Boards irish beer of the year 2013-nomination thread

adamski8

Its been a great year for irish beer and why not crown our own beer of the year!

Stick your irish beer of the year down to be nominated for a poll. Arguing a case for it welcome!

Ill go with glaway bays Of foam and fury.
I think this will be a forerunner. Burst into the scene in nov this year and is arguably the first 'proper' DIPA ireland has produced. Coupious amount of hops (132IBU) along with a great malt backbone. 8.5% but like i think with any great beer, masks its strength and is smooth on the palette. With bottles on the way, hopefully it makes it more accessible to the rest of the population.

the beer revolu

I would add some of the 8 Degrees specials:

Hurricane
Cyclone
Amber Ella
Zeus Black IPA

I'll let someone else nominate the Aztec as I didn't care for it and the the Russian Imperial Stout as I haven't tried it yet.

Lovely Bloke

My own nomination is Kinnegar Rustbucket Rye Ale.

The reason for my nomination is because I think it's a little bit "different" in style from the other offerings available from the other Irish brewers. It seems to be a part of their core range, appearing on all posters etc.

I think it's a much more drinkable beer than any DIPA can be, at 5.1% and a gorgeous balanced flavour between hops, the caramel-y malt and the spicey, peppery rye - which for me is the best thing about the beer. I absolutely love how Rye kind of tames the hop flavours.

I think it's not only a good beer for seasoned craft beer drinkers, but also accessible to people who wouldn't usually drink "those weird beers", which for me is also a box ticked in it's favour.

You won't get many non-Crafty types sitting down and enjoying OFAF, which to me is a minus point for that particular beer - just not accessible enough.

so anyway, I don't mean to engage in slating other beers, but wish to celebrate Rustbucket Rye Ale, it's a winner.

They also sent me a free t-shirt for giving this beer a good review on my blog, so I may be biased

MonstaMash

Porterhouse The Devil’s Half Acre or Porterhouse Louder

Hootanany

Galway Bay Full Sail for me I had a lick for proper Job until i tasted this bad boy.

tomhalloween

Kinnegar Devils Backbone did it for me.

irish_goat

Tough decision but I'd probably go for 8 Degrees Kindred Spirit.

the beer revolu

I'd also have to add the, at this stage, old faithful Metalman Pale Ale.
As an everyday beer it never fails to please me.

I also think Kinsale Pale Ale is a lovely, light approachable floral pale ale.

+1 on The Devil's Backbone a lovely dark malty beer with nice balancing bitterness.

Lovely Bloke

the beer revolu wrote: »

I'd also have to add the, at this stage, old faithful Metalman Pale Ale.
As an everyday beer it never fails to please me.

I also think Kinsale Pale Ale is a lovely, light approachable floral pale ale.

+1 on The Devil's Backbone a lovely dark malty beer with nice balancing bitterness.

Dude, you can't nominate every beer

Aglomerado

Another nomination for Amber Ella here.

drumswan

Was Buried At Sea 2012 or 2013?

BMJD

Black's Kinsale Pale Ale

Off topic: why is O'Hara's DIPA not considered Ireland's first DIPA??

irish_goat

BMJD wrote: »

Off topic: why is O'Hara's DIPA not considered Ireland's first DIPA??

Jesus, get the lid back on that can of worms! :pac:

ciaran76

BMJD wrote: »

Off topic: why is O'Hara's DIPA not considered Ireland's first DIPA??

*Run to the hills :pac:

Lovely Bloke

lol

BMJD

Whoops! I'll nominate bud lite in that case.

the beer revolu

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Dude, you can't nominate every beer

Oh why??
Couldn't be just picking one beer!!

This is probably a waste of time anyway - OFAF will win hands down and probably deservedly, although the Black's beers I tasted last week give it a serious run for it's money but alas they aren't commercially available.

Seaneh

drumswan wrote: »

Was Buried At Sea 2012 or 2013?

The limited first run was december 2012, it was only available on cask and i think 2 pubs got keg. it was launched properly in 2013.

Seaneh

Of the beers I had launched this year the best were:

Galway Bay Buried at Sea
Galway Bay Of Foam & Fury
Porterhouse Louder
Metalman Moonbeam (unless it wasn't actually launched this year and I just had it this year for the first time).

eurokev

Devils backbone and kinsale pale ale for me,
Just brought home a case of each for over xmas today

adamski8

I think we should go for whatever beer we enjoyed in 2013 rather than nesscarily lauched.
Id also actually like to nominate sweetmans pale ale and their porter

Their pale is single hopped with cascade but seemily plenty of it. Always tastes fresh and great and at 5% is cracking value.

Their porter is also delious and my fav irish porte. Lots of nicely balanced roastiness about it and very sessionable.

systemicrisk

Oh definately galway bays buried at sea. Absolutely delightful. (not that i have too much to compare it to other than other galway bay beers)

Seaneh

adamski8 wrote: »

I think we should go for whatever beer we enjoyed in 2013 rather than nesscarily lauched.
Id also actually like to nominate sweetmans pale ale and their porter

Their pale is single hopped with cascade but seemily plenty of it. Always tastes fresh and great and at 5% is cracking value.

Their porter is also delious and my fav irish porte. Lots of nicely balanced roastiness about it and very sessionable.

That pale ale around for years though, it's "barrellhead pale ale", previously brewed by Fran Well, White Gypsy and a few other breweries around the country.

Hence the "ireland's most travelled craft beer" on their blurb.

adamski8

again i dont think it has to be a beer that was lauched this year but anyway, the beer is completely changed since last year. just like galway bays full sail has changed this year too.

donnacha

They are already up for the poll but I'd definitely be nominating both Amber Ella and Rustbucket. Still haven't tried Of Foam & Fury.

BaZmO*

Hard to choose, there's been so many and there's still a few I haven't tried but plan to over the Christmas, e.g. Carlow Brewing O'Hara's Barrel Aged Series Leann Folláin, Franciscan Well Brewery Stout Aged In Jameson Casks, 8 Degrees Black Series, Kinnegar Brewing 'Special' Long Tongue Pumpkin Ginger Rye Ale, Kinnegar Brewing 'Special' Yannaroddy Coconut Porter.

As for the ones I've tried, Amber Ella, Porter House Devil's Half Acre, Trouble Brewing Ormeau Dark, Kinnegar Brewing Rustbucket (super hopped version though, I don't like the regular one), Kinsale Pale Ale via a hop Randall and The Brown Paper Bag Project's Trinity would all be up there.

Would have to try Of Foam & Fury again to be sure, still haven't made my mind up on that one.

upforit101

Seaneh wrote: »

Of the beers I had launched this year the best were:

Galway Bay Buried at Sea
Galway Bay Of Foam & Fury

Wow you nominated Galway bay; Quelle suprise!
:pac::pac::pac:

I'm nominating Bo Bristle - American brown ale.

Had it on draught in the Bull and Castle - superb beer

ciaran76

Irish beers I have enjoyed this year :

Kinsale Pale Ale via a hop Randall
Galway Bay Brewery Of Foam & Fury and Full Sail
O'Haras DIPA at the Beer festival
Troubles Ormeau
Dungarvan IPA at the Beer festival
Dungarvan Helvick Gold dry hopped (Citra) at the Beer festival and bottle version.
Metalman pale ale is a go to also.

Big Nasty

Metalman Pale Ale for me.

Losty Dublin

I really loved the FW coffee porter and Kinsales superbly hopped ale both of which were at the RDS but for overall drinkability, quality, availability and its uniqueness in what is a vibrant market then the Rustbucket gets my vote as well.

matrim

One not mentioned yet that I enjoyed was the Belgian Connection collaboration between Carlow and Sweetmans. And the Brown Paper Bag Doxie deserves a mention too.

Beer of the year for me is probably Of Foam and Fury, followed by Amber Ella and then probably Hurricane.

Still waiting to try the Blacks and 8 Degreess BIPAs to see how they fit in.

schemingbohemia

I had one glass of the O'Hara's Barleywine on cask in the Black Sheep and it was amazing, I was a little inebriated at the time so unsure if I just imagined it being so fantastic, wish I could try another few just to make sure like!

I'm miles behind on tasting new beers this year, there have been so many I'm struggling to keep up, hope to rectify that with my drinkstore christmas order so if the poll could wait until January that would be great!

Scortho

Tough one between kindred spirit and of foam and fury but foam and fury was my beer of the year.

Ravelleman

For me it was Brown Paper Bag Project Oxman. A great dark ale.

drumswan

Late entry for Otterbanks Farami, very nice stuff indeed

matrim

drumswan wrote: »

Late entry for Otterbanks Farami, very nice stuff indeed

Haven't heard of that. Is it new?

drumswan

matrim wrote: »

Haven't heard of that. Is it new?

Yes, on draught at The Headline, not much info about the brewery available.

The beer itself is a chocolate, coffee, hazelnut type porter, quite robust and full flavoured.

irish_goat

drumswan wrote: »

Yes, on draught at The Headline, not much info about the brewery available.

The beer itself is a chocolate, coffee, hazelnut type porter, quite robust and full flavoured.

It was brewed at Brú Brewery, Otterbank don't have premises yet.

Creamy Goodness

not just any coffee either, it was 3fe/has bean coffee, I'd love to try it.

Lovely Bloke

I'm sure I saw it in Farrington's too?

Koptain Liverpool

Ravelleman wrote: »

For me it was Brown Paper Bag Project Oxman. A great dark ale.

It's a pretty good beer. I tend to avoid the Brown Paper Bag beers though as they're extremely over priced at appoximately €5.50 for a half pint.

BeerNut

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

I'm sure I saw it in Farrington's too?

Yep. It's in WJ Kavanagh's too. Very good beer, I thought.

Tube

MonstaMash wrote: »

Porterhouse The Devil’s Half Acre

+1

The one biggest mould breaker this year.

Brockagh

drumswan wrote: »

Was Buried At Sea 2012 or 2013?

s a

I had this a few weeks ago at Brew Dock. My favourite beer of the year.