25 March 2010

Of hops and smoke

As I mentioned last Wednesday, Ireland's breweries have been in overdrive recently, resulting in lots of new beers coming on the market now. Pale ales seem to be particularly popular among the brewers and at the weekend I sampled the second one out of Carlow: O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale. It's a bit of a heavyweight, this. 5.2% ABV with a massively full body that demands your full attention while you get stuck into it. Not that it's a malt bomb or anything: it has been hopped extensively with more of the no-nonsense varieties found in Buckley's. There's a waxy bitterness at the base of the flavour while the high notes are herbal and grassy. Fruit, citrus or otherwise, does not enter the equation. I'm not sure that it's really to my taste, but I'd certainly be willing to give it another go.

It was, of course, at the Bull & Castle that I tried it. They've also taken a big forward step in their promotion of Irish beers on cask with the introduction of polypins from the Hilden brewery now and again. Among the first to be tapped was Gael Rua, a new red ale. It roughly follows the biscuity caramel lines of Irish red with one major diversion: the inclusion of lots of peat-smoked malt. The result isn't going to be to everyone's taste but it hit the spot perfectly for me. The sweet smokiness gives it an aroma akin to incense, and the flavour is all bacon and toffee. If there was a Schlenkerla pale ale, I'd imagine it would be something like this.

Lots more new Irish beer to come. I'm in Galway next week for the Irish Blog Awards and hope to squeeze a return visit to The Salt House in there. The following weekend it's off to Cork for The Franciscan Well's Easter Beer Festival incorporating the Irish Craft Brewer Beer of the Year Awards. With the diversity currently in evidence in Irish beer it's going to be a particularly interesting gig, I reckon. And don't forget The Porterhouse's annual Independent Irish Beer & Whiskey Festival starts today across their estate in Dublin, Bray and London. Once again they're running a competition among the beers on offer -- beers from themselves, White Gypsy, Hilden, Whitewater, Galway Hooker, Carlow and Franciscan Well. As with last year, when Cuilan's MM Bock took the grand prize, Laura and Séan are on the judging panel. Stay tuned for more from this event too. Interesting times all over...

10 comments:

  1. Have to say I did enjoy the Gael Rua ,would be great with a burger or ribs!

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  2. Sounds great. Peat-smoked malt seems to be getting popular as a beer ingredient recently.

    Interesting times alright.

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  3. Gael Rua sounds fabulous! I might have to try brewing my own peat smoked red ale.

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  4. I have to admit chuckling when reading 'heavyweight' and '5.2%' in the same sentence.

    But what I really wanted to say... It's been a year since our last visit to Ireland. I am amazed how the Irish craft beer scene has grown in that short time. So many beers to try on our next visit.

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  5. Tell me about it! I haven't been back in Ireland since... ehh... May last year! I'm a bad son. And I'll be a worse one when it's the beer that draws me back rather than my dear mother :D

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  6. Well, I've tasted far stronger beers with a lighter body than O'Hara's IPA. Spoke to Liam this evening and he said it's all Cascade, Amarillo and Chinook which surprises me no end, especially since it's dry hopped. Where's the grapefruit?

    Barry, I predict this golden age of Irish beer will last about six to eight weeks so I'd advise coming over soonish if you want any of the action.

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  7. Sounds nice - and an interesting glass, too. Never seen one like it...

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  8. It's a German halbe, used for most of the beers in the Bull & Castle. I don't think they're great for aroma.

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  9. given its shape, I can understand that.

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  10. It might also explain my tasting notes, as it's the type of glass I normally drink from (thanks to the B&C of course!) :D

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