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.

New UK Pale Ales

Saltaire Cascade Pale Ale 50cl 4.8% abv - €3.49
13 Guns American IPA 33cl 5.5% abv - €2.99
Hardknott Infrared IPA 33cl 6.2% abv - €2.99

As I wandered back from Noshington's on the South Circular Road last weekend, away from that Hipster central of dodgy shorts, ugly shirts and handlebar 'taches I happened upon O'Neills Off Licence which had a rather fetching selection of Ales, so I grabbed three I hadn't seen before and away with me.

Saltaire Cascade Pale Ale link
The label describes this as having "intense citrus hop flavours". Hmmm - I don't think so, more like moderate citrus hop flavours, but it's nicely balanced.  It comes in at only 4.8% abv and reasonably moreish so it's definitely something you could sink a few of, if you had a sink.

Crafty Dan 13 Guns American IPA link
Another "American" ale from the UK. This one's a bit stronger  at 5.5% and a lot darker, this is a proper red colour and a nice frothy head. I like this, it's subtle but with a nice depth of flavour and a hint of bitterness at the finish.

Hardknott Infrared IPA link
Well it's red and quite bubbly, similar in colour to the 13 Guns. Unlike the other two this is not subtle. It's quite big on the hops, but there's a little malt to round out the flavour. And it's strong at 6.2%, which for me is a prereq for a very good IPA. Nice one.