Cask Conditioned O'Hara's Red in the Bull and Castle.

Saruman

Anyone ever see "herself" in their beer?

Goibniu

Continuously

Red Sleeping Beauty

I just got two bottles of O'Haras from the offy. I got the wheat beer and the stout.
Just finished the wheat beer there. It's really really nice. I can't help but agree that it tastes "golden" , whatever the feck that means
I'll crack on the stout now in a few mins. It was €3 each which I have to say is expensive in my book but at least it's not Diageo.

How often is this Bull and Castle party ? How much are the pints ?

Red Sleeping Beauty

The Stout's "smokey"

BeerNut

Alan Rouge wrote: »

It was €3 each which I have to say is expensive in my book but at least it's not Diageo.

The supermarkets usually do them for €2.80 or so. Superquinn have an offer at the moment of two for €4.78.

Alan Rouge wrote: »

How often is this Bull and Castle party ?

It's just regular pub stock: noon to closing time every day. While stocks last, of course.

Alan Rouge wrote: »

How much are the pints ?

€4.30, generally. Sometimes a smidge more.

Red Sleeping Beauty

BeerNut wrote: »

The supermarkets usually do them for €2.80 or so. Superquinn have an offer at the moment of two for €4.78.


It's just regular pub stock: noon to closing time every day. While stocks last, of course.

€4.30, generally. Sometimes a smidge more.

Cheers. I must have a look in Superquinns then.
When's the next cask coming in do you know ? Is it just the Red they have ?
€4.30 sounds alright considering most City Centre pubs are breaking the fiver mark for a pint.

Is there any of the wheat beer or stout in the pipeline ?

BeerNut

Currently there's a stout on: Carlow's excellent Druid's Brew. It's been on since Wednesday, so I'd try to get there as soon as possible as it won't last much longer, I'd say.

Not sure if there's anything cued up to follow immediately.

Saruman

I wonder are they in talks with whitewater? Would be nice to have some Clotworthy Dobbin on cask.

BeerNut

Saruman wrote: »

Would be nice to have some Clotworthy Dobbin on cask.

I've never been too impressed with cask Clotworthy -- the cascade finish seems to get lost somewhere. The keg version is mighty tasty though.

Saruman

Interesting... oooh that reminds me. I'm heading to my parents house after work to kill time as my wife is working till 11pm tonight. I left a bottle of Dobbin in their fridge a few weeks back
I would be very surprised if anyone drank it.... I hope not and if they did they better have finished it and enjoyed it.

BeerNut

Quick! Phone ahead and ask someone to take it out now!

Saruman

hmm lets see.. Its a 500 ml bottle so about 2 standard drink sizes? I will get there by about 6 or so, takes two hours for each drink to leave my system so 4 hours. I will be driving at 10:45 so it would be cutting it close.

Are my maths wrong? I might just have to not drink it and keep it for the weekend.
Should be a fun weekend, I am bottling my stout and also I have three beers that the Purity brewing company kindly sent me to sample to try out.

Red Sleeping Beauty

I called in to the Bull& Castle this evening for a drink.

I didn't know where this cask stuff was but I was directed upstairs for beer so I just stayed there. Got a sweet pint of O'Hara's Stout first which was lovely. Then I tried Galway Hooker which I thought was a bit heavy, nice but not what I wanted really. Then back to another O'Hara's for my last.

The bottles of O'Hara's are a good bit more expensive than in a shop but at €4.40 for a pint I was happy. €4.40 for a Guinness would probably be below the average price and I was expecting the O'Hara's to be mega expensive cause specific smaller stuff does be - custom made guitar pedals, foreign/independent films and other hand made foods.

I think I'm converted. Where else in Dublin does O'Hara's ?

BeerNut

Alan Rouge wrote: »

I didn't know where this cask stuff was

You didn't notice the black monster on the bar downstairs?

Alan Rouge wrote: »

but I was directed upstairs for beer so I just stayed there.

They'll generally bring cask stuff up to you, if you ask. I'm surprised no-one mentioned it to you. Did you ask for cask?

Alan Rouge wrote: »

I was expecting the O'Hara's to be mega expensive cause specific smaller stuff does be - custom made guitar pedals, foreign/independent films and other hand made foods.

Draught beer is the exception -- the craft stuff is generally cheaper than the factory-made crap. Fact is, Diageo and Heineken could turn a profit by selling their beer at €1 a pint, but they don't have to so they don't.

Alan Rouge wrote: »

I think I'm converted. Where else in Dublin does O'Hara's ?

Just O'Neill's on Suffolk Street, but it's a bit dear there. For a full list of Irish pubs selling Irish craft beer see here.

Red Sleeping Beauty

BeerNut wrote: »

You didn't notice the black monster on the bar downstairs?


They'll generally bring cask stuff up to you, if you ask. I'm surprised no-one mentioned it to you. Did you ask for cask?

Draught beer is the exception -- the craft stuff is generally cheaper than the factory-made crap. Fact is, Diageo and Heineken could turn a profit by selling their beer at €1 a pint, but they don't have to so they don't.

Just O'Neill's on Suffolk Street, but it's a bit dear there. For a full list of Irish pubs selling Irish craft beer see here.

Thanks again Mr Nut. I did see the big black thing downstairs but only as I was leaving. When I walked in I was greeted by two women who showed me the way to upstairs for the beerhall. I always assumed it was a pub first with food second actually. Anyway, I didn't look at the downstairs bar until I left.

I didn't ask for cask stuff when I didn't see the big black thing (I'd looked at your picture before I went today so I had a look at the bar upstairs for it) and I only saw the posters for cask beer as I was leaving actually.
I'll have a go next time I'm in town though.

Fact is, Diageo and Heineken could turn a profit by selling their beer at €1 a pint, but they don't have to so they don't.

That's pretty shocking stuff considering there's places that charge €5.70 for a Carlsberg. Wow.


Is O'Neills not a bit of a tourist bar and fairly expensive ? I think they changed their set up int he last few years didn't they ? (similar to Thing Mote becoming O'Donoghues.

BeerNut

Alan Rouge wrote: »

I always assumed it was a pub first with food second actually.

Unfortunately not: downstairs basically becomes a restaurant at 5 or 6pm and they turf the drinkers upstairs until about 10. Not a fan of that policy m'self.

Alan Rouge wrote: »

That's pretty shocking stuff considering there's places that charge €5.70 for a Carlsberg.

TV advertising and comedy festival sponsorship aren't cheap. That's where your €5.70 is going.

Alan Rouge wrote: »

Is O'Neills not a bit of a tourist bar and fairly expensive ?

It is pricey, like I say, but the draught beer selection is extensive. And the carvery lunch is the best in the city centre, IMO. It's a general rule that decent beer bars in Dublin -- O'Neill's, The Bull & Castle, The Porterhouses, Messrs Maguire -- are touristy. The connecting factor is that Irish drinkers aren't interested in decent beer, by and large.

Alan Rouge wrote: »

I think they changed their set up int he last few years didn't they ? (similar to Thing Mote becoming O'Donoghues.

Don't think so. The only real change I've noticed in 14 years' sporadic drinking there is the smoking area upstairs.

Red Sleeping Beauty

BeerNut wrote: »

The connecting factor is that Irish drinkers aren't interested in decent beer, by and large.

Ironic surely ? Probably right though. I didn't pay much attention to the crowd cause I was on my tobler.

Don't think so. The only real change I've noticed in 14 years' sporadic drinking there is the smoking area upstairs.

It was just something I'd heard from a friend actually. Maybe it was a misunderstanding. The only one time I was there was a midweek night and it seemed like an aul man's bar actually.

ladhrann

BeerNut wrote: »

It's a general rule that decent beer bars in Dublin -- O'Neill's, The Bull & Castle, The Porterhouses, Messrs Maguire -- are touristy. The connecting factor is that Irish drinkers aren't interested in decent beer, by and large.

Amen. The very sad fact is we have have some of the greatest pubs in the world and some of the worlds' worst beer is sold in them.


As a matter of interest does anyone else get a reaction to drinking the regular muck (apart from drunk..haha)? I find now that after drinking Guinness (etc.) I get terrible sinus inflammation (sneezes, snot etc.) the next day.:mad:
Real ale in a bottle (English or O'Hara's) no problem.....

Is there any word on the current cask le situation in the Bull & Castle??

PLUS in the UK you can get a pint of real ale for £1.30....

Red Sleeping Beauty

ladhrann wrote: »

Amen. The very sad fact is we have have some of the greatest pubs in the world and some of the worlds' worst beer is sold in them.


As a matter of interest does anyone else get a reaction to drinking the regular muck (apart from drunk..haha)? I find now that after drinking Guinness (etc.) I get terrible sinus inflammation (sneezes, snot etc.) the next day.:mad:
Real ale in a bottle (English or O'Hara's) no problem.....

Is there any word on the current cask le situation in the Bull & Castle??

PLUS in the UK you can get a pint of real ale for £1.30....

My body can process Guinness pretty efficently so I don't get any side effects. Only get a hangover if I mix with something other than whiskey.

I was in a Sainsburys and a Morrisons in Glasgow a while ago and they've loads of different ales. Every pub will have something different. I'd assume it's the same in most places in Scotland, England and probably Wales but I don't know much about the latter's drinking other than "Brains"

BeerNut

ladhrann wrote: »

Real ale in a bottle (English or O'Hara's) no problem

I don't think there are any bottle-conditioned O'Hara's beers.

ladhrann wrote: »

Is there any word on the current cask le situation in the Bull & Castle??

They were still doing Druid's Brew yesterday evening.

ladhrann wrote: »

PLUS in the UK you can get a pint of real ale for £1.30....

Indeed. I was in the Whalebone brewpub in Hull last week where bitter was £1.30 and mild £1.60 a pint.

Saruman

BeerNut wrote: »

I don't think there are any bottle-conditioned O'Hara's beers.

Except the elusive Celebration Stout I think

BeerNut

Saruman wrote: »

Except the elusive Celebration Stout I think

There's nothing on the label about it being bottle-conditioned.

marceldesailly

no don't think it is bottle conditioned

Saruman

BeerNut wrote: »

There's nothing on the label about it being bottle-conditioned.

Oh I thought someone said it was. Never having been able to purchase it I guess I would not know. I only tried it when you magically produced a bottle at the bull and castle.

slayerking

Is there any particular reason why Carlow dont do bottle conditioned beers? Considering there fond of doing casks!!! I must ask Liam next time I see him?
A special edition bottle conditioned Druids Brew would be sweet!!

oblivious

slayerking wrote: »

Is there any particular reason why Carlow dont do bottle conditioned beers!!

Probably a stability/shelf life issue and their bottler maybe not set up for bottle conditioning

Red Sleeping Beauty

Got an aul bottle of their extra stout tonight. Looking forward to it

ciaran76

drinking Galway hooker now and its a lovely ipa.

johnnyskeleton

ladhrann wrote: »

Amen. The very sad fact is we have have some of the greatest pubs in the world and some of the worlds' worst beer is sold in them.

World's worst beers eh? I take it you haven't traveled outside of Europe much.

ladhrann wrote: »

As a matter of interest does anyone else get a reaction to drinking the regular muck (apart from drunk..haha)? I find now that after drinking Guinness (etc.) I get terrible sinus inflammation (sneezes, snot etc.) the next day.:mad:

Don't worry, its purely psychosomatic. The next time someone gives you a pint of Guinness tell yourself it was made at midnight on the winter solstice by monks from a small village outside Skibbereen - then you'd be extolling its health virtues.

ladhrann wrote: »

Real ale in a bottle (English or O'Hara's) no problem.....

It sounds like you don't care about the quality of the ale so long as it is in a bottle (and is unpopular). Spitfire is a foul tasting peppery ale, but because it's Real Kentish Ale I'm sure you'd rather it to Smithwicks, Kilkenny, Rebel Red and the likes.

johnnyskeleton

ciaran76 wrote: »

drinking Galway hooker now and its a lovely ipa.

Tis pretty tasty, if you can order it from the bargirl without embarrassment.