On the craft trail - with Lineman, Western Herd and Lough Gill

On the craft trail - with Lineman, Western Herd and Lough Gill 

Lineman Reflector Pils 4.2% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Lineman resurrected their Reflector Pils recently. “And why not?”, they ask: “We absolutely love this stuff, and it seems you do too, because you voted it #1 in style in 2023 on untappd.”

It certainly looks the part in the glass. That golden colour you'd expect from a pils and a soft white head (not that the head stays around for long). And it is indeed brimming with flavour as they've promised. The zesty New Zealand hop, Motueka, and the ever-reliable Bohemian Pilsner malt have played a blinder here, including coming up with a very refreshing finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Lineman has worked hard on this Czech-style pale lager, balanced by a good dose of hops in the kettle for bitterness and flavour. “Finally, a little dry-hop before we lager it for 65 days for incomparable smoothness, that's the icing on the cake.”

Western Herd Loop Head Pilsner, 4.5% ABV, 440 ml can Matsons

Three years back or so, I had one of these Loop Head Pilsners. It was supposed to be crystal clear. It wasn’t. This one is. It was as clear as it could be, with many little bubbles streaming to the short-lived white head. Highly Recommended.

Yeast and malt are on the slightly sour nose, for sure. Clean mouthfeel and malt forward with a slightly fruity and dry finish. The anticipated crisp, clean Pilsner style comes through, and we’ve got a central European lager to enjoy from the west coast of Ireland. That was the plan, as they confirmed: “We brewed it with a single malt and simple hop bill to let the crisp, clean Pilsner style shine through.”

Geek Bits

Style
Pilsner

Colour/Appearance
Straw colour and crystal clear.

Aroma
Yeast and malt on the nose

Flavour
Clean mouthfeel and malt forward with a slightly fruity and dry finish.

Hops
Saaz, Perle

Malts
Pilsner malt

Yeast
Lager

After enjoying this beer or any of the well-made brews from Western Herd, you may like to take up their invitation: “Come and visit us in Flanagan’s Bar and Restaurant in the world-famous town of Lahinch in Co Clare.”

Lough Gill Shaka Session IPA, 3.8% ABV, 440 ml can Matsons

This light gold-coloured IPA comes from the excellent Lough Gill Brewery in Sligo. It is hazy. Look hard, and you’ll note fountains of bubbles rising up to the soft white head. At 3.8% ABV, it fits comfortably under the session bar. Aromas are moderate, tropical, and very pleasant. 

It continues smoothly on the palate with more tropical notes, some citrus, and an almost creamy mouthfeel that “has been amped up with the addition of Oats and Dextrin malts.” 

Shaka is brewed with Amarillo and Vic Secret Hops. These add tropical aromas and fruit flavours; the Australian Vic Secret is noted for its Passion Fruit, resinous and Pineapple characteristics, and the Amarillo for grapefruit and peach and is also resinous.  And they both deliver here. Aside from the aromatics and flavours, Shaka has quite a firm backbone for a 3.8 percenter. Overall, it punches above its weight and is Highly Recommended.

It is often touted as ideal for the BBQ but will also fit in very well at your Christmas party. Enjoy!

On the craft trail in the west with a session of Lough Gill, Western Herd and Galway Bay

On the Wild Atlantic Way craft trail with a session of Lough Gill, Western Herd and Galway

 Lough Gill Sligo Bay Pale Ale APA, 4.6% ABV, 440 ml can Matsons

This white-soft-topped American Pale ale is pale gold and quite hazy. It is brewed in Sligo with a mix of cereals and American hops for a hop-forward yet

On the craft trail: Two Red Ales and a Session IPA from 9 White Deer, O'Hara's and Lough Gill

On the craft trail

Two Red Ales and a Session IPA 

from 9 White Deer, O'Hara's and Lough Gill

9 White Deer Stag Rua Red Ale, 4.2% ABV, 500 ml bottle Bradleys

Be big, be bold, Bí Dána

Made with a mix of ale, crystal and chocolate malts, Stag Rua by Ballyvourney’s 9 White Deer, pours a very dark red indeed, with a soft off-white head. Indeed at first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking that a glass of stout was on the way to you.

Chocolate, coffee and caramel in the aromas and also on the smooth palate. A really well-balanced beer with no single ingredient dominating. Quite a satisfying mouthful indeed. Easy-drinking as they indicate and also Gluten Free (since 2018).

They say: Stag Rua is a beer with big malt flavours and it’s our impression of a perfect Irish Red Ale. The body is moderate meaning it’s not a heavy beer with an ABV of 4.2%. The flavour profile of Stag Rua is full of irresistible chocolate, caramel and toffee characteristics. These are derived from the liberal use of chocolate and crystal malts besides the gorgeous Irish ale malt. We hope you enjoy drinking it as much as we love it. Be big, be bold, Bí Dána”

Very Highly Recommended.

 

O’Hara’s Irish Red Ale, 4.3% ABV, 500 ml bottle, Dunnes

O’Hara’s has quite a dark red robe and an off white head that hangs about for a bit. They say the red colour is intensified by the finest roast barley, while subtle hop additions in the kettle give just the right bitterness and aroma to craft this distinctive Irish Red Ale.

Roasted caramel stands out in the aromatics. And you get that caramel and toffee flavour on the palate as well, thanks to the addition of a “pinch of roast barley during the brewing process”. The sweetness of the malt and traditional hop flavour combine well. A terrific example of the style gets a major thumbs up from this quarter.

 

The Carlow Brewing crew is naturally quite proud of their red ale: “This Red stands out in this beer style category. The malt body is as impressive as a bock, albeit in a uniquely Irish way….is much more complex than its mainstream rivals.”

Excellent balance and Very Highly Recommended

 

For the Geek

Style: Traditional Red Ale

ABV: 4.3%

IBU: 34 

Fermentation: Top fermentation 

Availability: Keg (carbonated), Bottle 50cl and 33cl (occasional 41L cask)

Serving Temperature: 6-8°C

Food Pairing: Pairs well with baked and roasted main courses from the oven such as beef hotpot. Also excellent with winter soups. A delicious accompaniment to mature cheddar or soft goat cheeses.

Lough Gill Shaka Session IPA, 3.8% ABV, 440 ml can, Higgins SuperValu

This light gold coloured IPA comes from the excellent Lough Gill Brewery in Sligo. 

It is hazy. Look hard and you’ll note fountains of bubbles rising up to the soft white head.  At 3.8% ABV, it limbos comfortably under the session bar. Aromas are moderate, are of the tropical kind and very pleasant. And so it continues smoothly on the palate with more tropical notes, also some citrus, and an almost creamy 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.

CorkBillyBeers #48. Craft with Bullhouse, Rascals, Lough Gill and Wicklow Wolf.

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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Lough Gill Shaka Session IPA 3.8% ABV, 440 ml can No 21 Midleton

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 #38. Summer of Sours, with Lough Gill and Whiplash

CorkBillyBeers #38

Summer of Sours, with Lough Gill and Whiplash

A few sours for sunny days.

Just before the summer turned sour(-ish), with my usual impeccable timing, I bought a few sours.

There is quite an array of wild sour beers, mostly from Belgium and Germany, and they include Lambic, Gueuze, Kriek, Belgian Red-Brown, Berliner Weisse, Gose and Wild Ale. Most of these use wild yeast and bacteria.

But what we are dealing with here are gathered together under the Modern Fruit and Adjunct Sours banner by beer writer Mark Dredge in his recent Beer (A Tasting Course). “Inspired by desserts and dominated by the flavour of fruits and other ingredients, these beers are often more sweet than sour.”

They are usually low in alcohol and IBU. Mark lists a few top examples and the one you may be able to get your hands on is the Sierra Nevada Wild Little Thing (5.5% ABV). I’ve seen it regularly in Bradley’s, North Main Street, Cork. “Drinks like a glass of fresh, low-alcohol rosé wine,” concludes Mark.

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Lough Gill Pain & Perfection Pastry Sour 4.0% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

The colour is a murky orange with a very short-lived head indeed. Mango leads the aromatics. With lactose in the mix, I was thinking this might be on the sweet side but, thankfully, the Lough Gill team got the balance pretty much spot on and there’s enough sour coming through to make this that little bit tart and a big bit refreshing. 

Ingredients include Mango, Passionfruit, Guava and Lactose.

Lough Gill tells it as it is: This is the ultimate Tropical Fruit Pastry Sour refreshment for those sunny hot days. Brewed with the addition of lactose sugars & then Triple Fruited with heaps of Mango, Passion Fruit and Guava purée for the right balance in sweetness and sour fruit flavours. The resulting beer is a thick, juicy, fruity exotic brew.

Agree with that, mostly. Wouldn't say it is all that thick! Happy with the overall result though. Highly Recommended.

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Whiplash Fruit Salad Days Mango & Lime Sour, 3.8% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

A sour fruited Berliner Weisse is how Whiplash classes this Mango and Lime Sour. 

It looks the part, looks like a large Mango lassi once its white fizzy head quickly fizzes away.  Aromas are richly fruity, not just from the hops but also from the ale yeast. And that fruit fest also continues on the palate, not surprisingly since they have added lots and lots of organic Mango and Lime fruit pureé.

Have to say the Lough Gill Pain & Perfection was much more to my liking. A rare disappointment for me then from Whiplash and now I'm a bit wary about their other recent sour, the Apricot, which is a few cans behind in the queue. Fingers crossed!

Geek Bits

Pilsner Malt

Wheat Malt

Hops are El Dorado (also in whirlpool).

Adjuncts: Mango, Lime

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Whiplash Fruit Salad Days Apricot Sour 4.1% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

Whiplash: “We're back with our Berliner Weisses and this time around it is Mango & Lime and Apricot. Each is built on a base of Pilsner and Wheat Malts and the cleanest kettle sour we can manage, and then we absolutely load them up with fruit. There's no denying their flavours upon tasting, they're bursting at the seams!”

On this particular one, they add: Kettle soured Berliner Weisse bursting with apricot purée. A certified summer banger. 

Berliner Weisse? Author Mark Dredge (in Beer. A Tasting Course) says: The “fast sours” are light German-style wheat beers with refreshing acidity, often brewed with added fruits or dry hops.

This apricot effort looks much like its companion, like a large Mango lassi and aromas are, surprise, apricot. Not the deepest sour you’ll come across but enough to at least hint at the possibility of refreshment even if it turns out to be on the shallow side. No knockout here, I’m afraid.

Geek Bits

Pilsner Malt

Wheat Malt

Cascade

Apricots