Supporting craft breweries

irish_goat · 13-01-2023 9:15am

The brewery is in the Caisleáin Óir Hotel. Been going about a year now. Bought the old kit from the Finn Valley Brewery.

Redsoxfan · 14-01-2023 4:21pm

Finn Valley

Old Mill

Muckish Mountain

Evans

Boghopper

Donegal had seen a fair share of breweries come and go? Or is it pretty much the same as most counties?

BeerNut · 14-01-2023 8:30pm

Muckish Mountain was never a brewery; Evans wasn't much more than a homebrew set-up, while Finn Valley and Boghopper got someone else to take over the gear without leaving the county. Compare that with Wexford where Jack Doyle's, Drew Fox and YellowBelly are gone gone as full scale production breweries.

breezy1985 · 14-01-2023 9:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120109115#Comment_120109115

Didn't realize Yellowbelly were gone as some of their beer is still around. Really liked their stuff as they were into doing interesting non pale/IPA beer.

I could be wrong but I think Limerick was Treaty, JJ's and then Crew in that order with no closures. A pretty manageable amount for what should be one of the bigger markets in Ireland.

dominatinMC · 15-01-2023 8:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120109327#Comment_120109327

Is JJs still going? Never see that beer in pubs around Limerick

breezy1985 · 15-01-2023 8:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120110489#Comment_120110489

Mostly seems to be in offies. Number 21 in Punches has it and Off the Bone restaurant.

Definitely still going anyway.

irish_goat · 15-01-2023 11:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120109327#Comment_120109327

Yellowbelly being brewed at Dundalk Bay now. Don't think the specials will be getting brewed though. Seems to just be the core range.

Hotblack Desiato · 16-01-2023 12:37pm

YB's website won't connect for me and their Twitter hasn't been posted on in months.

Late 2019 I was grabbing a few Citra off the shelf in my local Molloys and a staff member told me that was the last batch of YB stock they'd be getting in - they were concentrating on the pub trade from then on. Seemed a very odd decision and of course it wasn't long before Covid forced a reversal. Ironically they're now in places like Dunnes which they never were in the Before Times. Don't recall seeing anything from them not core range in a long time though.

Black Sheep · 24-01-2023 3:05pm

I'm drinking almost no beer these days but just happened to have a Hope Dublin Porter (their winter seasonal) yesterday. Really impressed with it - one of the best porters I've had in a long while.

Brock Turnpike · 24-01-2023 3:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120150864#Comment_120150864

Hope are one of those breweries who wouldn't be a go-to for me, and yet any of their beers I've tried I've really liked.

Hodors Appletart · 24-01-2023 4:33pm

Their Handsome Jack IPA is one of the better regularly produced IPAs here imo, constantly good, clear and a decent bitterness.

It's almost impossible to get a proper piney, resiny bitter IPA anywhere in Ireland any more, outside of imported Sierra Nevada stuff like Torpedo or the Celebration that comes out for xmas. Irish breweries are seemingly afraid of bittering, early addition hops.

youcancallmeal · 24-01-2023 4:37pm

Yeah would have to agree, I regularly pick up some Jaipur in lidl for a break from the haze

Hodors Appletart · 24-01-2023 4:46pm

Most of those "juicy" NEIPAs taste the same, I doubt many people have the wherewithal to distinguish between all the different hop strains, especially if they aren't listed on the can, and you get some amount of fart-sniffing reviews and brewery propaganda about grams per litre and double and triple dry hopping and what have you.

And great, I don't dislike NEIPA, but for the love of Ninkasi, stop labelling them IPA when that is an already established term. Worse are these clowns putting the words "west coast" on beers that are hazy, have damn all bitterness, or have no malt profile at all.

irish_goat · 24-01-2023 5:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120151558#Comment_120151558

As a rule I now rarely buy anything listed as an IPA if the ingredients list contains oats. Cue me standing in Tesco checking the labels of about 20 different cans and then leaving empty handed.

Black Sheep · 24-01-2023 6:00pm

If you like Torpedo and West Coast style IPAs, definitley worth checking out Cigar City Jai Alai if you haven't... It's billed as an 'American IPA' rather than being West Coast style, but it's clear, resiny and hoppy, which is enough for me anyway.

Back to Hope - I have liked their Hop-On session pale ale too, and they did a red IPA a while back that was great. One of the reasons I buy them is they're from just down the road and I like to support local and to imagine the fresher beer tastes better.

BeerNut · 24-01-2023 7:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120151482#Comment_120151482

The Galway Bay west coast IPA is a lifesaver in this regard, but there should be loads more like it. I haven't had Galway Hooker's 60 Knots in a while, but that's a fairly easily-got clear IPA in regular production.

the beer revolu · 24-01-2023 8:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120151558#Comment_120151558

I could have written this, word for word (apart from, "I don't dislike NEIPA" bit).

Another vote for Handsom Jack, here.

Hodors Appletart · 25-01-2023 8:50am

I picked up some Dankful, Torpedo and (with some trepidation) some Cold Torpedo last evening, along with some Scraggy and Handsome Jack.

Scraggy and HJ are probably around the same IBUs. But may as well be pale ales compared to the SN stuff.

I'll do a side by side with the two Torpedos later this evening probably.

Aglomerado · 25-01-2023 11:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120110504#Comment_120110504

I often pick it up in Supervalu when passing through Kilmallock. I really like their beers, especially the Abbey stout.

Macy0161 · 25-01-2023 1:10pm

I wouldn't claim to be an expert, but wouldn't WW Mammoth another contender?

Hodors Appletart · 25-01-2023 2:28pm

for what? to sit alongside Scraggy and Handsome Jack as token efforts at bitterness from an Irish brewery?

irish_goat · 25-01-2023 6:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120154343#Comment_120154343

Torpedo is a 7.2% IPA, not really right to compare it to Scraggy and HJ. A fairer comparison would at least be to have it alongside Thumper or even Crossroads. Not sure what the Hope equivalent would be.

Hodors Appletart · 25-01-2023 7:59pm

Actually yeah I'd forgotten about Crossroads. I'll pick up a couple in McHugh's this evening.

Thumper is a Hazy IPA right? Does it have high IBUs?

I don't believe Hope have anything in that sort of style

irish_goat · 25-01-2023 11:10pm

No haze in Thumper, that'd be Big Bunny.

bokale · 26-01-2023 12:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120157170#Comment_120157170

Why Crossroads but not handsome Jack for comparison?

irish_goat · 26-01-2023 12:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120158776#Comment_120158776

My mistake, I was thinking Handsome Jack was their circa 5% IPA. I've not had it in years so can't really remember what it's like either.

Hodors Appletart · 26-01-2023 8:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120158473#Comment_120158473

there was no Thumper in McHugh's but I did get some Crossroads. Also got some Mammoth as suggested.

Will get on them over the weekend

JoeLapira · 31-01-2023 3:49pm

Picked up some Stony Grey from Brehon Brewhouse over weekend. Another one to add to the list of piney resinous no haze IPAs that we really need to start seeing more of!!

Hodors Appletart · 01-02-2023 10:07am

Haven't had that in years, must revisit it

Pen Rua · 10-02-2023 10:15am

Whiplash seem very quiet these days, especially compared to their hectic release schedule of days gone by.

Galway Bay still haven't released their 2022 barrel aged big boys, despite their being at beer festivals they seem to be at according to Instagram.

Supporting craft breweries

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