Trouble Brewing - Dark Arts - Availability

subway

They had it on draft on Wednesday, don't think they had a cask.

It's stormy port night in there tonight, wish I was going. Enjoy

Seaneh

Have it good authority that McCambridges in Galway will have Dark Arts by the end of next week.

Happy days. Malty goodness will be gracing a venison stew with some good high cocoa chocolate next weekend with all going well!

Been wanting to cook with it for a while now.

Funnyfakename

I have on good authority that they are sending some casks of Dark Arts and Ór down to the Franciscan Well cask festival that's on in the middle of Feb. So if anyone is in Cork that'd be the place to go.

Rumour has it that Dark Arts is going in on cask on the rotation tap in The Black Sheep pub on Capel Street when it opens.

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Going to the Bull and Castle this evening, is it in there at the moment?

subway

According to their facebook it's available

Seaneh

Starting to think that maybe, just maybe, DA isn't actually all that great? Been drinking Anchor Porter and Knockmealdown and DA a lot lately and, honestly, DA doesn't stand up to either at all at all. Just seems very watery and lacking in flavor. Not a bad bee as such, just not a very good beer...

Anyone else thinking something similar?

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It's nicer bottled that on draught, imo.

But, in the B&C at the weekend, it was certainly better than the cask Dungarvan Stout.

The Dungarvan Stout had a very, very watery and light mouthfeel, and not much by way of flavour, I had one pint of it, and was back on the DA after it.

Seaneh

Des wrote: »

It's nicer bottled that on draught, imo.

But, in the B&C at the weekend, it was certainly better than the cask Dungarvan Stout.

The Dungarvan Stout had a very, very watery and light mouthfeel, and not much by way of flavour, I had one pint of it, and was back on the DA after it.

Blackrock on cask is pretty watery alright.
It's only about 4% so not much fermentables in it to give flavour I guess (DA is 4,4 so mot much better).
Blackrock is different though it's more dry and coffee-ish than DA, neither are world beaters though.

I didn't really like DA on draft at all and the bottles are better I just don't feel like they are worth paying for when I can get better beers for a smililar or cheaper price...

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When it comes to beer, I'm not a big lover of hoppiness at all, and I love maltiness (Eddie Rockets malts, maltesers, ovaltine I love them all!!), so Dark Arts is definitely a winner for me. I do genuinely like the bottled version, and it would definitely be something I'd go for in a pub.

I think it is worth paying for, simply because it's a good bit different to any of the other Irish craft beers.

You have a fair number of red and pale ales, most of those are too hoppy for my tastes so I don't bother with buying them very much after trying them once and sucking my lips off with the bitterness, and stouts also number fairly highly.

I do like Belfast Blonde and Ór though, although hoppy, they are tolerable for me.

I'm a major Dark Arts fanboi though, and if it was the only drink available, I'd be happy, bottle or draught.

Seaneh

If you like really malty stuff, try Galway Bay's Stormy Port, a lot of people actually say they find it too malty/sweet/chocolatey, it's about 5.1% abv though, so not one to be throwing back!

It's no better than DA really but it's cheaper if you're in Black Sheep/Against the Grain.

I am a massive Malt fan myself by the way, I love stuff like Old Engine Oil, Leann Follain, Clothworthy Dobbin, HookNorthn Double Stout, Brooklyn Black Chocolate etc.

If you ever see Seirra Nevada Porter in an offie, give it a try Des, it's a seriously malty beast, as is Anchor Porter.

Any american porter style beer will be a massive burst of maltyness.

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I've had the Anchor Porter alright, and saw the Sierra Nevada stuff the last time I was in my local decent offie, will probably get a few the next time I'm down.

BaZmO*

Des wrote: »

When it comes to beer, I'm not a big lover of hoppiness at all,

How can you not love hops!?!?

Des wrote: »

and I love maltiness (Eddie Rockets malts, maltesers, ovaltine I love them all!!),

You would've loved Dungarvan's Coffee and Oatmeal Stout on cask so. Amazing beer. You can still get it in bottles.

Seaneh wrote: »

If you ever see Seirra Nevada Porter in an offie, give it a try Des, it's a seriously malty beast, as is Anchor Porter.

SN Porter has a bit of a hop kick off it though. Nothing crazy, but they're definitely to the fore. Great beer all the same.

I suppose it depends on what you actually don't like about hops. Is it the bitterness or the actual flowery/herbal taste?

Seaneh

BaZmO* wrote: »

I suppose it depends on what you actually don't like about hops. Is it the bitterness or the actual flowery/herbal taste?

Yeah, that's the thing, in SN Porter (and Anchor Porter) the hops are only there for bitterness, and without that bitterness, the beers would be way too sweet.

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Here's what happened.

I took a tour of the Monteith's brewery when I was in New Zealand, I love their Black beer.

While on the tour, the guide passed around hop pellets and told people to try them.

The chalky pellets ended up stuck in my teeth for pretty much the full hour and a half of the tour and I just cannot stomach any really strong hop flavour any more.

It's becoming a bit more tolerable, year on year, and eventually I'll probably be lowering back the IPAs like there's no tomorrow, but for now there's more than enough beers in the world that have more malt and less hoppy profiles to keep me happy.

Actually, I wonder what I'd get if I lobbed a couple of kilos of spraymalt into ten litres or so of water, added yeast and sat back for a fortnight :pac:

BaZmO*

Seaneh wrote: »

Yeah, that's the thing, in SN Porter (and Anchor Porter) the hops are only there for bitterness, and without that bitterness, the beers would be way too sweet.

Well most stouts are only brewed with one early addition of hops to extract the bitterness from the hops to balance the sweetness of the malts. But I reckon SN Porter definitely has some finishing hops (no added bitterness, just hop flavours) in there.

edit: Yep, they do.
bittering hops Goldings
finishing hops Willamette
bitterness units 32

The bitterness is listed, so maybe you can look at that Des when trying the more hoppier beers?

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BaZmO* wrote: »

The bitterness is listed so many you can look at that Des when trying the more hoppier beers?

Good idea, so the bitterness of SN Porter is 32.

Is the bitterness listed for other beers, apart from SN?

I didn't know much about beers back then, and when I put the hop pellets into my mouth I knew immediately the taste, it was always a taste that caught in my throat anyway, the hoppy bitterness is just not a flavour I like very much.

BaZmO*

Des wrote: »

Is the bitterness listed for other beers, apart from SN?

Some breweries do it, but it's not the norm.

BaZmO*

Des wrote: »

Actually, I wonder what I'd get if I lobbed a couple of kilos of spraymalt into ten litres or so of water, added yeast and sat back for a fortnight :pac:

Something very similar to Kvass I suppose.

noby

Des wrote: »

Here's what happened.

I took a tour of the Monteith's brewery when I was in New Zealand, I love their Black beer.

While on the tour, the guide passed around hop pellets and told people to try them.

The chalky pellets ended up stuck in my teeth for pretty much the full hour and a half of the tour and I just cannot stomach any really strong hop flavour any more.

Wow. The only time I would offer someone a hop pellet to taste is as a practical joke. Usually you would rub the hop in your hands to release the aroma of the hop. No wonder you're put off hops!

oblivious

Des wrote: »

I didn't know much about beers back then, and when I put the hop pellets into my mouth I knew immediately the taste, it was always a taste that caught in my throat anyway, the hoppy bitterness is just not a flavour I like very much.

noby wrote: »

Wow. The only time I would offer someone a hop pellet to taste is as a practical joke. Usually you would rub the hop in your hands to release the aroma of the hop. No wonder you're put off hops!

Des that is a really nasty trick to play on anyone and the hop acid will burn the sensitive membrane in your mouth, dont let that put you of hops

Monteith's are also the idiots who try to copyright the German beer radler, :mad:

noby Richard Corrigan did a similar thing on TV a few years ago, he was insistent on "trying" all the ingredient that go into beer!!!

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oblivious wrote: »

Des that is a really nasty trick to play on anyone and the hop acid will burn the sensitive membrane in your mouth, dont let that put you of hops

It already has, I'm afraid.

subway

Bit of a revival, anyone know current dublin city centre bottled availability?
I've been looking for it the last 2 weeks but keep getting told its out of stock

BeerNut

Fairly sure I saw it in DrinkStore during the week.

subway

Cheers. Think he always has it, just a Bit far out is the only thing. On foot so hoping for somewhere in d1 or d2

Martyn1989

subway wrote: »

Cheers. Think he always has it, just a Bit far out is the only thing. On foot so hoping for somewhere in d1 or d2

Martins Offlicence in fairview have it

subway

Deadly, that's on my way :-)

subway

Thumbs up to martins :-)

Martyn1989

subway wrote: »

Thumbs up to martins :-)

They have a great selection in there, some really good stuff. If you havn't found it yet and your around Fairview alot, Lilac wines up on Philipsburgh Ave also have a great selection of craft beers. Both have very good staff aswell.

Focalbhach

I''ve never made it to Martin's, but I'll happily second the Lilac Wines recommendation. Great range, helpful staff.

subway

Had a couple of pints of this in o Neills last night.
They seem to be selling a nitrogenated version and doing it in a multi part pour. I don't know enough about beer systems to know if this is something they are doing wrong or if it's just a variation?

Either way, it tasted odd so I wouldn't be ordering there again.