Why are most craft beers here IPAs and pale ales?

machaseh

I am from the Netherlands and I am used to a very very very large selection of wonderful craft beers and ales in any supermarket or liquor store. Think belgian ales like westmalle, Westvleteren, la chouffe, chimay, orval. We also have many of these in a similar style from the southern parts of the Netherlands (Zundert, La Trappe, Hertog Jan, Gulpener etc.), and then we also have very large selections of various German beers and ales. Many of these beers have completely different tastes from each other and there's loads of variation.

But when I go to the off license here in Ireland, it's all IPA this, IPA that. Whether I buy an expensive Yellowbelly or a cheaper commercial Guinness 'IPA style' , it all tastes the same to me. Same for pale ale. Yes sure there are some subtle differences but in the end they are all just the same old IPAs with similar flavour profiles, whether they are American imports or Irish craft beers. Alle the same.

Yes there's the stouts and porters which I enjoy a bit more and which have a bit more variation than ipas, but they too have mostly similar flavour profiles so I get bored relatively quickly of them. Then there's the odd red or blond ale but they are a bit harder to find and thats about it.

Yes I know that there's a reasonable selection of imported Belgian ales in some stores but the price is often double that of what I'm used to in the Netherlands so I only have them for special occasions.

Why does Ireland have such an inferior craft beer culture compared to where I am from? IPAs are boring. I mean sure I'll have one or two in the sun sitting outside occasionally but that's about it, there's no reason to have over 50% of the craft beer inventory in any off license be IPAs.

BeerNut

machaseh wrote: »

there's no reason to have over 50% of the craft beer inventory in any off license be IPAs.

Isn't there? If people didn't buy the stuff and ask for more, breweries wouldn't keep churning out the IPAs. Look at Larkin's: set up to be a lager brewery but has shifted production heavily towards hop-forward pale ales because that's what the consumer is asking for. There are so many IPAs in Ireland because the Irish craft beer drinker likes IPAs. For now.

L1011

They sell. That's why you're seeing lots of them. But there's plenty of variety beyond that; you just need a better off-licence.

Most of the older Irish breweries have a stout and a red in the lineup and many of the newer ones have other non-IPA styles, sours and so on. Then there's breweries like Mescan with a range of Belgian styles.

Passenger

Often wondered the same thing as I for one would love more variety. You have to remember that Craft brewing in Ireland is still in its infancy whereas Belgium has been a beer producing powerhouse for centuries enabling them the time to hone their skills and establish a market and a demand for it.

Why doesn't Belgium/Netherlands produce good Whiskey?

Technocentral

IPAs and Imperial stouts tend to have the most flavour, thats why I love them, IPAs in particular can be amazing.

machaseh

Passenger wrote: »

Often wondered the same thing as I for one would love more variety. You have to remember that Craft brewing in Ireland is still in its infancy whereas Belgium has been a beer producing powerhouse for centuries enabling them the time to hone their skills and establish a market and a demand for it.

Why doesn't Belgium/Netherlands produce good Whiskey?

I'm not aware of any whiskey being produced in the Netherlands/Belgium at all, in fact. Perhaps there's a few very very small hobbyist craft whiskey distillers out there but that'd be about it.

We have our own liquor called Jenever. Whether you find that tastier than whiskey or not is of course a matter of preference. It's more similar to gin than it is to whiskey. And yes, we do have craft jenever distilleries as well as larger commercial ones.

machaseh

Technocentral wrote: »

IPAs and Imperial stouts tend to have the most flavour, thats why I love them, IPAs in particular can be amazing.

Yes but they all use the similar Cascade hop flavour. They are all citrusy and floral. I am not saying that this is necessarily bad, but the main problem is that it's all the same fekkin taste.

I do agree that imperial stouts are fine yes.

machaseh

L1011 wrote: »

They sell. That's why you're seeing lots of them. But there's plenty of variety beyond that; you just need a better off-licence.

Most of the older Irish breweries have a stout and a red in the lineup and many of the newer ones have other non-IPA styles, sours and so on. Then there's breweries like Mescan with a range of Belgian styles.

Yeah I miss my local carry-out offlicense in D13. I now go to spar but it's of course not the best in terms of selection. Any good ones in the area say near mayes pub on dorset street?

A few irish beers that I do really like:

Cute hoor
franciscan well rebel red
lean fallain or however it's spelled I have no irish
Althea
Galway hooker (more commercial than craft but it's okay)
Murphies but only when I order it in Cork, it tastes disgusting in dublin for some reason. It may be commercial but murphies in cork is better than guinness in dublin.
Same for Kilkenny beer but then in Kilkenny. I found it in temple bar but it tasted disgusting, so strange !

A while ago I found a Oharas nitro IPA and that's one of the few IPAS that I really really really liked and stood out from the rest. But I believe it was a special in one of the craft pubs in dublin.

GLaDOS

Don't find it to be a problem in off licenses. There are some pubs however that might have 4 or 5 craft offerings but they're all IPAs.

CrankyHaus

I agree with the OP. A lot of the craft beers are very samey and it would be nice to get some decent craft Lagers or Weibbiers (I'm not bother looking up how to type an Eszett).

L1011

machaseh wrote: »

Yeah I miss my local carry-out offlicense in D13. I now go to spar but it's of course not the best in terms of selection. Any good ones in the area say near mayes pub on dorset street?

A few irish beers that I do really like:

Cute hoor
franciscan well rebel red
lean fallain or however it's spelled I have no irish
Althea
Galway hooker (more commercial than craft but it's okay)
Murphies but only when I order it in Cork, it tastes disgusting in dublin for some reason. It may be commercial but murphies in cork is better than guinness in dublin.
Same for Kilkenny beer but then in Kilkenny. I found it in temple bar but it tasted disgusting, so strange !

A while ago I found a Oharas nitro IPA and that's one of the few IPAS that I really really really liked and stood out from the rest. But I believe it was a special in one of the craft pubs in dublin.

McGraths near Drumcondra Station had an OK range last time I was in; its not too far.

Cute Hoor is made by Heineken; Franciscan Well is owned by Molson Coors; Galway Hooker meets the definition of craft a lot more than either of them!

Kilkenny is basically Smithwicks.

machaseh

L1011 wrote: »

McGraths near Drumcondra Station had an OK range last time I was in; its not too far.

Cute Hoor is made by Heineken; Franciscan Well is owned by Molson Coors; Galway Hooker meets the definition of craft a lot more than either of them!

Kilkenny is basically Smithwicks.

I like Kilkenny (as its served in Kilkenny town) waaaaay more than Smithwicks though. It might be my favorite.

the beer revolu

L1011 wrote: »

Kilkenny is basically Smithwicks.

And isn't made in Kilkenny, but it's amazing how many people find it tastes better in Kilkenny if they aren't aware of this fact.

BeerNut

CrankyHaus wrote: »

it would be nice to get some decent craft Lagers

I think we're in a golden age of Irish lager at the moment. Larkin's Helles is still around and great, likewise their Dark Matter Baltic porter, and they have a new pils just out called Curious Society which is really good. O Brother Liberty, Rascals Born Sippy, Lough Gill 20 Gills, Urban Brewing Märzen, Galway Bay Field Music, Whiplash Blue Ghosts, Boundary Moin: all highlights for me, and that's just in the last few months.

machaseh

the beer revolu wrote: »

And isn't made in Kilkenny, but it's amazing how many people find it tastes better in Kilkenny if they aren't aware of this fact.

But it does taste better in kilkenny. The one I had in temple bar was so vile I could only drink less than half of the pint.

It's probably a similar deal to Guinness tasting better in some pubs than others.

Quackster

CrankyHaus wrote: »

I agree with the OP. A lot of the craft beers are very samey and it would be nice to get some decent craft Lagers or Weibbiers (I'm not bother looking up how to type an Eszett).

Perfectly correct writing it as 'Weissbier'!

L1011

It likely sells faster in Kilkenny than the few pubs in Dublin that sell it. Many beers do not taste right after sitting in the lines unmoving for ages.

machaseh

L1011 wrote: »

It likely sells faster in Kilkenny than the few pubs in Dublin that sell it. Many beers do not taste right after sitting in the lines unmoving for ages.

Yeah it tasted off and a bit old. When I was a student we knew a place that would sell beer that had gone off a couple months ago at bottom prices, we would drink it just to get drunk, the kilkenny in dublin tastes a bit like that. Yuck !

odyssey06

L1011 wrote: »

It likely sells faster in Kilkenny than the few pubs in Dublin that sell it. Many beers do not taste right after sitting in the lines unmoving for ages.

Yeah have had mixed experiences over the years with Kilkenny in Dublin pubs.
I would have thought the Palace Bar - unless that was the pub in Temple Bar mentioned! - would be a safe bet for brisk sales.

machaseh

odyssey06 wrote: »

Yeah have had mixed experiences over the years with Kilkenny in Dublin pubs.
I would have thought the Palace Bar - unless that was the pub in Temple Bar mentioned! - would be a safe bet for brisk sales.

I love the palace bar, I'd usually drink wicklow wolf there (also one of the few good irish craft beers that I forgot abuot by the way).

Dont remember seeing kilkenny on tap there now, but next time I'm there I'll keep an eye out, if many people are drinking it I'll try one.

odyssey06

machaseh wrote: »

I love the palace bar, I'd usually drink wicklow wolf there (also one of the few good irish craft beers that I forgot abuot by the way).
Dont remember seeing kilkenny on tap there now, but next time I'm there I'll keep an eye out, if many people are drinking it I'll try one.

They had it during the summer for sure, but maybe they have joined the ranks of pubs it has disappeared from. Think it is gone from Mulligans.

Like the Wicklow Wolf stuff myself, Kennedys near Pearse Street station have their Sorachi Red Ale on draught, I think you would like it if you haven't tried it yet.

Weepsie

Do they not have the quickest brewing times?

BeerNut

Weepsie wrote: »

Do they not have the quickest brewing times?

Brewing time would be the same as any other style; fermentation the same as any beer other than lager. Where the production cost of an IPA is most likely to be different is the extra cost of more hops.

RasTa

Easy style to brew as well.

Hotblack Desiato

I don't think any Irish people drink Kilkenny, seems aimed at American tourists who can't stomach the €8 pints of Guinness in Temple Bar...

Also, Yellowbelly beers are shyte!

Any Molloys or O'Briens will have a very wide selection of macro and craft beers.

Prices are high here because we have the 2nd highest taxes on alcohol in the EU - and we have gobshyte politicians who want to make it even dearer.

Have you been in a Porterhouse bar? Massive selection of bottled beers, a few guest taps and their own stuff - although their own beers are lower ABV and (imho) less tasty than they used to be.

machaseh

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

I don't think any Irish people drink Kilkenny, seems aimed at American tourists who can't stomach the €8 pints of Guinness in Temple Bar...

Also, Yellowbelly beers are shyte!

Any Molloys or O'Briens will have a very wide selection of macro and craft beers.

Prices are high here because we have the 2nd highest taxes on alcohol in the EU - and we have gobshyte politicians who want to make it even dearer.

Have you been in a Porterhouse bar? Massive selection of bottled beers, a few guest taps and their own stuff - although their own beers are lower ABV and (imho) less tasty than they used to be.

Yeah I like the porterhouse on nassau street, Urban brewing in docklands and the brew dock at busaras.

I have grown to dislike the Black sheep, although they have the best craft beer selection the staff is not what they used to be and they are sh*te.

Technocentral

machaseh wrote: »

I have grown to dislike the Black sheep, although they have the best craft beer selection the staff is not what they used to be and they are sh*te.

Still my favorite bar.

machaseh

Technocentral wrote: »

Still my favorite bar.

Have had multiple incidents with super rude new staff there recently, so they lost me as a customer permanently.

The old crowd was absolutely lovely and grand, and the pub itself is a lovely place it's truly a shame. I now go to brewdock for the same atmosphere of yore with the lovely staff.

Technocentral

machaseh wrote: »

Have had multiple incidents with super rude new staff there recently, so they lost me as a customer permanently.

The old crowd was absolutely lovely and grand, and the pub itself is a lovely place it's truly a shame. I now go to brewdock for the same atmosphere of yore with the lovely staff.

The beardy bloke in Da sheep is a friendly sort.

machaseh

Technocentral wrote: »

The beardy bloke in Da sheep is a friendly sort.

The brazilian guy is nice, he's sometimes in the brewdock as well. Both are owned by galway bay no?

Technocentral

machaseh wrote: »

The brazilian guy is nice, he's sometimes in the brewdock as well. Both are owned by galway bay no?

Beardy bloke is a Dub.