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."
