The Best Craft Beers in Ireland... acc. to Killarney Beerfest

odyssey06

Full story here...
http://www.thejournal.ie/best-craft-beer-ireland-2151050-Jun2015/

Pale ale: O Brother Brewing The Chancer

Belgian-style ale: Hillstown Spitting Llama

Dark ale: Torc Brewing Amber Ale

Lager: Trouble Brewing Remiz Lager

Speciality beer: Kinnegar Brewing Black Bucket

Porter and stout: James Brown Brews Chocolate Orange Stout

Wheat beer: Elbow Lane Arrow Weisse

Uriel.

I've never seen or tried the "James Brown Brews Chocolate Orange Stout"

I like Stout and I like Chocolate Orange... whether I would like the two mixed together is another thing, but would like to give it a try - anyone know whether it can be got in Dublin?

RasTa

Hmm very much disagree with porter and stout from the bottle I had. Only had Black Bucket from the rest of the list and did enjoy

oblivious

Uriel. wrote: »

I've never seen or tried the "James Brown Brews Chocolate Orange Stout?

It received bronze at the Altech festival

Lovely Bloke

RasTa wrote: »

Hmm very much disagree with porter and stout from the bottle I had. Only had Black Bucket from the rest of the list and did enjoy

it's a competition judged by accredited judges, to the BJCP style guidelines, which are fairly strict, and points are lost for all manner of out-of-style flavours, colours and whatever else.

I'm not saying the BJCP is the be-all and end-all of beer judging, that's pretty subjective in-and-of itself, but it's a legitimate way of judging beer quality I suppose.

Straight judging a Stout/Porter, something with vanilla, chocolate or coffee, or a combination of those three, as a standout flavour is going to do worse than a stout with dead on roast malt and hop bittering - which I believe James Browns is, the Orange is non-existent as far as I can tell.

Zaph

Uriel. wrote: »

I've never seen or tried the "James Brown Brews Chocolate Orange Stout"

I like Stout and I like Chocolate Orange... whether I would like the two mixed together is another thing, but would like to give it a try - anyone know whether it can be got in Dublin?

O'Briens in Blanch have it so I guess at least some of their other branches will as well.

Passenger

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Straight judging a Stout/Porter, something with vanilla, chocolate or coffee, or a combination of those three, as a standout flavour is going to do worse than a stout with dead on roast malt and hop bittering - which I believe James Browns is, the Orange is non-existent as far as I can tell.

The Chocolate Orange Stout was a distinctly bland, nondescript stout imo. The Orange (or any semblance of the citrus for that matter) and even the chocolate flavour was nonexistent.

irish_goat

Wasn't overawed by the Chocolate Orange Stout myself, thought it needed more of both special ingredients and a little more "stout" character as well but fair play to the young lad. The final round was judged by solely international judges so there was no bias as well.

BeerNut

More details on the winners on the Beoir homepage now.

schemingbohemia

I enjoyed the Choc Orange Stout not earth shatteringly or mind-blowing amazing but thought it worth getting again. Branding stands out too. Will be interesting to see what he does next, fair play to him.
I do love Black Bucket, haven't tried most of the others to my shame.

Saruman

What people need to remember about competitions is that if you are not in it, you can't win it! There are better stouts in Ireland but if they don't get put in to the competition, there's little we can do about it.

James Brown was picked as the best stout submitted to the competition. It won on its own merits and rightly so. Personally, I gave it second place in the best of category round but the overall consensus was to put it in first so that's where it went. Since only the 1st place of each category went on to best in show, that allowed James Brown to get through along with 6 other beers.

It was then picked out by 5 non Irish judges with over a decade of judging experience behind them and they picked it as the best beer out of the lot.

If it wasn't any good, it wouldn't have won.

What people also need to realise is that judging beer is not the same as picking your favourite beer. For that, see the Beoir beer of the year awards.
While we used BJCP as a guideline, it was a common sense approach based on the information we had about the beer. We didn't judge strictly to style. We can't judge on how much we like the beer, we have to judge the beer itself on its technical merits.

In the case of the James Brown beer, it's a very well made stout with subtle chocolate notes. There's no clear detectable orange but that's fine because it's there to enhance the beer rather than the beer taste like a fizzy liquidised Terry's chocolate orange. If it wasn't there, it would probably be missed. The same goes for Rascal's ginger porter or their chocolate ginger porter.

Lovely Bloke

the branding won't have made a difference in blind judging though.

Lovely Bloke

Good post Saruman, and good insight into how beer judging actually works in competitions.

Now, I must go and actually taste this James Brown stout.

BeerNut

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Will be interesting to see what he does next, fair play to him.

Absolutely. And especially since it's a rhubarb IPA

Saruman

BeerNut wrote: »

Absolutely. And especially since it's a rhubarb IPA

To be specific, a tart rhubarb IPA.

I love tart beer and I also love rhubarb. I'm looking forward to it.

anncoates

Zaph wrote: »

O'Briens in Blanch have it so I guess at least some of their other branches will as well.

Citywest too. Think it was in Deveneys before too.

Thought it was nice but not amazing. Definitely not much orange in there as said already, at least to my crude palette

Would buy it again though

Son0vagun

I got to taste James Browns Brews Chocolate Orange Stout a few days after it was bottled. We all agreed it needed more orange! This was the first batch that won Bronze at Alltech. James has since amped up his recipe and I'd guess that this is what has won at Kilkenny. But I can't comment on the latest batch as I haven't tasted it yet.

I believe it's available in O'Briens, and I recall DrinkStore having some.

BMJD

I liked it, got plenty of orange from it. I think it depends very much on the temperature. Is contact brewed by Brú.

n97 mini

Saruman wrote: »

There are better stouts in Ireland but if they don't get put in to the competition, there's little we can do about it.

James Brown was picked as the best stout submitted to the competition.

I haven't had JB, but what do you rate as better out of curiosity?

Lovely Bloke

For a start I think O'Hara's Leann Follain is better, and probably would have been in the same category - was it entered?

Buried At Sea is a delicious chocolate milk stout too.

JW Sweetman Porter is the best pint available in Dublin at the price point.

irish_goat

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

For a start I think O'Hara's Leann Follain is better, and probably would have been in the same category - was it entered?

Buried At Sea is a delicious chocolate milk stout too.

JW Sweetman Porter is the best pint available in Dublin at the price point.

None of those were entered, afaik.

Brockagh

James Brown works for O'Brien's, I believe, so I'd say a lot of their shops will have it. I tried the stout and liked it, but I din't get much orange. He said at a tasting that he was going to increase the orange in the next batch.

schemingbohemia

BeerNut wrote: »

Absolutely. And especially since it's a rhubarb IPA

Saruman wrote: »

To be specific, a tart rhubarb IPA.

I love tart beer and I also love rhubarb. I'm looking forward to it.

Deadly, any idea when we might see it? Had a Rhubarb beer before, think Melissa Cole helped design the brew but can't remember who brewed it, was delicious. I see Mad Hatter are doing a Rhubarb and Custard saison which could be amazing.

Saruman

I'd say it's a watch this space sort of thing.

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

For a start I think O'Hara's Leann Follain is better, and probably would have been in the same category - was it entered?

Buried At Sea is a delicious chocolate milk stout too.

JW Sweetman Porter is the best pint available in Dublin at the price point.

I agree with everything you said there. None were entered I'm afraid.

I have the full results compiled. Just double checking them before I post them on the Beoir front page.

MonkstownHoop

Uriel. wrote: »

I've never seen or tried the "James Brown Brews Chocolate Orange Stout"

I like Stout and I like Chocolate Orange... whether I would like the two mixed together is another thing, but would like to give it a try - anyone know whether it can be got in Dublin?

Have seen it in O'Briens but just thought it was an English beer for some reason, will be getting some this weekend.

schemingbohemia

Yeah it's in O'Briens and part of their 6 for 5 Irish Beer sale which has a very decent selection.

BeerNut

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Deadly, any idea when we might see it?

He hasn't start work on it yet, but is planning to soon, so next month I'd say.

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Had a Rhubarb beer before, think Melissa Cole helped design the brew but can't remember who brewed it, was delicious.

Ilkely's Siberia. Yes, it really was.