Blond or Blonde? Lough Gill Irish Abbey Belgian Blond

Lough Gill Irish Abbey Belgian Blond: A Taste of Abbey Life

Blond or Blonde? 

Looking to get away from IPAs for a spell? Why not try a goblet of Irish Abbey, a new Belgian Blond by Lough Gill Brewery? This Sligo take on the Belgian standard pours a captivating shade of mid-gold, topped with a frothy white head, and gives aromas that hint at complex flavours within.

And that zest and spice continue their dance onto the palate where other flavours, mostly citrus from the hops and a zesty spicy contribution from the coriander seeds (added late in the production process), all join in to make the beer surprisingly complex with a gentle bitter finish. 

With a smooth, creamy mouthfeel and a satisfyingly complex character, the Lough Gill Irish Abbey Belgian Blond invites you to savour every sip, unveiling new nuances with each taste. Whether you're a seasoned craft beer enthusiast or simply looking for a refreshing change of pace, it's a must-try.

Beer of the Week. Very Highly Recommended.

And while some may question the authenticity of the Belgian style from Lough Gill, the brewery has a ready answer if you query the abbey in the beer’s name. There is an ancient, now ruined, Dominican abbey in the town centre. I'm not too sure, though, that the Sligo monks ever produced beer as did their Belgian counterparts!

Geek Bits:

• Style: Belgian Blond
• ABV: 6.7% ABV
• Malts:  Irish Pale Malt, Wheat malt, a touch of Caramel Malt and Barley Flakes
• Hops: Saaz,  Magnum.
• Adjunct: Coriander seeds.

Belgians use the term “Blond,” while the French spell it “Blonde.” Mostly the ABV is in the 6.5 – 7% ABV range, so our Lough Gill is more or less spot-on. The Merriam-Webster dictionary says they both mean the same thing.  "If you want to follow the traditional spelling convention, use blonde for girls and women and blond for boys and men." Beer doesn't get a mention!

On the craft trail with a gluten-free double and a juicy ale. Wicklow Wolf, Lough Gill, Third Barrel.

On the craft trail with a gluten-free double and a  juicy ale. Wicklow Wolf, Lough Gill, Third Barrel

Wicklow Wolf Arcadia GF Lager 4.3% ABV, 440 ml can https://wicklowwolf.com/shop/ 

“Slowly conditioned to ensure an exceptional taste”

Lovely gold/amber colour on this lager, with a soft white head. Great display of bubbles rising. Aromas are more malt than hop. Straightaway, you notice the refreshing edge, “great cutting in it”, as was said some decades back! But it has. Smooth also with a subtle balance of fruit and hop, a little sweetness and a hint of spice. Add in that crisp finish. What more could you want?

They say: We

A must-try for hop lovers. Lough Gill Rising Wind CGX IPA, Beer of the Week

Beer of the Week

Lough Gill Rising Wind CGX IPA, 6.2% ABV, 440 ml can, Bradleys

a must-try for hop lovers

There’s a new vista recently on the horizon and gaining the attention of craft beer producers. Lough Gill was among the first to use the Vista CGX hops with  Rascal Brewing also using it in their excellent Empire Haze. 

Both the Lough Gill and the

Beer of the Year 2022. The September Long List

My Favourite Beers of the Year 2022

Best of September Long List

Helles/Pils/Lager:

Hope Limited Edition No. 27 Munich Helles;  Third Barrel Counter Culture Modern Style Pils; Wicklow Wolf Toto Sorachi Italian Pils.

 

IPA:

Hope Limited Edition No. 28 Double Rye; Rye River Miami J;  Rascals X Yeastie Boys Krush Groove; Bradleys with Dot Nice One; Blacks Mango & Mosaic.

Session: 

Third Barrel Day Drinking Part Deux Citra Strata; Larkin’s Tiny Sesh IPA 4.0%,  Stone Barrel Boom Session IPA 4.5% ABV; Post Card Ha’penny Bridge Pale Ale, 4.2 ABV.

Belgian Style Pale Ale: 

Wide Street Sound by Design 

Pale Ale:

Lough Gill Sligo Bay American; Hope American.

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Contenders to end of August

September?????

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

Favourite Beer of the Year. Contenders 2022. And Brewdog Cork opening.

2022

Favourite Beer of the Year 

(Brewdog's Cork opening less than 3 weeks away - see below)

Confirmed to date

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

June Short List

Wit: 

Wicklow Wolf Mescan Wit or Without You Belgian Wit
Pale Ale: 

Whitefield “Eastwood” 

Third Barrel Some Dance To Remember

Gose: 

Kinnegar Brewers at Play 23 Mango Gose

IPA: 

West Coast IPA: Lineman Green Light;
Stout:

Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout 4.3%
Session: 

Lough Gill Mo Chara Hazy Seisiún IPA 4.8%

May Short List

Barrel Aged: Wicklow Wolf Locavore Spring 2022 Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale with Brettanomyces 11.9% 

Amber Lager: Hope Limited Edition 26 Born To Be Free. 

NZ IPA: Wicklow Wolf Far Far Away. 

Rye Lager: Whiplash Melted Roggenbier. 

DIPA: Rye River Dam Buster Double IPA 

American Pale Ale: Otterbank Middle Lane American Pale Ale 

Single Hop Pale Ale: O Brother You’ll Pay With Your Souls Single Hop (Simcoe) Pale Ale - 

Vienna Lager: Wide Street Vienna Lager

Pale Ale: Whiplash Got To Keep On 

IPA: Rye River Big Bangin’ IPA 

American Wheat: Rye River Backwaters American Wheat 

Brewdog's Cork opening, on Friday 22nd July, is less than 3 weeks away. "We’ll have Brewdog’s finest alongside of a selection Corks local craft." It will be interesting to see what Cork beers make to their list!

A Quart of Ale± #111 with Cotton Ball, Lough Gill and Athletic Brewing

 A Quart of Ale± #111

On the craft journey with Cotton Ball, Lough Gill and Athletic Brewing

Cotton Ball Lynch’s Stout 4.3%, 500ml bottle O’Donovan’s

The Lynch’s Stout from the Cotton Ball brewery is an excellent one, flavour, smoothness and a long dry finish the striking characteristics. 

You get the hints of your old toffee bar in the aromas, coffee there also, and on the palate; the flavours last, still a pleasure well after the swallow. The beer is available on draught at the bar and also in bottle.

Lynch's at The Cotton

Humphrey Lynch, an American Civil War veteran and a cotton mill foreman, returned to his native Cork in 1874 to set up his own public house which he called the Cotton Ball. It is still here today and the current generation are brewing a selection of craft beers named after their great great grandfather who left the West Cork countryside as a teenager. The brewery, under the Mayfield pub, was founded in 2013.

A day or two after finishing the bottles in bought in O'Donovan's, I headed up to the nearby Cotton Ball for a quart± from the tap. Excellent stout and excellent company.

Hand crafted from five malts and traditional flaked barley, moderately bittered and late hopped with US and New Zealand hops, they say: “This stout is as dark as our great grandfather Humphrey’s black humour and has a warm and mature flavour. With a phenomenal marriage of coffee roast, caramel lush, balanced by a clean bitterness exploding into a tangerine, mandarin aromatic delivery.`’

They reckon it’s a great accompaniment for hearty meat dishes, stews and steaks. But, with a shameless piece of name dropping, they say that the ultimate food pairing is "our Famous Cousins’ Clonakilty Black pudding"!

 

Lough Gill Mo Chara Hazy Seisiún IPA 4.8%, 440 ml can 

Bradleys

This hazy IPA is a collaboration between Lough Gill and their friends at Mo Chara. 

It is pale in colour, almost lemon, hazy for sure with a white head that soon sinks down to leave a circular trace. Citra and Mosaic are the hops so I’m expecting Citrus and Mango and that’s what I get both in the aromas and, after a little shyness, on the palate. It’s not a big tiger of a beer, more like a pussycat, gentle and compatible over a session I’d say.

Lough Gill indicate that the Norwegian Yeast called Kveik has been used here and that does help bring out fruiter notes and that is the case here with exotic notes including Mango, Pineapple, Papaya, Tangerine and Passion Fruit. Quite a pleasant posse of flavours indeed.

Dundalk based Mo Chara are craft beer supporters, big time. “With 24 taps of craft beer, wines & cocktails, we have one of the biggest selections in Ireland on tap. Ten of our taps are rotational which means we change to a new beer after every keg so you can try something new every time you call in for just the one.” 

Dundalk’s First Craft Beer Taphouse are not just about the drink. Here you may also get coffee, sambas and pizzas, And lots of craic by the look of it!

Athletic Brewing Run Wild Alcohol Free IPA <0.5%, 355ml can Bradleys

The American producers of this beer tell us Run Wild is the ultimate sessionable IPA for craft beer lovers. “Brewed with a blend of five Northwest hops, it has an approachable bitterness to balance the specialty malt body. Always refreshing and only 70 calories.”

Nice slightly hazy golden colour on this IPA with a decent white head that’s not for hanging around. Aromas, citrus and hoppy, are modest. And it looked as if the palate would continue that trend. But I gave it a good swirl around and that approachable (modest) bitterness made its appearance. Refreshing enough but not deeply so.

Still I’d be happy enough to agree with their assertion that "This isn’t your traditional watery, tasteless alcohol-free beer.” It is certainly more than that and better than many on the market. It could certainly do the job for a night if you are driving. And I’d also see it useful to alternate it with an alcoholic beer over a session where you want to exercise restraint. No major sacrifice! And I could say much the same about the Golden Ale, though with less enthusiasm.

When I picked it up first, I thought it was Irish but Athletic Beer are US producers with an office address in Dublin. And the US connection is written on the can which comes in a slightly different size to the usual European one. By the way, why do most non alcoholic beers, with the exception of the German ones (probably the best of the style), come in smaller sizes?

They say: Whether you’re looking to cut out alcohol for life or just for a night, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your ability to be healthy, active and at your best, to enjoy great beer.

Run Wild is the ultimate sessionable IPA for craft beer lovers. Brewed with a blend of five Northwest hops, it has an approachable bitterness to balance the specialty malt body. Always refreshing and only 70 calories.

Geek Bits

INGREDIENTS: Water, Organic Vienna Malt, Malted Barley, Oats, Hops, Wheat, Yeast.

Pair with: Burgers, Pizza, Tacos

Hops: a blend of five Northwest hops

Calories: 70.

Atlantic Brewing Upside Dawn Alcohol Free Golden <0.5%, 355ml can Bradleys

Made in a “classic craft Golden Ale style", this is the other Athletic Brewing alcohol free beer that I recently picked up in Bradleys.  Again it is a pale orange colour with haze and a white head that doesn’t hang about. Aromas are more floral than fruity (citrus). On the palate it is not that dissimilar to the IPA but is that bit milder, easier-drinking.

They say: Classic craft Golden Ale Style. Refreshing, clean, balanced, light-bodied. Aromas subtle with floral and earthy notes. Brewed with premium Vienna Malt along with combo of English and traditional American hops. Crafted to remove gluten*.

While Upside Dawn is crafted to remove gluten, it may still contain gluten. Here’s why: “This product is fermented from grains containing gluten. The gluten content of this product cannot be verified, and this product may contain gluten.”

Ingredients: Water, Organic Vienna Malt, Malted Barley, Oats, Hops, Wheat, Yeast.

Vegan - yes

IBUs:15

Style: Golden Ale

A Quart of Ale± #109. On the craft journey with Whitefield, Rascals, Porterhouse, Lough Gill and Kinnegar

A Quart of Ale± #109

On the craft journey with Whitefield, Rascals, Porterhouse and Lough Gill

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Whitefield “Eastwood” Irish Pale Ale 5.8%, 500ml bottle Bradleys

Whitefield’s Irish Pale Ale is more red than pale when poured from their usual bottle. It has a pillowy off-white head that hangs about for a while. The aromas are malt driven. It is immediately refreshing on the palate, nicely balanced between the Tipperary barley (from Tim Connolly’s farm) and Slovenia hops (from Blaz Bosnar’s farm).

Whitefield say:  “This pale ale brings out the best of our philosophy. Tradition, terroir and time.” Add in the long and creamy finish and I’m tasting a really beautiful beer, full of character. A big thumbs up for this one from Tipp.

 

I was reading on their website, looking for a bit of background on this beer (including why it is named Eastwood), and found there is quite a story behind the gear at this brewery: The brewery was commissioned by Paulaner in 1996 for a brewpub in Singapore. The Asian crisis meant the brewery had a very short life of less than six months.

It was then purchased by the Kiley brothers from Kinsale.  So, the brewery undertook it’s second journey all the way to Ireland and was commissioned in a beautiful building in Kinsale town in 2002.

 No reflection on the owners however as the Irish market was difficult nut to crack in the hay-days of the Celtic tiger and it was idle again by 2004. The brewery lay dormant for the next 4 years after 2 false starts.

Whitefield (then White Gypsy) purchased the brewery in August 2008 just as another crisis loomed! It all worked out well this time, according to Whitefield: "They say it’s a long way to Tipperary, well it is when you start in Germany go to Singapore then on to Kinsale and end up in Templemore. She has a loving home now and fingers crossed she’ll see her retirement here.”

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Rascals Hazy In Love IPA 5.0%, 330ml Bradleys

It’s a case (for me it’s a can) of love at first sip! Rascal’s are obviously very happy with this one and it is now part of their core range.

It is not that overly hazy as you can see streams of bubbles rising in the amber/orange colour. Aromas are tropical with Mango heading the posse. And all that exotic fruit, along with some citrus, shows up well on the juicy hoppy palate and there’s a smooth mouthfeel as well. No wonder they’re happy, as well as hoppy of course, in Inchicore. The bitterness in the beer is more or less middle ranking and prepares the palate for the next sip.

They say: This is a hazy IPA hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Ekuanot. Not only does it have all the flavour and aroma profile you’d expect from those world-class hops, but we’ve added wheat and oats to give a lovely hazy appearance and smooth mouthfeel. … Cloudy, juicy, hoppy, crushable: it’s a beer that delivers!

Quite happy to agree with that!

Geek Bits:

Malt: Pale Malt, Flaked Oats, Wheat Malt, Torrified Wheat, Naked Oat Malt

Hops: Mosaic, Citra, Ekuanot

Yeast: US-05

ABV: 5%

Ingredients: water, barley, wheat, oats, hops, yeast

By the way, because you may well ask, the tropical flavours found in hoppy beer can include Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Mango, Lychee, Kiwi, Jackfruit, and Papaya.

And another by the way. It may well be worth your while visiting Rascal’s Inchicore (Dublin) headquarters. “We’ve a world class pizza restaurant with the freshest beer pouring on tap.” You can also check out their off-licence, do the brewery tour and enjoy the taproom of course. Details at www.rascalsbrewing.com 

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Porterhouse XXXX Full-On Stout 5.9%, 440 ml can Ballymaloe May Fair

Glossy black colour and a foamy tan head are what you see on this Porterhouse stout. But what do you get? Exactly what they say - a full-on dry crisp flavourful stout, introduced by a classic aroma. Hops have their say in the aromatics but it is the malts that drive the flavour on the palate before the hops, with a fruity citrus streak, take over again in the the dry and bitter finish

They say: XXXX refers to the alcohol level and the depth of flavour in this stout. Our kettle hops drum up a fabulous aroma, flaked barley delivering big time on texture and the darkly roasted grain building a flavour as solid as a rock. Not for the faint hearted. Can you handle it?

They certainly seem to have struck an excellent balance between the fruit and bitterness of the hops and the darker roasted qualities of the malts. Having spent a few hours the previous day drinking one of the main stream stouts, this Porterhouse was different class.

Geek Bits

Malts: Pale Malt, Flaked Barley, Roast Barley, Black Malt

Hops: Nugget, Galena, East Kent Goldings

IBUs: 50

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Lough Gill I’ll Be Late Oat Cream IPA 7.2%, 440ml can Bradleys

Craft brewed in Lough Gill, an independent brewery in Sligo, this Oat Cream IPA, has a mid-orange colour, a soft foamy head and cloudy haze. Aromas are fruity (citrus and exotic). The palate comes on strong and complex, all those exotic fruit while the oats and lactose help give it a creamy feel.

Geek Bits

Style: DDH Oat Cream IPA 7.2% ABV

Hops: Citra, Galaxy and Idaho 7

Malts: Golden Promise, Flaked Oats, Wheat and Dextrin Malts

Format: 440ml Can

They say: Dry Hopped with 18g/L of Citra, Galaxy & Idaho 7, this IPA is an explosion of Citrus, Grapefruit, Passionfruit and Apricot which bring out bright tropical fruit and peach aromas followed by a little dankness. 

*****

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Follow the Hops – A Day at Kinnegar with La Pompe, String Ninjas and Tanya McCole Saturday 16 July, 1–6pm Join Kinnegar and Earagail Arts Festival for a concert on our newly sown front lawn, featuring La Pompe, a five piece band with a repertoire of 30s, 40s, ballads, waltzes and latin music, the Belfast-based duo String Ninjas and Donegal’s own Tanya McCole. Tickets are available on the Earagail Arts Festival website.

2022 Beer of the Year

2022 Beer of the Year 

Confirmed to date

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

Best of April (Short list)

Pils: Whiplash True Love Waits Dry Hopped Pils

Pale Ale: Wicklow Wolf Tundra Tropical Pale Ale

Brown Ale: Whiplash Smoke Stack Lightnin’ Oaked & Smoked

Gose: Dot Brew When the Going Gets Gose

Session: Boundary Love is Here Hoppy Table Beer Pale Ale 2.6%

Ciders to note: Killahora Bottle Conditioned Dry Bittersweet Cider 2019, 5.9%, 750ml (champagne style) bottle Longueville House Cider 5.9%; Longways Medium Sweet Elderflower Cider.

Best of March (short list)

Schwarzbier: Lineman Schadenfreude Schwarzbier 5.9%

IPA: Boundary Inefficient Knowledge IPA 6%;

Weizenbock:Whitefield The Viscount Weizenbock 7.5% 

Pale Ale: Third Barrel Shut Up Juice

Black IPA: Rascals Rude Girl Black IPA

Session: Boundary Trees We Didn’t Plant Pale Ale 4.0%

Best of February 2022 Short List

Oatmeal Stout: Wicklow Wolf  “Apex Cherry” Black Cherry 

BA Stout: Bradleys & Dot Brew Shady Dealings

Milk Stout: Trouble Brewing Nocturne Milk Stout

IPA: Killarney Scarlet Pimpernel

Smoked Porter: Whitefield Old Smoke Smoked Porter; 

Porter: Clonakilty Smuggler Irish Porter. 

Bitter: West Cork Baltimore Bitter

Session: Blacks The Session Pink Grapefruit IPA 3.4%

Rye IPA: Wicklow Wolf Canis Rufus

Dark Lager: Whitefield Ivy Hall

Gold Lager: Whiplash Dawn Chorus Helles. 

Best of January 2022 Short List

Dark Lager: Whiplash Dry the Rain Double Decoction Dunkel

Oats IPA: Hope Overnight Oats IPA.

Session IPA: Porterhouse Sundown Session IPA

American Pale Ale: O Brother The Chancer APA

Barleywine: Brehon Brewhouse Red Right Hand Barley Wine Beer

NEIPA: Porterhouse Renegade New England IPA

Stout: West Cork Stout X Stout West

Blonde: Killarney Golden Spear Blonde

Best of December (2021, for 2022) Short List

Brown Ale: Lough Gill Mac Nutty Macadamia Nut.

Single Hop IPA: Eight Degrees Citra Single Hop IPA 5.7%

Cask-Aged Porter: Brehon Brewhouse Shanco Dubh Porter 8.8%

Coffee & Oatmeal Stout: Third Circle Shot In The Dark

Pale Ale: Lineman Fluid Dynamic Extra Pale Ale.

Single Malt IPA: Eight Degrees Full Irish 6.0%

Session: Whitefield Brewery “Woodville” Session Pale Ale 4.3%

Lager: Whiplash Das Model.