also include oats, and it is juicy and moderately bitter.

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A Quart of Ale± #127. On the craft journey with Brehon, Full Circle, Farringtons, and Outer Place. Plus BeoirFest Special!

 A Quart of Ale± #127

On the craft journey with Brehon, Full Circle, Farringtons, and Outer Place

Brehon Shanco Dubh Porter, 7.7% ABV, 500ml bottle Bradleys

Black, as you know, is the colour of this porter. The coffee coloured head is not for hanging about. And there’s strong chocolate, maybe some roasted malt, drifting up towards your nostrils. 

The taste buds are soon in overdrive, sifting enjoyably through the chocolate flow and, among the sweet stream, picking out hints of wood, blackcurrant perhaps, wet flowers, and resin. Pretty rich stuff but it gets somewhat less sweet, more coffee than chocolate, towards the satisfying finish. 

An amazing porter from a brewery that seems to be at its best when operating on the dark side. More good things to come as the nights grow shorter. And, by coincidence, Brehon just announced on social media that they have something special lined up for this winter.. “..we’ve tasted the first trial and it tastes amazing already and we can't wait to get it on the shelves for you to enjoy!!” Neither can I!

They say: A full bodied Porter with strong notes of dark chocolate roasted malt and liquorice. Hopped with Magnum (German) and Williamette (USA). Best enjoyed slightly chilled, they suggest.

Always a yarn with Brehon brews. Brewer/farmer/drinker Seamus McMahon: “My grandmother always offered this..wisdom. ‘Never marry a man with Duff in his name or address.’ The reason? Chances were that he had poor land…land sure to produce a bad harvest. It’s probably why she ignored the advances of her neighbour from Shanco Dubh with its black hills that never saw the sun rising. At least, that’s what she always said, but maybe she just didn’t fancy him.”

Full Circle Hoop APA, 5.5% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

Thought this was Irish when I bought it but, no, it comes from Newcastle. Waste not want not, though, even if I can’t include in the rankings of Irish beers. 

It has an inviting golden colour, topped by a foamy white head. Aromas are moderate, pretty much on the citrus side. Crisp and citrusy on the palate where you find a good balance between hops (Cascade and Chinook) and malts. Not bad at all.

Farringtons Bohemian Pils, 4.4% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

Light gold is the colour of this beer by new Kildare brewery Farringtons. Aromas are slightly spicy with floral, hay and herbal hints there too. The malt makes an impressive entrance on the supple palate, balancing the classic bitterness of the Saaz hops before a crisp and refreshing finish. This is a Pils with a bit of heft and a very impressive debut effort.

Farringtons have been working on it for a while. “We are delighted to be launching our new range of beers. After several months of trialing beers in our pub it’s exciting to finally have our recipes locked down and available in 440ml cans to sell to a wider audience.”

And they have an invite for you. “Join us for a bite in our bar and restaurant. Our chefs specialise in dishes based on seasonal vegetables and herbs grown here on our 40-acre farm.” Might well take them up on that!

Other Farringtons beers include a Pale Ale, an Amber, a NEIPA and a Lager. I have the NEIPA in the queue!

Outer Place Mini Mini Session Disco IPA, 4.4% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

“Mini Mini Disco is our new Session IPA. Big on aroma and flavour but small in ABV so you can have a few…Soft and juicy and unfiltered..” That is how producers Outer Place introduce this session IPA. 

It has a light orange colour and is indeed cloudy. Aromas are maybe less strong than you’d expect but still quietly complex with tropical, citrus, and floral notes all in a light dank envelope. Dank and tropical also on the soft and pleasant palate and the hop-led finish is decent as well. Confidently and easily fits the bill as sessional.

The hops are the American trio of Columbus, Azacca and Cascade and the other ingredients are water, barely, wheat and yeast. ABV is 4.4 while the IBU count is 27.

 

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BeoirFest this coming Saturday!

Brian: "This Saturday I have another great mix of brewers to chat with, including our first Hungarian brewery.

• Dealbreaker is our first ever Hungarian Brewery. A ghost brewery founded by 2 leaders of the Budapest beer scene who are also responsible for Budapest Beer Week.
• Spybrew describe themselves as a secret microbrewery based in Hvidovre, Denmark. They've been brewing since 2014 and this is our opportunity to make them just that little less secret.
• Crooked Spider from The Netherlands are joining us for the second time. Based in Wassenaar they are also a microbrewery founded in 2014, though they upgraded the facilities in 2021.

This is a really interesting mix of brewers with lots of different experiences. It should be a good chat."