
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.


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.

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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