Any Pubs Serving O'Haras stout (black label)?

Slydice

Do any of the pubs around town have the black label O'Haras stout on tap or in bottles? I seem to have developed a taste for the stuff in recent months.

tom traubert

I'm open to correction but I believe the answer is no. I've been a fan of the wheat beer (curim), and an occasional drinker of the stout since the brewery was launched all those years ago. I remember getting pints on tap in many pubs around town for the first few weeks after launch.

Then those good people in diageo (if that's what it was then) began swamping the town with an aggressive marketing strategy, and in the background (I'm told) they employed a variety of bullying tactics aimed at publicans to get them to drop the new beers. A typical example of the big lad bullying the wee man, commercially speaking of course.

The upshot of it was that even the bottles of local beers all but disappeared out of the pubs in town. The last place I saw any Carlow Brewing Co. beers on tap was in The Lord Bagenal in Leighlinbridge. That was a couple of years ago however. The last place I saw bottles available in town was in Teach Dolmain. The last time I asked for Curim however it was not in stock.

oxygen

It’s embarrassing, you can get Currim on tap in the Porter House in Dublin. Usually they rotate the selections of beers but the Curim is a permanent fixture. You can get bottles of Currim in several places in Dublin, Against the Grain etc. As far as I know its no where to be seen in Carlow, or at least difficult to get.

Diago are absolute gangsters. There responsible for the bland overpriced drink we generally have to endure on a night out.

tom traubert

I agree with the above, except for the embarrassing part.

Publicans need to make profits and if their main supplier might penalise them for stocking a competitors product it's a no-brainer for them really.

I wish it weren't so.

Thundercats Ho

Carpe Diem have O Haras' IPA on draught. They have some of the other O Haras brews on bottle too. The theatre have o haras bottles. The Irishmans have O Haras bottles too.

allthedoyles

O Sheas in Borris sell it in bottles anyway

slimjimmc

Quite a few supermarkets in Carlow have bottles on the shelves. Often got it in Superquinn, Tesco, and that supermarket (who name I always forget) beside the Jasmine restaurant. Sometimes in SuperValu. Haven't seen it on draught anywhere and gave up looking for it in any of the pubs.

foggy_lad

Is it not on sale in Aldi in bottles?

doughef

not really answering your question op, but they have it on sale in Grogans, South William St, Dublin.
Grogans is possibly one of the busiest pubs in the city so I think thats a a big deal to get your foot in the door there!

Fair play to the O'Haras. I worked for them years ago.. lovely fellas

Taffy Kat

Beer in pubs in Ireland is awful. Guinness, for all its marketing prowess, is not a nice drink. Its far too bland to be considered a real stout. Compare it to Young's Double Chocolate Stout for example and the difference is clear as day. Smithwick's is a disgrace, it tastes like water and in a comparison with any Real Ale it falls down terribly. Then we have super sweet Bulmers, and those awful awful lagers. Anyone who has drunk German, Polish or Czech lagers knows Carlsberg, Budweiser and Heineken are horrible.

jay gatsby

Taffy Kat wrote: »

Beer in pubs in Ireland is awful. Guinness, for all its marketing prowess, is not a nice drink. Its far too bland to be considered a real stout. Compare it to Young's Double Chocolate Stout for example and the difference is clear as day. Smithwick's is a disgrace, it tastes like water and in a comparison with any Real Ale it falls down terribly. Then we have super sweet Bulmers, and those awful awful lagers. Anyone who has drunk German, Polish or Czech lagers knows Carlsberg, Budweiser and Heineken are horrible.

Just as a matter of interest what would you reference as examples of real ales?
Any available in Carlow?

oxygen

Taffy Kat wrote: »

Beer in pubs in Ireland is awful. Guinness, for all its marketing prowess, is not a nice drink. Its far too bland to be considered a real stout. Compare it to Young's Double Chocolate Stout for example and the difference is clear as day. Smithwick's is a disgrace, it tastes like water and in a comparison with any Real Ale it falls down terribly. Then we have super sweet Bulmers, and those awful awful lagers. Anyone who has drunk German, Polish or Czech lagers knows Carlsberg, Budweiser and Heineken are horrible.

Agree with above %100. Any idea where I can get this Youngs Double Chocolate Stout? Sounds :cool:

Drinking Ale in Wales change my opinion of Smithwicks. Honey Flavour light ale :cool:

As a side note, Cafe Formente on Dublin street have a forign larger tasting night on Wednesday night. That is literally all I know about it, and that they server some food with it.

Taffy Kat

jay gatsby wrote: »

Just as a matter of interest what would you reference as examples of real ales?
Any available in Carlow?

Loads in Tesco's and they're doing a promotion at the moment, five bottles for €10, second last aisle, at the end near the tills.

Old Peculier
Hobgoblin
Anything by Young's

Plenty there, too many to recommend .

Owryan

Didnt know that offer was still running .

Some of the Carlow beers were included in it and the youngs choc stout which is lovely. Should also try the bananabread beer too.

Slydice

Thanks for all the Feedback folks. Got O'Haras black label stout in Carpe Diem and the Irishmans. Cheaper in Carpe Diem but free wifi in the Irishmans. Both grand pubs anyway.

doughef wrote: »

not really answering your question op, but they have it on sale in Grogans, South William St, Dublin.
Grogans is possibly one of the busiest pubs in the city so I think thats a a big deal to get your foot in the door there!

Thanks, I didn't know that. I've been to Grogans before so this is a good reminder to visit the place again

tom traubert

I'm glad that my first response to the OP was wrong; and also that I prefaced it with "I'm open to correction". Having "pesky kids" plays havoc with ones local knowledge of all things pub related.

'Looking forward to a few bottles in The Irishmans, or next door, sometime soon now.

Owryan

Sad I know but I havent been in a pub in Carlow in 3 years or more so forgive my ignorance but where is Carpe Diem ? Or what used it be called ?

bogof

Owryan wrote: »

Sad I know but I havent been in a pub in Carlow in 3 years or more so forgive my ignorance but where is Carpe Diem ? Or what used it be called ?

Carpe Diem is a new pup located near the Courthouse . Between the Irishmans and Mullarkey insurances. When I say"new" its probably been open two years

Taffy Kat

Owryan wrote: »

Didnt know that offer was still running .

Some of the Carlow beers were included in it and the youngs choc stout which is lovely. Should also try the bananabread beer too.

So you're the latchico who was buying the other Chocolate Stouts and making me have to keep going down to see if they were back in stock! :mad:

Try the Ginger Beard too, its different but nice.

Currently I'm drinking a bit more lager as I tend to prefer ales in the winter (although the weather here seems like winter lately).

Although even with lagers I tend to be particular; Polish, German, Czech and the Italian ones (which all use only four ingredients), yes yes yes, Heineken, Carlsberg, Budweiser and Coors Light oh no no no!!!

I love going back home for weekends and getting real beer on tap though.

Owryan

Taffy Kat wrote: »

Owryan wrote: »

Didnt know that offer was still running .

Some of the Carlow beers were included in it and the youngs choc stout which is lovely. Should also try the bananabread beer too.

So you're the latchico who was buying the other Chocolate Stouts and making me have to keep going down to see if they were back in stock! :mad:

Try the Ginger Beard too, its different but nice.

Currently I'm drinking a bit more lager as I tend to prefer ales in the winter (although the weather here seems like winter lately).

Although even with lagers I tend to be particular; Polish, German, Czech and the Italian ones (which all use only four ingredients), yes yes yes, Heineken, Carlsberg, Budweiser and Coors Light oh no no no!!!

I love going back home for weekends and getting real beer on tap though.

Dunno if im buying them all but have a few in the fridge at the mo.

Taffy Kat

Owryan wrote: »

Dunno if im buying them all but have a few in the fridge at the mo.

Where do you live and can I come round tonight to watch the football?

Owryan

Taffy Kat wrote: »

Where do you live and can I come round tonight to watch the football?

strictly byob lol

Taffy Kat

Owryan wrote: »

strictly byob lol

Ah that's not at all charitable...

I'll bring a few Heineken and do you a swop!

Owryan

Taffy Kat wrote: »

Ah that's not at all charitable...

I'll bring a few Heineken and do you a swop!

that stuffs only good for pouring down the drain lol

tried "moonraker ale" and "fursty ferret" last night, both pretty good.

which reminds me i have to stock up again

Taffy Kat

Owryan wrote: »

that stuffs only good for pouring down the drain lol

tried "moonraker ale" and "fursty ferret" last night, both pretty good.

which reminds me i have to stock up again

That's why I suggested it . Wasn't gone on Fursty Ferret, but Moonraker is one of the best. I have my own theory that the further north you go in the UK the better the ale gets. Not sure how my opinion of Bedford-based Young's Double Chocolate fits into that equation, but Lancashire, Yorkshire and Scottish ales are generally top quality. There's a few good ones from Wales but Tesco's seems to be ignoring us.

Owryan

Does good beer not stop once you cross the Welsh border !!!!!! :eek::eek::P

Anyway less talk, its your round !

Taffy Kat

Owryan wrote: »

Does good beer not stop once you cross the Welsh border !!!!!! :eek::eek::P

Anyway less talk, its your round !

Haha suggest a pub and a time and I'll buy you a drink, as long as you buy me one back !

No crappy beer pubs though, at least one that has proper ale or Polish beer in bottles!

The Tesco's promotion is being continued now until 19/06/12 and the shelves are fully stacked again. In my opinion, Real Ale is going to be the next big thing over here, Tesco's don't throw their money away on things they don't think will work. And, without wishing to offend anyone, things that take off in the UK usually take off in Ireland a few years later; wine and coffee spring to mind as classic examples.

Owryan

Taffy Kat wrote: »

Haha suggest a pub and a time and I'll buy you a drink, as long as you buy me one back !

No crappy beer pubs though, at least one that has proper ale or Polish beer in bottles!

The Tesco's promotion is being continued now until 19/06/12 and the shelves are fully stacked again. In my opinion, Real Ale is going to be the next big thing over here, Tesco's don't throw their money away on things they don't think will work. And, without wishing to offend anyone, things that take off in the UK usually take off in Ireland a few years later; wine and coffee spring to mind as classic examples.

Sorry, but i dont be doing pubs anymore lol.

cruhoortwunk

Good to see a few pubs in Carlow finally getting some O'Hara's on tap.

If the Irishman definitely has it, it is worth adding to this directory:
http://www.beoir.org/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=search&Itemid=69

wheres me jumpa

Initially it was in a lot of pubs locally. I assume if it was a success it would still be on sale locally.

Shame as its nice.

Must resort to buying a few in Tesco and hitting a field somewhere!