What's the matter lagerboy?

Today I'm taking the pulse of Irish lager brewing. Or at least, I'm drinking a random selection of Irish lagers to find out what's what.

We'll start at St James's Gate, home to the only people who thought Rockshore needed a brand extension. So here's Rockshore Light, its ABV reduced from the dizzying 4% of full-fat Rockshore to a mere 3.5%. It's been getting some heavy promotion this last while, so I guess they're pitching it for the outdoor summer everyone is apparently having. In the glass it's a very pale white gold colour, crystal clear, with a frothy topping of fine white foam. There's quite a wholesome biscuit aroma, suggesting melanoidins and bigger sugars than you might expect for a 73-calorie slimmers' beer. There's a touch of that in the flavour too: spongecake and oat cookies. Said flavour doesn't last long, however, leaving behind nothing but a scorch from the overactive carbonation after a few seconds, presaging the inevitable heartburn. I looked hard for any hop character at all but couldn't find any trace. Overall this is better than I thought it would be. The tinny tang which I regard as light lager's biggest failing is absent, and likewise the fruity flaws of Rockshore Senior. The fizz is about the worst thing I can ding it for, though its lack of any other character doesn't exactly endear it to me. The others should give me a bit more to discuss.

To follow, The Pilgrimage, one of the beers in the Odyessy Series from the soon-to-be-rebranded White Gypsy brewery. It's actually a rebrew of Messrs Maguire Bock which I reviewed back in 2007 and which hasn't been seen since Cuilán handed over the reins of MM shortly afterwards. I wasn't a fan then but I think my tastes have broadened since. It's still a very bocky bock: a slightly murky amber and densely textured, even allowing for that full 5.8% ABV. The malt flavour is huge and intense, all rye bread, golden syrup and gooey onion relish. The noble hopping gives it a balancing black-pepper piquancy, particularly in the aroma, and some greener cabbage-leaf bitterness. Younger me found it an overwhelming mess of flavours; now I can pick out the different elements and that allows me to appreciate it more. If lager is a summer drink, this weighty warmer is perfect for the rainy days.

I expected a big contrast for the next one. Rice Rice Baby, oddly, is not a collaboration but brewed by Rascals alone. It's a return to goldenness and clarity, though it's not quite as pale as the Rockshore. In addition to rice, the ingredients include lemon and lime zest, and that's very obvious from the smell: a sort of syrupy, cordial effect dominating any lager subtleties. Crisp is the watchword on the can and crisp it is indeed. There's a lovely snap to the foretaste: melba toast and, oh, rice crackers. I see what they're doing. The citrus zest isn't long to follow, bringing that 7-Up sweetness which adds character but detracts from the cleanness. I guess it would have been a bit bland without some sort of craft gussying-up, and the zest is an OK option if you're not planning to load it up with lots of expensive Nelson Sauvin. Overall, it gets a thumbs up from me. I'd love to try the base lager, and its quality still shines through despite the "enhancements". The crispness and the perfect clean finish are all still here, even if the fruit addition is less than subtle. 4.9% ABV is maybe a little strong for a summery quaffer, but I guess we'll see about that: after I bought one to review, Rascals kindly shipped me a bunch of them for free and I'll be putting them to the test some sunny day.

Finally a beer I have been looking forward to for some time. Galway Bay's Schlenkerla Märzen clone, Märzen to the Fire, has been rocking my world consistently since it arrived last year. Now they've taken the next step in the copycat act and brewed a straight Helles but using trub from the smoky Märzen to give it a little of that character. My Bamberg Hell is the result. This one is a deep golden colour but still perfectly transparent. The carbonation is low and the aroma is mild but there's distant bacon in there. That gets more pronounced on tasting: a fairly involved phenolic edge offering dry beech smoke, shading to peat. The base lager isn't doing much of the lifting. There's a soft Helles texture but very little flavour contribution from the underlying beer. It ends up being smoke for the sake of smoke, not overpowering but not really complementary either. The dark richness of the Märzen is what makes that one work; this, while very well made, misses the mark for me. I liked it, but couldn't help thinking that either a clean Helles or a big dirty smokebomb would have been preferable.

In conclusion, lager is a land of contrasts.