Happy New Beer!
Mayfield’s Cotton Ball. Ireland’s Latest Micro Brewery
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| Forward planning. Jack Lynch in the Cotton Ball Brewery. |
While touring the new facility yesterday with Jack Lynch, I was
shown a number of barrels previously used by Jack Daniels (and to be used in
the future for a Lynch special brew). At least one of the barrels, Number 59, is
stamped with the name of the American distillery and the address is Lynchburg,
Tennessee, and that is one of the places where Jack Lynch’s grandfather, Humphrey, worked while in the United States in the 19th century. And it is Jack's son, Humphrey, who is the Cotton Ball brewer.
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| A lot of lager here! |
More beers are planned but, for now, there are just two, a Lynch Lager and a
Lynch Stout, and these are exclusively available at the bar and at a very good
price, I might add! My first venture was a pint of the lager. It is superb,
full of great flavour and with a good cut in the finish.
The Stout (left) is also excellent, flavour, smoothness and a long dry finish the striking characteristics. You get the hints of your old toffee bar in the aromas and on the palate and the flavours last, still a pleasure well after the swallow. Both beers are available on draught at the bar but you can expect to see them in bottles sometime in 2014.
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| Christmas Stout |
The Stout (left) is also excellent, flavour, smoothness and a long dry finish the striking characteristics. You get the hints of your old toffee bar in the aromas and on the palate and the flavours last, still a pleasure well after the swallow. Both beers are available on draught at the bar but you can expect to see them in bottles sometime in 2014.
Aside from the special, an Ale is planned for the New Year
and should make an appearance as the Spring kicks in. And there are also plans
to increase the food element at the Cotton Ball and indeed produce specially matched
bites for the beers.
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| This barrell has quite an aroma, all the way from Lynchburg to Lynch's! |
The brewery will be officially launched on January 25th
(6.00pm to 9.00pm) when you may try the new pints, enjoy the music and the new
food menu.
Just to go back to Humphrey and his working trip to America. One of the
souvenirs he brought back was a full size Stars and Stripes with 39 stars on
it. This is an oddity as there were never 39 states in the union. The legend in the photo says the flag manufacturers took a gamble thinking that the
Dakotas would be admitted as one state but instead North and South Dakota simultaneously
joined the union as two separate states, taking the numbers from 38 to 40.
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| The 39 star flag |
The flag is displayed in one of the loveliest corners of the Mayfield
pub, a corner that Jack says will now be called the Brewery Room and one that
will contain quite a lot of Brewing memorabilia in the months ahead.
Must say I am looking forward to visiting on a regularly basis to keep an eye on what Jack and his sons Eoin and Humphrey are bringing up from underneath. It is no great hardship to me. The walk is short and the beer is good. Happy New Beer!
Must say I am looking forward to visiting on a regularly basis to keep an eye on what Jack and his sons Eoin and Humphrey are bringing up from underneath. It is no great hardship to me. The walk is short and the beer is good. Happy New Beer!
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| The "Brewery" room, just one of many cosy sections in the Cotton Ball |
Lynch’s Stout
Hand crafted from 5 malts and traditional flaked barley. Bittered moderately with American and New Zealand hops. Late kettle hopped with premium Kentish aroma hops beer. Warm matured on the same aromatic hops, after which the beer is cold matured on Jack Daniels impregnated American oak.
The result
A phenomenal marriage of coffee roast, caramel, lush, balanced by a clean bitterness exploding into a tangerine, mandarin aromatic delivery with the faintest hint of oak.
Lynch’s Lager
Pilsner lager made with 100% Cork malted barley ,is clean Bittered with Columbus and galena U.S.A grown hops. Late kettle addition of hallertãu perle and hersbruker, fermented with our rapidly settling yeast strain. With a proven record of making clean cut pilsner lagers portraying the individual hop aromas from New Zealand to Norway and the east and west of Europe.
The result
Another unchallengeable quality lager delivering, subtle aromatic hop flavour and aroma from a bed of light malt caramel flavour with a thirst cutting clean bitterness.
Cotton Ball details:
18 Old Youghal Road, Mayfield
Cork Ireland
Phone (021) 450 3096
Hours:
Mon - Thu: 10:30 am - 11:30 pm
Fri - Sat: 10:30 am - 12:30 am
Sun: 12:30 pm - 11:00 pm
What is your favourite Christmas Beer Moment? Some opinions here.
Irish beer fans can share their beer thoughts as well as keep up to speed on all This Is Beer news and events on www.facebook.com/thisisbeerIE
What is your favourite Christmas Beer Moment? Some opinions here.
Irish beer fans can share their beer thoughts as well as keep up to speed on all This Is Beer news and events on www.facebook.com/thisisbeerIE
