On the craft trail with Whiplash, Brehon and Hopfully

On the craft trail with Whiplash, Brehon and Hopfully

Whiplash Body Riddle Pale Ale 4.5% ABV, 330 ml can

“light on malts… plenty of hops”

Absolutely enjoyable, from start to finalé. Not too much more to say about this gem but, with me, that’s often a good sign. I’ve made up my mind early and the verdict is a major thumbs up for the little can. Best of goods in small parcels.

It is a vibrant gold beer, hazy with a foamy white crown. The aroma is a mix of citrus fruits, with lemon, grapefruit, and orange leading the way. The flavour is even more citrus-forward than the aroma, with citrus again prominent. There is also a touch of sweetness, from the malt, which helps balance the bitterness from the hops. The finish is dry and refreshing, with a lingering citrusy flavour

Very Highly Recommended. Good for a session too! 

Brehon Bech Bretha Braggot 9.0% ABV, 500 ml bottle Bradleys

This “hybrid”, somewhere between ale and mead, looks like a red ale in the glass with a slim off-white head and tastes somewhat like a barrel-aged beer. Aromas speak of the malt rather than the sweetness of the honey (by the way, not all mead is sweet, even if the drink is made by fermenting the sugars in honey!). And, yes, honey is included in the list of ingredients.

The palate here is very pleasant, packed with flavour and gentle caramel notes, and the malt sweetness seeps through. This trans-Atlantic collaboration between Brehon and Gulf Stream Brewing (from the US) is Highly Recommended.

What is a Braggot?  You may well ask. Brehon explains: “Well, in simple terms, it's a cross between a mead and an ale. We've brewed it with grains, hops, and heaps of honey. Some historic references suggest braggot is a Celtic drink dating back to at least the 12th century.”

“If you were making honey in 7th Century Ireland, your bees were protected by a set of laws known as the Bechbretha, just like precious cattle. You yourself were required to offer your kin a ‘tairgille’; an item of personal significance as a pledge of your good bee-keeping behaviour. So here’s an offering of our own; a fitting tribute to the wisdom of

Brehon Law.” Those ancient Brehon Laws were loaded with more common sense than much modern legislation.

With its high abv and strong flavours, pairing the Braggot with strong cheeses, sweet chocolates, and caramel desserts makes sense.

Pioneering Cork meadery, Kinsale Mead, talking about their own mead, says fruit with a tart element, can be a good choice. “So is dark chocolate, especially if it's got a touch of sea salt. Salted nuts also do well.” 

Hopfully Legswap Raspberry & Lime Sour, 5.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

This “perfect summer drink” fell behind in the queue and that means I’m drinking it in mid-winter. I also drank it away back in 2021, and the brewers have recently revived it (with quite a different line-up) and are “thrilled to have this one back in stock!” It is inspired by the Raspberry-Lime Rickey cocktail and has fizzy and tart characteristics.

It comes with a gorgeous red hue in the glass, and there’s even a pink tinge in the soft white head. Crisp and refreshing on the palate with a burst of fruit and a zesty tang of citrus and a lip-smacking finish. This easy-drinking sour is probably best in the summertime, but I enjoyed this can in winter.

Malts used are IPA, Pale Ale, Wheat, Oats, Vienna and Carapils while the hop is Azaka. So, all change there from 2021, but Raspberries and Lime Juice are still included in the ingredients list, and you’ll definitely note them as players on the palate. Artwork by Stasele Jakunskaite

Highly Recommended.

Beer of the Week. Hopfully, with NAH, Hair of the Dog, Night Time Ale

Beer of the Week

Hopfully, with NAH, Hair of the Dog, Night-Time Ale, 7.00% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

"smooth companion for your night time delight"

"Hair of the Dog—Night Time West Coast IPA" is the rather long-winded name of this ale, our Beer of the Week. It results from a collaboration between Hopfully and

On the Craft Trail with Hopfully, Eight Degrees, Kildare Brewing and Chouffe

On the Craft Trail with Hopfully, Eight Degrees, Kildare Brewing and Chouffe.

Hopfully Eyecatcher Session Pale Ale, 4.8% ABV, 440 ml can 

Bradleys

Hopfully welcome a new brewer and a new beer.

Pale orange, close to lemon, is the colour of this session ale by Hopfully. It is also hazy as might expect from a New England style. Juicy stuff on the palate where exotic fruits lead the way before a dry and slightly tart

Beer of the Week. Hopfully with Bradleys Leeside NEIPA. Delightful blend of juicy flavours

Beer of the Week

 

Hopfully with Bradleys Leeside NEIPA 6.5% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

delightful blend of juicy flavours

Bradleys and the small Waterford brewery Hopfully have pulled together to give us this “delightful blend of juicy flavours”. Hopfully, who recently

Recommended Craft Ales from Killarney Brewing, Hopfully and Wicklow Wolf

Recommended Craft Ales from Killarney Brewing, Hopfully and Wicklow Wolf 

Killarney Full Circle IPA, 5% ABV, 500 ml bottle, O’Donovan’s

The colour is close to amber, a little darker than you might expect. All American hops are used here and the aromas make that clear from the moment you flip the cap. 

The soft head collapses soon enough onto the slightly hazy body. The hops are not identified on the label but the ensemble brings quite a current of deep flavour with dry bitterness (IBU is 42) clearly displayed at the finalé. Easy to see why it is now part of their core range. No pairings seen but I found it very compatible with a mature cheddar.

Highly Recommended.

Full Circle? “Emigration has forever been at the heart of Irish history.  From the mid 1800’s onwards, generations left these shores destined for the land of opportunity.  Over a century on, life’s journey has come full circle and their progeny are returning home.  This is a story illustrated by our Head Brewer Mike, who with his wife and daughter, have brought back to Kerry this USA branch of their family tree.”

The big news though is that tours are now possible at the impressive new facility (brewery and distillery) out in Fossa. “The team are working hard .… As Tim O’D, one of our founders, would say, we haven’t been drinking a lot of beer, just a lot of coffee!’

The new building includes salvaged red brick imported directly from the Windy City of Chicago. If they could talk, no doubt an Irish accent could be heard in the original laying. They now take pride of place in the main stairwell of the new visitor centre.

Plan your visit and tour to Killarney Brewing & Distilling Co in Fossa, Ireland’s largest co-located and independently owned Brewery, Distillery and Visitor Centre. Visit the new brewery, learn how the beers are made, see the brewing team making the magic happen, enjoy the aromas of the day’s brew and finally visit the tasting room to sample the product. 

For groups of 10 or more please contact muireann@killarneybrewing.com. Otherwise, book here.  

The original and very popular Taproom on Muckross Road, quite close to the town centre, operates on a walk-in basis, Wednesday through Sunday, 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm.

Wicklow Wolf Sugarloaf Juicy IPA, 4.3% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Wicklow Wolf commandeered a heavy-hitting quartet of tropical hops for their Sugarloaf (you’ll know where the name comes from). The tropical notes and flavours dominate though you’ll also notice citrus and pine in there. 

The colour of their new core beer is a hazy yellow and there’s a creamy mouthfeel, with a barely noticeable bitterness. But it is well-balanced and the tropical fruits are nicely rounded. Still, this is one for you if you’re a fruit head! Another well-made beer from the Wicklow aces and definitely one for your shortlist.

The relatively low ABV of 4.3% certainly puts this it into the Session category where it sits as an outstanding example. Highly Recommended.

Geek Bits

Hops - Idaho 7, Chinook, Sabro and Citra.

Malts - Pale, Wheat Malt, Oats, Cara Ruby

Hopfully Inside Out Pale Ale, 5.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradley

In its early days, Hopfully was known as a gipsy or contract brewery, making beers wherever they were welcome to borrow an established brewery’s kit. Metalman in Waterford was one such “host” and nowadays, with the Deise brewers retired, you’ll find Hopfully fully at home in that very brewery.

Hopfully has been more than generous with the amounts of Mosaic and Strata hops used in the pale ale and they are very happy with the results: ”lovely notes of bright juicy tangerine, citrus, and pine aromas”.

It is a hazy yellow colour with the expected aromas. Mosaic was used in the whirlpool while the two hops were combined for the dry hopping. For all that, the bitterness level is modest and this smooth fruity beer proves an easy drinker.

It is an honest straightforward Pale Ale deserving of your attention. Highly Recommended.

Geek Bits

Hops - Mosaic & Strata.

Malts - Maris Otter, Flaked Oats, Wheat, Vienna & Dextrin

Art work - by Stasele Jakunskaite’

Beer of the Week. A Superb Balance Of Juicy Fruit and Tart Bitterness, Hopfully's IPA ShineBright.

 Hopfully Shine Bright IPA, 5.5% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Beer of the Week. A Superb Balance Of Juicy Fruit and Tart Bitterness, Hopfully's IPA Shinebright.

Shinebright comes in a hazy golden colour and a white bubbly head. It gets its aromas mostly from the Citra hops that may also contribute some of the tropical (eg Mango) notes on the juice itself. The other hop used is Comet, also from the US. It too is noted for its citrus flavours but is also used for bittering. Here it is well utilised to balance the tropical fruit and help the beer to a soft and silky finish.

Quite an impressive beer from Hopfully, nowadays based in Waterford. My kind of IPA.

Very Highly Recommended.

Geek Bits:

Malts: Maris Otter, Flaked Oats, Wheat & Dextrin

Hops: Citra & Comet.

Artwork - Staselé Jakunskaité

A Quart of Ale± #117. On the craft journey with Rye River, Galway Bay, newcomers Outer Place, Porterhouse, Wicklow Wolf, Crew Limerick, Hopfully,

 A Quart of Ale± #117

On the craft journey with Rye River, Galway Bay, newcomers Outer Place and Porterhouse, Wicklow Wolf, Crew Limerick, Hopfully,

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Rye River (collab.with Old Street) Die Hundstage Köter Kölsch 5.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

This seasonal small batch beer is a collaboration between Rye River and East London’s Old Street Brewery. It has a pleasant light gold colour, tonnes of bubbles and a bubbly white head. Aromatics are fresh and fruity as you’d expect, more or less, from the hops. On the palate, it is crisp and clean, dry, with a sweet shot of fruit. Totally refreshing for sure.

Rye River: “Introducing our paw-some new Rye River Seasonal brew... Die Hundestage Köter Kölsch! A collaboration brew with our good friends over at Old Street Brewery in East London, this Kölsch is *chef's kiss* perfect to knock back on a hot summer's day. This one is for the dog days of summer! …Part of a seasonal range we developed as a way to explore our passion for our craft. Each beer is never like the last..”

Callista and Tango were used for the dry hops. Callista, as you may know, is from Germany and noted for its fruity qualities such as Melon, Strawberry and Apricot.

Tango, also German, is a relative newcomer, and is following in the footsteps of its grandmother “Hallertauer Tradition” while being the pacemaker into the future. It is also very versatile, something of an all-rounder. In kettle hopped beers: hoppy fresh aroma notes similar to Hallertauer Tradition and Perle − in late and dry hopped beers: fresh and fruity aroma (especially passion fruit) − pleasantly mild bitterness − excellent drinkability. What’s not to like?

This collaboration looks like a win win for Rye River though I’m sure they also played a full role in Die Hundestage Köter (The Dogs Days). 

Kölsch is the signature beer of Cologne, Germany, and has a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). “At first glance, kölsches seem to be doing a fine pilsner impersonation,” according to the Beer Bible. But there are delicate subtle differences, more yeast, more minerality. If you are drinking at source, The Bible recommends Gaffel, Früh (I got this in Bradleys 2021) and Reissdorf as top Cologne examples.

Otherwise, try the 9 White Deer one (gentle hops and malt character, it is easy-drinking, full flavoured with fruity hints and a crisp and lager style character); Rye themselves make the excellent Grafters Clocking Off Kölsch (available in Dunnes).

Galway Bay Goodbye Blue Monday Oatmeal IPA 6.6% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Goodbye Blue Monday was first brewed in 2013.. in collaboration with Chicago’s Begyle. Galway Bay: “This oatmeal IPA is brewed with Irish Malt and lashings of Irish oats. Hopped continuously in the kettle with Citra and Columbus, then dry hopped several times with more Citra. A fan favourite on both sides of the Atlantic.”

That’s the story behind this trans-Atlantic collaboration. Quite a success story for this hazy light orange coloured IPA. Aromas are modest but, importantly (thanks to the Columbus) firm hints of dankness abound. And those hints are confirmed on the complex palate, lots of it and lots of citrus also, on its smooth journey to a dry and bitter finish. A fully grown up beer. Take heed of their own shout:  Super super stuff this year! Grab some while you can.

Outer Place Interstellar Pale Ale 5% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Outer Place promote this as “a sip of sunshine in a can”. Colour is a light orange, hazy with a fluffy white head that soon starts to sink. Aromas, of moderate intensity, are of tropical fruits. Mouthfeel is smooth enough but hop reinforced flavours are anything but, so you get intense flavours, deep and refreshing. Not too sure about the “dank weedy goodness” that the producers claim but it is a characteristic of the Strata hops (used in the whirlpool and dry hop).

It is an excellent debut by Outer Place, a new Irish Craft brewery in Kildare, who are focused on hoppy styles of beer. And they began selling their beers in April 2022.“Interstellar is our new Pale Ale. It's a sip of sunshine in a can. Clocking in at a session-able 5% ABV this one is made for sunny days and summer nights. ….. Lashings and lashings of new 2021 crop Cascade and Strata in the whirlpool and dry hop.” 

The story of Outer Place begins at the home of Mark Clarke and Vivien Lough. Mark has home-brewed for years as a hobby and has always dreamed of opening a brewery to satisfy his desire for hoppy beer. Now is the time.

“For now we are going to create beer with friends and collaborators in breweries around Ireland and beyond.

Our vision is to create a destination brewery that is fiercely independent, ethically inclined and sustainable.

Our goal is to create modern, progressive, delicious beers inspired by friends, family, art, music, nature and whatever else takes our fancy along the way.”

Porterhouse Slvr Skin Barrel Aged Coffee Stout 13% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

“Our latest collab with the crew in @silverskin_coffee_roasters Is a 13% barrel aged, Imperial Coffee Stout cut with cold Brew coffee for an extra kick…..We don’t add any ‘extras’ – no additives, no enhancing chemicals. Just simple, pure ingredients.”

That’s the intro to Slvr Skin Coffee Stout by Porterhouse. It is a very dark brown verging on black with a tan coffee head that doesn’t hang about. Aromas are rich and coffee dominated, hints of vanilla too. And the same combo get to play on the palate as well, smooth, well rounded, yet with quite a punch (coffee and bourbon) and it lingers sweetly. Boy, does it linger. Terrific stout with amazing balance. Just about 7,000 cans were produced. I’ve got mine. You better get your hand up quickly!

It’s been Barrel Aged in Bourbon casks and the result is claimed as the first “Barrel Aged Imperial Coffee Stout in Ireland made with cold brew”.

The advice from the brewers is to serve it chilled and “savour the rich, distinctive flavour”. After fermentation, the resulting beer was matured for nine months in Dingle Distillery Bourbon casks and following this ageing process a second addition of coffee was made, this time as a cold brew into the conditioning tanks before canning”.

All the hard work and precision yields an increased flavour profile and the result is an imperial stout full of rich flavour. Quite a treat!

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Wicklow Wolf continue on the sustainability trail...

This year we have taken our commitment one step further, we have commissioned the installation of over 120Kw of solar panels, covering the entirety of our 17,000 sq ft brewery roof to become the First Solar Powered Craft Brewery in the Republic of Ireland.

More here. 

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News from Limerick's CREW

The Crew's Ale Talk series continues in August with a representative of Hopfully Brewing coming to share some beers and stories. You might know Hopfully from some of their belters like Inside Out, Boo, and their No Cars gose selection. Limited tickets are available from the bar for €20, which gets you a seat at the event including four cans of delicious Hopfully beer. More at @crewbrewco on Facebook.