NI's Best Beers of 2014 (In My Humble Opinion)

Northern Ireland's craft beer scene is expanding to mouth watering levels.  There are now fifteen companies producing more varieties than ever before in our wee country.  So with this in hand, accompanied by the fact that awards ceremonies are happening left, right and centre at this time of year, why not have a little bit of fun and select Northern Ireland's best beers of 2014? 

Here we have the inaugural 'Quare Swally Northern Ireland Beer Awards for 2014'.
(in my humble opinion).  A bit of hush at the back please...

Best New Beer
1st - FARMAGEDDON Mosaic SMASH
2nd - POKERTREE Dark Nirvana
3rd - FARMAGEDDON India Pale Ale

Best Porter/Stout
1st - POKERTREE Dark Nirvana
2nd - POKERTREE Seven Sisters Treacle Oat Stout
3rd - WHITEWATER Clotworthy Dobbin

Best Golden Ale
1st - FARMAGEDDON Mosaic SMASH
2nd - HILDEN Twisted Hop
3rd - ARDS Citra

Best Red Ale
1st - WHITEWATER Hopplehammer
2nd - HILDEN Halt 
3rd - POKERTREE Red Earl Ruby Ale

Best Irish But Not Northern Irish
1st - WHITE HAG Black Boar Imperial Oatmeal Stout
2nd - 8 DEGREES Amber Ella
3rd - GALWAY BAY Of Foam and Fury

Best Northern Irish Beer of 2014
1st - FARMAGEDDON Mosaic SMASH
2nd - POKERTREE Dark Nirvana
3rd - WHITEWATER Hoppelhammer

Many congratulations to all breweries mentioned here especially Farmageddon and Pokertree for not only being two of the best newcomers to the local scene but also producing two of the finest beers (in my humble opinion) of 2014.

And with up to another seven new local breweries in the pipeline for 2015, there's going to be even more competition this time next year.  Bring it on.

Cheers.

Pumpkin Beer

The Hallowe'en party time has come and gone and kids everywhere have thrown their manky old and wilted pumpkins in the bin.  But what else is a pumpkin good for apart from displaying on October 31st?  
Soup, stew, even ravioli.  What about ... beer? Now bear with me on this, don't screw your nose up like that.

One of my favourite Ulster beers is from Rathmullan in Co. Donegal, Kinnegar Brewing's Long Tongue - a pumpkin beer with added ginger. This review doesn't include that one as it's not yet on the shelves, will be soon though.

Over Hallowe'en I did manage to track down 5 pumpkin beers and here's what I thought of them.  (The quick review is Beavertown's Stingy Jack is the best by a county mile - the longer review is below)

 

TROUBLE BREWING'S PUMPKIN BREW (County Kildare)
4.5% abv
Red ale with strange spice mix.  Could have had more pumpkin flavour and also a bit too sweet for me.

BROOKLYN BREWERY'S POST ROAD (New York)
5% abv
More carbonated than Trouble Brewing and with slight nutmeg spice.  Very fresh and easily downed.

BEAVERTOWN BREWERY'S STINGY JACK (London)
7.2% abv
The Beavertown website website modestly states this as "The best damn spiced pumpkin ale you will ever sup on. Fact."  And batta bing, they're bang on the money.  This phenomenal beer is brewed with maple syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove and cinnamon!  Hunt it down, buy a few and repeatedly enjoy.  Oh yes.

 

FLYING DOG BREWERY'S THE FEAR (Maryland, USA)
9.0% abv
The strongest of the lot here, this rich imperial porter does pack an alcohol punch.  In my opinion, the alcohol greatly overpowered the taste of any actual pumpkin.  Bit of a shame.  It was still a decent slightly spicy beer but fell short of tasting how a pumpkin beer should - that is - of pumpkins.

RED HAND BREWERY'S PUMPKIN ALE 
(Co. Tyrone)
4.5% abv
I first tried this just after Hallowe'en and I have to admit I wasn't impressed. Very sharp and bitter (Mrs W even made a comparison with TCP).  I tried another a few days later in case I had a bad bottle.  It was the same - so bad I had to throw it down the sink.  And I hate doing that.  
(Edit. Simon from Red Hand saw this review after publication and very kindly contacted me to apologise for the beer being off. It had obviously become infected and should not be been sold he said. Thank you for your honesty and kind apology.)

Anyway, I hope you had a good Hallowe'en and here's to enjoying the Kinnegar offering when it appears.

Cheers
Roy

www.twitter.com/roywillighan

Northern Ireland Breweries as of 2014 and beyond...

As you may have figured out already by reading my previous blog posts, I'm passionate about good beer.  I'm even more passionate about good local beer.  Good beer that's produced in our wee country and sold in increasing numbers to a more discerning and knowledgeable public.  It's one thing to be passionate about local beer, but what exactly is out there?  In this ever changing and expanding beer scene, it's sometimes hard to keep up to speed with what's being produced and available.  So here goes with a (hopefully informative) round up of what local breweries we actually have in Northern Ireland and what they are brewing.

As of late-October 2014 I'm aware of FIFTEEN businesses currently producing beer for the bars and/or off-licences with another SEVEN on the horizon. The big boys like Hilden, Whitewater and Clanconnel need little introduction but we'll then move on to the smaller and newer established breweries.  

HILDEN brew an extensive range of beers from the very sessionable pale ales Twisted Hop, Belfast Blonde, Scullions and 'Belfast Bap' wheat beer Barney's Brew on through to the amber ale Headless Dog, red ale Halt and Irish Stout. They also brew Cathedral Quarter and Titanic Quarter pale ales.

Hilden also contract-brew the tangy wheat beer Fulcrum by CLEARSKY.

Based in the heart of the Mourne mountains WHITEWATER also have a wide range, from the light Belfast Lager, Bees Endeavour or Copperhead to Belfast Ale, Belfast Black, dark and fruity porter Clotworthy Dobbin and - my favourite of theirs - the outstanding Hopplehammer.

CLANCONNEL produce 6 beers in the McGrath's range, handily numbered 1-6. They include a red ale 1, pale 2, white 3, black 4, blonde 5 and amber 6.  

INISHMACSAINT from Derrygonnelly in Co Fermanagh have two beers available, the signature Fermanagh Beer and Lough Erne porter.  Gordy from Inishmacsaint recently co-brewed a beer with Donegal Brewing called North and South of the River.  At the moment, the beer can only be bought in Co Donegal.  He's also working with Darren from Pokertree to produce a Christmas beer so keep your eyes peeled for that.

POKERTREE from Carrickmore in Tyrone have had their Ghrian Golden Ale, Red Earl Ruby and Seven Sisters Treacle Oat Stout on the market for 6-12 months and recently produced a fantastic espresso stout - Dark Nirvana. Smooth yet punching a coffee hit, get it while you still can

Back to Fermanagh and if you look hard enough you'll find a Blonde Ale by SHEELIN. Stock is low at the moment but I'm told more should be available in the next while.  A stout and IPA were also brewed not too long ago and maybe we might see them again in 2015?

The boys at FARMAGEDDON Brewing Co-op near Ballygowan have been hard at work recently.  The core range of Golden Pale Ale, India Pale Ale and India Export Porter have been on sale since Feb 2014 but recently they've been concocting one-off brews.  On the shelves at the moment is their cracking fruity Mosaic SMASH.

ARDS Brewing from Greyabbey continue to hover under many people's radar but with head brewer Charles building a bigger brewhouse, production of his fine ale will increase in 2015. If you look hard in the immediate vicinity you can find Ballyblack Stout or Rockin' Goose mild as well as an occasional one-off single hop beer. 

Also only found in their locality is RED HAND pale ale.  Primarily sold in Donaghmore, Co Tyrone, they're only a few days away from releasing a new pumpkin ale.  They hope to increase distribution by the end of the year.

Moving on to the very new breweries, GLENS OF ANTRIM ALE, based just outside Ballycastle provide the local area with a Rathlin Red ale and Fairhead Gold lager. 

HERCULES is the first Belfast-based brewery to open for almost 160 years.  At present they have Yardsman lager on keg and Belfast Pale Ale on cask.  

CLOUGHMORE (owned by Noreast beers) are contract-brewed by Whitewater.  They have a three-bottle range available: Heather IPA, Granite Lager and Dark Water Stout.

CUMBERLAND from Cumbria have a Newry depot from where their Finn McCool lager is brewed.  

HILLSTOWN, from Ahoghill direction, launched their Wayne's Wheat beer at Broughshane's inaugural Raceview Festival in August.  They also hope to be selling a Massey Red Ale and 12%(!) Horny Bull stout in the very near future.

The following are Northern Ireland breweries that are currently starting up and hope to have their beers on sale in 2015.

BELFAST BREWING hope to be selling by the early part of the year.  An ambitious and intriguing line up of IPA, Smoked Porter and Witbier are on the agenda, along with others! Wow, watch this space with great interest. 

WALLED CITY Brewery is based in Londonderry and their beer will most likely be ready by early spring.

NORTHBOUND - another Derry offering - hope to have their '26' Pale Ale available in the shops by January.

LACADA, a co-op from the Portrush area, hope to have an IPA and porter available to the public in the late spring.

MOURNE MOUNTAINS BREW from Warrenpoint hope to be selling a couple of styles of beer by next spring.

BOUNDARY Brewing Co-op from Belfast also hope to have new brews on sale next year.

Finally KNOCKOUT Brewing, also from Belfast, could be on the scene as early as January with a red ale and IPA.

Of course there are beers available in Northern Ireland that come from the border counties - Kinnegar from Rathmullan in Donegal is a prime example - but if we start focusing outside of NI, I could be here all day.  So I'm drawing a line at the border (no pun intended). 

So there you have it, you now know what I know.  I've tried to be as comprehensive and informative as possible and if I've missed anything out let me know on twitter @roywillighan or comment below here. 

The future looks bright for the brewing scene and remember if you're out for a beer, support local #nibeer

Cheers
Roy

Irish Craft Beer Festival 2014

I've just returned from the Irish Craft Beer and Cider Festival in Dublin and what a great festival it is. Organised by Beoir who champion craft beer throughout the land the festival is held in the RDS every November.  Unlike the Belfast festival, which is organised and run by CAMRA NI with the bar in the middle of the Ulster Hall, the Dublin festival has brewers themselves pouring the pints around the hall's perimeter. Forty-eight breweries, cider makers and whiskey distillers were present in Dublin, all ready to pour and wax lyrical about their creations.

One obvious change to the festival this year was the introduction of half pint glasses.  All entrants were presented with a mini glass upon entry and I have to confess, it was a great idea. Beoir's chairman Reuben Gray told me it was to encourage customers to try more beer while also promoting sensible drinking. I'm sure it was more cost effective too - maybe something for the CAMRA NI guys to ponder for future Belfast Beer festivals?

With more than 150 beers available to try over the three day festival there was only going to be a small number than I could sample during my 5 hour stay on the Saturday.  Every taste was catered for in the hall, from O'Hara's Blackberry Lager to White Hag's Black Boar 10% Imperial Oatmeal Stout. Oh yes, let's talk about that stout.  It was highly recommended to me on Twitter on the Friday night and I was hoping and praying that it wouldn't be sold out by Saturday afternoon.  So as soon as Mrs W and I arrived, we made a beeline for the White Hag stall.  And goodness me the oatmeal stout was sublime. Smooth and slightly chocolately but without that initial alcohol kick.  I say 'initial' as it started to kick towards the end of the half pint.  This is most definitely an occasional beer - for obvious reasons!

Another quality brew of note was Rascal Brewing's Ginger Porter.  At 4.8% abv it was smooth on the tongue but when it hit the back of the throat the ginger came into force.  Now I love ginger - and lots of it - so I was not disappointed when this lived up my expectations.  A blend of smooth porter with spicy ginger taking hold a second later.  Fantastic.

One massive benefit of having the brewers pour their own beer is being able to chat with them about the brews and their business in general (I'm a nosey sort, see).  So thanks to the brewers and brewsters I bored talked to, especially the guys at Mountain Man, Metalman and Kinnegar.

Next year we're staying the night in Dublin so I'm not held ransom to Translink's last train home (8.50pm!) - that'll allow us more time to try a greater selection of the fantastic beer on offer from all four provinces of Ireland.

Sláinte.

@roywillighan

The Raceview Festival in Broughshane

The first 'Fest at Raceview Mill' in Broughshane brought together local food and drink producers as well as hosting many different arts and crafts stalls.

A great selection of beer was on offer from Counties Down (Farmageddon), Tyrone (Pokertree), Meath (Bru) and Manchester (Marble Brewing's Lagonda IPA is fantastic), as well as local cider and moonshine(!) - I'll fill you in later.

However I have to confess the main reason I attended the festival was to sample the wares of Northern Ireland's newest brewery, Hillstown (@hillstownbeer) near Ahoghill.  They have a farmshop and have recently been feeding their cattle a homebrewed 12% stout!  And whaddaya know, they were giving out free tasters to the public. What a sublime stout it was too - tasty, rich and full bodied but without having an initial strong alcoholic punch to it.  I stress 'initial' - as I wouldn't advise consuming too much just in case you forget your name.

Though the stout isn't on general sale yet, they were selling their new Wayne's Wheat, a 5.3%abv wheat beer. Brewed in collaboration with the homebrew company Get 'er Brewed and named after John Wayne who apparently came from the area (who knew?) it's a sessionable beer with slight tones of spice and banana. When I saw that description on the bottle I immediately thought of Franciscan Well's Friar Weiss - which tastes much better from cask than bottle by the way.  Although I would have preferred more of a spice punch to Wayne's Wheat, it's definitely a beer that can put Hillstown on the local brewing map.  Fair play guys, though I prefer pint bottles.

Talking about receptacles let's move on to that moonshine - New Harvest Distillery (@NewHarvestDisti) producing moonshine in a jam jar for a fusion of Oregon USA meets Ballymena.  Yeah, I'll just let you think about that one for a moment.  A 20% liquid apple pie with spices that makes you want more ... as well as a side of custard. 

Away from the alcohol, Hillstown were also selling their uncooked meats as well as serving up tasty beef brisket, pulled pork and burgers.  The kids were kept entertained with inflatable slides, facepainting and games while music was plentiful and entertaining throughout the Saturday.

A great afternoon's craic though if the organisers could kindly arrange more favourable weather next year, that'd be great.  Organising a festival in summer time, are ye mad?

Your First Tasty Beer Moment?

The journey to discovering craft beer and real ale (let's band them together and use the term 'tasty beer') is long and winding for some.  Less so others.  I'm in the 'some' category.

My earliest memories of beer in the early 1980s are of an uncle drinking cans of Carlsberg Special Brew and my Dad having the occasional Satzenbrau in the rugby club.  Fast forward ten years to the early 90s and I discover the world of 0.5% Shandy Bass - please don't laugh - followed by pints of snakebite or purple nasties on a Saturday night while grooving in a club to the likes of The Shamen and Utah Saints.  Remember them? 

The lager-with-flavouring phase naturally led onto the lager-with-no-flavouring phase.  Literally.  No flavour.  Yellow bland fizzy beer-water that's guzzled by the million (or so) pint load every weekend across Northern Ireland.  With this country being a real ale desert, especially in the 90s, there was little or no choice for young folk to develop a taste for something different from the usual Harp-Tennents-Bud etc.  Belfast may have had one or two choices but in every town, choice was zero.  I studied in Scotland but even in the town where I lived there was little choice.  I recall feeling like death after a night of drinking Bass and said I'd never touch the stuff again - although maybe the bottle of Blue Curacao I also had that night was to blame?  Perhaps.

It was the desire for choice, as well as a developing palate and badgering by my brother, that eventually led me to drinking Guinness.   It wasn't yellow or fizzy.  The black stuff just about sufficed for a few years but I wanted more.  I wanted ... different.  Then it happened.  

The May Day weekend of 2009.

That's when I took part in a charity motorcycle ride from Northern Ireland to the Isle of Skye.  The first night we stopped into the enchanting Drover's Inn near Loch Lomond where I discovered Deuchars IPA and the legendary Monster Burger.  The burger comes with its own defibrilator. 

That was followed the next night on Skye, by the Isle of Skye Brewing's Hebridean Gold (now called Skye Gold) and Williams' Fraoch Heather Ale.  Manna from heaven!  Another bike tour of Devon and Cornwall happened later that summer and the rest, as they say, is history.  

So when you're buying your next bottle or pint of 'tasty beer' be thankful for the choice and that it's not 1992.  I don't think I could re-live Billy Ray Cyrus' Achy Breaky Heart.

Dublin Craft Beer Pubs - An Outsider's View

(Published May 2014)

I'd not been out pubbing in Dublin for a quite a while.  So for my birthday Mrs W and I decided (well, I decided, really) to spend a couple of days down south seeing what it has to offer in terms of quality establishments that serve more than just Guinness and Carlsberg.  This is by no means an exhaustive compilation of good craft bars, it's a solely a list of where we went - many thanks to Wayne (IrishBeerSnob.com) for the assistance.   If you do happen to be looking for good pubs in the city, you should download the Beoir Pubfinder mobile app.

Arriving into Connolly Station after being on a train for two hours more than prepares you for pub lunch and first stop was The Brewdock, right across the road from the station. 
1 Amiens Street, Dublin 1
www.galwaybaybrewery.com/brewdock

There's an air of excited anticipation when you enter a bar like this, with its many pumps (2 cask) and array of Galway Bay brews.  I'd heard nothing but good things about the 2014 Beoir winner Of Foam and Fury so dived head first into that along with a hearty bowl of coddle. A couple of other Galway brews followed including the simply awesome chocolate stout Buried at Sea but this is a pub review not a beer review, so I'll have to move on.  Lovely little pub, great beer selection and friendly staff.

Galway Bay pumps at The Brewdock

Ten minutes walk to the bottom of O'Connell St and across the River Liffey stands JW Sweetman.
1-2 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2
www.jwsweetman.ie
The only pub in Dublin with its own onsite microbrewery, at least 5 beers are produced here. Also known for beer cocktails and good hearty carvery lunches.  The staff are very chatty, knowledgeable and personable.  While here I tried the JW Sorachi Zuki, a dark brown ale that was surprisingly sharp and bitter.

Next up was Farrington's (now re-named the Norseman) pub set in the heart of the city's famous and sometimes rather expensive Temple Bar district.
28 Eustace Street, Dublin 2
www.thesmithgroup.ie/farringtons
Many, many competitively priced beers available here from all over Ireland, including Kinsale's 9% Double IPA - Beoir #1.  A bit like Of Foam and Fury, very tasty but don't have too many or you may forget your name.  This pub has an excellent beer range with very friendly and informative staff.

Farrington's, Temple Bar

A two minute walk down the cobbled Essex Street and you arrive at the oldest craft beer bar in the city, the well known Porterhouse.  
16-18 Parliament Street, Dublin 2
www.porterhousebrewco.com/bars-dublin-temple.php
A good selection of their own brews - they no longer brew on site due to demand - as well as many local and world bottled ales are on offer.  Take a look at their beer menu, it's ... comprehensive.  

From there head across the River Liffey and up Capel Street to another Galway Bay owned establishment, The Black Sheep.
61 Capel St, Dublin 1
www.galwaybaybrewery.com/blacksheep
Airy and spacious with sunlight streaming in during the afternoon (if you're lucky), this is where I first tried Trouble Brewing's Graffiti (Co. Kildare) as well as a bottle of Kinnegar's Long Tongue (Co. Donegal).  I have to admit the Long Tongue was one of my favourites of the Dublin stay, a well rounded rye ale with a very, very tasty addition of pumpkin and ginger.

Two minutes walk up the vibrant Capel Street is The Beerhouse.
84 Capel Street, Dublin 1
www.beerhousedublin.com
A cosy little pub with a small bar in the corner near the door.  The quirky chairs and lights resemble items that used to be in my granny's front room and the old board games are to be welcomed.  Quite a few pumps despite the bar size.  I opted for another newbie to me, White Gypsy's Blond Weiss beer (Co. Tipperary).  This was another favourite of the day - vibrant, zingy and refreshing. Very sessionable on a warm sunny day.

While you're in that area of Dublin, take a trip to the renowned L Mulligan Grocer.
18 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
www.lmulligangrocer.com
On a recommendation, Mrs W and I took a taxi there for lunch on the Thursday but were surprised to find the place closed and not open Mon-Thu until 4pm. Fri-Sun open 12.30pm - just so you know!
After our frustration had subsided and we'd had a few drinks in the aforementioned Porterhouse, Black Sheep and Beerhouse, we returned to happily find it open for tea.  A vast selection of bottled and draught international and local craft beers are available - I opted for Dogfish's My Antonia (Delaware, USA) and Camden Town's Gentleman's Wit (London).  However what really stands out here is the food.  It's delicious and well worth making the trip out to the Stoneybatter area. You could do a lot worse in the city.

The Bull and Castle is situated on the corner of the road opposite Christchurch Cathedral.
5-7 Lord Edward Street, Dublin 7
bull-and-castle.fxbuckley.ie
I have to be honest here and confess both Mrs W and I were not enamoured with this place but I feel the need to add criticisms as well as praise in this blog review.  From the moment we walked in we were greeted by a manager/head waiter who looked as if he wanted to rip our heads off.  He then showed us to a table near the door and when I asked if we could sit further up closer to the bar (as there were lots of empty tables) we were flatly refused as apparenly they are for food diners only.  Again in a tone that suggested the only eating done would be him ... eating us alive.  I had a half pint and left.

The final bar of our stay was 57 The Headline.  It was recommended to us by Shane, a friendly barman at The Norseman.
118 South Circular Road, Crumlin, Dublin
www.facebook.com/57theheadline
Although The Headline Bar is this list's furthest out of town pub (5 min taxi), it was a welcoming place with great pies and a good selection of Irish beer.  It opens from 3pm and has a few trial beer specials.  One of these was one of my favourites, Franciscan Well's fruity and spicy Saison Spring Ale. That, combined with chicken pie and pickled gherkins, made for a very palatable late lunch.

The Headline Bar

So there you have it, a list of all the pubs we visited on our stay in Dublin.  Plenty more bars are available of course but that's a snapshot.  Hopefully it'll not be long until I'm back savouring the city's delights.  Sláinte!

@roywillighan

Beer Place Names Part 5

First of all, I just wanna point out the change of name to this blog.  Quare Swally seemed like a more appropriate title for a beer blog from Northern Ireland plus it's a wee play on the well known book title Where's Wally?  So Quare Swally it is then.
-----
Just like the Rocky or Die Hard series, you can't keep a good thing down.  

Although - granted - they were both ever so slightly more entertaining than these beer place name blog shenanigans.   I'd mentioned in part 4 it was becoming more difficult to do these as Northern Ireland isn't the biggest of places, which is why part 5 begins in County Donegal.  So let's cross the border, live a little, be risqué and all that crap.

Mrs W and I had a wee hotel break planned in North Donegal at the start of March, so it would be foolish of this blogger not to take advantage of some of the great beers that Donegal has to offer.  As well as taking a few photos in front of the relevant signs of course.

First up was easy enough, the tasty Donegal Blonde with, naturally, a blonde.  Well why not? Nuff said.

Next was the turn of Kinnegar Brewery - their range is named after small places near the brewery like a sea rock (Limeburner), field (Yannaroddy) or bay (Scraggy Bay).  It was always difficult to do these beers but I did manage to find the mountain near Rathmullan which gives its name to their Devil's Backbone!  We also drove up north of Downings to try and find the Limeburner but to no avail.  That adventure included multiple u-turns, ending up in caravan parks and climbing hills and rocks.  T'was a long afternoon, especially with a 2 year old in tow!

In April I was in Fermanagh meeting up with Gordy Fallis from Inishmacsaint brewery.  We had a good afternoon chatting over a couple of pints of a fantastic new bog myrtle beer he'd just brewed.  Man it was tasty!  Here's hoping he can develop it further - depending on factors such as getting the time and manpower to pick bog myrtle!  Does anyone wanna pick Fermanagh bog myrtle for a few hours? 

While I was there I reacquainted myself with his Lough Erne brown porter which I'd first tried at the Belfast Beer and Cider Festival last November. Handy for a photo, as I was staying at...?

So place names part 6 beckons?  I've no idea what that holds!

The previous beer place name blogs can be viewed here

Part 4, Part 3, Part 2, Part 1

An Independent Scottish Hike?

I love Scotland.  I studied in Fife in the mid 1990s.  I have Scottish friends.   I've made numerous motorbike trips to the outer (and inner) wilds of Scotland to experience its cracking roads, stunningly beautiful countryside and enjoy a bit of craic with friendly natives from the Cairngorms, Argyll, Hebrides, Inverness and everywhere in between.  And what's the best plan after riding a couple of hundred miles through the stunning Highlands to your accommodation?  Why, let me think... is the answer... heading to the local pub for a well deserved couple of jars of local beer?  Damn right it is, give that man a gold star!  Whether it's small breweries like Moulin (Pitlochrie) or Colonsay (Isle of Colonsay) or a more familiar name such as Williams Brothers (Alloa) or Fyne Ales (Argyll), I'd rather have a Scottish beer while in Scotland.  Makes sense.  

Eilean Donan Castle (used for Highlander film)

I also enjoy many Scottish brews at home and in selected pubs in the greater Belfast area.  But with the Scottish Independence vote looming, what would happen if there's a breakup of the union?  As Scotland would no longer be part of the EU, what would this mean for pricing of Scottish beers?  I recently read a motorbike magazine article asking valid questions about border control, insurance premiums etc so what would happen to the beer world?   And lets get this correct from the outset - this is a non-political question not about the whys and wherefores of the UK.  It's a straight up, genuine concern that if Scotland was to break from the UK, would that make life worse for us as UK drinkers?

Speaking to brewer Angus MacRuary of Isle of Skye Brewing Company (creators of the very tasty Skye Gold - made with porridge oats), he's hopeful that if it did happen, little would change regards exporting of Scottish beers to the UK.

"Importing beer from Scotland would be the same as importing from any other country, the only difference being the paperwork required between the EU and the rest of the world.  It may be that the admin cost of this will add slightly to the price but the paperwork is not arduous so I wouldn't anticipate that."  Angus added the 'Yes Scotland' campaign said they would look into the issue but have yet to get back to him.  

I also contacted 'Yes Scotland' and 'Better Together' but haven't had any reply. Political types, huh?  

Williams Brothers Brewing, makers of big sellers in NI such as Fraoch Heather Ale, Joker IPA and Grozet, say it's hard to predict what will happen to prices. "Economic factors would suggest prices would stay comparable with UK. An independent Scotland would want to keep as much trade and sales links in the UK as possible."

So maybe there's not that much to be worried about?  Perhaps my fear should be turned towards having to deal with potential fare hikes when my bike and I board the ferry in anticipation of another rip-roaring blast along the A82 through Glencoe?

Down on the Farm...

The past twelve to eighteen months have been fantastic for the Ulster beer scene. 

Alongside the established and newer breweries, since late 2012 this small part of the world has seen the introduction of Sheelin, Pokertree, Red Hand, ClearSky, Kinnegar, Muckish Mountain and Donegal Brewing (I referred to Ulster instead of Northern Ireland as I wanted to include the last three there from County Donegal). 

Add to that list the newest baby to the fold, Farmageddon Brewing Co-op.  Based just outside Ballygowan in County Down, they have just last week released three new brews to the eternally grateful Norn Iron following.  So how do they fare?  Let's start with the Gold Pale Ale.

This 4.2% ABV gold pale ale is well carbonated and light and floral on the nose.  The floral theme continues into the taste combining with elements of sharp grapefruit citrus.  The citrus continued to develop with each mouthful and although I enjoyed the Gold, I don't think it's a beer I could enjoy over and over again in one go.  If you're a fan of light ales that pack a punch of grapefruit flavour, then this is for you.

I was much more satisfied, however, with the deeper and darker India Pale Ale.  It has a higher alcohol content at 5.5% although it really isn't noticeable.  
What is noticeable though is the mellow sweetness of the India compared to the Gold.  Where the Gold has a citrus bang, the India is much more rounded and smoother.  Caramel tones exude from this beer and it's an ale that I could enjoy frequently in one session.

Finally the 5.2% India Export Porter.  I'm a fan of porters and I was looking forward to this one most. Excellent carbonation, a great dark brown colour with a not-overpowering aroma of coffee.  On tasting, dark chocolate and bitter espresso came to mind.  This was polished off in no time at all, another quality brew.

By their own admission, Farmageddon have big plans for the year ahead. They're planning specials such as a Cascadian Dark ale, Single.Malt.And.Single.Hop aka S.M.A.S.H (various different hop types) as well as a Rye pale ale, a dubbell, double IPA and Imperial stout. 

They've also planted 360 heritage cider apple trees and hope to reap the rewards of that in the next year or so!

I always thought 'armageddon' meant 'end of the world' but after tasting their three new brews I really hope that rather being the end, this is the start of a great new chapter for the Ballygowan business. Maybe they should be renamed ... Genesis?

Money Talks - A Rant

For this post I’m in danger of biting the hand that feeds me.  I’ve been concerned about a particular subject for a while now and, speaking to some other beer fans, I know I’m not alone when I say I feel aggrieved by the rising price of craft beer in off-licences.  

Naturally many will say “Ah well you get what you pay for” and generally I agree.  Of course I’d rather pay a couple of quid for a bottle of decent, tasty beer than 70p for a can of overfizzed bland yellow water. However I’m not talking about the broad scope of craft beers or real ales that are becoming more common on the off-licence shelves but those beers that are new or (and I hate to use this word) exclusive to some retailers.  You know the ones, crafted from a carefully balanced mixture of smoked unicorn’s tears and wonderberries from South East Mordor – or wherever.

Am I willing to pay over 4 quid for a pint bottle from the offie?  No I’m not.  I see no reason why most crafts cannot be priced at under £3 per pint bottle. Anything over this is, frankly, taking the piss and sticking the arm into us beer lovers who prefer to sup something well brewed.  Many great brews can be bought for £2 - £2.60 so what makes things different for other brews?  Why should I pay £3.50 - £4 for a beer from the off-licence when it’s that price in the pub? 

I’m not made of money and more and more now I visit certain places to peruse the craft selection only to become riled by the ridiculous prices.  Is the price reflective of the new trend of crafts?  Is it really production costs?  Are retailers setting these prices because it’s suddenly trendy to buy a few bottles of ale?  If that’s the case, then the craft scene will sadly die very quickly.  

Money is tight in these times and producers/retailers need to understand that for us consumers there are fine lines between choice, desire and affordability.  Simply by reducing prices, in some cases by only 50 pence, a beer becomes more appealing.

As I said at the beginning, I’m probably gonna upset a lot of folk here but que sera, sera.  I want to reach out to those who feel the same as me.  You’re not alone, I too am fed up with crazy pricing and unless things change, I for one won’t be buying many overpriced beers.  Unicorn’s tears or not.