The Beautiful Sheep's Head Peninsula. Small. Perfect.

The Beautiful Sheep's Head Peninsula. Small. Perfect.

Leave Bantry on the N71. Shortly after passing the Westlodge Hotel on your left, turn right onto a narrow road with signs for Kilcrohane and Goat's Path. Stay on that road, with Bantry Bay on your right. Eventually you will have to climb to your left, following signs for Kilcrohane and Fionn Mac Cumhaill's Seat. There are parking spaces here on this high point and also a calvary group. Walk behind the statues and follow the waymarkers (yellow painted tops) but first consult the maps that are displayed here.

On our visit (24.03.22), the path was mostly rocky, and otherwise hard and mostly dry. The posts are easy to spot, certainly from one to the next, sometimes you can see two or three in a row. The path takes you along the lower ridge and eventually to a higher ridge. We didn't get that far, happy enough with a walk to the 9th or 10th post in from the car park.

There are outstanding views. On your left, you have Bantry Bay and the Beara Peninsula. On your right, you will see Kilcrohane village below and beyond that Dunmanus Bay and the Mizen peninsula. We had fantastic weather and that helped enormously. For more on Sheep's Head and the many superb walks (short and long) available, read here.

Bantry Bay

On the Sheep's Head. Look closely and you'll see another waymarker 
in the distance. The two white dots are in the car park by the trailhead.

Bantry Bay to the left

Info at trailhead.

Enjoying the view; The Beara peninsula and Bantry Bay.

The lighthouse near Castletownbere

Short video from Sheep's Head with Bantry Bay to the left, 

Dunmanus Bay to the right.

Also on this trip

The Fish Kitchen

Donemark West Restaurant

Maritime Hotel

REMASTERING THE PAST WHILE IMAGINING THE FUTURE, INTRODUCING THE JAMESON ANTHOLOGY

press release  

REMASTERING THE PAST WHILE IMAGINING THE FUTURE, INTRODUCING THE JAMESON ANTHOLOGY

New collection includes the unveiling of the first Jameson single pot still whiskey in decades available via two online ballots

The whiskey makers at Midleton Distillery are proud to present The Jameson Anthology, a curated collection of unique limited-edition Irish whiskeys which draw inspiration from the past as well as imagining new possibilities. Jameson Remastered, the first volume within The Jameson Anthology, celebrates the spirit of classic discontinued whiskeys, by reinventing them with modern techniques to deliver a new taste experience. The soon to be released second volume, Jameson Remixed, meanwhile will explore and experiment with new tunes from Jameson for an altogether different take on the classic Irish icon.

Jameson 15 Year Old Single Pot Still, the first release within the Jameson Remastered Volume, is a reinvention of a much loved classic which was last produced in 2000 as a limited edition offering. This award-winning liquid is composed of three exceptional whiskey styles, spanning 15 to 17 years of maturation in carefully selected American bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry butts. This single pot still whiskey raises a glass to history by featuring a significant contribution of sherry casks, paying tribute to traditional whiskey making in Bow Street Distillery. 

Kevin O’Gorman, Master Distiller, takes guardianship of the new release in which he masterfully combined the original distilling methods with modern-day techniques. Whilst retaining a clear reference to Jameson’s unmistakably smooth DNA, the sherry casks bring together rich and fruity notes, paying homage to Ireland’s history, heritage and craftsmanship whilst staying true to the original and remaining in tune with today.

The distinctive packaging of Jameson 15 Year Old Single Pot Still is set to appeal to the nostalgia of Jameson fans across the globe, taking them on a journey from past to present. The bottle is wrapped in newspaper, with one side uncovering Jameson’s heritage and the other marking the present day and comes in recyclable honeycomb cardboard packaging. 

Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman comments: “It’s been more than two decades since the last Jameson 15 Year Old was created and it has been a great opportunity to remaster this classic whiskey. 

“For this limited-edition bottling, we seized the opportunity to combine the traditional single pot still style with the strong influence of the sherry casks, which was integral to historic whiskey production. We’re confident to have developed a contemporary iteration of Jameson 15 Year Old that pays tribute to the torch bearers who put Irish whiskey on the map, whilst nodding to the current generation of talented craftspeople at Midleton Distillery. We can’t wait for Jameson fans to sip, savour and enjoy it to the very last drop.” 

Blender Deirdre O’Carroll adds: “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with the team to bring Jameson fans a new 15 Year Old that has been remastered for the modern day. The inclusion of the sherry casks creates incredibly rich flavours and an extra-long fusion of fruits and spices, in line with traditional pot still flavours that are known and loved. We’re looking forward to continuing to delight fans with more to come within The Jameson Anthology, which we hope will be music to whiskey fans’ ears.”

Bottled at an ABV of 56.4%, Jameson 15 Year Old Single Pot Still comes in a 500ml bottle and will retail at €300 with a limited quantity of 2,220 bottles available through two online ballots. 

The first ballot will open to members of Barrel Club Midleton Distillery at 9am Irish Saving Time (IST) on Monday 4^th April and the second ballot will open to all other whiskey fans at 2pm (IST) on Friday 8^th April. Shipping to successful whiskey fans will take place from the end of April. 

For the chance to get your hands on this unique bottle of Jameson 15 Year Old and to enter the ballot, visit https://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/en/our-whiskey/jameson-15-year-old-single-pot-still/ballot and sign up now. 

A Quart of Ale± #98. On the craft journey with Third Barrel, Rascal's, Boundary, Whiplash

A Quart of Ale± #98

On the craft journey with Third Barrel, Rascal's, Boundary, Whiplash

Third Barrel Shut Up Juice Juicy Pale Ale 5.0%, 440ml can Bradleys

Third Barrel had a lot of success previously with this Pale Ale: It’s back! Our biggest selling beer of 2018 is back with a 2020 hop bill. Loaded with Vic Secret, El Dorado and Citra. Seriously Juicy, Seriously fruity, Seriously crushable!

Colour is a light orange with a white foamy head. Aromas, not quite as big as expected, feature pineapple and citrus. But the flavours are seriously exotic, passionfruit, pineapple, and mango, a delicious melange that take you all the way to a refreshing finish, dry enough and with bitterness present to confirm the use of New World hops.

By the way, the hops packed in here are the US pair of Citra and El Dorado plus Vic Secret from Australia.

Dublin based Third Barrel claim to be “a unique concept, a collaboration brewery between Stone Barrel Brewing and Third Circle Brewing who have combined their experience, resources, love for brewing and absolute passion for beer to create one of Irelands most cutting edge breweries. Thye make lots of beer and sell it in 11 countries: Ireland, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland, Portugal, Switzerland, UK and Italy.”

Rascals Rude Girl Black IPA 6.0%, 440ml can Bradleys

Rascals introduce this as “A top ranking mash-up featuring citrusy hops and dark roast malts”. Good, but not quite that good methinks.

Pour it, a little robustly perhaps, and you get the black topped with a tan head, a head than hangs about a bit. The old finger test into the foam give hints of roast from the malts and a bite of evergreen from the hops. That roast also discernible in the aromas with a faint hint of pine in the background.

The malty background holds it steady in the mouth but is balanced out by contributions from the international hops (floral and spicy from the US Cascade, tart gooseberry from the Kiwi Nelson Sauvin, pepper and resin from the German Magnum). Still that roast comes on, certainly more than the “citrusy” hops, both on the lips and in the aftertaste. They say: One step beyond. I say: Hardly. One step short (which is pretty close, actually).

Geek Bits:

Malt: Pale Malt, Munich Malt, Chocolate Wheat Malt, Melanoidin, Carafa 2 Malt

Hops: Cascade (grapefruit, floral, pine), Nelson Sauvin (gooseberry, grape, passionfruit), Magnum (cedar pepper resin)

Yeast: LAX

ABV: 6%

Rascals reflect on the can design: “We’re big into our music here at Rascals and we thought a really complementary way to put a design to these new beers would be to use the iconic black and white chequered motifs of ska culture. Our designer Rachael has some lovely attention to detail on the can design, such as the female character’s distinct ska hairstyle forming the ‘G’ on the Rude Girl can, as well as speaker stacks forming the letter ‘i’. They really are class designs.”

Boundary Trees We Didn’t Plant Pale Ale 4.0%, 440ml can Bradleys

This Belfast pale ale has quite a pale colour, tending towards lemon. It is also hazy with a soft white head that sinks away soon enough. Melon leads the aromas but there’s also a hint of orange. On the palate, it is clean, crisp and light, no shortage of tropical flavour though. It is well balanced and properly refreshing with just enough bitterness at the finish. 

A pretty decent example of the style and definitely one for your session. Quite a backbone to this one for a four per center. Certainly worth a try.

Ingredients include Barley, Oats and Wheat while hips used are the US pair of Citra and Azacca.

There’s been some good news for the Belfast Brewery (a cooperative) recently and they are happy. ”At very, very, very long last, we are opening Northern Ireland’s first Taproom right next door to our Brewery & we need YOU to help make it happen! Come Join Us.” See the video here. 

Whiplash Loud Places Pale Ale 5.0%, 330 ml can Bradleys

Loud Places comes in a light orange colour, a hazy one. The white top doesn’t hang about for long. Hop aromas, with apricot prominent, rise up in the glass to greet you. 

Juicy for sure on the smooth palate, with melon and orange flavours, the hop aromas continuing in the mouth, with some slight sweetness also present but there’s a good balance here. Pretty creamy mouthful on the way to a slightly bitter finish but no shortage of fruit. As they say themselves: “It's a big hazy hoppy sup.”

Not a great deal of info on the can; it doesn’t include the usual malts and hop details. Ingredients do include oats though and that possibly accounts for the smoothness of this very pleasant pale ale. It is unfiltered and unpasteurised.

Afternoon Tea by the Sea at Ocean Sands Hotel, Enniscrone

 Afternoon Tea by the Sea 

at Ocean Sands Hotel, Enniscrone

 

The Ocean Sands Hotel in the seaside town of Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, is proud to introduce Afternoon Tea by the Sea, presented by their new chef, award-winning Marcin Szczodrowski. From Monday 4^th April 2022 it will be served from Monday to Friday in the Atlantic Room or Conservatory overlooking the magnificent beach.

 

Chef Marcin has designed a delicious menu based on afternoon tea favourites, all made by hand in house. It has seasonal variations but is always balanced and enticing. Each guest has their own beautifully presented traditional three-tiered stand with each tier featuring different delicacies. One tier is an enticing layer of hand cut sandwiches and bagels, cheese, smoked salmon and baby prawn cocktail. Another holds fresh scones with homemade preserves and softly whipped cream. The third, perhaps the star of the show, is an artistic display of sweet concoctions – petits fours pastries and cakes. Accompanied by endless pots of Bewley’s tea or coffee, this is a treat for the senses and the soul.

 

Reservations 48 hours in advance are essential as all elements of this appealing treat are freshly prepared. Bookings are taken on weekdays from 1-3pm and guests are welcome to relax over Afternoon Tea by the Sea as long as they wish. The cost is €24.95 per person or €29.95 with bubbly. A gluten free option is available.

 

Chef Marcin is a talented Polish born chef well known from his years as head chef at Eala Bhán restaurant in Sligo town. He revels in working with the top-quality ingredients in the local area. His next venture will be a fine dining Nine Course Chef Signature Tasting Menu which will be launched early in the summer.

 

The Ocean Sands Hotel comprises 50 generous bedrooms including 20 family rooms and an impressive bridal suite complete with sea view balcony. Directly behind the hotel are 13 beautifully appointed and roomy apartments with easy beach access. It’s ideal for family holidays with a safe attractive playground beside outdoor tables. It’s pet friendly, allowing dogs in selected hotel rooms and apartments. The Ocean Sands is an acclaimed wedding venue which was recently elevated to four star status by Fáilte Ireland.

The Old Bank Dungarvan. All Change In 19th Century Building

The Old Bank Dungarvan

All Change In 19th Century Building

Cod

Dungarvan’s Old Bank restaurant, having had a difficult pandemic hindered “childhood”, is now really coming into its own, growing up rapidly and making a splendid impression from its prime base in the seaside town. The 19th century building has been impressively renovated and re-purposed.

It is multi-faceted, offering over 100 hundred covers over two floors in the main building. Sixty four in the downstairs part of The Bistro where fine food is served and fifty upstairs where even finer food is beginning to make an appearance via their tasting menus. 

Of course they have a beautiful bar specialising in cocktails. Why not try the Blind Date cocktail? You never know. Plenty of local support too as I saw Blackwater Distillery, Knockanore, Mossie Joyce and Dungarvan Brewing mentioned as suppliers. 

You can find your way to their Creamery Yard via a side-lane. This is a prime outdoor site. With some cover but meant for the good weather, all the better to sip a pint or a wine and enjoy a burger or a pizza. On the other hand, you can also enjoy private dining in the building, in one of their special rooms or in a vault!

Chicken

And there’s more. They have a nearby farm, looked after by horticulturist Gerry, where they grow much of their own greens and vegetables. They are also keen to expand expand their network of passionate local producers and supplier.”We’d love to speak with the likes of local foragers, hunters and fishermen.” 

Chef Dave Larkin, Executive Head Chef , and the Old Bank have publicly stated their “commitments to a becoming greener, more sustainable restaurant”. Indeed, the chef has a statement on it and seasonality on their Instagram. 

Goats Cheese

We called weekend before last  (March 13th) to try out the Early Bird menu. It’s €37.50 for three courses, or you can enjoy two for €29. The menu will be available from 5.30pm - 7pm, every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday during February and March (keep an eye on their Facebook for updates). 

You have the option of adding a glass of wine for €7. But, with a drive back to Cork on the cards, we asked for something non alcoholic and were given a choice. A sparkling wine caught our eye: the Vallformosa Cava. I'm a little sceptical about non alcoholic wines but we certainly enjoyed this one. It is produced with Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada grapes, exactly the same grapes used in regular Cava.

Trout

We were seated in a very comfortable room indeed and by one of the street windows that also gave us a view over the harbour; no doubt there’s a better one from upstairs! The welcome and service were warm and friendly and we felt at home all through the meal that began with that Cava as we nibbled on two breads, one onion flavoured, the other Focaccia with Tarragon butter.

Welcome

The Early Bird gives you a choice of four starters. Our two were very impressively presented and they tasted well also. Mine was Sea Trout, Pea, cucumber, wasabi, and herring roe. Eye-catching for sure but also full of delightful flavour and textures. The other was also very acceptable and that was the Goats Cheese, basil, pear, mushroom and Lavosh. The only note we made on that was that the cheese was very mild indeed.

Cava

On then to the mains and they were served with a side of potatoes and seasonal root vegetables. Neither the sides nor the breads are mentioned on the Early Bird list but are included in the price.

I had spotted the the Cod, cauliflower, haricot blanc, Morteau and Lemon dish on their social media and, even though the menu had changed a little, I still stayed with that and I was very happy with it. The fish, soft and seductive, was enhanced by its accompaniments.

Our other mains was the Barley Fed Chicken, black truffle, cabbage and consommé. The chicken came in a cube. Again the dish looked very well indeed but the chicken itself lacked just a little in flavour, not quite up there with the best of them. Still, the accompaniments did the trick and the dish was enjoyed and polished off.

Nougat

Onward to the sweet finalé. The Early Bird offers a choice of three plus an Irish cheese plate. The desserts in fairness were not the usual suspects and we quietly (you don’t talk while your taste buds are enjoying themselves) polished off the Dungarvan delights of Buttermilk, blood orange, rhubarb, chocolate and pepper and the Iced Nougat, honey, apricot coulis and fresh berries.

The harbour was bathed in the colours of the fading sunset as we reversed and turned for Cork and we were home in a few minutes short of an hour.

Easter Offers: CHOCOLATE THEMED AFTERNOON TEA TO SAVOUR AT CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL

press release

CHOCOLATE THEMED AFTERNOON TEA TO SAVOUR AT CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL

The Cork International Hotel has launched a luxurious chocolate themed Easter Afternoon Tea for the month of April. 

Guests will be treated to savoury bites and chocolate treats from Friday, April 1st until Saturday, April 30th. Easter Afternoon Tea will be served from 12.30pm to 2pm daily. Collection is also available for people who would like to enjoy the experience at home. 

General Manager at the Cork International Hotel, Carmel Lonergan said: “We’re really excited about Easter this year as we can celebrate in person with our guests for the first time since 2019. Afternoon Tea is a special occasion and our team of chefs have created a range of delicious chocolate treats for our guests to enjoy. We can also tailor the menu to suit coeliacs and vegetarians, just let us know when you are booking.”

On the menu is: 

 

Savoury: Tomato and mozzarella and basil on white bloomer, Roast lamb and stuffing brioche slider, Smoked mackerel pâté on ciabatta crostini, Banana bread fingers

 

Middle: Freshly cooked chocolate chip scones with butter, cream and strawberry jam, Deluxe coconut brownie, Macaroons, Triple chocolate cup cake

Treat: Chocolate coated strawberry, Chocolate mousse, Double ganache hazelnut slice, White chocolate fudge 

Easter Afternoon Tea is €25 per adult and €12.50 per child. Collection is also available. Booking is essential and people can book by calling 021 4549800.

*********

 

A quartet of excellent German wines from Reh Kendermann

A quartet of excellent German wines from Weinhaus Reh Kendermann

All four wines are on offer at Dunnes Stores until April 2nd; check them out here

Weinhaus Reh Kendermann Terra Quartär Pinot Noir Pfalz Trocken 2019, 13%, €9.20 until April 2nd (RSP 11.50)

Germany is one of the world’s top producers of Pinot Noir (or Spatburgunder, as they call it there) and the Pfalz (also noted for its Riesling) is one of the top growing areas in Germany. The soil here, from an ancient sub-tropical sea, is now fertile and warm, suits the Pinot well and ensures healthy and ripe grapes.

You can almost guess it’s healthy from the glossy light-red colour. Aromas are moderately intense, red berries and cherries.  Fruit flavours impress on the palate with mineral notes in there too. Light and elegant, juicy with balancing acidity, all the way to a smooth finish. Highly Recommended.

The combination between the good water retention and warming properties of this special Löss soil encourages aroma development and gives very elegant wines. The proof is in your glass.

Pairings recommended include Pasta, red meat, white meat.

Terra Quartär translates as Terra Quaternary

By the way, France and the USA are the top two country producers of Pinot Noir. I was somewhat surprised a few years back to  hear  that Germany was third but even more so to read recently that the fourth top grower is Moldova!

Weinhaus Reh Kendermann Schiefer Steillage Riesling Feinherb Mosel 2020, 11.0%, €8.80 until April 2nd (RSP €11.00)

 

Germany’s Mosel region is world famous for its steep and stony slopes as well as its slate soil. It also grows some excellent Riesling, perhaps slightly less dry than those of the Rhine vineyard. I learned that when I was a regular caller to the late lamented Joe Karwig who imported so many excellent German wines to Carrigaline.

This one, by the Rev Kendermann company, is typical. Colour is a light straw, very little colour really. Aromas are moderate, ripe white apples, and the slightest hint of diesel (which I rarely get in young European Riesling). 

The fruit, citrus and apple again, comes into its own on the fresh palate, which displays also liveliness and minerality. Lemon and lime take the lead towards the finish. Yet it is that residual sweetness that comes through to underline its Mosel heritage and earns it the off dry term (Feinherb) on the label.

A delicious and toothsome wine. Try it on its own or with Asian Cuisine, fish and seafood and white meat dishes. Highly Recommended.

The vines which grow on these steep slate slopes of the Mosel profit from the angle of the sun and the perfect heat storage property of the slate (depicted on the bottle). It absorbs the heat from the day and gives it back to the vines at night. In combination with the cool climate it helps the grapes to ripen.The results are wines with high minerality and a lively character.

We have Trocken on the both Sauvignon Blanc and Point Noir labels meaning dry. Feinherb is mentioned on the label here and this is a popular German term for off-dry. The soils that the three vines grow in are highlighted on the bottles.

Weinhaus Reh Kendermann Kalkstein Sauvignon Blanc Trocken Pfalz 2020, 12.5% €9.20 until April 2nd (RSP 11.50)

Colour of this Sauvignon Blanc from Germany’s cool northerly Pfalz is a light straw, very light.  Apple and citrus, also a little pepper, in the aromas.  Lively and fresh on the palate, more exotic fruit here too but a balancing acidity helps makes this a zesty and delicious wine. It is dry and food-friendly and quite an impressive German contender in Sauvignon Blanc. Highly Recommended.

Sauvignon Blanc may well be one of the finest and most widely grown white wine varieties in the world but it is fairly unusual to find a German example in Ireland. The grape is just not associated internationally with the country. Just took a look at the often quoted Grapes and Wine and, in a few pages on where the grape grows best, Austria is mentioned but not a word on Germany. Same story in Wine-Searcher.com. And, by the way, this is not a Sancerre imitation nor a Marlborough either. Somewhere in between, this Kalkstein is its own vin.

Kendermann  say: The cool and dry climate in combination with the deep and nutrient-rich limestone soils of the Palatinate offer ideal growing conditions for the Sauvignon Blanc grape. The vines can root deeply and hence they are more water stress–resistant. This grape variety which came from France via New Zealand to Germany develops great aromas on these thin porous limestone soils. Therefore, the wine is very aromatic and has exotic notes of mango, passionfruit and citrus fruit.

Recommended pairings are: fish, Asian cuisine, white meats and salads. One of our favourites is Scallops, with rashers (Truly Irish) and Irish Shellfish Butter. That was our recipe, designed to match with the Cono Sur Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, and it got us to the European final of the Cono Sur Blogger competition in Paris in 2014.

Weinhaus Reh Kendermann Kalkstein Pinot Noir Rosé Trocken Pfalz 2019, 12%, Dunnes Stores exclusive -  €9.20 until April 2nd (RSP 11.50)

This very very pale Pinot Noir rosé is barely coloured. Light red fruit aromas turn up as pleasant flavours in the mouth, light and fruity and with a crisp mouth-watering acidity. The tip here is not to chill it too much or you lose some of the benefit of the impressive if subtle citrus flavours. Amazing that a wine with such a weak colour can be so refreshing and bursting with flavour right through to a crisp finish. Highly Recommended.

Much of the credit goes to the soil of Kalkstein where the limestone helps the grapes reach full ripeness. Kalkstein is actually the German for limestone. Recommended pairings: Fish, Vegetarian, White Meat.

******

* Winemakers since 1920, family owned Reh Kendermann is Germany’s largest export wine company. As a leading wine exporter, the winery makes German wines popular in the whole world: Black Tower the most successful German wine brand worldwide comes from Reh Kendermann.

**All the above four wines are on offer at Dunnes Stores until April 2nd; check them out here.