CorkBillyBeers #42. Craft with four of the best: White Hag, Heaney, Wicklow Wolf and Dupont

CorkBillyBeers #42

Craft with four of the best: White Hag, Heaney, Wicklow Wolf and Dupont.

Session. Saison. Pale Ale. Stout.

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White Hag Little Fawn Session IPA 4.2% ABV, 330 ml can Bradleys

I’ve come across Little Fawn quite a bit over the last few years on draught across the country and I’m always glad to see it, always glad to see any White Hag beer in a pub or restaurant. Its wide availability confirms its status as a classic Indian pale ale and, also because of its lower-than-usual ABV, as a go-to session beer.

The White Hag are rightly proud of its modern independent craft brewery from Sligo, on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. “We brew innovative and groundbreaking beers, inspired by ancient and classic styles.”

They certainly hit, and continue to hit, the bull’s eye with this one, an easy-to-drink American-style session IPA. Brewed with 100% Irish malt for a pale, very clean base.

An easy-to-drink American-style session IPA. Brewed with 100% Irish malt for a pale and layered with Mosaic hops, famous for their ever-changing fruity aroma. The colour is a light gold with a slight haze. No shortage of bubbles rising to a soft white head. Citrus-y in the aromas with a hint of something softer as well. The flavour is fruity hops with aromas of blueberry, passionfruit, grapefruit and more. Well balanced, with a mild lingering bitter finish. Lip-smacking stuff!

Very Highly Recommended.

They use ancient tales in selling their many and varied beers including this Little Fawn yarn. He was discovered “as a child on the slopes of Ben Bulben by Bran & Sceolan, this young and sprightly warrior spent his summers foraging and hunting the mountains and woodlands. These local flavours are reflected in the taste experience.”

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Heaney Notifications Off DDH Nelson Sauvin Pale Ale 4.7%, 440 ml can Carry Out Killarney

“Switch off and enjoy this double dry-hopped pale ale, bursting with grapefruit, gooseberry and tropical fruit, brewed and canned by Heaney Farmhouse Brewery at The Wood, Bellaghy. Co. Derry.”, exhort the Heaneys.

They are talking about their relatively new Pale Ale, crammed with Nelson Sauvin Hops from New Zealand, “Tradition refreshed.”

The colour is a weak orange, quite murky, almost opaque, with a fluffy white head. Aromas are fruity and their tropical nature bursts out as the liquid roams the palate before a lip-smacking finish. 

The Nelson Sauvin hop has been regularly compared to the superb local wines made from Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand, and there are similarities. That hint of gooseberry is one (grape and passion fruit are other characteristics of the hop) and there’s a bracing acidity as well. The beer is perfectly balanced, quite a thirst quencher on sunny days and also on not-so-sunny ones.

Very Highly Recommended. Another good one from the Heaney brewery.

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Wicklow Wolf Apex Oatmeal Stout 6.5% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

“A full-flavoured stout that will leave you wanting more.” That’s the message from Wicklow Wolf.

The stout is black with a coffee-coloured head. Coffee in the aromatics as well. And also on the palate, intense stuff with a slightly sweet creamy smoothness. And yes, more is the request!

Apex champions a heavy malt bill, brewed with only the best flaked Irish Oats, specialty chocolate and coffee malts. No wonder this stout is the base for quite a few Wicklow Wolf variations.

Very Highly Recommended

Geek Bits

Hops: Bravo

Malts: Pale, Chocolate, Roast Crystal, Brown, Carafa, Oat, Cara

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Saison Dupont 6.5% ABV, 33 cl bottle Bradleys

A Standard. A Classic. The Best.

I’ve been enjoying it every summer for the past six years. I've enjoyed quite a few others as well but none comes near. If there were a Saison World Cup, then the Dupont team would be favourites and would win. As Michael Creedon of Bradley’s told me a few years back “if you don’t like this, you don’t like saison”.

Beer has been brewed here in Belgium’s Hainaut for centuries, though it is only in the last 20 years or so that the Dupont Brewery has become a global reference for saison. 

Farm beers of this type – light, rather dry but fruity – were traditionally brewed during the winter, ready to quench the thirst of the seasonal field workers (saisoniers) during the summer to follow.

It is a cloudy mid-amber, with fountains of micro-bubbles. Aromas of citrus. Light and fruity, zesty and refreshing, yet no shortage of hearty flavour. Reckon any labourer, even a keyboard one, would be happy with this impeccable beer. Superb finish also with the bitterness now at the forefront. Nothing quirky, nothing extreme other than extremely good.

They say: Saison Dupont was first brewed in 1844. This copper-blond beer yields amazingly delicate aromas paired with pronounced hop bitterness. The house yeast and the local hard water, drawn from a well, play an important role in the creation of this beer. An in-bottle refermentation makes a major contribution to the development of this complex and highly aromatic beer.

Reds from the DÃO and the Douro. Concluding the Portugal mini-series

Concluding the Portugal mini-series (with two from Liberty Wines)

Reds from the DÃO and the Douro

Part V of the Portugal mini-series

The Douro is perhaps the best-known of the Portuguese wine regions, mainly because of its historic connections with Port. While the British were enjoying the fortified sweet wines, the locals were enjoying their own simple table wine, even the infants were drinking wine rather than water, according to the chapter on the Douro in Foot Trodden.

The Douro Valley is a spectacular place and draws all kinds of tourists including of course wine lovers. As you know, much the same grapes are used for Port as for still red wine. 

The Dão is one of the oldest established wine regions of Portugal, located just south of the famous Douro Valley. The mountainous region is home to Touriga Nacional, and only became a DOC in 1990.

The region’s wine industry, for so long shackled by the dictator Salazar’s imposed cooperative system that rewarded quantity over quality, certainly needed the improvement in quality that has taken place in the last 30 years or so.

More on these two regions here in Part II of our mini-series on Portuguese wine.

Quinta Dos Carvalhais Touriga Nacional Dão (DOC) 2019, 13.5% ABV.

RRP €32.95. Stockists: Baggot Street Wines; Wineonline.ie; The Corkscrew; Martins Off Licence

An outstanding expression of Touriga Nacional

This intense, complex, and elegant Touriga Nacional from the heart of the Dão is a dark ruby colour with slightly lighter tones at the rim. Aromas of black fruit and well-integrated spice from its 12-month oak ageing are followed by vibrant dark fruit and spice on the palate. The wine has great depth, acidity, and smoothness, and the finish is long and persistent.

The Touriga Nacional is a much-loved indigenous variety, but it is rare, in Ireland at least, to see it bottled on its own. Quinta dos Carvalhais is located in the Terras de Azurara sub-region of the Dão, to the southeast of Viseu.

The 105-hectare estate, with 50 hectares under vine, was purchased by Sogrape in 1988. They invested a huge amount into improvements in both the vineyards and the winery – and are credited with spearheading the quality renaissance of wines from the Dão in the early ‘90s.

Following decades of state control and a cooperative monopoly in the region that favoured quantity over quality, they replanted the region’s indigenous grape varieties, such as Touriga Nacional and Encruzado, and saved them from near extinction.

Our wine here may be a single varietal but the art of blending has been utilised. Even the single-varietal wines here are complex blends of different plots on the estate, vinified separately before blending. The Touriga Nacional showcases the signature black fruit and violet characters of this prized indigenous grape alongside a well-integrated spiciness from 12 months in French oak.

The final blend was made to fully express the high quality of the Touriga Nacional, as well as the distinctive character of the Dão region. 

Overall, this is an outstanding expression of Touriga Nacional. It is complex and elegant, with great depth and length, a welcome “guest” at any wine lover's table. It is advisable to serve at a temperature of 16-18 degrees Celsius. It is a "very gastronomic" wine that pairs well with dishes such as octopus à lagareiro, oven-roasted pork, and mushroom risotto.

Very Highly Recommended.

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Check my growing list of top wines for 2023

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Check out my Good Value Wine List here

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Casa Ferreirinha Papa Figos Douro Tinto (DOC) 2021, 13% ABV.

RRP €20.95 Bradleys, McHugh’s Off Licence - Malahide Road/Kilbarrack Road,

Wineonline.ie, Baggot Street Wines, Pinto Wines, Drink Store, The Vintry Rathgar.

A feast for the senses.

The label sums this Douro red pretty succinctly: mid complexity, medium tannins, mid-body, full fruit. It advises serving it at 16 degrees with fish and shellfish, poultry and beef. Pasta with a tomato-based sauce should also be considered. Also quite delicious on its own.

This ruby red wine is a feast for the senses. The nose is bursting with aromas of juicy strawberries, blackberries, and cherries, with hints of violets. On the palate, Papa Figos is smooth and balanced, with velvety tannins and lively acidity. The ripe fruit flavours linger, making it an easy-drinking treat.

It is, like most of the country’s wines, a blend and in this case consists of 30% Tinta Roriz, 30% Tinta Barroca, 25% Touriga Franca, and 15% Touriga Nacional. It may well be from the land of cork but it does come with a screwcap closure. 

By the way, Tinta Roriz is also known as Tempranillo, and it is the most widely planted grape in Portugal. It gives the wine its red fruit flavours, such as cherries and strawberries.

There was no use of oak in the winemaking process and the wine remained in a mixture of stainless steel and concrete vats until bottling and this helped it towards a fresh and fruity profile.

The wine is called 'Papa figos' or 'fig muncher' which is the nickname for the golden oriole (featured on the front label), a migratory bird that passes through the Douro. 

Highly Recommended. Talking about the wine here, not the bird (though it looks beautiful)

The grapes for this blend are sourced from high-altitude vineyards in the Douro Superior region, with around 25% coming from Quinta da Leda (the flagship estate) in the far eastern reaches of the region, close to the border with Spain. Soils are predominantly schist (right)

The Duoro Valley, in brief:

• The Douro Valley is located in northeastern Portugal, along the Douro River.
• It is known for its steep slopes and rocky soils, which are well-suited to growing grapes.
• The region is home to a wide variety of grape varieties.
• Both red and white wines are produced, as well as Port (for which it is justly famous).
• The wines of the Douro Valley are known for their complexity, intensity, and longevity.

The valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Portugal. A number of wineries in the region offer tours and tastings. It is also a popular destination for hiking, biking, and river rafting.

Portugal mini-series

Part V (Dão, Douro)

Part IV (Vinho Verde, Lisboa and Alentejano).

Part III (Alentejo) 

Part 11 (Douro, Dão, Alentejo and Setubal.)  

Part 1 (Minho) 

A weekend stroll in Cobh.

A weekend stroll in Cobh. 

Deutschland (Nassau), a cruise liner.

St Colman's Cathedral

Flowers frame the Water's Edge Hotel

See also: Take a walk or a run in Cobh

See also: Cobh on a sunny morning

The Titanic Experience (nearest) with the Commodore Hotel (in blue)

Commodore Hotel

The blue-painted Commodore Hotel looks well.

Coffee time at Casement Square

Cathedral and boats

The new-ish Arch Wine Bar & Café in Casement Square

Annie Moore and siblings.

Underground Donut Tour Digs Into Cork's History And Diversity. And Doughnuts Of Course!

Underground Donut Tour Digs Into Cork's History And Diversity.

And Doughnuts Of Course!

Donut ranks at Offbeat

Pat, a proud Corkman, was our guide as we marched through the city last week in search of doughnuts, or donuts as the Americans, and now most of the world, spell it! 

Not exactly marching, more like strolling. And not just doughnuts, there were other sweet treats in the mix, including croissants and churros and quite a chunk of local history.

The tour takes about two hours and there are four food stops in total, each chosen because they are local and support local. Dulce Cafe (Oliver Plunkett Street), Cameron Bakery (Parnell Place), Offbeat Donuts (French Church Street) and Golden Bites (Kyrl Street) are the quartet.

Our guide Pat

And all this fits in well with the aims of founder and owner Jeff who started the tour in his native Chicago and guided its spread to over a dozen cities in the US and Canada. Now, Europe has been added to the list with Dublin and London starting just before Cork. 

Jeff: “At each stop you sample donuts, beignets, churros or other local delicacies while learning the history of each shop”.

We linked up with guide Pat outside Dulce, the first stop, and, as he sang the praises of the establishment, we happily tucked into our first donuts, one an Oreo, the other churro-based. Think we two preferred the Churro over the darker Oreo but no doubt chocolate lovers will go for the other one.

Dulce Bun House is centrally perched on the main thoroughfare of Cork City on Oliver Plunkett Street. The family-run café, which already has achieved many awards, opened its doors in 2017 with an ethos to provide deliciously tasting coffee and sweet treats.

A little history now as we strolled up Oliver Plunkett Street. Do you know where Turner's Hotel was? Look on the wall above JJ Walshe’s pub. Speaking of walls, we soon saw the old city wall in the Grand Parade, the onion seller (sculpted by Seamus Murphy) in the park, the Berwick Fountain, the cannon that masquerades as a bollard.

Gone but not forgotten on North Main Street.

Back down the Mall then, past the National Monument and others, past the restaurant Jacobs on the Mall (once the Turkish Baths) and past the famous Imperial Hotel. 

Around the corner into Parnell Place and here we called into Cameron, a French bakery, and they had some sweet (and large) croissants for us, one with chocolate chip, the other with apricot. Here, though both were delicious, a pattern began to emerge as it was the lighter one that got the nod.

Cameron is a traditional French Bakery, now with three locations across Cork City. They offer a large range of French bread, baguettes, sandwiches, pastries,... "all prepared in store under your eyes with seasonal ingredients".

Mary Elmes, hero of WW2

Tanora, the Real Cork donut

Up Merchants Quay after that, Pat uses the river and its two channels to hammer home the point that the city is an island. Two bridges named after two famous Corkonians lay ahead. First, the newish pedestrian bridge named after the heroic Mary Elmes, the second was named after sporting icon Christy Ring.

Into the middle of the island to visit Offbeat Donuts who recently opened their first shop in Cork to add to a string in Dublin. It has an amazing range. No Corkman could turn down the famous Mi Daza (flavoured with a famous local lemonade Tanora).

The second, the Caramel Crumble, is dipped in a smooth luscious caramel, topped with homemade crumble and milk chocolate, and finished with a piece of Twix, which is also very acceptable indeed. So too were the seats upstairs.

St Fin Barres, from Nano Nagle Bridge

After that short rest in what is known as the Huguenot Quarter, not that we were under any pressure, we headed for North Main Street (the original "main" street of the nascent city) and its famous ancient lanes, many of them now closed but even those are recalled with bronze plaques on the footpath. Instead of looking up here, we were looking down!

Dulce

Soon we were turning right into Kyle Street and the Brazilian-owned Golden Bites. They are famous for their mini churros and we enjoyed two versions, with a delicious sauce of Nutella or Caramel (Dulce de Lecce). Freshly deep-fried and covered in sugar and cinnamon, these were sweet! You can guess our favourite.

Golden Bites is well-known in the markets where, as in Kyle Street, they offer Mini Churros, Savoury Snacks and Acai Smoothie Bowls. Of course, they appeal to Brazilians living here. "Are you homesick? Golden Bites is the best place to solve it! Here, you can find the best Brazilian snacks. You'll love it! You can have all these delights in your home too, order them on Deliveroo or Uber Eats."

An unexpected end to the Underground Tour. But nobody will be complaining if all endings are as sweet as this Brazilian touch in an old Cork street.

Cameron's Croissant

The Underground Donut Tour Cork is a great and relaxing way to learn about the city's history and sample some of its delicious food. 

More on the Cork tour here.