A Quart of Ale± #99. On the craft journey with a cider detour: Legacy, Longueville and Mac Ivors

A Quart of Ale± #99

On the craft journey with a cider detour: Legacy, Longueville and Mac Ivors

Longueville House Cider 5.9%, 500ml can Bradleys

..”Refreshing, clean and crisp…it’s how traditional cider used to be before it got all artificial and fake,” say Longueville House of their original cider, a real artisan production.

It arrives in your glass in a dark amber colour but you will see the natural sparkle. The aromas are unmistakably of the orchard where their cider apples, Dabinett and Michelin, grow. And the outstanding autumnal apple flavour of this medium dry cider confirms its authenticity. This is one you swallow and say thanks to the O’Callaghans.

The apples are harvested in late October, once picked they are crushed and pressed together (they don’t over worry about the exact quantity of each of the two varieties) in the Cider Mill on the estate. The pressed juice is left naturally ferment over a period of 2 to 6 months, taking place as a result of the action of the wild yeasts, which are particular to the orchards and environs of Longueville. 

The newly fermented cider is left for a further 6 months resulting in a rich, amber coloured cider, full of character, flavour and taste. There are no added sugars or sweeteners (no chapalisation) colourings, additives, sulphites or preservatives used at any stage during the production and manufacturing process of the ciders. The entire process from growing the apples to the fermentation of the cider is done on the farm.

Legacy Medium Cider 5%, 500ml bottle

Very light orange-y colour here. And it carries a light haze, not so much that you can’t see the fountains of bubbles constantly rising. The nose, not over emphatic, is undoubtedly of apples. It has quite an engaging mouthfeel, a burst of flavour, sweet yes but also well balanced so there’s no excess and it finishes fruity and satisfying, tannins gently gripping the lips as it says goodbye.

This one is a bit like the Alsace Gentil wine as it has no less than six varieties: Elstar (eating), Bramley (cooking), Discovery (eating), Katy (eating), Michelin (cider) and Dabinette (cider). 

They say: “This is a crowd pleasing cider; easy drinking, great flavour profile, natural apple aroma. Great with good friends, a warm sun, a good sporting occasion or kicking back on your own.” 

Legacy have a small passionate team “that love producing the best quality ciders the land can produce in a sustainable way. From blossom to bottle.”

Legacy Dry Cider 5%, 500ml bottle

A very bright  liquid with an orange colour and, like the Medium, it is slightly clouded. Again you can see those bubbles flying up. Natural apple aromas greet the nose. There no shortage of fruit flavours (green apple from locally grown fruit) as it hits the palate but it is, as you would expect, noticeably drier; your lips will tell you! A good bite is how producer Liam McDonell describes it, saying it “is the strong Bramley flavour coming through”. It is well balanced though and quite a thirst quencher.

The Medium Dry is made with three apple varieties; Elstar (eating), Bramley (cooking) and Michelin (cider). “Elstar is a floral light cider that sits in the background, Bramley is the big bold mouthful and Michelin is a beautiful sweet French cider apple that gives a soft caramel flavour and a lingering dryness”. The blend has a crisp dry finish.

“This is a great cider with oily fish and white meat. It has a strong acidic backbone so it is able to cut through rich flavours and compliment. The high carbonation coats the tongue and cleanses the palate.”

By the way, this is a favourite of Liam’s. Our session here ended on a split decision. I was a little surprised that I had a slight preference for the Medium and not at all surprised that my tasting partner (CL) picked the Dry!

Mac Ivors Juicy Session Cider 4.2%, 330 ml can x 4 Tesco

This session cider pours clean and golden, bubbles galore. Aromas are of the orchard and it is clearly a refreshing one. May not be dry enough for some, but I’d be quite happy with it in a session. It does of course finish dry. It comes in a 330 ml can and, after a check for stockists, I found mine in a 4-pack in Tesco.

They say: Delicious and thirst-quenching, our Juicy Session Cider is made exclusively from hand-picked, Irish-grown dessert apples such as Falstaff, Elstar, Allington Pippin and Golden delicious. This medium dry cider has a simple and refreshing flavour profile and it now comes in a convenient can. Crisp clean finish.

Mac Ivors Cider has its roots in Armagh, known as “The Orchard County”. “Our farm was established in 1855 in the townland of Ardress. Our cider takes its name from our Cider Maker Greg Mac Neice’s grandmother Annie Mac Ivor.”

Some interesting bits on the Mac Ivor packaging:

Armagh grows 4 times as many apples as the rest of Ireland put together.

It takes the juice of 4 whole apples to make every can of our cider.

Every year, we hand pick over 12 millions apples on our family farm.

We have 52 hives bees to pollinate our apple trees. That’s millions of bees!

GLENILEN FARM PARTNERS WITH EASON

press release

GLENILEN FARM PARTNERS WITH EASON

Glenilen Farm has joined forces with iconic Irish retail brand Eason to encourage children to learn about sustainability in a fun way. 

 

The partnership will see 12 new activities for children included on the inner sleeves of Glenilen Farm Kids Yoghurts and a weekly competition to win an Eason voucher. 

Glenilen Farm is a family-owned food producer, making fresh dairy products using local milk. It began in the kitchen of Valerie and Alan Kingston’s home in Drimoleague in 1997. It currently processes almost 100,000 litres of milk weekly, churning out a quarter of a million pots of yoghurt each week. 

 

Valerie Kingston says, “We’re delighted to be working with Eason. Every parent wants to see their children reading and learning about the environment. Our passion at Glenilen Farm is creating wholesome food that’s good for people in the most sustainable way possible. We only use local milk, have solar panels, rainwater collection systems and thousands of native trees on Glenilen Farm. We even keep pigs to eat any food waste from the factory.  We want to share our love of the environment with the next generation showing them that small changes can make a world of a difference.”

Eason is Ireland’s leading retailer of books, magazines and stationery. It has been in operation for 135 years and has a network of over 50 outlets in Ireland. 

Brendan Corbett is Group Head of Marketing with Eason, he added, “We’re thrilled at Eason to collaborate with Glenilen Farm on this inspiring initiative – it’s great to partner with an Irish company who shares our passion for engaging with families, and with children in particular.”

The partnership between Glenilen Farm and Eason will run until the end of the year. 

 

Glenilen Farm kids yoghurt is the ideal healthy snack packed full of live gut-friendly cultures. Available in three flavours, strawberry, vanilla, and banana, it’s made with real fruit and its smooth and creamy texture makes it suitable from weaning age upwards. 

A Bordeaux "Super Sleeper" and a Relatively Unknown from Umbria

A Bordeaux "Super Sleeper" and a Relatively Unknown from Umbria

Le Doyenné 1er Côtes de Bordeaux AC 2011, 13.5% 

€19.00 (was 25.45) 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Colour of this Bordeaux blend is a mid-ruby with a noticeably lighter rim. Tears are slow enough to clear. Red and black cherries lead the aromatics and there is some spice there also. And that fruit and mild spice also mingle elegantly on the palate, a smooth a palate as you are likely to come across. Really well balanced. Lovely finish with a little grip. Very Highly Recommended.

The blend is headed by Merlot (at 70%) with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc making up the remainder. Château Le Doyenné results from mature parcels of vines. The wine is aged in oak barrels for 18 months.

Records dating as far back as 1791 mention the existence of Château Le Doyenné which was purchased in 1994 by Jean and Marie-Dominique Watrin. With “flying-winemaker” Michel Rolland acting as consultant, they undertook a complete reconstruction of the vineyard and renovation of the winery. The 13 hectares of the estate, located on the right bank of the Garonne, 15 km from Bordeaux, are in the heart of the “Premières Côtes de Bordeaux” appellation.

The 2011 Le Doyenné is not the first to attract attention. The Wine Advocate - Robert Parker checked out the 2005 and wrote:  A super sleeper of the vintage like its predecessors, the 2005 Le Doyenné is well-made..... Blend of 70% merlot and 30% cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc, it exhalts sexy aromatics, superb fruit, medium-body, velvety tannin, loads of glycerin and elevated alcohol 13+%. Available for a song, this lovely offering should drink well for 5-6 years.

Much the same can be confidently said of the 2011.

***********

Tenuta Bellafonte Sperella Montefalco Bianco (DOC) 2019 12.5% 

€19.95   64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Sperella is produced with the grapes of the younger vineyards of Tenuta Bellafonte. The free-run must is fermented spontaneously at controlled temperature, the wine matures for about 5 months on the lees in stainless steel tanks. Once bottled it refines in bottle for some months before being released during the spring after the harvest. It is vinified from indigenous yeasts and bottled without filtration

Colour is a strong straw. Lime and Bergamot feature in the aromatics. Citrus notes continue on the palate, pineapple too; it is intensely fresh and full of supple character with a backbone of minerality. Impressive body too. Highly Recommended.

It comes from the small area of Montefalco, part of Umbria perhaps best known for its tannic red Sagrantino.

The vineyard expands on it: “The area of Montefalco, and more generally the Umbria region, can boast a deep-rooted tradition not only for reds but also for white wines. Particularly fresh wines, intriguing for their structure and surprising with the evolution. These wines, thanks to a particular gastronomic vocation, has always been side by side, to the typical reds of the territory.”

As the area has only come to any kind of international prominence in recent decades, many will not have heard of it, or of its Sagrantino and certainly not of its Spoletino grapes from which this white is produced. Sometimes you will see Trebbiano Spoletino  (as you do on this label) but the addition of Trebbiano is not helpful as it is a name shared between quite a few different Italian grape varieties (some of which are not even related)..

The owner Peter Heilbron is a relative newcomer. About 15 years ago, he was the busy MD of Heineken Italy. Then he and his wife Sabina purchased this wonderful 40-ha property and set aside 11 hectares for the vineyard (the rest of the land is dedicated to woodland, orchards and olive trees).

Heilbron designed his winery, completed in 2010, building it into the clay and marl hillside with subterranean porous walls made from gabions, steel baskets filled with stones. The winery is energy independent, using solar panels for electricity and generating heat and hot water by burning vine cuttings in a biomass boiler.

This should be a versatile wine at the table. Mussels and fries, Scallops and black-pudding, white meats such as chicken or pork (and probably a few red meats as well), along with vegetable dishes and mushrooms, may be essayed.

2022 Beer of the Year. Confirmed to date

 2022

Beer of the Year 

Confirmed to date

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 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. 

"More pétillant than fizzy". Another amazing new cider from Killahora:

Another amazing new cider from Killahora: "more pétillant than fizzy"

Killahora Orchards Bottle Conditioned Dry Bittersweet Cider 2019, 5.9%, 750ml (champagne style) bottle

Colour is close to that of apple juice. Quite murky though, so you won’t see the bubbles rising unless you look down on top of the glass. Remember though that the goal here was “to be more pétillant than overly fizzy” and that has certainly been achieved.

Aromas are definitely of the orchard. There’s quite a posse of flavours on the palate, delicious light fruit flavours (not just those of an Irish orchard), moderate spices too, and just the slightest hint of the oak. Amazingly well balanced and a long dry finish. 

Be sure and swirl this around on the palate, the better to appreciate the many qualities of a rather special drink, a flavourful and honest record of the south-facing Killahora slopes where the apples were grown and the cider made.

This is a “first production” version, a blend of some of their finest ciders from 2019 (mostly), barrel-aged and allowed to mature in the cellar. “It is our first production of a pure dry bottle conditioned cider made from 100% juice, wild fermented and with nothing added. Serve at 8-10 degrees and with spicy foods or meat.”

That blend? Killahora: It’s a ‘3 year blend’ inspired by Belgian Oude Gueze – so takes c. 30% from 2018 barrel aged cider, 55% from 2019 barrel aged and the remaining 15% from our 2020 harvest from the fermentation tank.  This hadn’t fully fermented so gave a bit of residual sugar but more importantly a fermentation kickstart – we didn’t want to add commercial yeast.” The final label will have a gold foil on it and will be based around a 2020 blend, but with very similar characteristics.

The producers recommend a serving temp of 8-12 degrees.  “Chill horizontally and pour first few glasses without pause to minimise sediment if the aesthetics are preferred – however there is a lot of goodness in the lees so don’t be shy to drink it!”

“As a pairing,” they say, “this is robust in taste so would go well with pork belly, Korean chicken wings, Mexican, oily fish like mackerel and funky cheeses.”  We tried it with Pork Belly (with some apple sauce made from The Apple Farm’s Bramleys) and it worked a treat.

Killahora have noted “more interest internationally in these natural wine style productions which really show off the potential complexity of cider when we step away from the more accepted methods of industrial production.  Would appeal to natural wine and lambic drinkers as well as seasoned cider drinkers.” Personally, I’m not too sure you need to be a seasoned cider drinker to enjoy this beauty, our Taste of the Week.

The Maritime Hotel & Bantry Town. Great Base For West Cork & South East Kerry

The Maritime Hotel & Bantry Town

Great Base For West Cork & South East Kerry.

Our base for a recent quick trip to Bantry was the town's Maritime Hotel. And an excellent place it is, with very courteous staff, from reception, to bar to breakfast. Comfortable spacious rooms here, all with a view over the harbour. 

Made a call to the bar and confirmed (again) The Maritime supports local drinks producers - gins, whiskey and beer - and I was delighted to see the 9 White Deer Kölsch on draught. What a superbly refreshing drink, a fine reward after a walk on sunny Sheep’s Head.

And breakfast is good, served in an impressive room. There is a hot buffet but here it is regularly refreshed. And you have the usual juices, meats and cheese too, and breads of course. No shortage at all. The long low rise hotel ais  few steps from the main square, has its own underground car park and that, with a lift up to reception, is very convenient. Recommended.

Brendan the Navigator

It is also very convenient as a base for touring. We didn’t have all that much time on this occasion and our main trip was to the fabulous Sheep’s Head Peninsula and that walk on the Goat’s Path. But Mizen and Beara are also within easy reach and you can head for Kerry via the spectacular Healy Pass.

Corner of the breakfast room

After our Friday breakfast, we headed uphill to a place called Vaughan’s Pass though I think the locals call it Sheskin and you’ll also see Dromleigh Heights on signs. Turn up High Street and look out for the signs (you do go past the local hospital). A good Sat-Nav or this Google Maps link should get you there. You will see some large communication aerials on the top as you approach and there is a car park.

It is well worth making this trip, particularly on a clear day as you will see spectacular views of the Bantry area, the harbour including Whiddy Island and right across to Glengarriff. Very Highly Recommended,

We took our time there for a while before heading back down to the town and the fantastic Friday morning market, held in the impressive Wolfe Tone Square where statues of St Brendan and Wolfe Tone himself stand. 

Aside from the food, you can buy carpets and other household items, lots of bric-a-brac and certainly lots and lots of tools. I think there were at least three stalls selling hand tools there on that Friday and they seemed popular. This being Bantry, you will also find a stall selling fishing gear. Quite a varied market and one that will be getting better as the days get longer. Our main purchase was a box of plants, now happily taking root in the back garden!

On this trip:

The Fish Kitchen 

Garden goodies from the
market's Natural Growing
Company

Donemark West Restaurant

Sheep’s Head Peninsula

Previous Trips:

A Couple of Days in West Cork

Manning’s Emporium. Syrian Food.  An Eagle’s Nest.

Burgundy on the Beach. Room with a View. Magic. 

 

Glengarriff’s Eccles Hotel

Bantry’s Donemark West Restaurant

Bantry’s Donemark West Restaurant

Chicken

You’ll find one of the Bantry's best restaurants in Donemark West. Donemark what? You may well ask. Well Donemark West is a small but excellent restaurant in a cottage type building between Bantry and Ballylickey. 

You’ll find them waiting at the door for you with a warm welcome and soon they’ll have you seated with menus in hand. Service, from start to finish, was just as friendly as  the welcome, helpful too without being intrusive in any way

The seating is varied. There are a couple of tables for two, a few booths for four, a circular booth for six and another free standing table for six. Large windows look out across the road but the blinds were down when we visited perhaps to shade us from the setting sun. There are roadworks in slow progress outside but don’t worry as Donemark has its own parking yard. 

We called there towards the end of March for dinner, nibbling on their excellent breads and dips while waiting for our starters. Our options included Warm Scampi Salad, Golden Fried Brie with Sweet Chilli Jam, or Union Hall Smoked Salmon all off the regular menu while the Specials were Leek and Potato Soup, Chicken Liver Paté with Smoked Skeaghanore Duck and Local Crab Toes in Garlic Butter.

Crab

Those delicious crap toes were my pick. CL absolutely enjoyed her Peri Peri Warm Chicken Salad. I got a taste of that and the chicken, so well cooked, was also really high class, as good as you’ll get. 

And they kept coming up with the good things. Again I went to the Specials board (they do tell you all about them in any case) for my Grilled Fillets of John Dory with a Prawn and white wine sauce. Looked great and tasted even better. 

Meanwhile the fish theme continued with our other mains of Baked Fillet of Cod with a garlic crumb, cauliflower purée and bacon crumb, another delicious and well executed dish. 

John Dory and prawns

We knew there were sides coming but more than surprised when four dishes arrived for sharing: red cabbage, mash potato, fries and carrots. Again all nicely cooked, not too hard, not too soft. Lovely and all as they were, we didn’t get through all the sides but the main dishes were certainly polished off with gusto.

Other mains on offer that evening were Honeyed breast of Barbary Duck; two different steaks, Dry aged fillet and Dry aged Ribeye; and a Wild Mushroom Risotto with Parmesan and Salad. And they have a wide ranging selection of wines to choose from.

To finish we could pick from their Cheeseboard or from desserts such as Meringue Kisses with cream, strawberries and caramel sauce; Creamed Rice Pudding with ice cream; or Vanilla Crème Brûlée. We decided to share the Warm Chocolate Fondant with Praline and ice cream, a real treat for the finalé.

Cod

The place was buzzing at this point but that didn't stop our main server from seeing us to the door and saying good night. Like I said, a friendly spot with good food. 

Also on this trip:

Sheep's Head Peninsula

The Fish Kitchen

Maritime Hotel

Nationwide Dining Week. Over 100 restaurants have already joined.

media release

Nationwide Dining Week. 

Over 100 restaurants have already joined.

Supported by the Restaurants Association of Ireland and Fáilte Ireland

Restaurants are invited to sign up to Dining Week!

Reach up to 1 million customers – from 19th to 28th April 2022

Restaurants nationwide are invited to sign up to a new hospitality incentive ‘Dining Week’, taking place from 19th to 28 April 2022. Utilising a new booking platform ‘Early Table’, the ten-day promotion will give a much-needed boost to the restaurant sector as it emerges from two years of lockdowns. Over 100 restaurants nationwide, from Bistros to Fine Dining, across all cuisines, have already registered to make the most of the opportunity to see their business benefit from a package of promotions aimed at filling tables at quiet times. 

 Dining Week is supported by the Restaurants Association of Ireland and Fáilte Ireland, with over 300 restaurants expected to take part.  Diners that book early via the Early Table platform, will receive a 25% discount on their food, filling tables that would otherwise sit idle.

Restaurants load tables onto the Early Table platform according to how many extra customers they want to attract on that given day or night. Through a comprehensive marketing and PR programme, Dining Week will be promoted to over 1 million potential diners, across media, broadcast and online.

When: Tuesday 19th to Thursday 28th of April

The Cost: It’s free to list your restaurant and there are no commission fees

Your Offer: 25% off food only, drinks charged at full price

The Bonus: All Dining Week restaurants can stay featured on Early Table platform year round, free of charge.

To participate in Dining Week, contact: Mason.mcgovern@earlytable.ie / 0857306327

Or visit: https://diningweek.ie/

Please see social channels below:  

https://www.instagram.com/earlytable.ie/

https://www.facebook.com/earlytable.ie/

https://twitter.com/Early_Table

https://www.linkedin.com/company/80490996/  

Dining Week is proudly sponsored by WorldPay from FIS