What beer are we drinking this week ?

MANUTD99

Drinking some Porterhouse Red and some Proper Job IPA. The IPA from St Austell is really nice. Pity Super Value don't stock Irish Craft Beers though. They have a great selection apart from home grown Irish. Had to walk to Superquinn to get Porterhouse.

I've been emailing Supervalue pretty much on a monthly basis to stock something from the Irish Craft Brewers..

the beer revolu

stevenmu wrote: »

Had some Porterhouse Red last night, loved the fruity flavour. Had some Sierra Nevada too, delicious and refreshing. I'm loving these craft beers.

Now all I need is to find something with the fruityness of a red with the refreshing hoppyness of an IPA. Any suggestions?

Brewdog 5AM Saint
Odell's Red Ale

JnarF

stevenmu wrote: »

Had some Porterhouse Red last night, loved the fruity flavour. Had some Sierra Nevada too, delicious and refreshing. I'm loving these craft beers.

Now all I need is to find something with the fruityness of a red with the refreshing hoppyness of an IPA. Any suggestions?

I second 5am Saint, brilliant beer.
Could try Prohibition Ale from Speakeasy as well, I think it's a great beer.

BaZmO*

the beer revolu wrote: »

Brewdog 5AM Saint
Odell's Red Ale

2 excellent choices, and very similar to each other.

I'd throw in Odell's St. Lupulin too, good bit more hoppier but still a beautiful beer.

tony 2 tone

Had some Sierra Nevada IPA and Torpedo yesterday, and Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout today. Want to try the Sierra Nevada Porter and Stout next.

Dahtac

If you like Brooklyn's stout you'll get on famously with Sierras Nevada's

Glebee

Glebee wrote: »

Only new to the whole craft beer/ale scene, but am just complete sick of the regular pub beers.

Had a couple of bottle of Bishops Fingers last week end. Not bad.

Now ive picked up the following to sup on..

2 x hobgoblin.
2 x O'Haras Irish Red.
1 x OHaras IPA.

I know everyones tastes are different, but are there any other ales out there that are a must try.....:)

Just got a chance to tackle some of these.
Have to say I think the Hobgoblin was my favourite,
although I might have to try more of the O'Haras IPA
to make up my mind fully.;)

stevenmu

Thanks for the recommendations all, they're going on the list to try.

I'm loving all these world/craft beers, can't believe I've been missing out on them for so long. I've always loved going abroad and trying the local brews, and I often go out locally wanting to try something new but only finding the usual suspects available, I never knew there was such variety and range available here until I started reading this forum (next stop Homebrew )

Tonight's tasting list was:

O'Haras Red: Deliciously deep caramel and roast flavours, perfectly balanced together.

Headless Dog: I'll need to try this again to be sure but it seems a bit like a mild IPA mixed with a little bit of mild red ale with a definite hint of orangey wheat beer. A little tangey to start, with a mildly fruity middle and definitely some bits of wheat floating in there. I only had one but I'd imagine this is something you could drink a lot of in one go.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot: I don't know where to begin describing this one, so many flavours in so many combinations. Definitely a big beer, 9% ABV and it has big flavours to cover it up so that you don't taste the alcohol, but you're always aware that the alcohol is there underneath it. A lovely smell of caramel and roast, and an initial taste of bitter that gives way to caramels, toffees, a little liqourice, a hint of citrus, a lot of malt, and a lingering bitterness that sticks in the back of your mouth (and that's only one mouthful, I'm discovering something new on each one ).







(p.s. why do I feel the need to describe each of these beers in ever increasing amounts of detail ? )

LaBaguette

It's a good thing to be able to word what you feel about beers, I'm often struggling to do it.

Is Big Foot their barleywine stuff ? I had it once, and I hated it. Perhaps I wasn't prepared, but the alcohol taste was way too present (I don't mind high ABVs, I just don't like it when you can actually taste alcohol), much too sweet for my taste. I have trouble labelling it "beer" at all, but then again it may be the point. Anyway, barleywine is now a taboo word for me.

I'm just back from the PH temple, where they had Barbar on tap. It was of course brilliant, although I though that it was more "grainy" and had less honey than the bottled version I'm used to.

It's only there for a few day though, but they'll have some nice stuff after that - La Chouffe, McChouffe, Barbar Bock and - oh I cant wait - Tripel Karmeliet are on the way. Tripel Karmeliet is like a meal out of beer. Very far away from the stern 4 ingredients rule, it's made with barley, wheat and oat, with the addition of a few spices. It's brilliant. Not hoppy at all, as you would expect from a Belgian beer, but the grain, fruit and spices aromas are divine.

Saruman

Careful Steven, it sounds like you have caught the bug.

You will be blogging about beer next!

ciaran76

Dragon Slayer IPA from the tap was a nice hoppy and also malty ale.
I found it a little too sweet on the aftertaste but it wasn't too bad. Glad I tasted it but not a session beer.

Moved onto Wanderer Session India Pale Ale and this was much more down my street. It reminded me of Thornbridge Jaipur but a "lite" version.

It was very hoppy and a lovely citrus aftertaste the type you get after grapefruit. This would be a great session beer.

irish_goat

Anyone tried the seasonal special brown ale in Messrs? I had a pint today and I don't know if it was a problem with the beer or the gas but it was ridiculously carbonated, could barely taste the beer but got a feeling of sparkling water going down my throat. Had to get a straw and stir the beer to get some of the fizz out of it to make it drinkable.

After that it was quite nice though.

Picked up a Whitewater Cooperhead and a bottle of Hoegaarden Rosée that I've never seen before (I don't have terribly high hopes but I can share it with a female friend who drinks good beer if needs be).

LaBaguette

If memory serves, the Rosée was launched at about the same time as the 1664 Blanche, and I was very weary of a summer marketing plot to sell watery crap.

I was truly mistaken. I was at that time follwing the Trappist Gospel, and yet this raspberry beer was a delicate summer delight. It's basically Hoegaarden with less spice and more fruit. Works very well.

Even though I hate the term "ladies' beer", I see what you mean and I concur. It's one of those beers that make a good gateway brew - not too bitter, but still with enough depth to be interesting beer. Speaking of which, I had two friends who "don't like beer" with me tonight, and they absolutely enjoyed Barbar and Friar Weiss on tap.

I also tried the McGrath Black (dry stout) they had on cask at the PH Temple, and I was not impressed. Perhaps I don't have enough knowledge of that style, or perhaps I'm used to nitro stouts, but the carbonation was really too low for my taste on that one. The smell was very nice, coffee and all, but there was not much more to taste. Mild bitterness, vaguely fruity coffee aromas, and that's about it. But the texture was definitely an issue for me.

Also, Barbar Bok is coming on tap after the regular Barbar. I'm tempted to speed up the emptying of the keg just to have a go at the Bok.

Black Sheep

a round-up of the past week or so.

First of all: A few bottles of Galway Hooker from Deveney's in Dundrum. I still can't shake the feeling that someone dropped the ball badly with the design of the label, but nice to finally try the bottled version. I thought it was a little more muted, taste-wise, than on tap, but the second bottle grew on me. Looking forward to trying a couple more of these but my initial reaction was that while I would climb over barbed wire to get to a pint of Galway Hooker in most pubs the bottled version didn't quite result in the same fireworks for me (and I'm not sure why).

Crackbird: Formerly a pop-up restaurant serving fancy fried chicken in Temple Bar... Now a permanent restaurant serving fancy fried chicken on South William street. They serve cases and four packs of Pilsner Urquell at a reasonable price, but the real 'win' are the bottles of 8 Degrees Howling Gale Pale Ale. Enjoyed these a lot more the second time around. Nice hoppy offering.

Against the grain: Went in with the ball and chain and had a nice chat with the bartender about the Lughnasa beerfest next week. ATG has Brewdog 5AM Saint and Dungarvan Black Rock stout on cask at the moment. The missus opted for a beerbat and pronounced the Lindemann's apple beer very tasty (predictably) but wasn't so fond of the Bay Ale (me either....). First time I've had 5AM Saint on cask and ... Wow... A world away from the bottles. Served at cellar temp this is a seriously syrupy, drinkable take on english ale. I'd certainly nip in there before that cask is finished. Aside from that a couple of pints of Trouble Brewing Or as well. Confirmed it in my mind as an excellent session beer.

Following on from ATG we walked up to Anseo and had a couple of Galway Hookers. Comparing the two bars it does strike me that Anseo had a bit more of a 'buzz' going on, and I wonder whether that isn't partially to do with the slightly lower lighting (although it could just be a byproduct of a younger crowd too).

stevenmu

LaBaguette wrote: »

Is Big Foot their barleywine stuff ? I had it once, and I hated it. Perhaps I wasn't prepared, but the alcohol taste was way too present (I don't mind high ABVs, I just don't like it when you can actually taste alcohol), much too sweet for my taste. I have trouble labelling it "beer" at all, but then again it may be the point. Anyway, barleywine is now a taboo word for me.

Yep, it's the barleywine (SN seem to call it both a barleywine and a beer alternately).

I came at it from the point of view of just wanting to try different styles and tastes, and from that point of view I thought it was ideal, and I really enjoyed it. I can understand not liking it though, if I was just looking for a few relaxing beers or to satisfy a thirst I would have hated it. It's more of a drink it to experience it thing.

Saruman

LaBaguette: Bigfoot is best aged. If you got a new bottle, keep it for a year. It mellows out and becomes much smoother. That said, I like it perfectly fine when young as well.
It's not exactly the same but their celebration ale is a similar scenario. I compared a young and old version.
I have actually done a comparison of a 2010 bigfoot and a 2011, I just have not posted my write up yet for some reason.

irish_goat: The brown ale is not supposed to be very fizzy at all. Might have been some sort of gas thing. It is a lovely beer.

irish_goat

Saruman wrote: »

irish_goat: The brown ale is not supposed to be very fizzy at all. Might have been some sort of gas thing. It is a lovely beer.

I was thinking that fact that it was 3pm on a Monday afternoon that maybe it hadn't been poured in a bit. Would have said something to the barman but I was just treating myself to a quick one before the bus back to Donegal so didn't bother. It was nice once I got the fizz out of it and it heated up a little.

Sarky

the beer revolu wrote: »

Tried the Abstrakt last night - certainly very big and interesting but it just didn't really work for me (at €13 a bottle:eek:).

Bradley's, Cork has it for closer to €11. Interesting drink, without a doubt. worth buying once, at any rate.

I also got my hands on some Blandford Fly. It's really bloody good, I think. The ginger taste is understated and very, very nice.

writhen

Havin a couple of cans of Smithwicks - quite nice.

Black Sheep

Two bottles of Goose Island Summer Ale. A good session beer, but really for summertime knock-it-back-cold-from-the-fridge drinking I think I prefer their 312 Urban wheat beer. Probably partially because of fond associations with Chicago holidays, but also because there's something really crisp and refreshing about it. The Summer ale is a little darker and hoppier, but still worth a look too.

irish_goat

Had my Whitewater Copperhead last night, lovely beer and very sessionable at 3.7%. Starting to think Whitewater brewery can't do any wrong.

Also, emailed Tesco Ireland asking them why they didn't have BrewDog.

Thank you for your email.

I am sorry to hear that you have been unable to purchase the Brew dogs beer. Having looked into the availability of the Brew dogs Beer, I am sorry to have to advise you that the beer is not available in our Irish stores. Despite this, I have sent your request to stock this product to correct area of the business. There is no guarantee that the beer will be stocked but I have every confidence that your concerns will be addressed.

Kind Regards

Deborah Gilbert
Tesco Ireland Customer Service

JnarF

irish_goat wrote: »

Had my Whitewater Copperhead last night, lovely beer and very sessionable at 3.7%. Starting to think Whitewater brewery can't do any wrong.

Also, emailed Tesco Ireland asking them why they didn't have BrewDog.

Mustn't have done her research too hard if she referred to them as "Brew dogs" twice in the e mail!
Fair play for asking all the same.

irish_goat

JnarF wrote: »

Mustn't have done her research too hard if she referred to them as "Brew dogs" twice in the e mail!
Fair play for asking all the same.

I also don't know why she told me they weren't available in Irish stores. I quite obviously knew that or I'd not have emailed! :P

They stock them in Tesco UK anyway and it's not like the bottles would take up a lot of shelving space, here's hoping.

KJ

I just had a brewdog prototype 17. It was really nice. The raspberry flavour was spot on. Not too sweet but you could definitely taste them. I wish I had more than just the 1 bottle

Mo14

Just had a Thwaites Old Dan and I really enjoyed it. Other recent beers for me include Young's Double Chocolate stout, while the name is questionable, it really was a delicious stout, and La Trappe Bockbier, while I didn't find it wonderful, it went down very nicely, some decent flavours in there. (I need to work on my beer descriptions )

thelynchfella

sitting down to few bottles of these bad boys!!! Very Tasty!!!

Saruman

thelynchfella: Where did you find those?

I enjoyed Sierra Nevada summerfest on tap at The Bull and Castle last night. Pretty tasty lager that.

Heroditas

Tonight: Old Empire India Pale Ale

slayerking

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale tonight.
Still 6 for 12 in Superquinn

Black Sheep

Lughnasa Beerfest last night. Very well-organised event, I thought. Bigger than I anticipated and a curious mix of beer afficionados, foodies and what I think of as 'mainstream' Friday night-out party people.

Let's see-

Brewdogg punk IPA- hoppy.
Brewdogg hardcore IPA- hoppier.

8 Degrees sunburnt red ale- nice and syrupy.
8 Degrees howling gale pale ale- this is really growing on me. A very accomplished beer.

Rogue Ale- being stocked from September onwards here I gather. Excellent ale but couldn't help be a bit dissapointed by the very miserly serving I got from the guy behind the table. Perhaps he had limited stock.

Trouble Brewing Or- Multiples. Saw their bottling for the first time. Sweet label ... That's how to do it.

Then a triumvirate of ClannConnell, Belfast Blonde and Headless Dog.

Metalman pale ale and Windjammer (last keg, apparently)> Super stuff.

And I think that was that.

It looks like an awful lot of beer written down like that, but as anyone who was there will be aware- the glasses and the servings were dinky (as it should be, given the nature of the event I think. it encouraged people to move around and try various offerings).

Heard a couple of spanners on the luas on the way in talking about how they planned on 'getting loaded' on the 'free beer' that would be had at the beerfest before they would go on to their 'real night out'. Thankfully not much of that sort of thing in evidence.