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Franciscan Well itself had a couple of special edition versions of its core beers, including a Dark Chieftan. I'm no fan of Chieftan IPA in general, but this one, tasted blind in the competition, was rather good. It was amber rather than properly dark, with a fresh citric aroma and a floral taste: starting at Parma Violets before veering close to the front door of Lush. An odd beastie, but quite charming, and it grew on me as I assessed it. I wasn't the only one to succumb as it ended up taking the prize for best strong or dark beer and third prize overall on the day.
There was also a Franciscan Well Raspberry Wheat Beer which was less impressive. "A brave attempt that hasn't worked" said a fellow judge. Why? Well, the raspberry element is rather overdone, coming across more as a concentrated essence rather than real fruit. There's a jarring old-world spice as well: nutmeg or clove, lending it a mulled cider quality that's not unpleasant but not right either. It fitted the festival's theme by being both wintery and strange. Too strange to be enjoyable as a wheat beer, though.
The other new special was called, for some reason, Immoral: a 4% ABV dark lager. A relation of Archway, perhaps? It's quite plain anyway, with an aroma of toffee and a touch of coffee in the flavour. It could easily pass as a middle-of-the-road Irish red, certainly more easily than as a continental dark lager of any sort.
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The presence of Dick Mack's beers is one of the things that keeps me coming back to the Cork festivals. This year the Dingle brewpub had a Honey & Hemp Ale on offer. It was pale yellow and hazy, with a grassy lager aroma. And indeed Czech pilsner is the thing it tastes like most, with the same soft mineral quality. There's a very slight honey-syrup texture but that's as close to novelty as it gets. Everything otherwise is well integrated and easy-drinking. I was surprised to find it packs a punch at 6.5% ABV: that's kept hidden. Some peppery hemp character would have been nice but I can't complain.
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My own mission at the festival was thus accomplished and I stopped off briefly at The Bierhaus on my way to the train. They were pouring Dearg, a blood orange IPA from Black's of Kinsale. This 5.2%-er is a little thin, and the oily orange side does clash somewhat with the IPA aspect. It's saved, however, by the hops: a lovely big jolt of classic American spritzy bitterness. I didn't have long to ponder it, and it works well on a gulp-and-go basis. I gulped, I went.
Always a pleasure, Cork. Until Easter then.
Dearg, a blood orange IPA
ReplyDeleteOur chemistry teacher had red hair and the first name Derek. My friend called him "Derek Doom", after the Horslips song.
That put him under pressure.
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