More Random Xmas Beers from Molloys

More new beers that I picked up in Molloy's on the Ballyogan Road. They do have a smashing amount of craft and unusual beers.

Williams Bros   link
I drank the three beers below at the start of a very long and unprofitable poker game, it was early on in the evening so I was still modestly sober.

Caesar Augustus Lager /IPA Hybrid 50cl 4.1% €2.89 - reduced from €3.95
OK. Light and refreshing, more of a summer drink though. 

Seven Giraffes Extraordinary Ale 50cl 5.1% €2.89 - reduced from €3.95
Strange and awful; Josie drank it though.

Cock of The Walk Scottish Red Ale 50cl 4.3% €2.89 - reduced from €3.95
Liked this a lot. Solid, hearty red ale. Not sure I'd pay 4 quid for it though when there's a plethora of good Irish Red Ales for a bit less on sale. But one to try if you like your red ales.

The White Hag link
The White Hag Irish IPA 33cl 7.2% €2.99    
Coloured like an amber ale, at first sip it's clear that this is not an IPA for the faint hearted, although that should be obvious with an abv of 7.2%. Big, sweet and hoppy. It's not dissimilar to the Modus Hoperandi below. Styled like those  American IPAs I love, it's maybe not quite as balanced as them though.

The White Hag Irish Oktoberfest Brew 33cl 6.2% €2.99
Nice. A reddish, strong, fruity ale. It's a Samhain ale, for those Celts among you. Not quite sure why it's called Oktberfest, but I'll bite. These guys (from Sligo) are two for two so I'm delighted to find another Irish Brewery that delivers consistent quality. I've had some shocking Irish beers of late, I'm sorry to say.

Miscellaneous 
Modus Hoperandi India Pale Ale 35cl 6.8% €3.69 link 
Amber, almost orange in the glass. Large head. Big and sweet and oh so good. My kind of IPA. Apparently you can get a six pack for about nine dollars in Chicago, blues.

Einstok Icelandic Pale Ale 33cl 5.6% €2.99 link 
Again, orangey in the glass. Pleasant but unremarkable. This is that mild style of Pale Ale that doesn't have masses of hops but is perfectly drinkable nonetheless. Probably won't buy it again though; not my bag, baby.
    
BrewDog This. is. Lager.  33cl 4.7% €2.89 link
This.is....Meh.

More New Irish Beers & Some Bonus Tesco "Craft" beers

Pokertree Red Earl Ruby Ale 5.5% abv €3.95
Didn't like this at all, while it had some caramel and fruit at the start, the overpowering flavour was a sharp, unpleasant bitterness. Down the sink.

St Mel's Helles Lager  (Bottle Conditioned and dry Hopped) 5% abv €3.99
Ugh. Awful nasty bitter, same as their Pale Ale. There's something wrong with their beers OR my taste buds but both were undrinkable vile, sorry.

West Mayo Brewery Clew Bay Sunset Red Ale 4% abv €3.95
Dropped this on the way to the fridge so only got half a bottle -lots of caramel and sweetness, bit light tho, need more depth of flavour, alcohol or something.

Note: I'll be reviewing the 8 degrees in a separate post

Colgan's IPA 6.0% abv (4 for €6-50)
Amber red in the glass with a thin head. First impressions - light on the hops, heavy on the sweetness. Unf. it's not the deep malty sweetness that I like, it's a tiny bit cloying and syrupy. I had high hopes for this, especially when I saw the big "ALC. 6%" on the bottle. Sorry, this one ain't for me - and I bought four of them!

Rye River Brewing Solas Red 5.5% abv €1.89
Rye River are also responsible for the McGargles range of craft beers which some people have been VERY sniffy about. I don't have that problem and quite like all three of their beers with the lager being a personal favourite see this post. Not quite sure where this beer fits in the pantheon but here goes. First taste - not bad, mild. As its warming up its developing some subtle fruit and earthy notes. Not a huge flavour experience but a decent if unremarkable ale.

BONUS - Tesco Own Brand Craft Beers

Tesco California Common Steam Beer 4.7% abv €2.99
Brewed by Marston's. I don't know much about steam beers. These are brewed using lager yeast at higher then normal temperatures, which produces a sort of ale/lager hybrid. I found this a little light and watery but I liked the taste. I'm not sure how much more I'd buy of it at €3 a pop though.

Tesco Craft Lager 5.0% abv €2.99
Also brewed by Marston's, this is apparently "dry-hopped with Admiral and Boadicea", "refreshing citrus orange flavour". I have to say, after a few sips, I am finding it quite refreshing and it does have a tang of oranges off it. While it has some good mouthfeel I'm not sure I'd buy it at this time of year, feels more like a summer sunshine beer.

New Irish Beers!

I'm always happy to see new Irish breweries/beers and the three below represent two new breweries (to me) Brehon & St Mel's. The Kinnegar Black Rye IPA was on draught at the recent Craft Beer fest, but I declined to avail of it as I was feeling a bit full (and jarred).

Brehon Brewhouse Killany Red   50cl 4.5% abv €2.99 link
A darkish cloudy reddish brown in the glass, white persistent head. First taste is fruit followed by a light malty but lingering finish. I like it. It's only 4.5% but it tastes a bit bigger.

Kinnegar (Special)  Black Bucket Black Rye IPA 50cl 6.5% abv €3.99 link
Yummy. This was big and bold. Lots of hops, lots of toasty roasted malt and a nice hoppy lingering finish. I like the standard Rustbucket Rye Ale a lot (although it ain't cheap  €7-50 for a bottle in Kelly's Rosslare) and this

St Mel's Pale Ale 50cl 4.8% abv €3.99 link
Sorry - I don't like this, it's got that really sharp bitterness that I can't abide, and that I have found in a few beers, Dungarvan Comeragh Challenger for one. Down the sink.

Autumn Ales from Molloys

Buxton Axe Edge India Pale Ale 33cl 6.8% abv €3.79 link
Yummy, yummy, yummy. A perfect balance of citrus bitterness and malty sweetness. Very similar to all those US IPAs that I bang on about (blogs passim)

Tiny Rebel Urban IPA 33cl 5.5% abv €3.19 link
Pine freshness and lots of it. I'm drinking thsi straight after the Axe Edge and it's coming off second best. Not bad, decent long finish but doesn't have the magic balance of the above. 

Mariana Trench - Transpacific Pale Ale 33cl 5.2% abv €3.29
Reviewing this as part of a separate Weird Beers post.

Beavertown Neck Oil Session IPA 33cl (can) 4.3% abv €3.49 link
Loved this. Loads of hops, malt full of big flavours. Very impressed that this level of flavour was present in  4.3% ABV ale. Would expect this level of flavour in a big 6%+ US ale 

Trouble Brewing Whistle Blower IPA 50cl 7.6% abv €3.99 link (seasonal)
I just went to get this bottle out of my beer fridge and it wasn't there. I'm getting a flashback to last Friday and a poker game in Naas. I think I enjoyed this but it's all a bit hazy, perhaps because this beers comes in at a whopping 7.6%, sorry.

Blackstairs Ruby Red IPA 50cl 5% abv €4.35  link
I tried this at the Craft Beer Fest this year and didn't like it, at all. But it was late I was jarred, my glass could have been dirty, yadda yadda yadda...I saw it in the shelf and decided I'd give it another shot. I'm glad I did, it's quite good. It's a deep reddy brown in the glass with a decent, healthy head. It reminds me of Kinnegar Rustbucket Rye which is quite a compliment. It's got lots of nice hoppy bitterness and a smattering of sweetness. If this is their first effort, bravo.

Irish Craft Beer Fest 2014

So this year, it was just me and Chester at the Irish Craft Beer Fest. The invitation had been extended to all of the FT boys but only five had confirmed. However, at the last minute, due to some shamefully egregious bad legs, our party ended up being but a twosome. 

Then there was a mix-up with the guest list, which was most excellently resolved (Thanks Ed!), So I curtailed my ticketing activities, sallied forth, and infiltrated the place of purveyance to negotiate the imbibing of some hoppy comestibles...

8 Degrees brewing Hurricane IPA 5.8% abv - Never had this is on draught, lovely as it is in bottles. A good way to start the evening and I sipped this as I wandered the hall, getting my bearings and waiting for Chester to hove into view. FYI I also sampled their Saison 7%, which I did not like at all, much too wheatbeer for me, but Chester loved it. Tasted the Alba Abú too but it was at the end of the evening, after many strong IPAs and I couldn't really taste it, sorry.

Stone Barrel Brewing Day Trippin American Pale Ale 5% abv - Hoppier, with more body than their previous IPA - Boom. Had a nice chat with the chap/brewer behind the counter. I hope they make this as a commercial offering.

Bo Bristle Imperial Red Ale 7% abv -Apparently the only Imperial Red Ale in Ireland - who'd a thunk it? It was a touch sweet but very moreish. A dangerous beer as it belies its abv.* 

O'Hara's Hop Heavy - Slightly Sweet but still tasty. Halfway between the regular IPA and the Double IPA.

Blacks of Kinsale Rocketship 6.5% abv - Really liked this, strong and hoppy. A turbocharged version of their standard IPA, which I like a lot and which won my Irish IPA Challenge. Chester tried the Black IPA and really liked it, which was nice.

OHara's Helles Lager 4.5% abv - I needed a break from all the strong ales so I plumped for a lager. Crisp and tasty, did the job.

Trouble Brewing Vietnow - very good, very hoppy. Like this a lot, even in my late evening beer haze.

Kinnegar Otway 4.2% - I decided to finish with something a bit milder, I didn't really care for this in bottles but it was perfectly pleasant, and what the doctor ordered at this late stage of the evening.

 *Recommended by Ed

Irish Ale Challenge - Final

So it's come to this - The Irish Ale Challenge final. I honestly can't remember where I bought the beers below. The O'Haras and Dungarvan and fairly widely available in Off Licenses and Supermarkets, the other two, not so much.  For the uninitiated, here are links to SemiFinals1&2 and SemiFinals3&4

The finalists are as follows (l-r):
Independent Red Ale 50 cl 4.5% abv - €3.59 link
Kinnegar Devil's Backbone Amber Ale 50 cl 4.9% abv - €3.79 link
O'Hara's Irish Red 50cl 4.3% abv - €3.29 link 
Dungarvan Copper Coast Irish Red Ale 50cl 4.3% abv - €3.39 link


As usual, the format of the final is a blind tasting, with Herself being my own personal Debbie McGee for the evening. I'm hoping that the colours of the ales aren't too much of a giveaway - IIRC the Kinnegar is a noticeably amber colour and a couple of the others are a fairly full on brownish red. I genuinely have no favourite here and I hope it will be a good contest.

Here are the beers - looks like a game of two halves, Brian. Numbers one and two are dark as pitch whereas three and four have a distinctly amber hue.  Here are Your Humble Blogger's (and Herself's) tasting notes, verbatim.

#1
YHB - like it, good bitterness, nice maltiness and a long finish -
Herself - likes it but finds it a bit gentle
Guess - Independent

#2
YHB - OK - very pleasant, very smooth and quaffable. Improves after a few minutes of warming up
Herself - Likes
Guess - O'Haras

#3
YHB - Nice,  subtle flavour, smooth.
Herself - Loves this
Guess - Dungarvan

#4
YHB - Good, bit more zing to it than #3
Herself - Likes
Guess - Kinnegar
So it's between #1 and #2. As much as I enjoyed #3 and #4, I'm loving the full body and flavour of the darker ales, although both need to be poured with some vigour to generate a few bubbles.

This is a tough one. Both are well balanced with a decent malty spine; #1 has a hoppiness that's not present in #2, but #2 is incredibly smooth and shows more appealing character after about 30 minutes out of the fridge.

I'm going to give it to #1. The balance between the malt and the hops, the body and the finish just shades #2 smoothness. So now for the big reveal - What was the winner and how accurate was I with my guesses?

So the winner, by a nose, is Independent Red Ale followed by O'Haras Irish Red , with the two amber/copper ales in joint bronze (fittingly). On a related note, I got all four correct, which wasn't that difficult, once the colours were visible, only requiring two correct guesses, given that I had a fair idea which beer was which colour.

To be honest, all four are very tasty drops, with your own preference for darker fuller ales or (relatively) lighter amber ales driving your choices. That's it for me for a while. I'm off to the states for a well deserved holiday where I will attempt to sample as many of America's craft beers as possible.

I may, in my wisdom, do an Irish Golden Ale competition next - watch this space.

Irish Ale Challenge - Semi Finals 3 & 4

Semi Final 3
Kinnegar Devil's Backbone Amber Ale 50 cl 4.9% abv - €3.79 link
Franciscan Well Rebel Red 33cl 4.3% abv - €2.99 link

Franciscan Well Rebel Red
Reddy Brown - thin white head. Nice, well balanced, but not a huge flavour, bit of malt and little fruit on the finish. Tonight this just isn't doing it for me, sorry.

Kinnegar Devil's Backbone Amber Ale
Amber red, off white head. Fruit on the nose, hints of caramel to taste with a little hoppy bitterness at the end. For once, in these Semi-finals, I am going for the lighter of the two ales.

Winner - Kinnegar Devil's Backbone Amber Ale



Semi Final 4
Dungarvan Copper Coast Irish Red Ale 50cl 4.3% abv - €3.39 link
Whitewater Belfast Ale 50 cl 4.5% abv - €2.99 link

Well I found Belfast Ale once but I can't find it again, so Dungarvan is the winner, by default.

Irish Ale Challenge - Semi Finals 1 & 2

Semi Final 1
O'Hara's Irish Red 50 cl 4.3% abv - €3.29 link
Porterhouse Red Ale 33 cl 4.2% abv - €2.10 link

This should be a close one, the O'Hara's put up a good show in the heat and the Porterhouse has long been a favourite of mine.

O'Hara's Irish Red
A more traditional red ale here with a deep red colour. Good Creamy head. Full rich flavour, with a hint of caramel and a pingh of fruit. 

Porterhouse Red
This seems so much milder and lighter tasted immediately after the Oharas, and it's fine but not the winner today. I think this ale needs to be sampled on draught, it just doesn't work quite as well in bottles.

Winner -  O'Hara's Irish Red

Semi Final 2
Independent Red Ale 50 cl 4.5% abv - €3.59
McGargles Granny Mary's Red Ale 4.4% abv - €2.00

I really liked the Independent first time out so I suspect the McGargles has its work cut out. BTW I have been reading some very sniffy things about McGargles on the intertubes and it appears that it is currently contract brewed in the UK. In which case I will have to disqualify it under the Boom rule, if it wins.

Independent Red Ale
Very dark red, small creamy head. Oh yes - great flavour, great mouthfeel. Complex lingering finish.

McGargles Granny Mary's Red Ale
Lighter, with more of an amber ale flavour profile. Nice
I like the McGargles but the Independent is a class above. It's probably the bookies favourite at the moment...

Winner -  Independent Red Ale

That's it - 4 down, 4 to go.

Irish Ale Challenge - Semi Finalists

It has taken quite a while, but I've whittled the numbers down to eight.  I'm not going to go into detail on the whys and wherefores. The only contentious decision was to exclude the Brown Paper Brown Project Big Red. Availability-wise, I've only found it twice in several months, but mostly it's because of the apples and the oranges. It's delicious, but it's the odd man out in this company, so reluctantly, it's out. Sorry.

The remainder are all pretty good and I, for one, am fascinated to see where this goes.
I have paired them up, seemingly at random, into the following four semi-finals.

O'Hara's Irish Red 50 cl 4.3% abv - €3.29
Porterhouse Red Ale 33 cl 4.2% abv - €2.10

Independent Red Ale 50 cl 4.5% abv - €3.59 
McGargles Granny Mary's Red Ale 4.4% abv - €2.00 

Kinnegar Devil's backbone Amber Ale 50 cl 4.9% abv - €3.79
Franciscan Well Rebel Red 33cl 4.3% abv - €2.99

Dungarvan Copper Coast Irish Red Ale 50cl 4.3% abv - €3.39 
Whitewater Belfast Ale 50 cl 4.5% abv - €2.99

Here's how we got here by the way...
Part 1
Part 2

Irish Craft Ale Challenge - First Round (Part 2)

At the start of this exercise I had it in mind that I would pick four of the ales for the final, but I have five or six from the first batch of ten. I'm gonna have to limit it to eight in total and then run four semis to bring it down to an acceptable final of four. Anyhoo, on with the drinking - it's the cross I have to bear...

Brown Paper Bag Project Big Red 33cl 8.0% abv - €3.29
Pours a deep red, almost brown. With lots of head, thick and creamy. Sweet strong and tasty. The only beer so far with sediment and it's also the only beer of this strength in the field.

Galway Bay Bay Ale 50cl 4.4% abv - €3.29
Classic classic classic red ale. Perfectly fine, drinkable but nothing special.

8Degrees Sunburnt Irish Red 33cl 5.0% abv - €3.79
Deep amber, frothy head. A bit of caramel up front, light on the finish. Not bad but a bit expensive for what it is,

McGargles Granny Mary's Red Ale 4.4% abv - €2.00
Very dark red, small head, got better as it got warmer. Full flavour, nice rich finish.

Whitewater Clotworthy Dobbin 50 cl 5.0% abv - €2.99
Deep red, not bad, a little fruit, some bitterness. Decent All rounder

Hilden Halt Irish Red Ale 50 cl 6.1% abv - €3.49
Deep amber, thick head which dispersed quickly. Slightly sweet but with a sharp unpleasant aftertaste. Can't get over that aftertaste, down the sink with it.

Whitewater Belfast Ale 50 cl 4.5% abv - €2.99
Reddy brown with a thin but creamy head. Nice bitterness throughout, good mouthfeel, solid finish. It's not earth shattering but it's well balanced and reasonably priced. I like it. 

Kenmare Irish Red Ale 50 cl 4.3% abv - €3.70
Reddy brown with a decent head. Nice fruity nose and a good start, but there's no body and it has a thin finish. Not for me, this one.

That's it! Now the difficult task of picking the eight semi finalists. Back soon.

Irish Craft Ale Challenge - First Round (Part 1)

As mentioned in the intro to this competition, I'm not going to pair off the beers, as I normally would,  I'm just going to drink them all and then pick three or four for the final. As I drink them I'll add them below so check back here until all 13 19 or so are done.

McGrath's Irish Red Ale 50cl 4.3% abv - €3.99 link
Pours a deep amber colour with a thin white head and I'm not loving it. It's perfectly fine but it's not bursting with flavour. There's some mild caramel and a hint of fruit, not much hops and a bland finish. Drinkable, but expensive for what it is. However, it did improve as it warmed up so maybe a half hour out of the fridge is required here...

Bo Bristle Amber Ale 50cl 4.5% abv - €3.25 link
A little toffee on the nose and quite amber in the glass with a small but respectable white head. It's tasty with some nice flavours but it's a little mild for my jaded palate. I need something bigger and bolder. You could argue that I should be tasting their Red Ale, but it's not out yet so I have to work with what I can find...

Dungarvan Copper Coast Irish Red Ale 50cl 4.3% abv - €3.39 link
Definitely getting better as we go so far. It's copper coloured, natch; with a good fluffy creamy toned head. I like the mouthfeel and it has a good, tasty finish with a little hint of bitterness. Like their Rye Pale Ale, I'd buy this again.

Kinnegar Devil's backbone Amber Ale 50 cl 4.9% abv - €3.79 link
Slightly cloudy amber colour with some good bitterness from the off. I liked this a lot
Great depth of flavour and long complex finish. A modern style of ale if I can get away with saying that, and I like the strength.

O'Hara's Irish Red 50 cl 4.3% abv - €3.29 link
A more traditional red ale here with a deep red colour.
A subtle bit of nice fruit and a good depth of flavour. A solid entry from Carlow.

Franciscan Well Rebel Red 33cl 4.3% abv - €2.99 link
I love this on draught so I was hoping for a lot here and was not disappointed. It's a deep red colour and it's smooth, baby. Well balanced with nice mouthfeel and a good finish make this a contender. 

Bru Irish Red Craft Beer 50cl 4.7% abv - €2.99 link
Amber coloured with a white head. It was late and I was "tired" (my notes are sparse) but this didn't do a lot for me. It was OK but didn't have enough oopmh on the flavour front. I wish I could love all the competitors but it's inevitable that some won't gel with my personal preferences.

**NEW**

Independent Red Ale 50 cl 4.5% abv - €3.59 link
These guys are new to me,  never saw any of their beers before.
Very dark red in the glass, almost brown in fact, with a frothy bubbly head. I liked this a lot, it had some nice fruit and lovely finish. Very accomplished, and their IPA is pretty decent too.
 
Carrig Brewing Co. Brazen Amber Ale 50 cl 4.2% abv - €3.99 link
This is another beer I'm going to damn with faint praise. Amber coloured in the glass (natch) with a medium head. I even used my wine thermometer to check the beer was served at the specified temperature. This was fine, mild, easy drinking and perfectly pleasant. A very different style to the ale above but just not "enough" for my tastes. Your mileage may vary.

Five Lamps honor Bright Red Ale  33 cl 5.0% abv - €2.79 link
Didnt love this, reddish amber in the glass with lots of head that disappeared rather quickly.
There was plenty of sweet caramel upfront but not much going on at the finish. Hmmmm.
 
Porterhouse Red Ale 33 cl 4.2% abv - €2.10 link
I love this on draught and  when in the Porterhouse I have converted large numbers of people to its charms. Reddish hued with a creamy white head. Traditional full slightly fruity flavour, a touch of bitterness at finish. Well balanced and very moreish.


The remainder of the Ales will be in First Round (Part 2)

Irish Craft Lager Challenge - Semi Final 3 - An arty antarctic adventure

Semi Final 3
8 Degrees Barefoot Bohemian 33cl 4% abv €2.49 link
Tom Crean's Irish Lager 33cl 4.2% abv €2.19 link

It's late and I'm tired (red eye to London and back late) so we'll keep this short.

8 Degrees Barefoot Bohemian 
Yep - cloudy and not a lot of head but tasty, with a reasonably rich full flavour. A solid entry in the canon

Tom Crean's Irish Lager
It's not bad, lighter and zingier than its opponent but it doesn't have the depth of flavour.

Winner  - 8 Degrees Barefoot Bohemian  (told you it would be quick)


The final will be contested by:
8 Degrees Barefoot Bohemian 33cl 4% abv €2.49 link
McGargles Gravy Maevey Pilsner 33cl 5% abv €2.00 link
Porterhouse Hersbrucker Pilsner 33cl 5% abv  €2.10 link

Irish Craft Lager Challenge - Semi Final 2 - A Parliament of Lamps

Semi Final 2
Five Lamps Dublin Lager 33cl 4.2% abv  €2.59 link
Porterhouse Hersbrucker Pilsner 33cl 5% abv  €2.10 link

I have to admit I've only ever had both of these on tap. The 5Lamps used to be available in Rock Lobster, formerly above Kielys, now in Dundrum. They served it in metal tankards, for some reason; but it was pretty good. The Porterhouse lager I think I've had a couple of times in one of their pubs, but it was years ago and I have no memory of it.

Five Lamps Dublin Lager
Oh I don't like this at all. It's got that sharpness I don't like in a beer, and which I don't remember from the draught.


Porterhouse Hersbrucker Pilsner 
Yum. Now that the mahoosive head has died down I can taste some malty sweetness and a little hoppiness to counterbalance it. Very nice and very well balanced.

Winner - Porterhouse Hersbrucker Pilsner

Irish Craft Lager Challenge - Semi Final 1 - Titanic Gravy

Semi Final 1
Whitewate Belfast Lager 50cl 4.5% abv  €2.99 link
McGargles Gravy Maevey Pilsner 33cl 5% abv €2.00 link

I've had the Belfast lager before but I couldn't tell you if I liked it; the McGargles is brand new (to me). I've been reliably informed that "It's not traditional Czech. It's pre prohibition American. Darker, smoother and fruitier"

Whitewater Belfast Lager
Standard lager colour,  decent head, OK carbonation. Tastes fine, good, clean, crisp.

McGargles Gravy Maevey Pilsner
Wow. This is different. Smells fruity and is like an amber ale in colour. This is a very unusual lager. It has some fruit, some malt and I liked it.

Winner - McGargles Gravy Maevey Pilsner, There's nothing wrong with the Belfast lager but the McGargles is different and interesting and nice.