tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125012482024-03-18T16:00:39.773+00:00The Beer NutWhy is that man photographing his pint?The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.comBlogger2631125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-52758979824440623532024-03-18T08:46:00.428+00:002024-03-18T10:26:38.139+00:00Viennagain<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBvtjtiDNoioX6HKYKwCuGJeOc-ulxxOxt-bnBcv0ORhtGR4A6NMIonWqTItTP2EK37XelTRuGVsK6sw5LsavMJPoDbT-TnNoleug-5bkaS6dKbYqWBxdKmt6IzSrtmcgNeEMv6VJtLBL4cpP8CqrdhNuLu7rHPgwvax_rXhajcwBv8w84_93ZQ/s2955/salm_osterbock.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBvtjtiDNoioX6HKYKwCuGJeOc-ulxxOxt-bnBcv0ORhtGR4A6NMIonWqTItTP2EK37XelTRuGVsK6sw5LsavMJPoDbT-TnNoleug-5bkaS6dKbYqWBxdKmt6IzSrtmcgNeEMv6VJtLBL4cpP8CqrdhNuLu7rHPgwvax_rXhajcwBv8w84_93ZQ/w153-h200/salm_osterbock.jpg" width="153" /></a>It felt like I had only just left Vienna, having last been <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/01/waltzing-back-in.html" target="_blank">a little over a year ago</a>. The spring meeting of the <a href="https://www.ebcu.org/" target="_blank">European Beer Consumers Union</a> had me back in early March, and it's just as well it's a city that keeps on giving, beerwise. I'll get to the new bars and breweries anon, but there was time at the beginning of the trip for a leisurely return to some old haunts.<br /><br />Ubiquitous brewkit manufacturer Salm's city brewpub had been explored <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2011/01/scratching-little-deeper.html" target="_blank">in 2011</a>, when I found it no great shakes in the beer stakes. It was the first port of call, and it was interesting to see how little the beer menu has changed. Experimentation does not seem to be valued by the Good Bürghers of Salm. There was a seasonal, though: <b>Osterbock</b>, what with Easter only around the corner. Though a sizeable 6.5% ABV, it's as mediocre as most of their other beers. It's a pale and murky brown shade and for all that it's meant to be celebratory, tastes rather austere, of brown bread, black tea, and similar institutional flavours. There are noble hops, but they're twangy and acidic, not grassy or green. There aren't any off flavours or problems from the haze, though I count the rapid finish as a bit of a flaw. As it was my first beer I was looking for some welcoming complexity. Salm isn't the place to seek that.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihq2pYlTickuHqjD2fISaBAVUf1ez9bbQyOYwEVhuch7Yl-mD29J3UMjHfNbHjQcb752UAzm2gyGOIeYQh3ovyy_lQh0navEp8bxW-SUkY2Azc6YI6FMT8la3HAVOh6D41BKBTbhTV0oqDLocOyh0_p7igO69M7LFWqCEoce5l578DuvBRiu6mlQ/s2645/7_stern_marzen.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2645" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihq2pYlTickuHqjD2fISaBAVUf1ez9bbQyOYwEVhuch7Yl-mD29J3UMjHfNbHjQcb752UAzm2gyGOIeYQh3ovyy_lQh0navEp8bxW-SUkY2Azc6YI6FMT8la3HAVOh6D41BKBTbhTV0oqDLocOyh0_p7igO69M7LFWqCEoce5l578DuvBRiu6mlQ/w171-h200/7_stern_marzen.jpg" width="171" /></a>The evening closed out at my Vienna regular, and a candidate venue for sprinkling my ashes in the drip trays: 7 Stern. Here, the beer list also changes little, yet amazingly there are regulars I haven't yet reviewed. <b>7 Stern Märzen</b> is one of them. It's interesting in a nerdy way because the menu says it's a Dreher-inspired Vienna lager, and all good students of the infallible Beer Judge Certification Programme know that a beer cannot be both a Märzen <i>and </i>a Vienna lager. You would think the owners would know the basics after 30 years of brewing in central Vienna. It's Märzen strength at 5.1% ABV, but dark too, resembling the smoky Bamberg ones in appearance. To taste, though, it's definitely a Vienna lager, packed with crunchy bourbon biscuit made up of cocoa powder and brown sugar, then adding in the fresh and leafy effects of the hops, all raw spinach and lamb's lettuce. Frankly, whichever of the two styles you're after, it meets the requirements of both, and is just very good, thoroughly unfussy, high quality drinking. <i>This</i> was a proper welcome to the city.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlUQIsBwaZai0_JegD6b3s2cGPDXp6tWk-boP_ULG7g9iyltrlqyp-ETdRaq1XOproOC0lbHn-fegxudFdnFPCBxpZPT8FNPCKO3jBLFXJmtZQPG5I4Yk5ASk739Q4PesZFu1duIgD10u1zhARGt6joU1HxRb5Gbr3ojmjOemS7Obi0QuOtH8ZQ/s3690/7-stern-bock.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3690" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPlUQIsBwaZai0_JegD6b3s2cGPDXp6tWk-boP_ULG7g9iyltrlqyp-ETdRaq1XOproOC0lbHn-fegxudFdnFPCBxpZPT8FNPCKO3jBLFXJmtZQPG5I4Yk5ASk739Q4PesZFu1duIgD10u1zhARGt6joU1HxRb5Gbr3ojmjOemS7Obi0QuOtH8ZQ/w123-h200/7-stern-bock.jpg" width="123" /></a>With time for another, I was back on bock. I don't think I realised that <b>7 Stern Bock</b> was a pale one when I ordered it, but I was concerned when that's what arrived. These are generally too hot and harsh for me. Thankfully, this one wasn't like that. Golden and hazy, the flavour centres on a fluffy, super-fresh baguette breadiness, leaving the hops to a mere seasoning of background lawn clippings. That escalates in the finish, becoming a hint of tin, but at no point did any aspect become problematic for my bock-sceptic palate. It's simple, but packed with class, covering a lot of the ground one might expect from a Helles. Bock purists may complain about its understatedness; it suited me down to the cellar, however.<br /><br />My new brewpub for the weekend -- throw a stone in Vienna and you'll hit one -- was Beaver Brewing, a small and pleasant little L-shaped bar at a busy traffic intersection. It offered a solid cross-section of craftonian styles, meaning I began with...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvsSr8_uV7iflRFIXOvokdEv_u7em04Bmau1L3wIsfpF80Nvl93CikvKtxMY_o2HDmgZvl_0CpCDkZZbd-EPLrJFYqcbOYeKvJxpAFLN5SJ5jUdo5bG-lsv4nnl2eYb_lhBfgxu6b89_yC70Pc9GH-CVlv2aJ28PZ1ijithq7YHJL4-mnXS46xg/s3830/beaver_brewing_wandering_aengus_black_ipa.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3830" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvsSr8_uV7iflRFIXOvokdEv_u7em04Bmau1L3wIsfpF80Nvl93CikvKtxMY_o2HDmgZvl_0CpCDkZZbd-EPLrJFYqcbOYeKvJxpAFLN5SJ5jUdo5bG-lsv4nnl2eYb_lhBfgxu6b89_yC70Pc9GH-CVlv2aJ28PZ1ijithq7YHJL4-mnXS46xg/w118-h200/beaver_brewing_wandering_aengus_black_ipa.jpg" width="118" /></a>... black IPA, of course. I'm guessing they're hinting at Irishness with the name, <b>Wandering Aengus</b>, and a high proportion of the flavour was given over to stout-like roast. But it was also hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Sabro and Simcoe, and those Americans weren't here to play. Simcoe in particular brought its dankly resinous charms to the affair, resulting in a very powerful hop bitterness, which was needed to balance the dark grain. I use the word "balance" loosely here: there was nothing subtle or nuanced about it, just big roast and loud hops roaring along together. I loved it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpGoddc2hhhYw76nrx8glQ1DNfwndapt0wgAufqY4Xfdx4sQpWpI5trZZ86EeLUM3WBjkSTe-zketQYnUvXdddURX4N9Ny5b04OGpt-rtKD6-XqyN4CxBQSIB5nX-YodB-IaHgIjLaWU3K7Qehn86jdmsvfyl9g0LaoFco9xmwZBtwB3IRrx6sw/s3480/beaver_brewing_passion_gose.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3480" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpGoddc2hhhYw76nrx8glQ1DNfwndapt0wgAufqY4Xfdx4sQpWpI5trZZ86EeLUM3WBjkSTe-zketQYnUvXdddURX4N9Ny5b04OGpt-rtKD6-XqyN4CxBQSIB5nX-YodB-IaHgIjLaWU3K7Qehn86jdmsvfyl9g0LaoFco9xmwZBtwB3IRrx6sw/w129-h200/beaver_brewing_passion_gose.jpg" width="129" /></a>As a comedown I went for the 3.7% ABV gose next, called <b>Passion</b>. You won't be surprised to learn it contains passionfruit, as everything must now, even in Austria. The most interesting thing about this one was the deep amber colour. Beyond that it's very basic, with a simple syrupy sweetness and loaded with the taste of passionfruit concentrate. Nether the sourness nor the briney salt of proper gose feature at all. It's not even particularly refreshing, though is drinkable and inoffensive. I'm sure there's a fanbase for beers like this. What else explains how many of them there are around?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLl1k4eIZhsaUaAGh2N1mcrXGzNl-eRhV0s5o4-XVaEF3W1NDhCAUoovVfiPH_fLr33GvfHtBIaconYplVB5peH3jDL_JE5Rq5HrrF5c4XmZGBVkgePQfr8A4f9OgaqplcGAHT77V5aDlhyphenhyphen7PfW2HiM67qFqjIOA0KoU5x54YB8NC2Vn_siu9kOw/s3500/beaver_brewing_ides_of_marzen.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3500" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLl1k4eIZhsaUaAGh2N1mcrXGzNl-eRhV0s5o4-XVaEF3W1NDhCAUoovVfiPH_fLr33GvfHtBIaconYplVB5peH3jDL_JE5Rq5HrrF5c4XmZGBVkgePQfr8A4f9OgaqplcGAHT77V5aDlhyphenhyphen7PfW2HiM67qFqjIOA0KoU5x54YB8NC2Vn_siu9kOw/w129-h200/beaver_brewing_ides_of_marzen.jpg" width="129" /></a>We get some quality punnage with <b>Ides of Märzen</b>, and it's a quality beer. I think I detected an certain American influence here: it's dark-coloured and heavy, in the way that American breweries tend to think Oktoberfestbier ought to be. Thankfully it lacks the cloying sweetness of those ones and instead is quite dry and woody in the aroma, leading on to lots of out-of-character roast and a strong bitterness from the Germanic hops. By way of complexity, there's a soft and fun strawberry element as well. All of it blends together well, creating a very <i>süffig </i>lager, chewy and satisfying, punching above its weight at only 5.5% ABV.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aySoB_z_wqk4ekNJU5bpDPHa8GjIONbs-9ZsklZss24h4mRKFN8ZPWNeqGJ8TcpyqJBZ5pR8FquFFspuS3SsH3dG-a1Iwb_XgK9sS8Sr1oSyOltprkQuahzR5_wzFTpJn4Mh5KsiJyGzeb4kLHaXUPaOuscMxI_RBSxbQWp6yObWuVlHbaBZjQ/s3920/beaver_brewing_sunny_day_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3920" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aySoB_z_wqk4ekNJU5bpDPHa8GjIONbs-9ZsklZss24h4mRKFN8ZPWNeqGJ8TcpyqJBZ5pR8FquFFspuS3SsH3dG-a1Iwb_XgK9sS8Sr1oSyOltprkQuahzR5_wzFTpJn4Mh5KsiJyGzeb4kLHaXUPaOuscMxI_RBSxbQWp6yObWuVlHbaBZjQ/w115-h200/beaver_brewing_sunny_day_ipa.jpg" width="115" /></a>I'm not sure if having west coast IPA on the menu should be considered retro or cutting edge, but they had one, and it was delicious. This is <b>Sunny Day</b>, which is a light and frothy name for a seriously dense and funky hop bomb. The hop roll call includes Centennial, Citra, Idaho 7, Mosaic and Sabro. The subtler tropical ones get completely drowned out leaving us with bags of damp pine and dank nuggs. The only thing I can ding it on is the strength, and it's not really a criticism to say that something which tastes like 7% ABV or more is a mere 5.8%. I guess that gives it a certain lightness of touch and makes it easier drinking than it would otherwise be. Whatever the details, this is west coast as it should be.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rgDsnmo0mURlnT6eH_4tg-tyXPKn4yp1GyFyyADN8i-u04FXROjRdiClwNi9OklWthSlEqH323Pg7sYrfD35iavp9qU2P-jnzqxVo9o_8EL5_DqAs5oLQxsMGrIcEUV3yDQHiw7Evop9bJpuM07w5STNmeIsaBdQwyHFfLoiN7-te5EcESTqtg/s3390/beaver_brewing_loneliest_monk_tripel.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3390" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rgDsnmo0mURlnT6eH_4tg-tyXPKn4yp1GyFyyADN8i-u04FXROjRdiClwNi9OklWthSlEqH323Pg7sYrfD35iavp9qU2P-jnzqxVo9o_8EL5_DqAs5oLQxsMGrIcEUV3yDQHiw7Evop9bJpuM07w5STNmeIsaBdQwyHFfLoiN7-te5EcESTqtg/w133-h200/beaver_brewing_loneliest_monk_tripel.jpg" width="133" /></a>My one for the road here, perhaps appropriately, was <b>Loneliest Monk</b>. This is a tripel, 8.4% ABV and clear and amber, making it darker than I thought tripel should be. The sweet candy aroma is all that really tells you how strong it is; I didn't get any alcoholic burn on tasting. Instead it's clean and dry, and frankly a bit boring, in the way a powerhouse Belgian-style ale shouldn't be. Maybe this is what happens when central European precision gets its hands on the spec. There's a touch of clove but that's about as complex as it gets. It's good that they have a nightcap-appropriate strong beer on the menu, but I would have preferred a more interesting one.<br /><br />In general, Beaver Brewing has some lovely stuff on offer and is well worth a visit if you're in the area.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGnpK2phPoN1Ffurq8q-lvUCEOh8b7gjRtHTiE7g6hwyUBixV1Tl72btbCIlYofQFq1OWRH996z7ru-H7zhTFm3Qgewpkr2FQidjeJe3LVIq2wIVkM1bfte5N7EEcw8t4qGe5VbUaKLFltnQsEDn6pmizzYIIQkGynic5zLdAQm6j8yiDdmH70nA/s2255/schwechat_dreher_tanks.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2240" data-original-width="2255" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGnpK2phPoN1Ffurq8q-lvUCEOh8b7gjRtHTiE7g6hwyUBixV1Tl72btbCIlYofQFq1OWRH996z7ru-H7zhTFm3Qgewpkr2FQidjeJe3LVIq2wIVkM1bfte5N7EEcw8t4qGe5VbUaKLFltnQsEDn6pmizzYIIQkGynic5zLdAQm6j8yiDdmH70nA/w200-h199/schwechat_dreher_tanks.jpg" width="200" /></a>From the small breweries to the very big one. Heineken owns the Schwechater brewery out near the airport. A foundation date of 1632 is one of its claims to fame (you can do your own research on that one), the other being that this was the workplace of Anton Dreher, the inventor of Vienna lager. They've even pasted his face on a grain silo -- quite the honour. Today it's spread across quite a low-density set of non-descript buildings, where there once stood maltings, a cooperage and all the other fun old-timey brewery stuff. There's a small public restaurant and beer garden on site too.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbTTMHBRMsZSmTWtELYbetme7Ema5bZuyxN3Eg0mO-zGMHEZXxcZlSOCTyoTR8IUlYQS-Dvfrl3EkgFX2ltfpfbdgOWqZA3_Ty9ZQnVQr0aE84HmEg74xIAyzYsVXZMbKaEmTCD-bMkaPq2NBl69KjAMzbVjZv59FIICFkHr7-fYKaMZz6rmaDw/s3480/schwechater_original_wiener_lager.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3480" data-original-width="2265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbTTMHBRMsZSmTWtELYbetme7Ema5bZuyxN3Eg0mO-zGMHEZXxcZlSOCTyoTR8IUlYQS-Dvfrl3EkgFX2ltfpfbdgOWqZA3_Ty9ZQnVQr0aE84HmEg74xIAyzYsVXZMbKaEmTCD-bMkaPq2NBl69KjAMzbVjZv59FIICFkHr7-fYKaMZz6rmaDw/w130-h200/schwechater_original_wiener_lager.jpg" width="130" /></a>So proud of Dreher's achievements were his heirs that they ceased brewing Vienna lager for decades, only bringing it back in 2016 when they noticed that beer nerds were paying attention to the history and had money to spend. It was accordingly revived, and packaged in an admittedly beautiful long-neck green glass bottle.<br /><br />For all that it's a <i>meaningful</i> beer, <b>Schwechater Wiener Lager</b> is still a Heineken beer, and as such doesn't taste of a whole lot. It's a lovely chestnut red colour, mind, yet not heavy or strongly malt sweet. Instead it's dry and very clean, with only a hint of roast and tangy metal in the finish. While I had a lot of time for its honest unfussiness, and would be perfectly happy to chomp through a few of those bottles of an evening, there are much better Vienna lagers even in Vienna. Heineken's belated attempt to reclaim the style as their own is a bit cheeky, and not terribly well served by the product.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eobmh8kj8oF7uqnepL-eMytsTWJ_Li7IZqFJpH-2QHGxUt2Bk9awSgi3RytTy_UPLDEM8SdZO0zyX2Tmo8-DKLSUVTVno0R2Kl2Ko5aRe-WgXlCqtL3reuSETpAeQDYA8kXocwRGUy3q3XCJWRgqrdOheSUP0kr7_h5tPIuD22aI8Y3t2tzAug/s3630/schwechater_zwickl.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3630" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eobmh8kj8oF7uqnepL-eMytsTWJ_Li7IZqFJpH-2QHGxUt2Bk9awSgi3RytTy_UPLDEM8SdZO0zyX2Tmo8-DKLSUVTVno0R2Kl2Ko5aRe-WgXlCqtL3reuSETpAeQDYA8kXocwRGUy3q3XCJWRgqrdOheSUP0kr7_h5tPIuD22aI8Y3t2tzAug/w124-h200/schwechater_zwickl.jpg" width="124" /></a>Not all the green bottles are used for that beer. There's also a similarly anachronistic-looking <b>Schwechater Zwickl</b>. This is an especially hazy example, a foggy yellow shade, conjuring unpleasant dreggy images. Thankfully it tastes much cleaner than it looks, though also has lots of rough and rustic character: crisp grain husk and dry sackcloth. A rich golden syrup element makes me think of decoction-mashed Czech lager, and there's an understated but nonetheless present tang of noble hops. Obviously they're trying to conjure an old fashioned vibe with this one, and I think it's more successful, the beer tasting less processed and sterile.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3Nz83CVfJ5476IwHbeac1NBRgAeC0ul6n9BBX_8B87qkEp0fWMkCP1rTveoWLOXYAIkKUeKsE_1wuoK9wTiiKad4GgtsdiM8df2t3FzU76V7mgHMbZy5hZ2bBl-_6zIP8wm_sFVRrzQnBspLFH2TJqtl_QOe4HoRzzJz6oXFCIb9wUBiWG6ICQ/s2760/schwechater_hopfenperle.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="2265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3Nz83CVfJ5476IwHbeac1NBRgAeC0ul6n9BBX_8B87qkEp0fWMkCP1rTveoWLOXYAIkKUeKsE_1wuoK9wTiiKad4GgtsdiM8df2t3FzU76V7mgHMbZy5hZ2bBl-_6zIP8wm_sFVRrzQnBspLFH2TJqtl_QOe4HoRzzJz6oXFCIb9wUBiWG6ICQ/w164-h200/schwechater_hopfenperle.jpg" width="164" /></a>Over at the restaurant, my lunch began with <b>Hopfenperle</b>, the brewery's draught-only flagship pils. It's no lightweight at 5% ABV, and uses that to show off a beautiful creamy texture of the sort I associate most with the sublime Herren Pils from Bamberg's Keesmann. The flavour broadly hits all the style points of pilsner, with a bit of grassy hop and lots of dry crispness. It does so without any real enthusiasm, however, being another beer where the result is doubtless precision engineered, but not to be interesting or exciting. I would describe it as "vanilla" if brewers who ought to know better weren't putting actual vanilla in their beers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZVRfu_-cgaAmj4TvmUceKm8P7WH8QTGdIeXkkDKnuZPy6nyQ_kmVSfeCj8TP981phvL9jeR7Au9UYBTdt32gOc8CKMqJ2G1J8r6_sUP0ghutkRjVotq3ceIr18CEzBbv1-Y89PFF5GH_EEgtKWxQ-ZFYvbDVMoaa4wPYDW0vxUaggpYZR77qeA/s2820/kaiser_doppel_malz.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2820" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZVRfu_-cgaAmj4TvmUceKm8P7WH8QTGdIeXkkDKnuZPy6nyQ_kmVSfeCj8TP981phvL9jeR7Au9UYBTdt32gOc8CKMqJ2G1J8r6_sUP0ghutkRjVotq3ceIr18CEzBbv1-Y89PFF5GH_EEgtKWxQ-ZFYvbDVMoaa4wPYDW0vxUaggpYZR77qeA/w160-h200/kaiser_doppel_malz.jpg" width="160" /></a>Heineken's Austrian footprint includes several other large breweries which they inexplicably haven't closed yet, grouped together under the <a href="https://www.brauunion.at/en/company/locations/" target="_blank">Brau Union</a> brand. One is Wieselburg, in the town of the same name. As well as Wieselburger beer, it also has several under the Kaiser brand, including the interesting looking <b>Kaiser Doppelmalz</b>. A tablemate helpfully explained how malzbier is the region's dark and alcohol-free unfermented "beer", so doppelmalz means you get a modest amount of alcohol -- 4.7% ABV -- even though two times zero is zero. This is indeed a dark red-brown and smells of both sweetness and roast, like molasses or treacle. While it's sweet to taste, it is a proper beer, and doesn't taste saturated in unfermented sugar. The burnt edge helps dry it out, and gives it a certain bitterness. This isn't too far away from the Munich Dunkel style, though it's missing that one's hop character. On a menu of bland industrial lagers, this stood out as the most characterful option available. I could drink several.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRWRqc9oJxoSh3pkua5ep1mymJKB7mxgvms83wpHWv-K8x4lIz36raslEBw_40eRultgBykJk2rzJuxvV5PaR25KEXpuxPqgOpLUvixjwsuWxw02avyxs0c_6my54PQMk4tNtW4Rf9KnwrTvsDObsl9ZTqnyvIznOQXpbdAMZG6NGLJc5vp2cUA/s2913/puntigamer.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2055" data-original-width="2913" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRWRqc9oJxoSh3pkua5ep1mymJKB7mxgvms83wpHWv-K8x4lIz36raslEBw_40eRultgBykJk2rzJuxvV5PaR25KEXpuxPqgOpLUvixjwsuWxw02avyxs0c_6my54PQMk4tNtW4Rf9KnwrTvsDObsl9ZTqnyvIznOQXpbdAMZG6NGLJc5vp2cUA/w200-h141/puntigamer.jpg" width="200" /></a>Another brewery in the chain is <b>Puntigamer</b>, and from the discarded cans in the bins on the packing line at Schwechater, they had recently finished canning a batch of it. I liked the stately blue branding and ordered a pint of it when I saw it on draught in Café Bendl, a gorgeously unspoiled brown basement bar where it looks like the last smoker only just left and there's a clear and present danger of one of the customers striking up an accordian. The beer is rather less charming. Almost a week later I don't really remember how it tasted, but my notebook claims it's "like vomiting candyfloss". So, sweet and acidic, then. I have also deemed it clean and inoffensive, so make of that what you will. I drank two of them so it couldn't have been that bad.<br /><br />That's a cheery note to wrap things up on for today. We'll go back to the independent brewers next, with another ragtag assortment of solidly traditional lagers and the sort of pseudo-American craft beer you get everywhere. And most of that will come from the same enormous Vienna brewery.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-67548973202241148712024-03-17T08:58:00.054+00:002024-03-17T08:58:00.126+00:00I'd rather dye<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZzmWL7ZUZY5E3mnn2-jb5tN2k6Fqjjf4XOT09I_v5B6aEskBA5bfb_tl7OnqTfhKhgZEV2jJQ5DkINxa9pIVZ6WFhan_MhjuTiVUbd6geAbhDi6ejpaT3yWi7oeYRBSrH5shfOYBEzmvNMlvSM5t4sq8lMcP9qmaAlReDMgKrYeeh3lIaV-XRw/s2505/white_hag_the_serpent_green_pale_ale.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2505" data-original-width="2260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZzmWL7ZUZY5E3mnn2-jb5tN2k6Fqjjf4XOT09I_v5B6aEskBA5bfb_tl7OnqTfhKhgZEV2jJQ5DkINxa9pIVZ6WFhan_MhjuTiVUbd6geAbhDi6ejpaT3yWi7oeYRBSrH5shfOYBEzmvNMlvSM5t4sq8lMcP9qmaAlReDMgKrYeeh3lIaV-XRw/s320/white_hag_the_serpent_green_pale_ale.jpg" width="289" /></a>Time was, we used to scoff at the green beer phenomenon that foreign types, Americans especially, seemed to indulge in on St Patrick's Day. You wouldn't get that sort of nonsense here, and especially not in the microbrewed sector. That came to an end about 15 years ago when Dublin's then top beer bar, the Bull & Castle, began squirting food colouring into half litre mugs of Blarney Blonde. These days, it seems that The White Hag have claimed the green beer genre to themselves, with a disturbing number of verdant novelties on their logs.<br /><br />For 2024 it's <b>The Serpent</b>. We should give thanks that it's not one of their sticky syrupy jobs, even though it looks like one: a luminous, Fairy Liquid, shade of green. In fact it's a pretty simple pale ale of 4.5% ABV. Motueka and Nelson Sauvin hops have been used, and while they're not in there by the bucketload, there's enough to give the beer a distinctive background flavour of eucalyptus and pine. I don't know if this recipe exists without the colouring but it would be worth a go if not.<br /><br />Here ends your special coverage of St Patrick's Day from Dublin. Nonsense of the regularly scheduled kind returns tomorrow.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-60708203943640682322024-03-15T08:51:00.004+00:002024-03-15T09:01:26.037+00:00A reawakening<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4I63fVeXnE5DWLj9IP8_d5UtLmcN378q9YuUmqgkW7fPhSKHOEcflrsU-7LtQqnmAEnirjEkveiMznnORNSmpOqyis0yLkFelVk3PpBAM3-yk-iog-m1elfjfh6nGpFxABXXsT4Cgv-XFU9rM5EvLLXhiZHr9sKk5xqTGeMCZpV9UKOU1m6Vh8A/s2665/galway_hooker_galway_girl_hazy_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2665" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4I63fVeXnE5DWLj9IP8_d5UtLmcN378q9YuUmqgkW7fPhSKHOEcflrsU-7LtQqnmAEnirjEkveiMznnORNSmpOqyis0yLkFelVk3PpBAM3-yk-iog-m1elfjfh6nGpFxABXXsT4Cgv-XFU9rM5EvLLXhiZHr9sKk5xqTGeMCZpV9UKOU1m6Vh8A/w169-h200/galway_hooker_galway_girl_hazy_ipa.jpg" width="169" /></a>"<a href="https://twitter.com/HookerBrewery/status/1759986330048860296" target="_blank">Here at Galway Hooker</a>, we are always innovating with new brews and new ideas." Well, no. Since the brewery became part of the Connacht Hospitality Group in 2022 they've stuck resolutely to their core range while furiously rebadging them as house beers for pubs around the country. But it looks like that might be changing, with two new special edition beers arriving last month.<br /><br /><b>Galway Girl</b> is a bit of a route-one name for a beer from a Galway brewery, but maybe it'll help shift some units. It looks route-one too: a medium hazy orange, allowing a little more light through than the best of these do, suggesting it belongs with those examples made by breweries whose hearts aren't really in the style. Still, it smells bright, fresh and clean, of mandarin and satsuma. The flavour is not to style, and is delightful. Those fresh little orange citrus fellows are back, bringing a cleansing bitterness and a little resinous spice: not very east-coast but who cares? I got a tiny kick of dregginess in the finish, but it's barely noticeable, plus a not unwelcome spark of fried onion. The texture is light for 5.2% ABV, though not thin by any means. The brewery's ownership may have changed, but it seems they've kept the old Galway Hooker talent for balance and drinkability.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx7qZsFxSBpct-b7OomXmGE7FJqpfyegg4MBiYzC26U9sEfvwYL1Ga0Zk1viYqePT0Tt_rOAZyuHYMWrfJDyXbkhEE_LnoZwEgbi_ELMNHK2Y4nhYNKEHRQLOA_0oOvka3BM-OuEpYrxFt-9SzHfN8m_5Afm5aIRIllDZEgZ2z45Kg7M0AO1atQ/s3060/galway_hooker_wild_sea_swimmers_baltic_porter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3060" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx7qZsFxSBpct-b7OomXmGE7FJqpfyegg4MBiYzC26U9sEfvwYL1Ga0Zk1viYqePT0Tt_rOAZyuHYMWrfJDyXbkhEE_LnoZwEgbi_ELMNHK2Y4nhYNKEHRQLOA_0oOvka3BM-OuEpYrxFt-9SzHfN8m_5Afm5aIRIllDZEgZ2z45Kg7M0AO1atQ/w148-h200/galway_hooker_wild_sea_swimmers_baltic_porter.jpg" width="148" /></a>The companion piece is in a style much more to my taste: Baltic Porter. <b>Wild Sea Swimmers</b> is 7% ABV and does a reasonably good job of things, smelling bitter and herbal, all aniseed and warm red cabbage. I detected a very slight sourness too, but nothing off-putting. It unfolds in several different directions on tasting, incorporating soft and comforting cocoa, invigorating espresso, floral rosewater, treacle, toffee, cola and a greener vegetal bitterness than the aroma suggested. While it's as busy as it sounds, it's tasty too, the different aspects queuing politely and taking turns. I'm impressed by how close to continental Baltic porter it tastes, for a brewery that's never made one before. <br /><br />A sign of good things to come from the veteran Oranmore brewery. Shame about the 2007-vintage distressed lettering.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-55312367463035332172024-03-13T08:35:00.003+00:002024-03-13T08:35:00.123+00:00Wild journey<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAjgSUpoKcIgabzByTh0qe58c_8Tvn0hYJziRvDB_icsqSEhPyBVPyQ9pQuk85dYgze0s9sMWgRZw0ted9OKq07SmjZ2dy4DoownIxv_mvj20ActeiUcf8p322JnGDAIOJePo8vM6xipIpUdFPX1phSDThX4n0aClKL48LSj1GTmLh-sOVYbg2g/s3330/firestone_walker_oharas_fiain_honey_ale.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3330" data-original-width="2250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAjgSUpoKcIgabzByTh0qe58c_8Tvn0hYJziRvDB_icsqSEhPyBVPyQ9pQuk85dYgze0s9sMWgRZw0ted9OKq07SmjZ2dy4DoownIxv_mvj20ActeiUcf8p322JnGDAIOJePo8vM6xipIpUdFPX1phSDThX4n0aClKL48LSj1GTmLh-sOVYbg2g/s320/firestone_walker_oharas_fiain_honey_ale.jpg" width="216" /></a>Today's beer is a collaboration in the truest sense. It started life several years ago in Bagenalstown as O'Hara's Red Ale and was then shipped to Firestone Walker in California to be refermented in oak foeders with Brettanomyces and finished with late stage additions of thyme and honey. Then it came back across continental North America and the Atlantic Ocean, which I'd say makes some contribution to the €12 price tag on my 375ml bottle. It's called <b>Fiáin</b>.<br /><br />The coppery colour of the base beer has survived everything it's been through, and the head stays put in a way that's unusual for wild fermented beer. It smells quite sharp, with the mild balsamic vinegar and tart cherry of a Flanders red ale. The texture is light, verging on thin, with little malt left behind by the Brett as it boosted the ABV to 6.5%. That's not a problem; it's not watery, and there's a pleasantly clean and refreshing sourness right at the front, not quite as full-on as with a geuze but subtly oaked in a similar way. That would be enough to make it a decent beer, but towards the end there's a bonus contribution of real thyme, still tasting bright and fresh after almost three years in the bottle. That flashes briefly, leaving the Brettanomyces to end proceedings with a peach or melon gumminess.<br /><br />I don't know that it's a €12 beer exactly -- you can get 75cl bottles of beers as good and better for only a little extra -- but it's extremely well made, and has held up beautifully in its time abandoned on the shelves of the Mace on the South Circular Road. There's still some there if you want to try it.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-36813496534386068482024-03-11T08:40:00.024+00:002024-03-11T08:40:00.117+00:00Pick and Mikks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjli1KZ5k3FKPq9Y7uAFaKFSJx_lr3ZZ3zUoTBwLMfgy1FjeKzGP3yiMkSONhcjUtBcTrrkeI_pg6Uk_w1Ts4UTC_OTEzgXyg53DX6292c6OpFIRpjGgMdlQQxn307rB-2qHgV-B1K82vRZodM4mDfHgvHyIOA5DJGiybgpYtTfm01aykPi8K1A/s2255/mikkeller_ice_cold_pilsner.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2155" data-original-width="2255" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjli1KZ5k3FKPq9Y7uAFaKFSJx_lr3ZZ3zUoTBwLMfgy1FjeKzGP3yiMkSONhcjUtBcTrrkeI_pg6Uk_w1Ts4UTC_OTEzgXyg53DX6292c6OpFIRpjGgMdlQQxn307rB-2qHgV-B1K82vRZodM4mDfHgvHyIOA5DJGiybgpYtTfm01aykPi8K1A/w200-h191/mikkeller_ice_cold_pilsner.jpg" width="200" /></a>It's a source of some bemusement to me how the breweries and beer brands which were bold and exciting, (if never actually revolutionary) a decade and more ago have become part of the mainstream, when they survived. I barely notice the wares from BrewDog, Stone and Mikkeller in the off licence fridges now. I see it as broadly a positive thing that they became so commonplace; that flavour-first beer is now easily available. It's just, as I say, bemusing that any sense of thrill or intrigue is completely gone. In fact, it was not boldness but the charming retro packaging of these two lagers that caught my attention. I have never liked the Keith Shore artwork for Mikkeller and here it's minimised, giving prominence instead to stolid, commonsense, pastiche Victoriana. You know where you are with a roundel.<br /><br /><b>Ice Cold Pilsner</b> is where we start, the name and 4.5% ABV suggesting something pale, clear and possibly passed through a Clydesdale. In fact it's very hazy, dark yellow under a rocky head resulting from some messily overenthusiastic carbonation. The aroma isn't classic pils either, being lemony in a very New World way. The fizz had settled by the time I took my first sip, so while it does have a busy prickle, it's not at the expense of the flavour. There's a certain amount of the noble-hop grassy bitterness that pilsner is supposed to have, but it's an easily-missed background element, behind a citrus kick that's by turns sweet (Club Orange; Orangina) and sharp (thick-shred marmalade; Angostura Bitters). It's a bright and jolly affair, and has enough of the pilsner character about it that I can forgive its meanderings. It did leave me wanting the crystal-clear pilsner I had been expecting, however.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjkxCzIgXQRnPUUTDBbRZ6v9s5714nMzWE966k6Jm1vcKtXXFLmGGDzX18c24nI2WnaMxD3tV7UX_b0yXQ23QA3Jy-W75XbD_-Q_Fyd5YhgnKwgYntWgET4DCB7adOSnVJ6fgZi5uMoiO2KUh6s2PihwtpU-YrQYXhC3hyphenhyphenSJkTUzjMCw0RZHSgA/s2260/mikkeller_iskold_classic_vienna_lager.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2235" data-original-width="2260" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjkxCzIgXQRnPUUTDBbRZ6v9s5714nMzWE966k6Jm1vcKtXXFLmGGDzX18c24nI2WnaMxD3tV7UX_b0yXQ23QA3Jy-W75XbD_-Q_Fyd5YhgnKwgYntWgET4DCB7adOSnVJ6fgZi5uMoiO2KUh6s2PihwtpU-YrQYXhC3hyphenhyphenSJkTUzjMCw0RZHSgA/w200-h198/mikkeller_iskold_classic_vienna_lager.jpg" width="200" /></a>Ice Cold seems to come twinned with a Vienna lager, 5.6% ABV, which has similar branding. And a similar name too: <b>Iskold</b>. It's a bit muddy looking in the glass: red like Vienna lager should be, but the murk is not a good fit. The crisper and roastier side of the style spectrum is well represented here: lots of wholegrain toast and crisp malt kernels. The high gravity makes its mark with a thick and treacly body, and that's balanced against a very vegetal tang of tender green cabbage and cool celery: noble hops at their subtle best. Like the beer above, it's nice, but doesn't have the style points quite where they should be. The best Vienna lagers have a cleanness and a precision which this, presumably, Belgian-brewed craft take doesn't show. A polite round of applause and, while I wish it success, I hope it doesn't become anyone's idea of what Vienna lager should be.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxZjZqgCYrL3UXEIC-0PdbGXYoCQFMVTaN85EUCLKJIhEWYxhu057QIRq8o4dr19PdXUecrj_aZkDfFYaRE7ntVPIFqRc6BLMARlkJbnOSK50aB-3CZaopTyaA4qBrj1G6FHJsFrIxijE9kHG-p-FKEYHiRGIioDtxsdruU6TpUEbr-DjQ0lArw/s3260/mikkeller_vanilla_shake.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3260" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxZjZqgCYrL3UXEIC-0PdbGXYoCQFMVTaN85EUCLKJIhEWYxhu057QIRq8o4dr19PdXUecrj_aZkDfFYaRE7ntVPIFqRc6BLMARlkJbnOSK50aB-3CZaopTyaA4qBrj1G6FHJsFrIxijE9kHG-p-FKEYHiRGIioDtxsdruU6TpUEbr-DjQ0lArw/w138-h200/mikkeller_vanilla_shake.jpg" width="138" /></a>For dessert, a taster courtesy of <a href="https://twitter.com/beinmysolo" target="_blank">Simon</a>, voted Most Likely To Have A Bottle of Imperial Stout To Share by the barflies in UnderDog. It's called <b>Vanilla Shake</b> and is bourbon barrel-aged. Other Mikkeller Vanilla Shakes may exist; I don't keep track. It's a strange mix of sweet and dry: a powerful 13.4% ABV and heavily laden with milk chocolate, the effect doubtless accentuated by whatever vanilla extract they've added. And then the barrel kicks in. If it adds yet more vanilla, that gets lost in the general vanilla-y morass of the foretaste, but there's a sizeable dose of cork, port wine, and then a splintery dry-wood rasp. The two elements aren't complementary and neither is particularly enjoyable by itself. I daren't think what this costs to buy, but whatever they're asking isn't worth it.<br /><br />Bemusement of a different kind, there. The hits keep coming at Mikkeller.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-49653874189874112812024-03-08T08:18:00.008+00:002024-03-08T08:18:00.153+00:00UnorthoDOTs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclOQnRTxNptBwEOPxqUIlYnNhckVCGWHoZR2iJBoTbspTz7PJvqkfhhI10nciNe-5nuIKFmalxlRlvQ38PWwoTVqHEz7FyR9AmBtOr7JNbYtwdfc-IOgGFtUXiXesravpH8E8hNGZxuVhoaioKXDd5UA4Ha0j_N0yZmn9BkuQK8wWsZnedP5Mwg/s2755/dot_brew_micro_oak_fruit_thingy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2755" data-original-width="2090" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclOQnRTxNptBwEOPxqUIlYnNhckVCGWHoZR2iJBoTbspTz7PJvqkfhhI10nciNe-5nuIKFmalxlRlvQ38PWwoTVqHEz7FyR9AmBtOr7JNbYtwdfc-IOgGFtUXiXesravpH8E8hNGZxuVhoaioKXDd5UA4Ha0j_N0yZmn9BkuQK8wWsZnedP5Mwg/w152-h200/dot_brew_micro_oak_fruit_thingy.jpg" width="152" /></a>2024 for DOT Brew's beers began with a tap takeover at UnderDog and three brand new offerings. <br /><br />A bold move to start: <b>Micro Oak Fruit Thingy</b>, reflecting the brewery's commitment to established beer styles and the perfection thereof. It's 2.4% ABV, which is brave, but suffers from no thinness, the sweet fruit refusing to ferment and giving it the necessary body. I thought I detected favourite DOT ingredient verjus at work here: that tangy lime-esque sourness, but Shane says it's too expensive, so instead it's simply grapes, hitting against whatever sour culture they've used. I got a hint of pink flavour too: spotting the raspberry and not being surprised to learn that there's strawberry too, and then and happy tannic dryness on the finish. That makes it deliciously drinkable and refreshing, aided by a light and almost cask-like sparkle. I spent a lot of time drinking and exploring a pint of it when really it's built for quaffing. We're off to a good start.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnsCgGEm3Sb_cwobOQNO9fjvbezOl6EnjFsZA1xXjMSQeWOICQn7LLFjkldLl8NROt7tSNViPkAcUJogc6LK7xoYujl6wCwP_GkK-a7cNkZuq8WGB4tHOLOif3EN5FI8Y7PvZedwGevJTSpsrXbmMx3AZ1qx_RlVtRPFTeoNQJ_k1XDPR9Kzq4A/s3270/dot_brew_ba_white_port_blend.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3270" data-original-width="2250" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnsCgGEm3Sb_cwobOQNO9fjvbezOl6EnjFsZA1xXjMSQeWOICQn7LLFjkldLl8NROt7tSNViPkAcUJogc6LK7xoYujl6wCwP_GkK-a7cNkZuq8WGB4tHOLOif3EN5FI8Y7PvZedwGevJTSpsrXbmMx3AZ1qx_RlVtRPFTeoNQJ_k1XDPR9Kzq4A/w138-h200/dot_brew_ba_white_port_blend.jpg" width="138" /></a>The next one is a base blend of pale lager and a light sour beer which is then aged in former white port barrels, and badged as <b>BA White Port Blend</b> when it comes out. The base is quite immaterial as the barrels are firmly in control of the taste, adding lots of smooth, old oak and the good kind of oxidation you get in white port and pale sherry. It's all a bit much at first, accentuated by the substantial 6.6% ABV. White port is an excellent aperitif but I would be inclined to save this beer for dessert. There's a little bonus sweetness in the finish with the arrival of concentrated red grape, more ruby port than white. Either way, I think you absolutely need to be a fan of port before considering this beer. I am, and rather enjoyed it as a result.<br /><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqYbFonXJuRbzQ7jgX7ra-cCSsblzGZ-4L11T6mI9eKwmZkcAWr3LKqJXsFSCOegJ9rMG5ONll5jhqvoX_WMRHPNCSrsFbZNzpwYS1XdJD1koVNvwvHtBXiqL3dM0PiJeYYZhPSUylnm6c0R2hzHKIhlKWMZxdbG2KUrME8QCtRFWSmrteoOmlA/s2855/dot_brew_the_chairmans_cut_barley_wine.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2855" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqYbFonXJuRbzQ7jgX7ra-cCSsblzGZ-4L11T6mI9eKwmZkcAWr3LKqJXsFSCOegJ9rMG5ONll5jhqvoX_WMRHPNCSrsFbZNzpwYS1XdJD1koVNvwvHtBXiqL3dM0PiJeYYZhPSUylnm6c0R2hzHKIhlKWMZxdbG2KUrME8QCtRFWSmrteoOmlA/w158-h200/dot_brew_the_chairmans_cut_barley_wine.jpg" width="158" /></a>The next one is extreme even by DOT's regularly way-out standards. Almost all of <b>The Chairman's Cut</b> has been exported to Italy, saving the one 20 litre keg tapped up in UnderDog. The headline feature is that it's a 22% ABV barley wine so was being served in very small snifters. It's a murky russet colour and that alcohol is extremely apparent from the aroma, where I could almost feel my nose hairs singe on sniffing it. Among the barrels used for ageing it was peated whiskey, and for me that absolutely dominated proceedings. It smelled of real fried bacon and tasted of bacon flavouring at a remove, most specifically of Bacon Fries corn snacks, with the same sort of dry wheatiness underlying the savoury, meaty foretaste. The booze isn't as prominent as I had expected from the aroma and I class the whole thing as smooth, warm and mature rather than rough or hot. The small measure was plenty, however: the density and the intense peat suggest that it could gum up the palate very quickly. Fun for one, but not something I need to see in regular production.<br /><br />So DOT is still doing things the uniquely DOT way. Expect more of the unusual, as usual.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-36779517823578358682024-03-06T08:01:00.003+00:002024-03-06T08:01:00.131+00:00Go fish<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt4CRuN4w6-8gQjOrkmoaFivRUfiQQ7OIrbXtt9Mtf1T2MqPzCOW-Sse2-WS9eC93fDXpqFzzAdCDjxV9CxIz6_9Kj0eyOJp6ww2H1LLpNiD9Z81jHb5HATPf8YE5ThhvMivnJ4Z_k12AkGtyERyxWglNGIKeTOkLJiG3JAvBbHiD1m6PEntHaQ/s3875/lough_gill_horizon_california_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3875" data-original-width="2255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt4CRuN4w6-8gQjOrkmoaFivRUfiQQ7OIrbXtt9Mtf1T2MqPzCOW-Sse2-WS9eC93fDXpqFzzAdCDjxV9CxIz6_9Kj0eyOJp6ww2H1LLpNiD9Z81jHb5HATPf8YE5ThhvMivnJ4Z_k12AkGtyERyxWglNGIKeTOkLJiG3JAvBbHiD1m6PEntHaQ/s320/lough_gill_horizon_california_ipa.jpg" width="186" /></a>Lough Gill features regularly on these pages. It's a brewery which turns out a lot of product, and one which appears to have an eye on the US as its target market. As such, it tends to go big: high-strength IPAs, barrel-aged imperial stouts and smoothie-like "pastry sours" feature prominently. Today, however, it's a change of tack, with two rather more sessionable beers, both appearing on draught at UnderDog recently.<br /><br />The first is <b>Horizon</b>, a pale ale at 4.7% ABV. It looks like the straightforward proposition it is: a mostly-clear pale amber with only the slightest cast of haze. They describe it as a "California IPA" without elaborating on what they mean by that. One might be expecting piney hops in the west coast style but it goes for gentler peach and melon instead, suggesting to me that Mosaic or its ilk have been employed. The texture is as light as the sessionable ABV suggests but comes with a heavy dose of fizz which I found slowed my drinking down. This is simple and decent stuff, and will hopefully find its way to being a permanent offering in places that don't already have the likes of Little Fawn, Ambush or Scraggy Bay on tap.<br /><br />I neglected to take a photo of the other beer, which is a shame because it looked well in the Lough Gill Willibecher pint glass. <b>Black Wave</b> is a stout, nitrogenated and 4.2% ABV so very much made for pub drinking, and as far as I know that's the only way it's available. It performs the task well, without doing anything too unusual, for good or ill. For the most part the flavour is dry with a medium level of roast, enough to satisfy a regular drinker of such stouts without causing problems for those that are wary of it. There's a countermelody of milk chocolate which gives it a character of its own, and then a herbal echo, suggesting spearmint freshness to me. That sounds odd but it fits the rest of the profile seamlessly and is barely noticeable unless you look for it. I would say that getting a beer like this into pubs is a very hard sell and I wish the brewery luck with it.<br /><br />This new turn towards more accessible beers is a welcome one, so long as it doesn't interfere with the regular production of fancy cans. Either or both of the above would be a welcome addition to the line-up in a pub seeking to give mainstream drinkers quality options from a small independent Irish brewery.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-87489744933741402972024-03-04T08:45:00.279+00:002024-03-04T08:45:00.128+00:00Early hop shoots<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPJmXWy5ZR1BIJa3IhLpUMBN0bInhYL6t_eozDPrqRpPFiohxNTusbLJQgx8rGllpjDH4bIFO1tMdzoIquW8m18V0I5wJun8OXKAaq_pTG8p8LKm_t0SI4WP-O4wlIC4ERgxdouNQReHJWWWGZKHFPfkEH4AriixNwawuW_DIWast1AIXsSHNPw/s2930/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_37_low_alcohol_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2930" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPJmXWy5ZR1BIJa3IhLpUMBN0bInhYL6t_eozDPrqRpPFiohxNTusbLJQgx8rGllpjDH4bIFO1tMdzoIquW8m18V0I5wJun8OXKAaq_pTG8p8LKm_t0SI4WP-O4wlIC4ERgxdouNQReHJWWWGZKHFPfkEH4AriixNwawuW_DIWast1AIXsSHNPw/w154-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_37_low_alcohol_ipa.jpg" width="154" /></a>As we head into the third month of 2024 we see a resurgence of new beers from Ireland's breweries. Today I'm looking at an assortment from the hoppy side of the house.<br /><br />We'll start without the alcohol, or almost without, and <b>Brewers At Play 37</b> from Kinnegar, a variant on its Low Tide super-low-alcohol session IPA. Like that one, it's just 1% ABV and hazy yellow in colour. The aroma is nicely hop forward, balanced well between peachy juice and a spark of citrus. It's definitely a beer, not an ersatz substitute, but is a tad watery: you would immediately know that the ABV isn't the full shilling, I think. There's also the grittiness and metallic twang often found in very low-alcohol beers. Other than that, the taste is good: zesty lemon chased by a cheeky resinous dank, and while the finish is indecently quick, there's a lingering aftertaste of lime rind. It does the job. I wouldn't swap it in for a stronger IPA if that's what I was in the mood for, but when that's not an option I would <i>fairly</i> happily drink this instead.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWILJHKB0FnG7eqfSacuDD32DPsP-XNuf5g1hw85PzVnNYf0EzpIy4zlqajWD8B4zdOp0u-oy5J-1-1HcCPy1Do4EgcPUOfrQQBAvDUAWS0DToPt4xqjMysItMwXrP8gtp_phwlIK9zOqxlPA4RKz2OtluodLJqoJN2jcY6UfMZpj8KvuhfO2I8Q/s2445/dot_brew_let_loose_pale_ale.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2445" data-original-width="2265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWILJHKB0FnG7eqfSacuDD32DPsP-XNuf5g1hw85PzVnNYf0EzpIy4zlqajWD8B4zdOp0u-oy5J-1-1HcCPy1Do4EgcPUOfrQQBAvDUAWS0DToPt4xqjMysItMwXrP8gtp_phwlIK9zOqxlPA4RKz2OtluodLJqoJN2jcY6UfMZpj8KvuhfO2I8Q/w185-h200/dot_brew_let_loose_pale_ale.jpg" width="185" /></a>Even casual readers of this blog are probably familiar with the prolific DOT Brew by now. It's best known for its highly involved barrel-aged blends, about which more later this week, but they do straight-up hoppy things too. This one is called <b>Let Loose</b>, a pale ale. Although oats are listed on the ingredients it's only very slightly hazy, and is otherwise a medium golden-amber. I guess they're there to boost the texture since it's only 4.2% ABV, and it works! It's light, but with enough body to give the hop flavour a proper beginning, middle and end. We're not told what they are, but I'm guessing something classically new-world. There's a broad mélange of soft peach and mango with a bitter mineral edge suggesting dried lemon or grapefruit peel. None if it is especially loud, but it's an excellent undemanding thirst-quencher. I don't usually pay much attention to what breweries write about their beers, but the description here says "Simply, an easy drinking all round bright pale ale." Couldn't have said it better myself.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DPt8eTtEXLZvHJnIrA6uQUDodX9J4TY8e2mSGz7nVNmDMitfMD5lzaaNDNeBOxGKqwc6yfsoNJPDY5u4bpgZoo5eZb7ISmyMqbHYrhiqSXHem-TahjQqZk4XE11kiL3cuJFjfbHh0q55RsqUHuhQrEDCiJtsygMFjcS9IgPoO61GA86mOh1Plg/s3085/trouble_brewing_new_me_nz_pale_ale.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3085" data-original-width="2185" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DPt8eTtEXLZvHJnIrA6uQUDodX9J4TY8e2mSGz7nVNmDMitfMD5lzaaNDNeBOxGKqwc6yfsoNJPDY5u4bpgZoo5eZb7ISmyMqbHYrhiqSXHem-TahjQqZk4XE11kiL3cuJFjfbHh0q55RsqUHuhQrEDCiJtsygMFjcS9IgPoO61GA86mOh1Plg/w142-h200/trouble_brewing_new_me_nz_pale_ale.jpg" width="142" /></a>Trouble's contribution to this first round-up of 2024 is, perhaps appropriately, called <b>New Me</b>. It's a pale ale of 4.7% ABV and references New Zealand on the badge, so presumably utilises hops from down there. Presenting clear and golden, there's not much aroma, and the flavour too is reticent, requiring a few mouthfuls before the character emerges. That character is bitterness: the grassy sort which shows the noble German heritage of many a Kiwi hop variety. There are some mild tropical overtones, suggesting that Nelson Sauvin or something similar has been added to the mix. Still, everything is on the down-low and there isn't really a whole lot to explore. When the fizz has subsided a little, you're left with an unchallenging and quaffable refresher, much like the beer above.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrCMWI4cT0AZZ9Qnl0LtzcGoU0z1Y0Ko2L6yHhfYW_9k50LniZS8-4_PHJc2uaOFEKi03pJlGzsMl8GnW-eR_IaKzjAKlzLWlvsjlc2AzNFMxS8ZGqHvqw1yXnkihq_GOghPQjicjVISF2R36AQAX8uNb9_6GYLMTILaTnF4wOjajQlgGqdrfZA/s2975/hopsicle_haus_of_fionn_juicy_pale_ale.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2975" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrCMWI4cT0AZZ9Qnl0LtzcGoU0z1Y0Ko2L6yHhfYW_9k50LniZS8-4_PHJc2uaOFEKi03pJlGzsMl8GnW-eR_IaKzjAKlzLWlvsjlc2AzNFMxS8ZGqHvqw1yXnkihq_GOghPQjicjVISF2R36AQAX8uNb9_6GYLMTILaTnF4wOjajQlgGqdrfZA/w152-h200/hopsicle_haus_of_fionn_juicy_pale_ale.jpg" width="152" /></a>Hopsicle is a new beer brand to me. It's an all-Cork collaboration project between Bierhaus and Fionnbarr's, although the beer is brewed in the Real Capital: Dublin. I missed the first iteration of the puntastic Haus of Fionn, but here's <b>Haus of Fionn 2.0</b>. It's still a Nelson Sauvin pale ale of 4.9% ABV but now there's extra oats. I have never dinged a beer for not enough oats. It's thick, it's sharp, it's tangy. There's just about a sufficient amount of Nelson's citrus-rind-in-a-petroleum-refinery, but it's not one of those beers to give Nelson fans that big hit they crave. As a middling pintable Irish pub beer, however, it's excellent: this is a noble example of pubs who care about their beer offer taking steps to ensure what they have is good. File this with the contemporary greats like Scraggy and Ambush. Put it on tap everywhere. Teach the masses.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLnpcauNZupf60HZ0UZUYZSR09eFi_9VFpOuk9smo-L4znRicVXvE5RYvZilebWDALiE3O1oYZFXqm6fjfc4uw7TIOpxe0xVpsScqX3qg-plLhyphenhyphenuxw_ZiKNP55VhRU63EM6OYsyiZHgesSkd6EMM5UUwbBnQUP2LSGnw1-PuhudbAYh37KA31Tg/s2690/farringtons_the_long_road_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2690" data-original-width="2265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLnpcauNZupf60HZ0UZUYZSR09eFi_9VFpOuk9smo-L4znRicVXvE5RYvZilebWDALiE3O1oYZFXqm6fjfc4uw7TIOpxe0xVpsScqX3qg-plLhyphenhyphenuxw_ZiKNP55VhRU63EM6OYsyiZHgesSkd6EMM5UUwbBnQUP2LSGnw1-PuhudbAYh37KA31Tg/w168-h200/farringtons_the_long_road_ipa.jpg" width="168" /></a>It was a very pleasant surprise to see a new beer from Farringtons, the Kildare restaurant-brewery not being a place from which I expected to see a high turnover of cans. But here we are and the new one is called <b>The Long Road</b>. It's an IPA at 5.9% ABV and they've gone full American with Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic. The harsher side of all of those is what the flavour is about: Mosaic's softer melon and mango is quickly buried by Citra's grapefruit and lime. Couple that with a rasp of dry toast and you have the gist of it. Fans of the west coast revival will enjoy the clean bitterness and a boozy punch that's all California and no Kildare. Don't expect nuance beyond this, though. This is one of those commercial beers that's worthy of a homebrew competition medal: hitting the style right at the point where they also mean it's a good beer. IPA is not quite over yet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyWkyHHYvZ80EP8ce7gq3U8w3DPTuHjf-lpyHLXeyDcISneo1tKbnhffcsa-qIcF19W653J97Z92UNHLTG7FwJJzrTOkrj2HJ-M8oW5eWh-I1x9Iw5DxoSLH64CR7Kb2aQ9IQVtX5Q-R9Qg4p3E5ow67wFcJNNJUz2-PpjNJ7qkVetX9tg0TxMw/s2860/third_barrel_beam_me_up_ddh_ipa.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyWkyHHYvZ80EP8ce7gq3U8w3DPTuHjf-lpyHLXeyDcISneo1tKbnhffcsa-qIcF19W653J97Z92UNHLTG7FwJJzrTOkrj2HJ-M8oW5eWh-I1x9Iw5DxoSLH64CR7Kb2aQ9IQVtX5Q-R9Qg4p3E5ow67wFcJNNJUz2-PpjNJ7qkVetX9tg0TxMw/w158-h200/third_barrel_beam_me_up_ddh_ipa.jpg" width="158" /></a>Nothing will date things to the mid-2020s, in the most cringe-inducing way, than bad AI-generated artwork. Even an ephemeral trade like limited-edition beers would be better to avoid it, if only because it all gets documented here for the ages. And so I document <b>Beam Me Up!</b> from Third Barrel. The less said about the label the better. Don't look too closely. It's in the almost retro style of DDH IPA, 6.1% ABV and using brewery favourite Idaho 7. The haze isn't especially dense by the standards of these things, but it's attractive looking, a glowing sunset orange. The aroma is very distinctive, to the point where I'd be telling you it's that rascal Nelson Sauvin at work if I didn't know what it was: an oily and slightly hot twang of kerosene and bay leaf. Uncompromising. The flavour which follows isn't as severe as I was expecting, nor is there a whole lot of heat. There's a slight raw hop-leaf bitterness and a much gentler zesty lemon and crunchy red cabbage. All tastes quite west-coast to me -- juice aficionados must needs look elsewhere. I liked the sheer boldness of it from the start, and when my palate had adjusted to it, I enjoyed the nuanced citrus and resin. Overall a very well put-together American-style IPA.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLcW64qxiOx9tnpMyjz3zn6ogXRlK41uaSgVqYSnsjourmPrjmTGp-uOUv5JChkmQIKhYq2bmwmi12HAbcOt0bxtBiY0YOXj2cU1lkaUJzS4ISqH_uS2oHhpyyTaH1m5HWwLHEZhUXfR2-jZOPFlTywwOvYGXNO9cdaCQykm0AaibF4JKQ2D7gQ/s2395/hopfully_lazergun_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2395" data-original-width="2165" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLcW64qxiOx9tnpMyjz3zn6ogXRlK41uaSgVqYSnsjourmPrjmTGp-uOUv5JChkmQIKhYq2bmwmi12HAbcOt0bxtBiY0YOXj2cU1lkaUJzS4ISqH_uS2oHhpyyTaH1m5HWwLHEZhUXfR2-jZOPFlTywwOvYGXNO9cdaCQykm0AaibF4JKQ2D7gQ/w181-h200/hopfully_lazergun_ipa.jpg" width="181" /></a>Hopfully continues the more serious strengths with 6.5% ABV <b>Lazergun</b> (pew! pew!), a single hop Azacca IPA. It's one of the hazy ones, showing an opaque hazy orange in the glass. Azacca should be giving me a firework display of tropical candy hops but it's a bit muted here, the aroma being broadly sweet without anything specific. This is followed by a flavour which presents little up front, and only later on adds some concentrated mango and pineapple syrup, with a bonus lemon and lime zest. The latter adds a cleanness to a flavour profile in desperate need of it. This isn't bright and sunny juice-powered beer, nor is it an astringent west-coaster. It doesn't quite fit into either, though there are elements of both. It's hop forward but the hops don't really lead us anywhere interesting. I suspect that the Azacca needs company, and if that's what the beer teaches us then that's good enough.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvfcHFSQd1qunYugyQvV6WWwgsCjf7fCHoNQ1tLIlDoGszaFDk8_3g8_aDAXKFLfVFSqChPiel2tgs7lwSXX04YOd4JwJ_dCzJpl3FRNOitOGnMiFG2l0OpHO8y5QYW0mhxssLrejIr18Jo_R4RubSsfatxBA33bSDuWF5RjBCydFQgSE7KhwHw/s2260/whiplash_flatbeat_ipa.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2260" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvfcHFSQd1qunYugyQvV6WWwgsCjf7fCHoNQ1tLIlDoGszaFDk8_3g8_aDAXKFLfVFSqChPiel2tgs7lwSXX04YOd4JwJ_dCzJpl3FRNOitOGnMiFG2l0OpHO8y5QYW0mhxssLrejIr18Jo_R4RubSsfatxBA33bSDuWF5RjBCydFQgSE7KhwHw/w200-h200/whiplash_flatbeat_ipa.jpg" width="200" /></a>From one crowd of haze fanatics to another: here's Whiplash with <b>Flat Beat</b>, for all the 1990s glove puppet fanatics out there. This is another dense-looking orange one, the ABV at 6.8%. I expected fruit in spades from the hop combination of Hallertau Blanc, El Dorado and Amarillo, but the aroma is quite taciturn, offering only a minimalistic quantum of zest. The flavour is on the down-low as well, which is a surprise. I get a kind of herbal, savoury effect -- thyme and marjoram, perhaps -- and then a lightly pink bubblegum finish which I suppose counts as fruity, but not in any fresh or happy-hop way. That's set on a mostly fuzzy but also slightly gritty base, which ends up being the main feature in the absence of anything more prominent. Seriously: where are have the hops all gone? It's not unpleasant, and I could drink it, but it's very characterless, in a white-bread and steamed potato sort of way. Flat in name and flat in flavour, this is quite a distance below the usual Whiplash standard.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_Yj-v1MT9vFMJfceV1FFPGIMxh2WGkF925Cs9jCYMVVEIag_-n5hRevJx-ZdLdlrIBu46Cw_oCEj85bMpS82pvxaqibfX60SMsSkMJM9zn5FtVNmHe3-sW41pNKoYSMMFaQWh0RonE56rbu1JKHU0Pn6sS7ZtZf910clgJ_IDt7fVzFeYsSdrg/s3745/o_brother_humans_are_people_too_dipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3745" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_Yj-v1MT9vFMJfceV1FFPGIMxh2WGkF925Cs9jCYMVVEIag_-n5hRevJx-ZdLdlrIBu46Cw_oCEj85bMpS82pvxaqibfX60SMsSkMJM9zn5FtVNmHe3-sW41pNKoYSMMFaQWh0RonE56rbu1JKHU0Pn6sS7ZtZf910clgJ_IDt7fVzFeYsSdrg/w121-h200/o_brother_humans_are_people_too_dipa.jpg" width="121" /></a>It's customary to finish on a double IPA from O Brother, and this time it's <b>Humans Are People Too</b>, launched last Thursday in UnderDog. It's a big one at 8.3% ABV and very dense: sandstorm-opaque and with a substantial heat. The haze can unfortunately be tasted, adding a dry, powdery grit which is far from enjoyable. The hops are the beer's good side, tasting exceedingly bright and fresh under the murk. A sharp, west-coastish, grapefruit tang arrives on the palate first, followed by a gentler and longer-finishing apricot sweetness. It's big enough and bold enough that the regrettable heat and grit don't spoil it. I think de-hazing would be an improvement, however.
<br /><br />And so 2024 in Irish Beer is well under way now.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-8081764297478781672024-03-01T08:15:00.016+00:002024-03-01T08:15:00.122+00:00Beer 2, oxygen 0<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1mkcmAf5PbaXHVyTPaJ_3zToBll63wrOVOYN5BcZcGkPUkgsu2E2lSU5wKWo3UrsBbtrLyLBriiWOcBGO9TOUEDz7ZMBQC0gP2kEP9gErMwBuoPKI8NCeiA9Pxl-2qhhVgGj0Z9MIZ1loYPy3rL9VCfw5hG8Wn7PTkq-6DA_61ZcWrM4CVk3XA/s2890/lineman_can_you_see_me_pils.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="2255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1mkcmAf5PbaXHVyTPaJ_3zToBll63wrOVOYN5BcZcGkPUkgsu2E2lSU5wKWo3UrsBbtrLyLBriiWOcBGO9TOUEDz7ZMBQC0gP2kEP9gErMwBuoPKI8NCeiA9Pxl-2qhhVgGj0Z9MIZ1loYPy3rL9VCfw5hG8Wn7PTkq-6DA_61ZcWrM4CVk3XA/w250-h320/lineman_can_you_see_me_pils.jpg" width="250" /></a>The prologue to today's beers is that they were both recalled from the market. A problem with the can seamer meant that not all of them were properly sealed, running the risk of oxidation. Craft Central were kind enough to refund me the cost of the beers and I checked with the brewery, Lineman, if it was OK to review them, since I couldn't detect any flaws. Mark showed me how to spot the defective cans and I'm confident that neither of these were affected by the issue.<br /><br />We begin with a pilsner called <b>Can You See Me?</b> I guess it's one of those modern takes on it, using modern hop varieties Motueka and Hallertau Blanc, in such a way as to accentuate their fruity sides. It's very slightly hazy as well. Nevertheless, it still looks like proper pilsner, especially the tall crown of white foam. Hallertau Blanc's white grape effect is front and centre in the aroma, fresh and succulent, with the toasty fruitiness of Prosecco. The texture is light, reflecting the mere 4.4% ABV. The sweetness of the hops wouldn't sit well with a sweet malt body, so it's just as well that it's crisp and quite dry. Lightly browned toast features in the flavour, where the hopping is dialled back to allow that refreshing cleanness to sparkle. Just when I thought the Motueka had been drowned out, I got a pinch of eucalyptus and aniseed right in the finish, bringing a bittering complexity which contrasts nicely with the juicy grape. This is very well put together, offering summery, thirst-quenching, accessible lager vibes, with plenty for the chin stroking connoisseur to discover and enjoy as well. Chapeau.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlUsxRRVD2adX1Dange6JLBmL-akVgSRnAGdJxyICEdPEiUXuwNjbgW4vzdyGrT_9xL0FpFGSB4f0N4AhhmdDk-nUZuniunxMVuCou9Nn8DlfFFyUj5lUEhaxovTXif-Kzs4ad7Uf-GhqU63N89zDZdWZzBQwcWOnfmTCe63qRMJW0a7RGfHXBg/s2470/lineman_machine_soul_double_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2470" data-original-width="2265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlUsxRRVD2adX1Dange6JLBmL-akVgSRnAGdJxyICEdPEiUXuwNjbgW4vzdyGrT_9xL0FpFGSB4f0N4AhhmdDk-nUZuniunxMVuCou9Nn8DlfFFyUj5lUEhaxovTXif-Kzs4ad7Uf-GhqU63N89zDZdWZzBQwcWOnfmTCe63qRMJW0a7RGfHXBg/w293-h320/lineman_machine_soul_double_ipa.jpg" width="293" /></a>On then to the double IPA, <b>Machine Soul</b>. They've upped the ante on most Irish examples, at 8.6% ABV. It's medium-pale -- mostly yellow with a bit of orange -- and its hops are Citra, Simcoe and newbie Luminosa, seemingly not trusted to carry the beer without support from the established varieties. It smells heavily dank, and also a bit leafy, an effect I've come to associate with the tail end of a keg, where all the bits end up in your glass. Unsurprisingly it's heavily textured, very much a sipper not a slurper. And the hops help with that too: there's a strongly resinous and bitter side, palate-coating and a little too warm for comfort, and then what may have been intended as juice but is more concentrated and cordial-like. Assuming the intent was to create a punchy, full-spectrum hop powerhouse, then it succeeds, and I'm sure there are people who want this kind of beer even though it hasn't been 2010 for a while now. While I found it technically perfect, it's a little too loud and brash for my palate. The pilsner is more my pace. <br /><br />It's sad to think of either beer being wasted, but Lineman's commitment to quality has always been impeccable and I completely understand why it has been done. That I got two freebie cans out of it is some comfort at least.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-74296987634987225292024-02-28T08:24:00.015+00:002024-02-28T08:24:00.122+00:00A thin slice of liquid bread<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuLTfSMlwGLE7p_MPpxPWCnUaYCg7uJCNwKscR8ztEkfJlnF72JtHhj7MJxC_1m2_6nP-itsBa-IlYN5_HhH3_iZCxXtE69M2LOqog0_xHzV-QD2wX70rZaBUG-azgR1XpoPgtDx_16SwaF0Ecj_BdFIfft0JanJRxYK5m9p0Xkpg6rAEmkQY9A/s2540/hope_belgian_dubbel.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2540" data-original-width="2255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuLTfSMlwGLE7p_MPpxPWCnUaYCg7uJCNwKscR8ztEkfJlnF72JtHhj7MJxC_1m2_6nP-itsBa-IlYN5_HhH3_iZCxXtE69M2LOqog0_xHzV-QD2wX70rZaBUG-azgR1XpoPgtDx_16SwaF0Ecj_BdFIfft0JanJRxYK5m9p0Xkpg6rAEmkQY9A/s320/hope_belgian_dubbel.jpg" width="284" /></a>I'm all for breweries giving us classic European styles, but there's something wrong about putting them all in 440ml cans. The presentation of Hope's <b>Limited Edition 32: Belgian Dubbel</b> reminds me a bit of when The Porterhouse in Temple Bar first got Westmalle Dubbel on draught and, presumably knowing no better, was serving it by the pint.<br /><br />At 7.5% ABV this is slightly stronger than the Belgian originator, and it looks a little paler too, a cherrywood red rather than brown. The aroma doesn't give much away, merely hinting at damson and tea brack, and certainly not smelling like all of its strength. The texture is similarly light, and it could easily pass for a percentage point, or even two, lower than it is. Hope is good at giving us statistics (24 IBUs, 30 EBC) though the one I would be interested in for this is the original gravity. For all the strength, it's quite thin bodied and lacks malt richness. I wonder if that was intended. It's left to the Belgian yeast strain to do all the heavy lifting, bringing the brambly fruit and peppery spice without the accompanying smooth cakey richness which, I think, dubbel ought to have, though I guess breweries these days tend to save that for their quadruples.<br /><br />In general, this is fine, but where it's sharing shelf space with actually Belgian dubbel, I would be inclined to pick one of them first. Even when it comes in a tiddly 330ml bottle, that gives a rounder, fuller and more enjoyable drinking experience. This one might work by the pint, however.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-16028407547293917322024-02-26T08:15:00.425+00:002024-02-26T08:15:00.132+00:00Got your Bax<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NIhlmUz5hUaNG4X2lF6oLeu1Or0vy2skYg7O00UI3ll1yOPKF-EIpwYgo5aXm8TZ4lteZiRxXG_cIqH4ikgNsRj1nhpsAXr14MFrROigF9_9PYr8ybX0nhg_6byp59NJvbYQySkbIiHRS5muEEjYijyqzDpyYnH7IsRzr8KDftTksn5C30vG9g/s2960/baxbier_abels_ale_pacific_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2960" data-original-width="2265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NIhlmUz5hUaNG4X2lF6oLeu1Or0vy2skYg7O00UI3ll1yOPKF-EIpwYgo5aXm8TZ4lteZiRxXG_cIqH4ikgNsRj1nhpsAXr14MFrROigF9_9PYr8ybX0nhg_6byp59NJvbYQySkbIiHRS5muEEjYijyqzDpyYnH7IsRzr8KDftTksn5C30vG9g/w153-h200/baxbier_abels_ale_pacific_ipa.jpg" width="153" /></a>When I visited Groningen in 2022 I <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/10/top-to-bottom.html" target="_blank">remarked</a> on the virtual absence of the area's most famous beer brand, Grolsch. There was also no sign, that I recall, of the colourful local micro I'm looking at today: Baxbier. It certainly wasn't anywhere like as visible as, say, Frontaal is in Breda or vandeStreek in Utrecht. It's just as well that a wide selection of them arrived into Ireland earlier this month, and keenly priced too, with cans beginning at just €2.65.<br /><br />First up is <b>Abel's Ale</b>, named in honour of that famous son of Groningen, Abel Tasman. I've actually tasted this before on <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2021/11/zwolle-incognita.html" target="_blank">a busy night in Zwolle</a> a couple of years ago but never wrote it up. It seems the specs have changed a little since then, the ABV dropping from 7.8% to 7.4%, with a concomitant increase in IBUs, from 49 to 65. They describe it as a "Pacific pale ale", using unspecified hops from the region, plus an addition of birds eye chilli peppers which I don't think I noticed first time round. I can't say there's much sign of them now either. The aroma of the clear amber liquid is happily tropical -- pineapple, cantaloupe, mango -- without going overboard and turning sickly. From this I expected a bigger tropical flavour but instead it stays true to its west coast specs and offers citrus and pine resin as the beginning and end, with just a flash of exotic fruit in the middle. The aftereffect is dry, which might be where the chilli is manifesting, but that could easily still be the hops. It's no world-shaker, but it's pleasant: one of those slightly retro IPAs that remind you this was not all haze, once upon a time. I often find myself thinking that's good enough these days.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgud8VeK6ORVvZTk7ACT5l-6Pn2ZEPXKHNuIgz1o7Xr-Of8m_CyA1ACuJ8NsRUuh6w_XGxdKin7CrgS5T7MSukjpNaQaH0aQQAm1DSINb3OQ7LIINZFTdklMZVRvhROmPP6lErtoA0ENaDPzAJFaz6QW_GrshANFgTlGIr91PS0oiuO2P2NH7s8QQ/s2250/baxbier_tropical_hazy_pale_ale.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2220" data-original-width="2250" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgud8VeK6ORVvZTk7ACT5l-6Pn2ZEPXKHNuIgz1o7Xr-Of8m_CyA1ACuJ8NsRUuh6w_XGxdKin7CrgS5T7MSukjpNaQaH0aQQAm1DSINb3OQ7LIINZFTdklMZVRvhROmPP6lErtoA0ENaDPzAJFaz6QW_GrshANFgTlGIr91PS0oiuO2P2NH7s8QQ/w200-h198/baxbier_tropical_hazy_pale_ale.jpg" width="200" /></a>Is there haze, tho? Of course there's haze. Starkly named <b>Tropical</b> is 5.6% ABV and a bright and sunny shade of juice. The aroma is much less tropical than the previous beer, however, though is just as enticing, with a kind of savoury herbal spicing. And it's savoury to taste as well, giving me a first impression of fresh mange tout and crisp red cabbage or lollo rosso lettuce. It evolves quickly, passing through tangy jaffa peel and into softer and sweeter mandarin and mango. I had expected a full-on pineapple attack, but this is much more subtle; clean and exceptionally well balanced. It gives a sense of sunny summer days (very welcome on a dreary February night) without being any way silly or gimmicky. Beers like this can also end up gritty, hot, or acridly dry, but there's nothing here for haze-haters to hang a criticism on. Like the above, it's perhaps a little too quiet in how it goes about its business and could do with a fraction more flavour wallop. It's very tasty though, and for €2.65 would make for a quality fridge-filler or party beer. Sipping slowly through one was fun, but equally I could have gone for several in a row without risking getting bored or overwhelmed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4K6itGt5KSY99JF7HaUsf2GDaU61vPwgLastizVxHVCy6h3mKAFpaGwKD6y8zfuxy829cFnYkWBgxql49BUm_WwAbDrjfnMcsUlTZ0tbqzxoYstoStHooEelc6Pg8iW1v-ABNqcdPrcsCWuESrN-Gmb2pFapfgx5EvkWdclxDsCBJZgwjzJ_Ug/s2740/baxbier_crowd_pleaser_lager.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2740" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4K6itGt5KSY99JF7HaUsf2GDaU61vPwgLastizVxHVCy6h3mKAFpaGwKD6y8zfuxy829cFnYkWBgxql49BUm_WwAbDrjfnMcsUlTZ0tbqzxoYstoStHooEelc6Pg8iW1v-ABNqcdPrcsCWuESrN-Gmb2pFapfgx5EvkWdclxDsCBJZgwjzJ_Ug/w165-h200/baxbier_crowd_pleaser_lager.jpg" width="165" /></a><b>Crowd Pleaser </b>is "beer with beer flavor", a delightfully reactionary description, pleasing at least this grumpy member of the crowd. What they mean is it's a lager, 5.1% ABV, hopped with "Motuea" [sic] and it's hazy, at least a bit. I'm wary of Motueka's extreme herbal bitterness but the aroma, yet again, is pleasant and welcoming, with a gently sweet buzz of lemon meringue pie. It gets a bit more grown up on tasting, with a dry and sharp introduction to the palate, grassy and fresh rather than the hot medicinal effect I associate with the hop. Amazingly, the blurb on the can doesn't continue the overuse of the word "crisp", so it's just as well I'm here to inform you it is indeed very, very crisp. The citrus I got in the aroma reappears later in the flavour in a punchier way -- lime rind and real lemon zest. I think they've miscalculated by giving it a name which suggests easy-going, lowest-common-denominator stuff. This is complex and interesting, and I think would be disappointing to anyone only after a basic lager, or a classically-styled one. Its craft game is strong, as indeed the label's hop cone wearing sunglasses makes quite clear. Party like it's 2009.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgWEc2O54c6Lpi7vUas-2aE2mlswhpqLWv3VrDK9bjWpQLzWqBbfUZpDA7s71OcyAJF1tvYP_b943sl0WdEjFaHZDYJv5n_t0hEOOqfga3tdDPVKbo94K0vb1ZuG2HWLvC_Ry_y7BT6HpkY3JXXqvHUPekcw0jZPidBp5N8q2GcoB_joKuiiM9g/s2255/baxbier_kon_minder_citra_pale_ale.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="2255" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwgWEc2O54c6Lpi7vUas-2aE2mlswhpqLWv3VrDK9bjWpQLzWqBbfUZpDA7s71OcyAJF1tvYP_b943sl0WdEjFaHZDYJv5n_t0hEOOqfga3tdDPVKbo94K0vb1ZuG2HWLvC_Ry_y7BT6HpkY3JXXqvHUPekcw0jZPidBp5N8q2GcoB_joKuiiM9g/w200-h163/baxbier_kon_minder_citra_pale_ale.jpg" width="200" /></a>"Could be worse" is an inauspicious name for a beer up for review, but that's the translation we're given for <b>Kon Minder</b>, a very pale ale of 5.5% ABV showcasing Citra. Does it have a gently fruity aroma, you ask? It does, though leaning towards the extreme end of Citra where lime and pine become fried onion and floor cleaner. That warm onion thing ramps up in the flavour, to somewhere between a catering tureen of hot soup and surprise unwashed gym clothes. They appear to have dialled the bitterness back -- 30 IBUs says the label, which should be plenty -- and Citra without the punch seems rather pointless. While it's broadly in an American style I can't see <i>any </i>American brewery turning out a Citra-first beer like this. On the plus side the texture is nicely soft and the finish is quick, so the vaguely unpleasant savoury side doesn't hang around for long. It runs in parallel with a more subtle candy sweetness, with a very vague artificial fruit character. It all adds up to nothing very enjoyable, so yes, it <i>could</i> be worse. I can't say I was misled by the direct Dutchfolk here.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Yktq75AhPYgSVj8Us2Xhmtxl0IQB8E4ZQYnajC6MQKdogKTHg1NpHsQRKk0AbxNkYyM5Byv5Ol2vso0Rz5v-iWTCfKsI9bkWRdfwZ7KKmbi_4ex2tYBg-xgXZEhNFlIE1AVrKCOBrtmToLPbi67AGDmsJ0JNFf0XRZqKvi8FyTzb0l7-hKlOJQ/s3280/baxbier_koudvuur_bourbon_infused_smoked_porter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3280" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Yktq75AhPYgSVj8Us2Xhmtxl0IQB8E4ZQYnajC6MQKdogKTHg1NpHsQRKk0AbxNkYyM5Byv5Ol2vso0Rz5v-iWTCfKsI9bkWRdfwZ7KKmbi_4ex2tYBg-xgXZEhNFlIE1AVrKCOBrtmToLPbi67AGDmsJ0JNFf0XRZqKvi8FyTzb0l7-hKlOJQ/w138-h200/baxbier_koudvuur_bourbon_infused_smoked_porter.jpg" width="138" /></a>A fair few of the range have been showing up on tap too, and I found <b>Bourbon Infused Koudvuur</b> at UnderDog. I had drank the straight version of this smoked porter on a visit to Arendsnest in Amsterdam <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/11/dam-nation.html" target="_blank">once</a>, and found it a bit plain. With the whisky on board, the ABV leaps from 6.5% to 7.8% but it retains the lack of richness which irked me about the original. The aroma promises treacle and a substantial amount of smoke but I couldn't find either of these serious aspects in the flavour. Instead it's all dark chocolate and coconut, with no more than a slightly charred dryness bringing the only more challenging and grown-up aspect. The bourbon adds vanilla to the finish but otherwise stays out of the way, and I couldn't taste any smoke at all. It's really just more of the same, then: passable as a beer but not really doing enough with its components to be properly enjoyable.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv75D1C0XvfH3bgWhaBbc1oPetSjm0Vx-1VbOUTbiVIAPirKhE08JGQIE1m22Q2QKjmxz7-N6-7PmKqyFZjjAIkXJBfJFSggmsjJBbB4xxspPlof2uDT_knGqQYCaj4Us0BNNdkL-Q6V27bcvr9kWkUgwSLBaJAHw_sl84YUWx1Oi_I27g8QINSw/s2940/baxbier_koudvuur_barrel_aged_smoked_porter.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2940" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv75D1C0XvfH3bgWhaBbc1oPetSjm0Vx-1VbOUTbiVIAPirKhE08JGQIE1m22Q2QKjmxz7-N6-7PmKqyFZjjAIkXJBfJFSggmsjJBbB4xxspPlof2uDT_knGqQYCaj4Us0BNNdkL-Q6V27bcvr9kWkUgwSLBaJAHw_sl84YUWx1Oi_I27g8QINSw/w153-h200/baxbier_koudvuur_barrel_aged_smoked_porter.jpg" width="153" /></a>Interestingly, to me at least, there's also a bourbon <b>Barrel Aged Koudvuur.</b> How different could they be? Well, this one returns to 6.5% ABV and the aroma leans heavily into the oak, though dry and sappy, rather than sweetly vanilla'd. It doesn't look like a lightweight, being densely black, with a decently thick texture to match. The bourbon oak is right at the front of the flavour, with the fresh-wood resins plus a tang of sour-mash whisky. That makes it difficult to spot the smoke, which melds into the dry-barrel acridity. What prevents it from being a chore is a gentler chocolate and fudge element, suggested in the aroma and forming the centre of the flavour. I found myself wishing for more of it. The bourbon is overdone here, building on the palate and becoming quite sickly by the end. Yes, it is a different experience from the bourbon-infused one, but I'm not sure it's any better.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbRN0ERRNDT0-M_StulLw25C1mulBFu7tVgnywEvMbRYNn6dV_Kv0AXDNeP08THofjPXpYv08Vhut8mk2aedcdoqmGeYDEAPiGr6UzyIIE4x2Wo6fLUai6ltDre9Emdu4xVFxijyG18i-ONUiHgThvxm7X9ZxtkwB9Q2mDBWpG8pHuqYrIWR8Ww/s2265/baxbier_ba23_01_mexicake_imperial_stout.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2185" data-original-width="2265" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNbRN0ERRNDT0-M_StulLw25C1mulBFu7tVgnywEvMbRYNn6dV_Kv0AXDNeP08THofjPXpYv08Vhut8mk2aedcdoqmGeYDEAPiGr6UzyIIE4x2Wo6fLUai6ltDre9Emdu4xVFxijyG18i-ONUiHgThvxm7X9ZxtkwB9Q2mDBWpG8pHuqYrIWR8Ww/w200-h193/baxbier_ba23_01_mexicake_imperial_stout.jpg" width="200" /></a>There's yet more bourbon in store when we turn to the final trilogy of barrel-aged beers. That begins with <b>BA23.01</b>, the strongest of them, at 10.2% ABV. I was hoping for much more chocolate counterpoint here, as it's billed as a "mexicake" imperial stout: so chocolate with chilli, cinnamon and lactose. There's vanilla in the ingredients as well, which is slightly worrying. It pours a shiny obsidian black with little head to speak of. The chilli is the main feature of the aroma, dry and paprika-like, and slightly eye-watering with it. As with the last one, there's a good bit of bourbon spirit in there too. The vanilla and lactose are the heroes of the piece, giving the flavour an initial sweetness that the other ones really would have benefitted from. It's rich and warm and round, just as you'd expect a Dutch imperial stout of this strength to be. The bourbon is a little muted, likewise the alcohol heat, and that's fine by me. It doesn't rely too much on the chocolate either, so it's not <i>really </i>a cake beer, though I do get a certain cherry and raspberry cream effect, of the sort you might find from a Black Forest gateau. We're back to the subtly complex construction I identified in the paler Baxbier beers above. As such, it's rather tasty. Not hard work to drink, and with plenty to explore while doing so.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqrb_y_SDDlhn_UV2_XcXDKLYEm7Qlyf6HCbmCqS6L2c0PKQuOf_gk6Jy9KFDGfJmhrrCLs2zVSmgbM9WSVWgf1yed3wODMKklUIdURKRarfe-u06tt-nd3axXF9CH48rFiHy7fhtLrD6tc_e3MVW-ywOQVThrhmXyQfcXpEFUCOFYYpyAh6QrA/s2265/baxbier_ba23_02_mocha_stout.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="2265" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqrb_y_SDDlhn_UV2_XcXDKLYEm7Qlyf6HCbmCqS6L2c0PKQuOf_gk6Jy9KFDGfJmhrrCLs2zVSmgbM9WSVWgf1yed3wODMKklUIdURKRarfe-u06tt-nd3axXF9CH48rFiHy7fhtLrD6tc_e3MVW-ywOQVThrhmXyQfcXpEFUCOFYYpyAh6QrA/w200-h199/baxbier_ba23_02_mocha_stout.jpg" width="200" /></a>Coffee next, and <b>BA23.02</b> is described as a "mocha stout", having cacao and lactose as well. Bourbon barrels do the ageing honours once more. The aroma is strong, but it's neat vanillin-powered whisky much more than Irish coffee or cream liqueur: boozy and hot, with the background coffee smelling raw and roasty. It's not unpleasant, but suggests something of a workout to come. So it was surprising to find that it tastes smooth and balanced, offering a mix of crisp hazelnut, smooth butter and, well, mocha, without too much heat or vanilla, and no sappy, splintery wood. That's carried by a full and equally smooth body, bringing the beer close to being sticky but narrowly avoiding the excesses. There's more going on here than might be expected for a trifling 9.6% ABV -- my experience of Dutch imperial stout brewers is that few bother with single-digit strengths, but this is a clear demonstration of how you can still get all the power of a big stout in a slightly smaller package. In fact, this has more character than the stronger and more involved one before it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuR571BN6T6-3TGF8jhjEU31-QQF7kQUQMgHn89ZYfr2K80_moht-yGw43PGxKqLBK8Vvto9rf1vdWIb-9PPGFYs4luJzZk7q_yXBt7B_2ojX8BKktXhyi62Mn6AUliEoLUF9xVikUPAeN2eF3m6FBtC9aXRhmQgkMUk_W-8gVOFY8AiLRNh8ivQ/s2265/baxbier_ba23_03_wheat_wine.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2195" data-original-width="2265" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuR571BN6T6-3TGF8jhjEU31-QQF7kQUQMgHn89ZYfr2K80_moht-yGw43PGxKqLBK8Vvto9rf1vdWIb-9PPGFYs4luJzZk7q_yXBt7B_2ojX8BKktXhyi62Mn6AUliEoLUF9xVikUPAeN2eF3m6FBtC9aXRhmQgkMUk_W-8gVOFY8AiLRNh8ivQ/w200-h194/baxbier_ba23_03_wheat_wine.jpg" width="200" /></a>It's a complete change of tack for <b>BA23.03</b>, a wheat wine aged in rum barrels. It's the slightly muddy looking mahogany colour that's normal for these. A strongly boozy burn usually comes next in the aroma but Baxbier's masterful subtlety strikes again, and it smells more like an actual wine: sweet raisin and mere hints of oaky spice. Unfortunately, much as I enjoy the occasional rum, rum-aged or infused drinks rarely suit me, and this is a strong example of that. The rum is very prominent right from the start, and to me it tastes sickly and plasticky, with a kind of concentrated strawberry jam sweetness. But hey, it's still not hot, and the texture doesn't add to the difficulty, being nicely light for 9% ABV. This is one of those beers where I'm obliged to say it's very well made, just not for me. It certainly could be worse, though.<br /><br />It's a little bit of a surprise to find a brewery of this sort which does pale and hoppy better than strong and dark. The balance on display in the recipes here would make them quite well suited to pint drinking even though they're not from that kind of cultural background. Still, there's always the option of buying the well-priced 330ml cans two at a time.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-10049817530056370552024-02-23T08:11:00.006+00:002024-02-23T08:11:00.120+00:00The culture war<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKaDAlmzNNTOK0IyQxgTm9lplB0JuDqsWwXEJumtKipXZDNWmPtlspxMfZuJJwX7fmRMFIXIaNU-H2f95gUuumeqQR8mFzGYItXsmTVi8anwiLUj9Z1Bb0ky_rxmfMrg0jI8LXtXd-fVfMn8RXeL3zpy2Hj_bVJi7yS03EJeCtF2f74K1xZBJEA/s2655/galway_bay_brewery_bullhouse_celestial_floods_doubleIpa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2655" data-original-width="2265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWKaDAlmzNNTOK0IyQxgTm9lplB0JuDqsWwXEJumtKipXZDNWmPtlspxMfZuJJwX7fmRMFIXIaNU-H2f95gUuumeqQR8mFzGYItXsmTVi8anwiLUj9Z1Bb0ky_rxmfMrg0jI8LXtXd-fVfMn8RXeL3zpy2Hj_bVJi7yS03EJeCtF2f74K1xZBJEA/w171-h200/galway_bay_brewery_bullhouse_celestial_floods_doubleIpa.jpg" width="171" /></a>There were a couple of new beers from Galway Bay Brewery. I dropped into The Black Sheep one afternoon to see what the story was.<br /><br /><b>Celestial Floods</b> (or "Fioods", as the badge has it) is a double IPA of 7.9% ABV. Bullhouse of Belfast collaborated, and the hops are Galaxy, Riwaka and Mosaic. "Hazy" doesn't quite cover the proposition: it's downright beige in the glass, though smells attractive. I get pineapple, guava and something tropical but greener; avocado, perhaps. This is where I would like to be saying it tastes as clean as the aroma but it really doesn't. A hard, yeasty grit suffuses the flavour in a most unpleasant and unwelcome way. Chalk and boiled vegetables hit first: dry and earthy with a strong and rough bitterness. Some softer peach and banana flashes briefly before the sharp dregs take over once more, seeing us out into a mercifully short finish. Maybe I got the tail end of the keg but it can be hard to tell what the brewer intended when it comes to superhopped murk. Regardless, it's a poor example of this kind of double IPA, gathering together all the features I dislike and then releasing them simultaneously. Pandora's box without the hope.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuwcfzy6g8t7WyTULRBSQG3tmANVqjIpSaP83K8J-iUT9OZVhxPqFUxYbcHpLj5ckV1g1j05yTC49Z-IScuA5cs3n8UKJsgp2eWyqbXtbJ0MzaSAdW7tAF7o47xAA-Z-BhWgfz1EMO_x4perGK_Lftq_I_jHdbw5XBer023AOQBObswmrDfx_gw/s2792/galway_bay_brewery_puhaste_tharapita_baltic_porter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2792" data-original-width="1796" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuwcfzy6g8t7WyTULRBSQG3tmANVqjIpSaP83K8J-iUT9OZVhxPqFUxYbcHpLj5ckV1g1j05yTC49Z-IScuA5cs3n8UKJsgp2eWyqbXtbJ0MzaSAdW7tAF7o47xAA-Z-BhWgfz1EMO_x4perGK_Lftq_I_jHdbw5XBer023AOQBObswmrDfx_gw/w129-h200/galway_bay_brewery_puhaste_tharapita_baltic_porter.jpg" width="129" /></a>I hoped for better from <b>Tharapita</b>, named for a nordic thunder god. That's because it's a collaboration with Estonians Pühaste and is a Baltic porter, a big one at 11.3% ABV. It pours thick and black as one would expect. The default 25cl pour was probably wise for a lunchtime on Capel Street, but that's not how they roll on the Baltic. The aroma is roasty with lots of coffee, more like an imperial stout than a Baltic porter. Its mouthfeel is super thick which makes me wonder if it's properly cold-fermented, though the texture is beautiful so I didn't wonder too hard. On tasting, the style snaps properly back into place: dried herb bitterness and sticky treacle with an edging of cola nut and the crust of central European rye bread. You get a jolt of espresso in the aftertaste as a digestif. The bitterness is less than the best examples, so maybe some more early-boil hops would have been good, but as a complete package it's unassailably delicious. My single complaint is that they didn't release it in November when it could have kept us warm all winter. <br /><br />Ugh. This all sounds like I'm the ancient geezer who likes olden-days European beer but isn't hip to what the kids in America are into. Is Baltic porter always better than hazy IPA? No it isn't. Mostly it is though.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-47479579188612178952024-02-21T08:32:00.011+00:002024-02-21T08:32:00.129+00:00Some bang off that<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglMi4Cn_Ha-v8gZOoeyHRN3Ra7_ylg6hLVu7BwJKsUaYOatyB1P7hyOSlph0UANF1dKtUhjsoeR0-t-StBeSHXKQYtVHOoRrWej15WW5_F-9rSyNDumHxdbJ5jlWhtbBFuOq9SzpG27Avlp40nqAzkydB8fqPRZm4FhokzRSipw3ysXzXWFVwFw/s2365/sierra_nevada_hop_bullet_magnum_edition.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2365" data-original-width="2260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglMi4Cn_Ha-v8gZOoeyHRN3Ra7_ylg6hLVu7BwJKsUaYOatyB1P7hyOSlph0UANF1dKtUhjsoeR0-t-StBeSHXKQYtVHOoRrWej15WW5_F-9rSyNDumHxdbJ5jlWhtbBFuOq9SzpG27Avlp40nqAzkydB8fqPRZm4FhokzRSipw3ysXzXWFVwFw/s320/sierra_nevada_hop_bullet_magnum_edition.jpg" width="306" /></a>Sierra Nevada's Hop Bullet double IPA featured on this blog <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2018/04/hi-sierra.html" target="_blank">in 2018</a> and didn't impress me much. Solely to get my attention, they've released a supposedly improved version with an even more macho name: <b>Hop Bullet Magnum Edition</b>. *swoon* Go on, then.<br /><br />The ABV gets a boost to 9.5%, up from 8%, though it's still clear and orange coloured. Orange is still the flavour also: jelly, marmalade, that sort of deal. Sweet and tangy, not zesty or bitter. Given the strength I thought there would be more heat but it's quite a calm fellow, pretty much as drinkable as any normal American IPA. Magnum is best known as a bittering hop, but the flavour here offers more than just bitterness, including plenty of citrus fruit as well. While it's perfectly passable, it's not the kick in the head I thought I was going to get. <br /><br />I don't think this varies a great deal from the original. It's predominantly sweet and not terribly complex, but fine for what it is. The reason I'm more positively disposed towards it is that the can only cost me €2.50 in my local supermarket. For that, it's pretty good value.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-82458252707878710412024-02-19T08:15:00.005+00:002024-02-19T08:15:00.124+00:00Geopolitical beers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5DMGfBoNgLWJRxbL2arZtuetlsUiY_k0WzZDrlYkJxQQ_3WV9Ec9aeQC66zbiiMbcTE087aOg9BSlWdLkaHwZA5RAC1HhKQbB-G-tp5_GwLkJUd0YH7F-CGFjES1kWYOqdwy1Vn9aCCjks1bqFHFCMUWLYgQcUhs7Wa3RXUerWuSkBJ5pBSlFg/s2860/pravda_johnsonuk_brown_ale.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5DMGfBoNgLWJRxbL2arZtuetlsUiY_k0WzZDrlYkJxQQ_3WV9Ec9aeQC66zbiiMbcTE087aOg9BSlWdLkaHwZA5RAC1HhKQbB-G-tp5_GwLkJUd0YH7F-CGFjES1kWYOqdwy1Vn9aCCjks1bqFHFCMUWLYgQcUhs7Wa3RXUerWuSkBJ5pBSlFg/w158-h200/pravda_johnsonuk_brown_ale.jpg" width="158" /></a>The beer and breweries of Ukraine don't get quite the same attention as they did a couple of years ago, even though I'm certain the businesses are experiencing the same problems. Today's three are presented as snapshots in time, though of 2022 more than 2024. I bought them last year in Little Beershop, an off licence in Utrecht.<br /><br />First, commemorating the UK's early support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion, is a milk stout called <b>JohnsonUK</b>, by Pravda of Lviv. The erstwhile Prime Minister features on the label though he was gone from office by the time it was bottled in January 2023. It's a dark brown shade, rather than black, and is a sizeable 5.8% ABV. I got only a low-intensity sense of coffee from the aroma, and the flavour is on the plain side, delivering broadly sweet mocha up front, set on quite a thin and fizzy base. The finish is more nuanced with wafer biscuit, rosewater and a more concentrated bean-like coffee roast. A supporting metallic bitterness suggests English hops. It was underwhelming at first, but I decided by the end that it's subtle and enjoyable, balancing the flavours well and not over-egging any of them. Yes, I would have liked a little more substance, especially given the strength, but it does make for easy and unfussy drinking, which is a role to which milk stout can be well suited. I therefore deem Johnson to be adequate. You can add your own satirical quip here.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5oyfrM_fkOPFeS3kcWO3kG7hiBr-VWarXhacKmEQT9XdmNTs1CAmgHxKXospJqm704f2lYy2_-gnExT6MYYNsBPh72KOWKRIssnnBazbQz558ZjNIH4oA5r_vx0mnpronH8SSaABdFhKkKhSmCCpxBMB0UAF-rRSCzWZxNeaB0kiVhJHWtt61A/s3160/pravda_vid_syanu_do_donu_imperial_stout.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3160" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5oyfrM_fkOPFeS3kcWO3kG7hiBr-VWarXhacKmEQT9XdmNTs1CAmgHxKXospJqm704f2lYy2_-gnExT6MYYNsBPh72KOWKRIssnnBazbQz558ZjNIH4oA5r_vx0mnpronH8SSaABdFhKkKhSmCCpxBMB0UAF-rRSCzWZxNeaB0kiVhJHWtt61A/w143-h200/pravda_vid_syanu_do_donu_imperial_stout.jpg" width="143" /></a><br /><br />Also by Pravda is <b>вiд сяну до дону</b>, <i>Vid Syanu do Donu</i>: "From the San to the Don", the rivers which colloquially mark Ukraine's western and eastern edges respectively. It is, with intended irony I'm sure, a Russian imperial stout, and 10.3% ABV. That's borne out right from the start in the aroma, which is boozy and bitter, strongly implying a stickiness to come. It's thick but not excessively so, and it goes in for bitterness far more than the more fashionable sweet side. I get very grown-up notes of marjoram, cardamom and aniseed on a backing of burnt caramel and woodsmoke. Gentler coffee and nougat marks the finish. I liked it. It's close to how I imagine the British originals of the style should taste: strong, yes, but assertively bitter with it, free of chocolate and candy add-ons.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT63qgVQ6lGmXo6G7C97LbSZxPIxgS3fm8gyZ4p5MjgK0JTw2jqcJJBTtbiIT0OtMKMxeFPxhKIe46MErTUcy4QUv1CVRrpyn-Bp7P0NlNMN08ijNSrvekq2KHTUz_MjqklQdnY6VKdVN8scGiBlhhiEe4hGKgLAlQgQ17qZDSO7WU0BjxpKcdGw/s3030/lupum_tractors_tow_russian_tanks_blueberry_maple_imperial_stout.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3030" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT63qgVQ6lGmXo6G7C97LbSZxPIxgS3fm8gyZ4p5MjgK0JTw2jqcJJBTtbiIT0OtMKMxeFPxhKIe46MErTUcy4QUv1CVRrpyn-Bp7P0NlNMN08ijNSrvekq2KHTUz_MjqklQdnY6VKdVN8scGiBlhhiEe4hGKgLAlQgQ17qZDSO7WU0BjxpKcdGw/w149-h200/lupum_tractors_tow_russian_tanks_blueberry_maple_imperial_stout.jpg" width="149" /></a>For such fripperies, there's this solidarity beer from Portuguese brewery Lupum, called <b>Tractors Tow Russian Tanks</b>. It's a 14% ABV beast of an imperial stout, with added blueberries and maple syrup. It pours jet-black and oil-thick with a deep tan-coloured head. They haven't skimped on the blueberries because there's an instant compote sweetness in the aroma, alongside a slightly more serious dark coffee roast. The berry reappears in the foretaste, joined by gooey treacle and plain chocolate. It's not bright or artificial blueberry but the real thing, with similarities to raisin and cherry. The super-dense mouthfeel allows the foretaste to last a long time, and I had given up on the maple syrup before it arrived in the finish, tasting authentic again, adding a woody, smoky dryness. It's delicious, delivering all the things that the spec promises. While it might be fairly pegged as a pastry stout, it's one of the better sort, with a properly serious side to it.<br /><br />Dark times make for dark beer but all three of these provided comfort, reassurance, and a reminder that the war hasn't ended yet. <i>Slava Ukraini</i>!The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-25220581306224472802024-02-16T08:41:00.000+00:002024-02-16T08:41:00.125+00:00The French disconnection<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hc5EgSqTaniXeUat_K2GGUIZ4dRvnFGTB_9rY74iPK5absp3KUPS2WlOlfI4sxswz8V4aqbgFhu5ERKRKoF70nSGX008eYWxguKpFctZhP8cCqKVa-j63YzhwD_zh7-XGNJLZFnG9saYK6MW8tvKKt3yTxCcWsXYYo6j3i61zYLL8t7-hIHfGg/s3580/philomenn_spoum_triple.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3580" data-original-width="2245" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hc5EgSqTaniXeUat_K2GGUIZ4dRvnFGTB_9rY74iPK5absp3KUPS2WlOlfI4sxswz8V4aqbgFhu5ERKRKoF70nSGX008eYWxguKpFctZhP8cCqKVa-j63YzhwD_zh7-XGNJLZFnG9saYK6MW8tvKKt3yTxCcWsXYYo6j3i61zYLL8t7-hIHfGg/w126-h200/philomenn_spoum_triple.jpg" width="126" /></a>French beer has been something of a theme on this blog in recent months. It's in no way intentional, and today's first beer was an unexpected gift from a traveller in parts Breton. It's from the Philomenn brewery in the very Breton-sounding Tréguin, whose wares were previously reviewed <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2017/03/what-touken-do.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /><b><br />Spoum</b> is a tripel: 9% ABV and dark for the style, amber rather than golden. It's heavy and sweet, piling in honey with a side order of clove. The sugary intensity builds to the point where it resembles burnt caramel. I would have expected a lot of fruity esters in a beer like this, but they've kept it fully clean. It's OK. I like a bit of spice in a tripel, and this is missing that. You get the warmth and the richness, sure, but it fails to achieve the casual drinkability of the Belgian versions.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcokNoqLicWpVtDWEuYEwu906966Mx8LNZRjxuAv4yihvFbo-WFRRw_jPzRpUm_w5NzXKvY0TcsEsXNCdmQSP7LgMI5DzQMKnU6qAl794IHunhDUkry27lbwVfaZspWQ6fLZ3L7_YQmWseqPktNZUmPPwUiqCQWgyUm4f5Mbh1gx3z2YsCuP5cPA/s3585/black_by_licorne.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3585" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcokNoqLicWpVtDWEuYEwu906966Mx8LNZRjxuAv4yihvFbo-WFRRw_jPzRpUm_w5NzXKvY0TcsEsXNCdmQSP7LgMI5DzQMKnU6qAl794IHunhDUkry27lbwVfaZspWQ6fLZ3L7_YQmWseqPktNZUmPPwUiqCQWgyUm4f5Mbh1gx3z2YsCuP5cPA/w126-h200/black_by_licorne.jpg" width="126" /></a>The next one I picked up last October in a charming little épicerie in Nancy called Carrefour. The bottle is quiet about what it actually is, beyond "bière aromatisée" on the label. "Flavourings" is listed on the ingredients though we're not told what they are. <b>Black by Licorne</b> is the name, Licorne being a brewery in Saverne, not far from Strasbourg.<br /><br />Immediate points off for the beer being dark brown rather than black. It smells <i>beery</i>: that mix of sticky dark malt with a strong boiled-vegetable bitterness. It's predominantly sweet, however, centred on caramel and cola, with only the faintest tang of leafy hops in the finish. There's a certain crispness too, suggesting it's cool fermented. If so, I would broadly class it with the Czech dark lagers, lacking as it does the stronger bittering of German dunkel or the ashen dryness of schwarzbier. Whatever the enigmatic "flavourings" are, they don't have much to say. Overall, it's quite plain fare, though inoffensive. Not a bad find for cheap in a supermarket.<br /><br />Not France's best work by any means, but fairly solid stuff. The neighbours do these sorts of beers a bit better, however.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-80258547087108867202024-02-14T08:31:00.027+00:002024-02-14T08:31:00.349+00:00Heart of ice<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uAwfnCXn_PvBNDe5xkXifXtoguFVWoSLUx1XvbeRoXtq-lETHmUQrgU5qXFM720qUDPktcMR9DOy-_dz5b7tP4cZNOT_ZHEHZ0K_TLQ6EgmWYa5P9RwAmtRlb-5L4aM12y2OISiVxgeH2uvCajJIde5-sLRMUAXpsEMmtl0oCz5yD7COS1hEkg/s2805/funky_fluid_frosty_eisbock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2805" data-original-width="2250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uAwfnCXn_PvBNDe5xkXifXtoguFVWoSLUx1XvbeRoXtq-lETHmUQrgU5qXFM720qUDPktcMR9DOy-_dz5b7tP4cZNOT_ZHEHZ0K_TLQ6EgmWYa5P9RwAmtRlb-5L4aM12y2OISiVxgeH2uvCajJIde5-sLRMUAXpsEMmtl0oCz5yD7COS1hEkg/s320/funky_fluid_frosty_eisbock.jpg" width="257" /></a>Not every day, but I like an eisbock now and again. I tend to see the method as a means for making big imperial stouts even more warming and sippable. <b>Frosty</b> is the first ever one from Polish brewery Funky Fluid, and is derived not from a stout but a weizenbock.<br /><br />It's a striking mahogany colour, and seemed a little thin as it poured, despite the substantial 12% ABV. The wheat side is very prominent in the flavour, offering a dry and crisp cereal quality. It's not as rich as I was hoping for, the crispness extending to the mouthfeel as well. There's a layer of chocolate wafer and quite a punchy green vegetal bitterness, presumably from the concentrated noble hops. A little fruity raisin and plum arrives at the end. The alcohol heat is represented in the cough-syrup aroma, but not really in the taste.<br /><br />This isn't the eisbock I wanted. I'm sure it's closer to many a German original, but it's not the sort I'm used to from Dutch and Danish breweries. It's pointy and difficult, not smooth and warming. I hope they'll be making adjustments if they brew a second one.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-40041207168038535542024-02-12T08:24:00.056+00:002024-02-12T08:24:00.142+00:00Animal tendencies<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAV4Pb2nQOsOcM4Xg_6NYMwOTZf9WwpvmLQ55DxU7f1tnm7VEET5LPH5ItqWHM7UQbnZQ-suLOGx43vcZUxUuFqjrppwFVIRfDcPK4sqpf2UkuWMX_C8RV8KCfRcT3LCKvwAs0ewg8gfcrbq9_wtB17mpXFY4MLueBikuIP71yVDGMps0rF1vLQ/s2925/otter_amber.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2925" data-original-width="1945" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAV4Pb2nQOsOcM4Xg_6NYMwOTZf9WwpvmLQ55DxU7f1tnm7VEET5LPH5ItqWHM7UQbnZQ-suLOGx43vcZUxUuFqjrppwFVIRfDcPK4sqpf2UkuWMX_C8RV8KCfRcT3LCKvwAs0ewg8gfcrbq9_wtB17mpXFY4MLueBikuIP71yVDGMps0rF1vLQ/w133-h200/otter_amber.jpg" width="133" /></a>The role of animals in the branding of English beers is a fine, and often parodied, convention. I've been in Wetherspoon again, inspecting the menagerie.<br /><br />Devon's Otter Brewery is first up, with <b>Otter Amber</b>. It's rare that I have any quibble with the beer quality at Wetherspoon, especially in the more upmarket Keavan's Port where I got this, but I don't think it was quite right. There was a definite murk about the pale gold colour, and a lemon tartness that I don't think belonged. That was at least fairly easy to ignore, and beyond it I found a solidly malt-driven bitter, oaty and grainy at heart, with a top layer of candied citrus. I reckon it would be well suited to summer, being easy drinking and only 4% ABV. Only that off-putting twang would prevent me from enjoying a few of them in a row.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5bcCPB-eClUd_3csGGV3gC-licpYFIgYxEkxhKsMWeQZF5tWjXmIlwDurajBTHTdpQS3jMV1ejaxNUVOZTaa-JGIAnU906QHXUPHqmbixcCMom5-CIbJOHt32zc44seeDqgntKkoAZuZujX6EsjEwGgfw_VXuEgklDuYalH3ZX933R73ik5JZg/s2960/nethergate_old_growler_porter.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2960" data-original-width="2095" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5bcCPB-eClUd_3csGGV3gC-licpYFIgYxEkxhKsMWeQZF5tWjXmIlwDurajBTHTdpQS3jMV1ejaxNUVOZTaa-JGIAnU906QHXUPHqmbixcCMom5-CIbJOHt32zc44seeDqgntKkoAZuZujX6EsjEwGgfw_VXuEgklDuYalH3ZX933R73ik5JZg/w141-h200/nethergate_old_growler_porter.jpg" width="141" /></a>I was surprised to discover I'd never tried Nethergate's <b>Old Growler</b> (it's a dog; grow up) before. The name is certainly familiar but maybe just because it's a JDW regular. It's a porter with a decent heft to it, at 5% ABV. That gives it a full body and a wholesome old-ivory head, the same colour as in those vintage ads for a certain Dublin-brewed stout that now pours with sterile bone-white foam. It turns out that the similarities don't end there. This is no chocolate-sweet porter but a drier, bitterer sort, showing the cabbage-and-zinc tang of classic English hopping. It's a refreshing change from the candified tendencies of contemporary porter brewing, and I would hazard a guess that the experience is close to how that Dublin-brewed beer tasted when it was still cask conditioned. This is a beautifully put-together beer: tasty, complex, subtle, and highly satisfying. I'd be quite content if standard porter were more like it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzpffmUhghwBr_aEnT2A1ULZ3RSpLRh2uccFykcop44ZkLzW5SjfwsCaNmQ5tBxblztpaMCgfpEHwWKuI3O-cXLdhF3aSKE_rzx72-A4sNtOZ9csL_L5oCoxTWKX6rI6PgL_NRzEwNuV_gzA35SH5RG5KoN9j_KrLHURN4-qzs07wetp4Q5BOrw/s3497/purple_moose_whakahari_bitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3497" data-original-width="2131" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzpffmUhghwBr_aEnT2A1ULZ3RSpLRh2uccFykcop44ZkLzW5SjfwsCaNmQ5tBxblztpaMCgfpEHwWKuI3O-cXLdhF3aSKE_rzx72-A4sNtOZ9csL_L5oCoxTWKX6rI6PgL_NRzEwNuV_gzA35SH5RG5KoN9j_KrLHURN4-qzs07wetp4Q5BOrw/s320/purple_moose_whakahari_bitter.jpg" width="195" /></a>Last of the cask is <b>Whakahari</b>, a bitter from Welsh brewery Purple Moose. I like this brewery; they make some great beers. This isn't one of them, however. Although it's a beautifully clear golden colour, it has quite a sterotypical soapy bitterness, dry and a little acrid. There is some softer fruit lurking in the middle, following the initial soapy hit -- I got red apple and a hint of juicy satsuma -- and then the acridity returns once more for the finish. It became less shocking and difficult by the half way point, and I'm sure is absolutely as the brewer intended. It wasn't to my taste, however. The name implies New Zealand hops, though I couldn't find any specified in the marketing. My guess is one of the harsher sort has been used, smoothed out by the cask serve but still with a slightly nasty edge. I'm sure <i>somebody</i> is into that sort of thing.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXR0nbcSASvio0SgQWeWxz8NU-CJEoagtzV-S6IZ2jWp5haggqPi7DM8EhU801kvEjVhY1ItL8DbNGuDkW2hKoYm3B1nWOMJFyI-1Ak6jsODdzyoFId9mzFBvHpOZK4YUOyUV0QVg0AKHVlXOevH8cEzUp4EGB12A5E-MvmoDZqWcis38c5DW-ow/s2095/mad_squirrel_big_sea_west_coast_ipa.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="2095" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXR0nbcSASvio0SgQWeWxz8NU-CJEoagtzV-S6IZ2jWp5haggqPi7DM8EhU801kvEjVhY1ItL8DbNGuDkW2hKoYm3B1nWOMJFyI-1Ak6jsODdzyoFId9mzFBvHpOZK4YUOyUV0QVg0AKHVlXOevH8cEzUp4EGB12A5E-MvmoDZqWcis38c5DW-ow/w200-h186/mad_squirrel_big_sea_west_coast_ipa.jpg" width="200" /></a>Last year <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/07/peripherals.html" target="_blank">I wrote</a> a bit about Mad Squirrel, having happened across their pub in Watford. They, too, are now on the Wetherspoon roster, with kegged <b>Big Sea</b> getting some point-of-sale promotion. I'm in for a half. It's billed as a West Coast IPA but is distinctly murked, pale yellow and opaque like a Vermont fog (I assume). The aroma doesn't give much away, and the texture is surprisingly thin for 5.5% ABV. There's a broad lemon-zest flavour, followed by a hint of New England IPA's vanilla sweetness. They combine in the finish to leave a kind of citrus chew-sweet aftertaste. I strongly suspect that this has been brewed for the price point (€5.50 the pint on Abbey Street): it has the framework for dramatic hop pyrotechnics but doesn't deliver more than, well, a damp squib. Big Sea looks to have replaced BrewDog's Planet Pale, and that's a step down in flavour, to my mind.<br /><br />Cask porter is best in show, then. Not a major upset on this blog.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-83205892784507230292024-02-09T08:06:00.095+00:002024-02-09T08:06:00.131+00:00Sunshine from the Garden<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwo1X9aizLH4Rx-9bOEeyLIxVJ5Q0mAPdIAP_nTmUT3S8XBF4nYcX-zVg0k69fUlinG3hn_k9xwNYMEvY2NBPYinxFdyMwZJUa-ZO16T0CY5PwLT72xpolrOfwAxnk5AeAbmKFhzEjF6iJVlN3X8wpbYUQehPx6pjTkZxNY9J-Gxn_aSWAFs0q1g/s2810/wicklow_wolf_solstice_tropical_sour.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2810" data-original-width="2030" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwo1X9aizLH4Rx-9bOEeyLIxVJ5Q0mAPdIAP_nTmUT3S8XBF4nYcX-zVg0k69fUlinG3hn_k9xwNYMEvY2NBPYinxFdyMwZJUa-ZO16T0CY5PwLT72xpolrOfwAxnk5AeAbmKFhzEjF6iJVlN3X8wpbYUQehPx6pjTkZxNY9J-Gxn_aSWAFs0q1g/w144-h200/wicklow_wolf_solstice_tropical_sour.jpg" width="144" /></a>A couple of weeks ago I attended the first launch event for Irish beer in 2024: a tap takeover in UnderDog by Wicklow Wolf, presenting two new additions to its core range. On a dismal winter's evening, both had a promise of summer about them.<br /><br />I mean, one of them self-describes as "tropical" and is called <b>Solstice</b>. I'm reasonably sure it's not the winter solstice to which it refers. It also describes itself as "sour", is 4% ABV, and a surprising clear golden colour. Nothing makes me feel more like a florid gentleman in a 19th century novel than praising the clarity of a beer, but credit where it's due. The tropical side of the equation is not the subtle kind, its aroma absolutely blasting out a generic mix of sweetly exotic fruits. A similar mélange presents on tasting, starting with fruit salad and adding coconut, banana fritters, green tea and a short twist of pepper. There's a certain dry tang in the background but it's not sour, though nor is it syrupy. I appreciated the overall loud brashness of it, but it is still a bit of a mess, not committing to any real flavour, just a generous pour from the big tub labelled "tropical". The intensity does limit its power to refresh, I think, though I'm prepared to come back to it when the weather is better suited.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHx5Wsc_B2cwXp4lDTELgu2J4KtOv4r2YVJ-ZR3Zuunuocd4gKWkPHJhAPLTQbu_WSKcBuKS7WeiFIslYoE6MHhhwZb7G7LbLM8UxZiGnz-DtEzwJTXRJ8PyfFRVLK71eTPHeySCUej3Zbn5Z6cAVt6N1gFTKFFhYFXd0rlXjA-Iv1CgsEZbirgg/s3235/wicklow_wolf_sugarloaf_hazy_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3235" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHx5Wsc_B2cwXp4lDTELgu2J4KtOv4r2YVJ-ZR3Zuunuocd4gKWkPHJhAPLTQbu_WSKcBuKS7WeiFIslYoE6MHhhwZb7G7LbLM8UxZiGnz-DtEzwJTXRJ8PyfFRVLK71eTPHeySCUej3Zbn5Z6cAVt6N1gFTKFFhYFXd0rlXjA-Iv1CgsEZbirgg/w139-h200/wicklow_wolf_sugarloaf_hazy_ipa.jpg" width="139" /></a>Its fraternal twin is a hazy IPA called <b>Sugarloaf</b>. A small detail, but it's a bit strange that they haven't called it a "session IPA", or even just a "pale ale" when it's only 4.3% ABV. The brewery already has 5.6% Tundra as a hazy IPA in the core line up and I don't know if this is meant to be complementary to that, or replacing it. The low strength is certainly apparent in the thin mouthfeel, where it does have some level of New England fluff, but dialled back considerably. In the flavour we find a central theme of orange juice plus an added mild pith bitterness. This gives it balance, although I'm not sure something so slight and unobtrusive needs to worry about balance. It's very sessionable, bordering on forgettable. This isn't the first Wicklow Wolf beer that I would consider a safe option if I saw it on tap in a place with nothing else worth drinking; it's no show-stopper in and of itself, however.<br /><br />Neither beer represents Wicklow Wolf at its best, but then dark beer is where it excels, so that's not surprising. I suspect they're efforts at giving the drinking public what they want, and I can't quibble with that, even if neither will be a regular go-to for me.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-13888384552871558192024-02-07T08:57:00.011+00:002024-02-07T09:14:42.912+00:00Sneaky phonecall<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizu5t-8OflSLYej_i5SJmEPZuQXNRELuzTdlkUj2aPOvAnqtzOPFbFP3Xux5MIGJ2lN3B9yDmahs_A6VlOBG-D66epL4i2gzuqJCiXBrNcAPUvNT1a7RneC_bI4vXuEK1vInTCcVOB0YI1d8y-vPM4rWVL2R45oQKtLIaPNVDyPlEIWDRDmHUVQg/s3375/en_stoemlings_plus_32_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3375" data-original-width="2255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizu5t-8OflSLYej_i5SJmEPZuQXNRELuzTdlkUj2aPOvAnqtzOPFbFP3Xux5MIGJ2lN3B9yDmahs_A6VlOBG-D66epL4i2gzuqJCiXBrNcAPUvNT1a7RneC_bI4vXuEK1vInTCcVOB0YI1d8y-vPM4rWVL2R45oQKtLIaPNVDyPlEIWDRDmHUVQg/s320/en_stoemlings_plus_32_ipa.jpg" width="214" /></a>En Stoemlings of Brussels has been on a journey since I visited their miniscule first brewery <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2015/11/brussels-brewing.html" target="_blank">in 2015</a>, the latest news being the closure of their full-sized production facility and reversion to contract brewing. In between, they managed to push one of my particular ticking buttons with a beer exclusively made for and sold at Brussels airport. It's called <b>+32</b>, after the dialling code for Belgium, is 6.5% ABV and of no stated style. Oh, I do like a challenge.<br /><br />From the strength, I lazily assumed it would be a blonde ale, but it's more amber coloured. There's a spritz of fruity hops in the aroma and a hint of toffee crystal malt so I think we're into Belgian IPA territory. It's light-bodied and very fizzy. There's no big hop explosion, but that's very much in keeping with Belgian takes on Belgian-style IPA. Instead it's a dry tannic tang and a twist of grapefruit peel. Anyone in search of rounded and warming Belgian esters will be disappointed. I found it a bit severe, stripping my tooth enamel before curdling in my stomach. The finish is a very unBelgian mix of water and fizz.<br /><br />It's not great: over-attenuated, unsure of what it's meant to be, and seems to be trying some sort of modern edge rather than cuddly Belgian comfort. But I bought it and am now hundreds of miles away from the complaints department. You win this round, Brussels airport.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-82086987906054344272024-02-05T08:05:00.060+00:002024-02-05T08:05:00.125+00:00Bavarians at the gate<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55dpf3-lu2jhVEAFGaO5-uKE2gjMeYmpji5tXMvn4BIlseh_Vvq6kTWe26ywxiAcCX6xksBxdQY1ypdEKxLk5jptMIn_SQPLOR-wFt7dMvYjfyFoxx6AqM1AthYEWMd8cymjORCJusGIA8JHEYLjqLNzfWAwzz6uNUIK38qbmqgrfhpHnQ1jm3g/s3270/augustiner_heller_bock.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3270" data-original-width="2265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55dpf3-lu2jhVEAFGaO5-uKE2gjMeYmpji5tXMvn4BIlseh_Vvq6kTWe26ywxiAcCX6xksBxdQY1ypdEKxLk5jptMIn_SQPLOR-wFt7dMvYjfyFoxx6AqM1AthYEWMd8cymjORCJusGIA8JHEYLjqLNzfWAwzz6uNUIK38qbmqgrfhpHnQ1jm3g/w139-h200/augustiner_heller_bock.jpg" width="139" /></a>Every once in a while I happen across a well-known classic beer which, inexplicably, I've never taken the time to try. I blame the absence of <b>Augustiner Heller Bock</b> in my repertoire on the excellence of the brewery's other beers. Why would I ever need to switch from Helles, Edelstoff, Oktoberfest or Maximator? It's a poor excuse. Time to get this bottle open.<br /><br />It's no lightweight at 7.5% ABV and I feared a cloying syrupiness. It looked worryingly dense as it poured too, finishing a dark orangey shade of golden. The aroma does have a little syrup going on, but there's a promise of cool crispness and fresh damp grass as coolant. The texture is as heavy as one might expect from the strength, however, and there's a rising malt stickiness which isn't as severe as I feared, but is still along the same lines. The hop side is herbal and savoury -- spinach and kale -- which doesn't do much to counterbalance the malt. I guess this is a good example of the style, but it's a style I tend to avoid, and here's a reminder why that is.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJR4GzM0s6SPX_OMHeFAB546rXnClUCA_V-kcpI5Tz_h_vIsPxHugFTy7t_AGDdcJK3Pn9f59wHNq_lyvAZ0tsjcbvoaJHKbc9lC2AYHJ9FsnKcBuNJNjQgHrcZTWFDwoGZ3zBierigWlHfAOElycFsajrzzPCAsvpEXpsCV_Le_H7Ry70wyJOfg/s3095/andechs_spezial_hell.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3095" data-original-width="2245" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJR4GzM0s6SPX_OMHeFAB546rXnClUCA_V-kcpI5Tz_h_vIsPxHugFTy7t_AGDdcJK3Pn9f59wHNq_lyvAZ0tsjcbvoaJHKbc9lC2AYHJ9FsnKcBuNJNjQgHrcZTWFDwoGZ3zBierigWlHfAOElycFsajrzzPCAsvpEXpsCV_Le_H7Ry70wyJOfg/w145-h200/andechs_spezial_hell.jpg" width="145" /></a>While I was buying this in the Fresh supermarket in Smithfield, I picked up a few other Bavarian bottles which took my fancy.<br /><br />Andechs, like Augustiner, is another giant of the greater Munich area. I've had a few of theirs before, but I don't think <b>Andechs Spezial Hell</b> has crossed my path. Spezial is one of those well-defined categories of German beer that never really got appropriated into a "style" by the anglophone beer world, existing too close to the likes of Helles and Märzen, I guess. This is 5.9% ABV, bright golden and with a steady stream of fine bubbles: pure class in a glass, essentially. A vague breadiness is all that the aroma offers, and I thought the flavour would make up for that, but it's very bland. A heavy spongecake texture, fluffy to the point of chewy, is about the most interesting feature. The taste gives me the dry carbonic fizz and a certain generic cereal malt sweetness, but no more than that. There's no balancing breadcrust or grass, and no intriguing yet accessible depths. While it's pretty easy to get through given the strength, it has little to say for itself along the way. I'm underwhelmed, overall, and thought better of this outfit.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt1FHEHPX5Uad2ZCmBWoJ37pIvXZhuMNyIu06uYUR_jWuqAz_8GjW1VLP0Ou6jEuI-fiPVTL7NhRMaZvSd2mtMU1jEFRMhihXLw5j7uTqjordxAO9a028oSn7BxMRmPQSSW3iKlyKrkPTyRqT2MzcA-oU9QlJQBZWAjte5D0oS7chb2aPsspc0w/s3330/flotzinger_wiesn-marzen.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3330" data-original-width="2245" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVt1FHEHPX5Uad2ZCmBWoJ37pIvXZhuMNyIu06uYUR_jWuqAz_8GjW1VLP0Ou6jEuI-fiPVTL7NhRMaZvSd2mtMU1jEFRMhihXLw5j7uTqjordxAO9a028oSn7BxMRmPQSSW3iKlyKrkPTyRqT2MzcA-oU9QlJQBZWAjte5D0oS7chb2aPsspc0w/w135-h200/flotzinger_wiesn-marzen.jpg" width="135" /></a>A total randomer to follow that. I had never heard of Flötzinger, nor seen their beer in Germany, but there are a couple of them around Ireland at the moment. I picked <b>Flötzinger Weis'n-Märzen</b>, so another strong golden lager, then: this one at 5.8% ABV. It's a bit dusty-looking in the glass, not the usual brilliant gold. It's a little on the light side too, lacking any of the chewiness I associate with good Festbier or Märzen. There's the right sort of bready heft to the flavour, plus a spoonful of golden syrup for good measure, but really it could do with more of everything. If I'm drinking a lager at this strength, I want to feel it. Letting it warm up doesn't help. It just becomes estery, adding unwelcome apple and apricot. I fear this just isn't an especially good beer. It was the only one of the set under €4, and I guess that shows sometimes you get what you pay for.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QZFivGj8J07Cqdo8gnzavDz9LKgtwG1YubcxkgAgumZssOiIRPjyBXMFHyRbEntFxAR3MahKa4glfpJwJFpPzk0EAOBrsPaiI82uEv4-r3g0-6P0PihHEpXlbrq6d0121s3fdsciI9S6-hccSAM1b7EUl_w6dx6VYaZTP6tKHYO-ZkTEjf5V_w/s3240/ayinger_lager_hell.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3240" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QZFivGj8J07Cqdo8gnzavDz9LKgtwG1YubcxkgAgumZssOiIRPjyBXMFHyRbEntFxAR3MahKa4glfpJwJFpPzk0EAOBrsPaiI82uEv4-r3g0-6P0PihHEpXlbrq6d0121s3fdsciI9S6-hccSAM1b7EUl_w6dx6VYaZTP6tKHYO-ZkTEjf5V_w/w139-h200/ayinger_lager_hell.jpg" width="139" /></a>It's back to the known quantities of greater Munich brewing to finish, and <b>Ayinger</b>, whose <b>Lager Hell</b> is another beer I have inexplicably never drank. It's very <i>hell</i> indeed, looking a little watery, in fact, though the ABV is only a little low for Helles at 4.9%. They haven't skimped on the aroma hops either, and there's a beautiful meadowy floral waft. Texturewise it's perfect, leaning into the malt's smoothness as a key feature, and sprinkling that with a flaky-pastry sweetness and more of the flower effect from the hops. There isn't much else to build a review around, and one could argue that it's a bit bland, but one would be wrong to do so. The term I would use is "magnificently drinkble", slipping down with indecent ease leaving an empty glass and an instant desire for more. Buying one bottle is terribly unGerman and not something I recommend.<br /><br />Trust the establishment, seems to be the lesson of these four. Andechs, Augustiner and Ayinger may have some not-brilliant beers on the periphery, but their core product cannot be argued with.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-58248713737316926352024-02-02T08:47:00.016+00:002024-02-02T08:47:00.125+00:00Always Christmas and never winter<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-wEi9iZH0jjzhM63K-ci5eVR0LoYyPXkDuJ570tuVo_2sdg045MygsMfyKcXaBrSxBLh5kY52Jm27zhzeQkw-34J4rTg3x7zgy2O9Aqsfp20K9wQR7K4WqmLmwjOSaGBrluG9ITShSQ32AhoViE7y_X7naUNFWCEb_RBXx_H1_b-HEfBO46XEw/s2600/to-ol_crispy_christmas_vienna_lager.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2600" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-wEi9iZH0jjzhM63K-ci5eVR0LoYyPXkDuJ570tuVo_2sdg045MygsMfyKcXaBrSxBLh5kY52Jm27zhzeQkw-34J4rTg3x7zgy2O9Aqsfp20K9wQR7K4WqmLmwjOSaGBrluG9ITShSQ32AhoViE7y_X7naUNFWCEb_RBXx_H1_b-HEfBO46XEw/w174-h200/to-ol_crispy_christmas_vienna_lager.jpg" width="174" /></a>The Scandinavians provide today's beers, both Christmas specials which were still haunting the fridges at Stephen Street News in January.<br /><br />The first is a Vienna lager from To Øl called <b>Crispy Christmas</b>. It's the right shade of coppery amber, although with a degree of craft haze as well. The aroma has a significant hop quotient, grassy and noble, with only a token level of crisp biscuit malt behind. That's not how the flavour goes, oddly. There's an unwelome sour tang which I wasn't expecting, and although it's predominantly dry, there's quite a pronounced strawberry and cherry tang. These strange elements aren't around for long and it finishes with a rasp of roasted grain. This meets the basic requirements of a Vienna lager, I think, but isn't an especially good one. I'm not sure what made them pitch this for Christmas, only that it's a time of year when drinkers are perhaps a little less fussy.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Q2xh_nyG0F2JTdPpQoh0WHj3feGYSznDGjB_YsuC5OhtyPtGHvvfc_LkKlbi1tgWEGAYxrx90AQ9iTS1XE06FG1UR07ScrZwn6xH1uKie3aFN18d2O0SzPnttAFmLMpt7LD5Cn4foBTwhUQURyxk5Aiqnq4X7k1QXcRB-oXKnQR1ECpd6A_3rg/s3320/lervig_hoppy_holiday_haze_milkshake_pale_ale.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3320" data-original-width="2255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Q2xh_nyG0F2JTdPpQoh0WHj3feGYSznDGjB_YsuC5OhtyPtGHvvfc_LkKlbi1tgWEGAYxrx90AQ9iTS1XE06FG1UR07ScrZwn6xH1uKie3aFN18d2O0SzPnttAFmLMpt7LD5Cn4foBTwhUQURyxk5Aiqnq4X7k1QXcRB-oXKnQR1ECpd6A_3rg/w136-h200/lervig_hoppy_holiday_haze_milkshake_pale_ale.jpg" width="136" /></a>From Denmark to Norway, and a tall can by Lervig, filled with <b>Hoppy Holiday Haze</b>, a milkshake pale ale -- remember those? The haze isn't excessive, it's a pale yellow and quite translucent, with a fine white foam on top. It smells spritzy, of lemon zest and lemon curd, and the texture is light, suggesting an ABV even lower than its 4.7%. The flavour continues the zesty theme, adding an even sharper kick of lime to the lemon. There's a little bit of vanilla, but nowhere near the level of sweetness typical of this style, nor any cloying stickiness. In fact, it's delightfully sparkly, the fizz suiting the citric taste rather well. Again, I have no idea why they thought this would be Christmassy, but I would have no problem using it as a palate-cleanser on the big day. <br /><br />Another disappointment from To Øl here, but it was nice to find a new quality product from Lervig.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-87138219997308580972024-01-31T08:41:00.064+00:002024-01-31T08:41:00.122+00:00Your actual Baltic<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwS2QI1Ct95nbmt_OGbF7V5ByClQXX22rnRGc1Gm4N1YL8JUOd_v9OYSHnjCtKlSQLbENAjzdoWuE4qap335yhK8fS60SglZTc10pZJj1m76RlIf-gAENCDnQH6lbv6_g36TGcUHpy6zT20kzXRGq9MnMudScZqt8WIj0a1_R5dET6o4_kThfSvQ/s3280/volfas_engelman_baltic_porter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3280" data-original-width="2255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwS2QI1Ct95nbmt_OGbF7V5ByClQXX22rnRGc1Gm4N1YL8JUOd_v9OYSHnjCtKlSQLbENAjzdoWuE4qap335yhK8fS60SglZTc10pZJj1m76RlIf-gAENCDnQH6lbv6_g36TGcUHpy6zT20kzXRGq9MnMudScZqt8WIj0a1_R5dET6o4_kThfSvQ/s320/volfas_engelman_baltic_porter.jpg" width="220" /></a>We are joined once again by Mr Engelman and one of his handsome full-pint cans. I'm not sure I've ever had a Lithuanian Baltic porter before, which is a shame, what with it being on the Baltic and all.<br /><br /><b>Volfas Engelman Baltic Porter</b>, then, is 6% ABV and the can tells us it's in "limited supply". Also that it's 25 IBU, which strikes me as a little low, even if the scale is largely meaningless. Nevertheless, it pours a handsome dark brown with a modest and mangeable off-white head. The aroma gives gentle caramel and the promise of some herbal liquorice hops. Everything is in order there, then. A lager-clean texture follows, and there's a surprise in the flavour. It's not very bitter -- the IBUs don't lie, for once -- and there's a strong chocolate sweetness. But there's the liquorice too, loads of it, and a flourish of milky coffee on the end. <br /><br />Getting all the aniseed without an accompanying bitter tang is a bit confusing, but I enjoyed the flex. It does run the risk of turning overly sweet, which would be a disaster for any Baltic porter, though it manages to avoid going that far. All told, it's a satisfying pint, warming and nutritious-tasting: ideal winter drinking without going overboard on the alcohol. Thanks Volfie!The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-6989999673153941262024-01-29T08:26:00.190+00:002024-01-29T08:26:00.262+00:00So it's come to this<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgml6Bo7UJaiBLWMIPiRCL1xFR2z_RsCbBkcAdXkpHvS-sTffHs0pQfcNKOgFzVxAi8XG6B_PkQ0WfXOuBxJFX4AK9pG09OLFAFWjp-hZCMIpnhbMGe0vdnTX4ZHdyx2blyPATHkPTkWS5KHAdmlJrmDkSKMEhP6zM8uqED93pWzENQcG9iONX5-A/s2250/tiny_rebel_electric_boogaloo_passion_fruit_lil_neipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2125" data-original-width="2250" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgml6Bo7UJaiBLWMIPiRCL1xFR2z_RsCbBkcAdXkpHvS-sTffHs0pQfcNKOgFzVxAi8XG6B_PkQ0WfXOuBxJFX4AK9pG09OLFAFWjp-hZCMIpnhbMGe0vdnTX4ZHdyx2blyPATHkPTkWS5KHAdmlJrmDkSKMEhP6zM8uqED93pWzENQcG9iONX5-A/w320-h302/tiny_rebel_electric_boogaloo_passion_fruit_lil_neipa.jpg" width="320" /></a>It has been an exceptionally quiet January for new release beers. The general sluggishness of the Irish market at this time of year has combined with this week's radical change to the rules around canned drinks -- introducing a deposit scheme -- to make local brewers less willing to put new beers out. It'll pick up again, for sure, but it's felt like a bit of a desert over the past few weeks. Browsing the beer shops for potential content, I picked today's three from Welsh brewer Tiny Rebel, having eschewed their wares since they became newly available in Ireland last year. They just don't seem like my sort of beers. That's worth putting to the test now and again, however.<br /><br />When I selected <b>Electric Boogaloo</b> I didn't read any further than "passion fruit" and blithely assumed it was a fruited sour ale. Unfortunately it's worse than that, being a fruited New England-style IPA, at a session strength of 4.5% ABV. It's pale yellow and murky, so that fits the spec, and the aroma is massively tropical. Yes, there's passionfruit in there, but heavily concentrated and smelling like there are other things. It reminds me of some horrific sticky cordial from the 1980s which I don't remember the name of, but it evidently traumatised me. No surprises in the flavour, then: it's a heavily concentrated tropical fruit syrup, with the metallic twang which inevitably comes with that. The hopping does its best to clash with the sweetness but is thoroughly drowned out by it. While it tastes like it <i>should</i> be thick, it actually suits its strength and might even be sessionable were it not for the flavour's unpleasant intensity. This may as well have been one of those sour-in-name-only jobs. Tiny Rebel's supplier of passionfruit syrup has a key account in this brewery. Had I known it was going to be so sweet I probably wouldn't have picked what comes next.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexzPH741dsCC2yV1j33UCcceA14wvl5Szd3dql9KNECn3LMpl_WPTwsC4qRbQBnhndYaAj9ReF566s8fM1ZVWi0h-q-jyEq6acWQyaUtFL7RmI8Llq__zKfzYP4fQxIbEQ_Vq_VBj0okbLfVMfmHYoDGY3tgiaeZo88zV5-ZsRHAgsc8Q74OdRA/s2265/tiny_rebel_sleigh_puft_the_chocolate_one.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2125" data-original-width="2265" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexzPH741dsCC2yV1j33UCcceA14wvl5Szd3dql9KNECn3LMpl_WPTwsC4qRbQBnhndYaAj9ReF566s8fM1ZVWi0h-q-jyEq6acWQyaUtFL7RmI8Llq__zKfzYP4fQxIbEQ_Vq_VBj0okbLfVMfmHYoDGY3tgiaeZo88zV5-ZsRHAgsc8Q74OdRA/w320-h301/tiny_rebel_sleigh_puft_the_chocolate_one.jpg" width="320" /></a>"[I] doubt I'll be rushing to try any of the variants" I wrote when I reviewed Stay Puft marshmallow porter <a href="https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2020/12/celebrating-darkness.html" target="_blank">on here</a>, back in 2020. To be honest, a bit over three years is sooner than I expected. Here's just two of them, on a Christmas theme.<br /><br />Where to start? I figured that <b>Sleigh Puft: The Chocolate One</b> would be the less sweet of the pair. My wariness wasn't in the least offset by the appearance: muddy brown with abysmal head retention: far from proper porter. The aroma is sickly as the marshmallow ingredient makes its presence felt early and loudly. To taste, it is massively sweet, although not sickly. Fortunately, the texture is surprisingly light, without a trace of stickiness, which is impressive at 5.3% ABV. Chocolate is present but doesn't taste real, having the salt-and-plastic twang of very pale milk chocolate, or even a mass-produced white variety. The artificial pink marshmallow note arrives late in the finish. I'm stating the bleeding obvious here, but this is all novelty and no class. Yes I should have known that from the get-go. At least they're up front about it. I can't recommend this, though I can't fault it for delivering on the promise.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDuE_N_LboK7nYV2zXWnQA6zKOJ75slQhfZWTPi2Ggd_dhH0C3nlQPyYDmtv-3kxuKF6VXEDZ-bKpmbABV93XwFYS9CX6NKtqk-1xTh4pffYz6CEofLseI9KsHrOdXgLRFoJuK96ICyULFfJGOqJBskgY44s4GTKENezSusRtDAlJw0bYfUBv1w/s2265/tiny_rebel_sleigh_puft_the_caramel_one.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2220" data-original-width="2265" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDuE_N_LboK7nYV2zXWnQA6zKOJ75slQhfZWTPi2Ggd_dhH0C3nlQPyYDmtv-3kxuKF6VXEDZ-bKpmbABV93XwFYS9CX6NKtqk-1xTh4pffYz6CEofLseI9KsHrOdXgLRFoJuK96ICyULFfJGOqJBskgY44s4GTKENezSusRtDAlJw0bYfUBv1w/w320-h314/tiny_rebel_sleigh_puft_the_caramel_one.jpg" width="320" /></a>Why did I buy another one? Anyway, here's <b>Sleigh Puft: The Caramel One</b>. The ABV is identical and so is the ingredients list, so I guess malt is where the difference lies. There is definitely a difference, though, because it's darker -- nearly but not quite black, and with a much more generous head. There's a lovely burnt character to the aroma, suggesting a very caramelised sort of caramel, not just sugary gloop. Maybe the previous one calibrated my palate in advance, but I didn't find it as sweet. The burnt caramel has a mildly smoky taste, and there's a surprisingly grown-up hint of raw carrot and black pepper. It's weird, and that's a compliment, not following the well-trodden novelty path which the previous one did. I haven't tasted this particular combination before, and I quite like it, especially the unexpected spice. The pink marshmallow makes no appearance, so fans of that might want to dodge it. Everyone else, jump in.<br /><br />The last beer here is why I keep at this. You can't judge a beer until you've drank it. Maybe there'll be more Stay/Sleigh Pufts featured on these pages in due course.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-83620881839418025172024-01-26T08:25:00.141+00:002024-01-26T08:25:00.133+00:00Only shallow breathing in stereo after dark<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18cQjLIBHFWisD59vAwDcQP_kBjyNORrCDOSmDS-NQuRz2VfAtXwCvWJwkd0ionuRYfLRudNp4Ezvgia86i__xG-s33t7VKMH83Dmz4WJgtwdVkuTzyvVTASNiLdI4UaJtFoiMuWeYnXc6yQOI8OE8xbnPqcYeXgp4au2eJLC_8GcfoHIZIkXMw/s2810/whiplash_breathing_in_stereo_west_coast_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2810" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18cQjLIBHFWisD59vAwDcQP_kBjyNORrCDOSmDS-NQuRz2VfAtXwCvWJwkd0ionuRYfLRudNp4Ezvgia86i__xG-s33t7VKMH83Dmz4WJgtwdVkuTzyvVTASNiLdI4UaJtFoiMuWeYnXc6yQOI8OE8xbnPqcYeXgp4au2eJLC_8GcfoHIZIkXMw/w161-h200/whiplash_breathing_in_stereo_west_coast_ipa.jpg" width="161" /></a>An appreciation, first of all, for the top-tier customer service from Whiplash. After I enquired about an out-of-stock recent release, I got a personal heads-up when it was available to order again. And when the order I placed during the Christmas rush wasn't fulfilled correctly, they fixed it in the most convenient way possible. It's massively appreciated, and very indicative of the all-round class act that the brewery is. Now, how about some beer?<br /><br />Oooh, they've gone all silvery for the first one, <b>Breathing in Stereo</b>, a departure from the usual clean white label background. It's badged as a west coast IPA, though the hops are El Dorado and Nelson Sauvin, neither renowned for their piney or grapefruity characteristics. It's also a bit anaemic for the style, and a bit too cloudy, as in slightly cloudy. The aroma is not west coast either, but is beautiful, bringing Nelson's grape and gooseberry, with sweeter fruit salad from the El Dorado. Nelson dominates the flavour in a deliciously juicy way, missing the oily mineral tang it often shows, leaving smooth and cool pear and lychee, with a edging of slightly sharper peach and white pepper. While I'm putting the boot into its poor style fidelity, I'll mention here that it's not at all bitter. It is damn tasty, though, more like a cleaned-up New England IPA, although that's the sort that Whiplash normally makes anyway. If you like your Nelson to be fruit-forward, this 6.8%-er is a great shout. The mix-up left me with an extra can of it, and I'm not complaining.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwjl_WPTVauuFQlgnEcwahR62E7svWw94zmfsb88iyojtib72LCrPOwuo-u-ZaAFhmth8VZe2_gmygFATe1UGpqP3fQr_KJFP0-ROdUZBY6AmPyIE0EGNtVDswqKPIczjSPXEssZTvH7eyOTO6qk8yt0YKK-8JolyXRi_N1UG31YEBDnhBR13mw/s2955/whiplash_garden_only_shallow_ipa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwjl_WPTVauuFQlgnEcwahR62E7svWw94zmfsb88iyojtib72LCrPOwuo-u-ZaAFhmth8VZe2_gmygFATe1UGpqP3fQr_KJFP0-ROdUZBY6AmPyIE0EGNtVDswqKPIczjSPXEssZTvH7eyOTO6qk8yt0YKK-8JolyXRi_N1UG31YEBDnhBR13mw/w153-h200/whiplash_garden_only_shallow_ipa.jpg" width="153" /></a>At the same strength is properly hazy IPA, <b>Only Shallow</b>. It's a collaboration, with Garden Brewery of Zagreb, though you'd have to wonder what they have to teach the Ballyfermot crew about making this kind of beer. The hops are an all-American blend of Columbus, Centennial, El Dorado and Idaho 7. Plenty of room for juice in that. It's the typical pale and opaque yellow-orange of Whiplash haze, and smells more of pith than juice, fruity but sharply acidic too. The mouthfeel is a little off-putting: thick and cottony, lacking any cleansing fizz and with a substantial alcohol burn. Fresh and juicy it is not. The flavour is all rather serious. It's not bitter, just hot, and with a sort of tangy marmalade sweetness. It feels like there's a central portion of <i>zing</i> which has been excised and discarded. A dose of Nelson Sauvin would have done it no harm at all.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPGMxYtPeDS6Lm6Nd0woZ-a2FfXevwXFHad2SoF5jgQaPblFvkMcGdkFyPDNhdQDRsw15ooqk02T2HcvX3ECB-gyVsERBP-WjM8cwYGmtnDH39wzL7qfMyKFCm_9BNTLScsoo7WxfXsVc4SqeRRQXKJE0xeKmTpqCt-QXxAF36l7nkUC3xScM4w/s2555/whiplash_puhaste_after_dark_imperial_stout.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2555" data-original-width="2260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPGMxYtPeDS6Lm6Nd0woZ-a2FfXevwXFHad2SoF5jgQaPblFvkMcGdkFyPDNhdQDRsw15ooqk02T2HcvX3ECB-gyVsERBP-WjM8cwYGmtnDH39wzL7qfMyKFCm_9BNTLScsoo7WxfXsVc4SqeRRQXKJE0xeKmTpqCt-QXxAF36l7nkUC3xScM4w/w177-h200/whiplash_puhaste_after_dark_imperial_stout.jpg" width="177" /></a>A total change of style for the finisher: <b>After Dark</b>, an imperial stout, this time in collaboration with Pühaste. Careless pouring on my part meant that Emergency Measures were necessary to prevent it from overflowing. It's foamy, the thick chocolate-brown head eventually settling to a paler tan. It's sticky too, feeling all of its 10% ABV and more. The aroma gives little away, but to taste it's all there, all the classic old-school imperial stout flavours of filter coffee, dark chocolate and even a leafy green hop bitterness. That doesn't quite offset the beer's extreme sweetness, and the two sides butt up against each other somewhat, making for a challenging drinking experience. You needn't be in a hurry when you open this one. I did enjoy taking my time over it, however, and found the lack of candystore novelty at least figuratively refreshing, if not at all literally.<br /><br />The middle beer is one of Whiplash's very rare missteps. It's all quality otherwise, and Breathing in Stereo is one of their best ever. More Nelson please.The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501248.post-16689230780343806012024-01-24T08:18:00.009+00:002024-01-24T08:18:00.127+00:00From the grape state of California<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsMKn0inK6NOQ9cJxyrKKdrk0mDUoHXdwa37Ud4-btEclF9PRMolu2U0ORPweZLje0PSyfKFdPT9GEqMWtFPdxMIqukNa6xc9ozLwF_iN7H8CVQ6nUumLHEmj1MGBP8Hevx11haDqL4e22YgGTwv8jdO0ALcrwQ6LZ-xtWXFUiEUqPl7icCj5rw/s2630/the_bruery_spritz_this_barrel_aged_sparkling_ale_with_syrah_grapes.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2630" data-original-width="2255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsMKn0inK6NOQ9cJxyrKKdrk0mDUoHXdwa37Ud4-btEclF9PRMolu2U0ORPweZLje0PSyfKFdPT9GEqMWtFPdxMIqukNa6xc9ozLwF_iN7H8CVQ6nUumLHEmj1MGBP8Hevx11haDqL4e22YgGTwv8jdO0ALcrwQ6LZ-xtWXFUiEUqPl7icCj5rw/s320/the_bruery_spritz_this_barrel_aged_sparkling_ale_with_syrah_grapes.jpg" width="274" /></a>A random pick from the bargain fridge in Stephen Street News today. Well, for a very craft definition of bargain, at €6.99 for a 355ml can. It's from California brewery The Bruery, part of their Terreux barrel-ageing program, and called <b>Spritz This!</b> Essentially it's a grape ale, barrel-aged and with Syrah grapes pressed in. This is the 2021 edition. The ABV is 7.2% and it's a deep and luscious scarlet colour.<br /><br />There's a crackle as the head fades out and an aroma of blackcurrant, reminding me somewhat of the result of a cheap homebrew wine kit I made some years ago. It's very thin, and prickly on the palate, more than what I would call spritz. The acidity (3.4/9.0g/L of lactic, the can tells us helpfully) is a little shocking and difficult at first. I adapted to it quite quickly, I'm happy to say, and after a minute there's a much more subtle mix of blackberry, raspberry and cherry, mixed in with white pepper spicing from the oak and a savoury cola herbal thing.<br /><br />While I liked it, I would have preferred if the bugs-and-barrels features were more prominent. Instead, despite the sourness, it's still a bit syrupy or jammy. I've had plenty better versions of the same thing.<p></p>The Beer Nuthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14105708522526153528noreply@blogger.com4