Ulster Newbies - from Mourne to Muff

Some new releases recently so let's get wired in.

From Portrush's co-operative brewery Lacada, branded as a North Coast IPA and recently pouring from cask at CAMRA's Belfast Beer Festival, Devil's Washtub.  5.2% ABV and actually a black IPA (perhaps this should be on the branding so not to scare anyone who's expecting a golden coloured IPA?)  As with most black IPAs there's a decent malty base with an aroma and subtle taste of smooth dark fruits.  The hops seem to be lurking in there somewhere but you'd need a torch to find them.  A decent enough beer and highly drinkable but needs a whack more hop action to satisfy the IPA hopheads out there.

Photo courtesy of Paul Donaghy

From east Belfast, Knockout Brewing upped its game considerably at the festival. Six beers were supplied - a stout and two variants (choc and orange/ginger) and a citra IPA and two variants (Vic Secret and Sorachi Ace).  I liked all six - I know, I know, think what you like - but for me the Sorachi Ace IPA really stood out above the rest.  It exudes a lemony bitterness but is counteracted by a soft, smooth orange flavour.  Joseph McMullan is the first craft brewer in Northern Ireland to put his brews into cans (it's the future folks) and hopefully this will see its way into them too.  Go on Joe, you know you want to.

Away from the festival, Warrenpoint-based Mourne Mountains Brewery ran a competition back in April 2016 to create a flavour for their new brew.  Andrew Hamilton was the lucky winner with his suggestion of Whiskey and Vanilla, the beer was duly made and poured into a whiskey cask in July.  Four months later it's in bottles.  I think at least a couple more months in the cask would have been beneficial as I'd have liked a bit more vanilla - you have to look for it but the whiskey is closer to the mark. Not overpowering at all and very subtle for this 8.2% ABV winter warmer. Nice one.

Next, practically sat astride the NI border is Bog Hopper Brewery from the Co. Donegal village of Muff.  So let's dive in *cough*.
Technically speaking their Hairy Bullocks American pale ale isn't a new beer.  It launched the brewery in late 2015 but it's the first time (I'll resist saying virginal...oops) I've been able to grab as bottle as it's just starting to become available outside of Inishowen.  So there.

First off this 5% ABV pale claims to be hop forward but I get more malt than anything.  Maybe the good folk of the area are unused or afraid of a good hoppy beer but this has the potential to be so much better.  It just left me wanting something....anything more.  Some slight citrus elements in there, granted, but just not enough to make me rush to Muff for a second one.  (Did I just say that?)  The label artistry for all Boghopper beers is fantastic though.

Finally for now, from Bullocks to Bullhouse Brewery near Newtownards, and Willy Mayne's newish barrel-aged Quest for the Milky Whey.  This first saw the light of day at ABV Beer Festival in early September and was greeted with critical acclaim among the beer fraternity.  I missed out as it was only on for one session but now it has returned, like some sort of pink coloured panther in the guise of a French detective.  This 10% ABV imperial milk stout made its way into 500 wax-sealed bottles... so find one if you still can.  There's little in the way of carbonation which results in a tiny head but the whiskey aroma comes through nicely as does a good whacking dollop of liquorice and datey-molasses on the first sip, followed by a generous milky-lactosey second sip. Another tip of the hat for the artwork.
If you're on Facebook, the history of QftMW can be seen here .

Fair play to all the breweries mentioned for continuing to expand their range.

Pick of the Crop

It was that time of year again, when around 130 real ales and cider became available at the Belfast Beer and Cider Festival.  One of the biggest single bars in Ireland was constructed over a couple of days inside the majestic Ulster Hall in Belfast - all done by Campaign for Real Ale volunteers.

An incredible sixty Irish beers, yes 6-0 (from North and South) were on tap from seventeen breweries.  This year pleasingly saw a noticeable increase in i) Republic of Ireland brews, and ii) keycasks/keykegs - thirty of which were available with the help of drinks distributor Prohibition.

Here's a quick resumé of some of the beer that caught my eye and tastebuds.  First off, 8:01 Mint Choc Stout (6% ABV) from Rascals Brewing Co in County Dublin.  When I initially had this on the first night the mint was quite subtle with the chocolate dominating, but when I returned to it 24 hours later the mint was more prominent and what I had originally hoped for.  To steal a line from an old After Eight advert, it's cool, dark and sophisticated.  It justifiably jointly won the Belfast Festival's new category of Best Irish Beer along with a Farmageddon/Renegade collaboration - Red Eye - a lovely hoppy red IPA.

Staying with the Farmageddon crew, last year their 6.3% ABV Mosaic IPA was my favourite beer of the festival - as you would expect from Mosaic hops plenty of passion fruit and mango with a delicious bitterness - and this year the judging panel crowned it overall Champion Beer of the Belfast Festival.  A superb achievement considering the competition.

Moving on to North Yorkshire and Rooster's Baby Faced Assassin, a delicious 6.1% ABV American IPA bursting with Citra hops that oozed mango, grapefruit and pithy orange.  Already an award winner from the Society of Independent Brewers, the Assassin was itself annihilated by the festival public and sold out quite quickly.

 

The festival saw the return of Pokertree's cascadian ale/black IPA, Dark Nirvana.  It had been off the radar for a wee while and was one of my favourite new brews of 2014. I believe it had a new improved recipe this time around and I have to say it's bang on the money.  At 6.5% ABV, there's a very faint smokiness - some coffee coming through but not overpowering (the way I like it) - and evokes a reaction that makes you open your eyes a little wider and smile to the person beside you while saying "Oh yeah!"  Definitely the best from Pokertree's range.

Then from Nottingham came Flipside's Russian Rouble, a 7.3% ABV stout that was as smooth as Roger Moore's one liners.  I could actually imagine him sipping one of these (if vodka martinis weren't his thing) enjoying the bucket load of roasted malt interspersed with a creamy chocolate and coffee blend.

So far I've given a little snippet of five beers that I really enjoyed at the Belfast Beer and Cider Festival and with a little trepidation I have to confess that this beer blogger's favourite drink in the Ulster Hall was .... um ... a cider. *where's the embarrassed smiley?*

I'm not the biggest cider fan but this just blew me out of the applewater.  From Lisburn, Tempted's 6.4% ABV unpasteurised and unfiltered Festival Scrumpy was just a beezer of a tasty brute.  It's based on their bottled Medium Dry, but with less added apple juice so the alcohol and flavour is more prominent.  Owner Davy Uprichard told me that night that half the bittersweet apples used in the festival scrumpy are French which gives a slightly more rustic and smokey flavour.  This flavour is then balanced by being sweetened so it ends up medium sweet as opposed to medium dry.
The end product is so smooth, no sharpness or tangy bite at all.  Just imagine a liquid apple pie that is missing a generous dollop of warm custard.  Yeah, that's where we are with this one.  I was so Tempted, I had a second glass.

(Honourable Irish mentions also go to Knockout's Sorachi Ace IPA, Lacada's Devil's Washtub, Eight Degrees Amber Ella, Mourne Mountains Festival Export Stout and Northbound's Magnum 70 IPA.)

#BigBeeryNight16

Cancer sucks.  We all know that.  We've all been affected in some way by cancer.  I've lost grandmothers, aunts, uncles and friends to the disease.  I learned only this week that my godmother is battling it.

So to highlight the issue, @BeerO'ClockShow in the UK and @IrishBeerSnob/@MrsBeerSnob in the Republic of Ireland have come together to help raise funds for two charities that deserve your attention, time and donation - and they're not asking you to give anything up.

The idea is simple.  This Friday, 11th November, is #BigBeeryNight16.

When having a beer this Friday, donate the cost of that beer to MacMillan Cancer Support if you live in the UK or the Irish Cancer Society if in the Republic.  Share pics of your beer on social media and use the hashtag #BigBeeryNight16

Be part of the biggest beer and charity initiative across the British and Irish isles.

Donate here for MacMillan Cancer Support or the Irish Cancer Society.

Cheers and sláinte.

Germany to Bangor - Auf Weidersehen Maltmeister?

I was unsure if I should write a review of some beers made by a brewery that doesn't exist anymore.  What's the point in reviewing products if the public can't get hold of them, but then I remembered that I managed to buy them a few days ago in Neill Wines in Groomsport, so there may still be a few bottles left.  Maltmeister from Bangor had hidden well below the radar of a lot of beer folk in Northern Ireland.  Brewer Geoff Nuttall started selling his German-influenced brews last year in the immediate locality but ceased production in the summer.

First off, Wheathaze, labelled as a 5.2% ABV Munich-style wheat beer.  Well carbonated but without much of the banana or bubblegum taste usually associated with hefeweizen.  Nevertheless, a decent start.

Next, Maybock, a 7.5% ABV bock variant. This practically leapt out of the bottle but the massive head surprisingly dissipated within a few seconds. A shade paler in colour than traditional bocks, this was the first maybock I'd ever had to my recollection.  It wasn't the best start, any original hop aroma in there was totally overpowered by the alcohol (and I say that as someone who absolutely loves a good 10% double IPA or imperial stout).  Maybocks are traditionally brewed in May so I'm wondering if this was brewed then and has gone past its optimum drinking window.

What I did finish with ease, however, was the 6.1% ABV spiced Icefire. A red ale with a warming hint, just a hint, of cinnamon and nutmeg.  The delicious sweetness of the honey faintly came through which meant this is a Maltmeister beer I think you could enjoy twice in a row without it being overly sickly.  Twice in a row, that is, if you can find any more of them.