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All Quare Swally blog posts can be found at -
www.QuareSwally.co.uk
Saturday, 18 February 2017
Sunday, 12 February 2017
Double the Fun
With the Cloudwater double IPA monthly release (now at v11) coinciding with the return of the now legendary and award-winning Of Foam and Fury by Galway Bay Brewery, I thought I'd line them up for a head-to-head and throw in a couple of similar others - McGargles Big Bangin IPA and Stone's Ruination double IPA. Not one of these beasts sit under 7% so it proved to be a rewarding evening!
Galway Bay has re-released their award winning DIPA, Of Foam and Fury for 2017. It's much clearer than Cloudwater but still retains a pleasant slight haziness. 8.5% ABV and tastes a lot smoother than the previous incarnations. Good just got better, I certainly welcome that.
My favourite Irish beer of last year was McGargles Francis' Big Bangin' IPA. (not a double) Congratulations to them for having a beer title with more apostrophes than is really necessary. Now in 330ml cans instead of 500ml bottles so how does it compare? It's chewier than Of Foam and Fury and there's no doubt it's a touch different from last year. There's a slight toffee and caramel base mixed with a tang of blood orange sweetness up top and while this 7.1 % abv IPA is still very tasty and one of the best Irish beers out there (it's definitely McGargles champion by a long way) I can't help feel it's not as good as last year.
And so to the final DIPA for the night, Stone's Ruination. Stone is a well respected American brewery but has recently set up a European brewing base in Berlin hence you'll see more Stone brews now in NI than before. The alcohol in Ruination is much more prominent than in the previous beers and you certainly know you're drinking a higher abv beer - it's 8.5% For me this was less flavoursome, whether that was due to the actual beer or maybe my taste buds had been shot to pieces by this stage of the night, who knows?
I make no apology for admitting DIPAs are one of my favourite styles. The order of the reviews is the order of preference for me but opinions are like backsides - everyone has them. You may have completely different thoughts and that's grand. Just go buy them and make up your own mind.
Despite being in existence just over a year, Manchester's Cloudwater is now a brewery of extremely high repute with their new releases regularly selling out in a matter of days or even hours. In 2016 their double IPA limited releases caused frenzies up and down the UK and in 2017 they've promised to release a new DIPA version every month.
So, to v11.
So, to v11.
At 9% ABV this is a thick and fruity delight, orange pithy but not too sharp as a gentle sweetness pulls it back from the edge. Luscious is a word used on the label and I have to confess I can find no better adjective. Murky, swampy, juicy and citrussy beer goodness.
Galway Bay has re-released their award winning DIPA, Of Foam and Fury for 2017. It's much clearer than Cloudwater but still retains a pleasant slight haziness. 8.5% ABV and tastes a lot smoother than the previous incarnations. Good just got better, I certainly welcome that.
My favourite Irish beer of last year was McGargles Francis' Big Bangin' IPA. (not a double) Congratulations to them for having a beer title with more apostrophes than is really necessary. Now in 330ml cans instead of 500ml bottles so how does it compare? It's chewier than Of Foam and Fury and there's no doubt it's a touch different from last year. There's a slight toffee and caramel base mixed with a tang of blood orange sweetness up top and while this 7.1 % abv IPA is still very tasty and one of the best Irish beers out there (it's definitely McGargles champion by a long way) I can't help feel it's not as good as last year.And so to the final DIPA for the night, Stone's Ruination. Stone is a well respected American brewery but has recently set up a European brewing base in Berlin hence you'll see more Stone brews now in NI than before. The alcohol in Ruination is much more prominent than in the previous beers and you certainly know you're drinking a higher abv beer - it's 8.5% For me this was less flavoursome, whether that was due to the actual beer or maybe my taste buds had been shot to pieces by this stage of the night, who knows?
I make no apology for admitting DIPAs are one of my favourite styles. The order of the reviews is the order of preference for me but opinions are like backsides - everyone has them. You may have completely different thoughts and that's grand. Just go buy them and make up your own mind.
Monday, 23 January 2017
A North West Tom, Dick but no Harry
I recently took a weekend trip up to Derry/Londonderry/Legenderry/The Maiden City that place with far too many names and relished the opportunity to visit some of the city's prominent beer establishments of an evening, as you do.
The Guildhall Taphouse is, as you would expect, just around the corner from the Guildhall. An impressive building both inside and out, it has a very cosy ambience during the afternoon and a vibrant atmosphere in the evening. The main reason I visited was to partake of new brewery Dopey Dick's wares after brewer Paul Eastwood told me of his two brews, a lager and an American pale ale.
So into the taphouse we venture mid afternoon and just a half of each, for now. The evening shall bring its rewards. An array of taps bearing labels of local and national craft beers are available: Whitewater's Maggie's Leap IPA, Northbound's 26 pale ale, Kinnegar's Otway pale ale, Brewdog's Punk IPA and both Dopey Dick offerings.
Lager first, boy. 5% ABV and a real guzzler. Light and slightly grassy with a touch of lemon and floral thrown into the mix - a summer beer that could find its way out of a glass all too quickly on a warm summer's day. Or even a cold January one.
Next was the American pale ale - no % abv visible but Untappd has it at 5.3. Instantly I'm hit with a soapy/washing up liquid taste on the first sip, and again on the second. A third sip was enough before this half pint was put down never to be drunk. It couldn't have been washing up liquid remnants in the glass as it had been in the same batch as the lager glass, I'm hazarding a guess at fermentation timing issues. Anyhow, it was a shame.
Popping back into Derry later that night we headed for Dopey Dick's other bar, Grand Central on Strand Road. Only the pale ale was available on tap along with Sam Adams' lager and the usual other macros. Plenty of local bottles though from Boghopper, Hillstown, Northbound, Farmageddon and Kinnegar. Deciding to give it another go in a different establishment I asked for a taster of the pale but again found it soapy. Bottle of Northbound it is then!
Grand Central has a smaller floor space than Guildhall Taphouse but has a great atmosphere with a band playing in the corner and a 'cosy' environment with the person sat next to you.
A couple of breweries have opened on the Republic's side of Inishowen over the past year or so. Boghopper from Muff started selling in late 2015 and Evans' Brewery from Carndonagh became commercial in the spring of 2016. The Derry and Donegal wans will probably have tasted Evans' Foyle's Gold (and also maybe the seaweed stout called Selkie) as brewer Tom Evans was serving at Sippy Fest in December.
As I was in the area I drove up to see the Welshman at the brewery, plus it's always good to have a yarn with brewers concerning stuff that they know a lot more about than me. He brews over 200 litres of Foyle's Gold at a time so there's enough to go around the peninsula and one bottle made its way back to mine. 4.3% ABV is just right for this golden ale, some snooty beer folk scorn the word 'quaffable' in write ups but stuff you. Quaffable, it is. So jog on. Just right for the locality - a pleasant, inoffensive golden beer that's a good starting point for anyone wanting something that's not a macro. I preferred his seaweed stout Selkie - Tom forewarned me it was quite sharp but it must have conditioned and mellowed a good bit in the bottle as I found it had the right balance of light saltiness and smooth stout. Sorry no pic - I forgot - but here's the deal, it was black and tasty.
The Guildhall Taphouse is, as you would expect, just around the corner from the Guildhall. An impressive building both inside and out, it has a very cosy ambience during the afternoon and a vibrant atmosphere in the evening. The main reason I visited was to partake of new brewery Dopey Dick's wares after brewer Paul Eastwood told me of his two brews, a lager and an American pale ale.
So into the taphouse we venture mid afternoon and just a half of each, for now. The evening shall bring its rewards. An array of taps bearing labels of local and national craft beers are available: Whitewater's Maggie's Leap IPA, Northbound's 26 pale ale, Kinnegar's Otway pale ale, Brewdog's Punk IPA and both Dopey Dick offerings.
Lager first, boy. 5% ABV and a real guzzler. Light and slightly grassy with a touch of lemon and floral thrown into the mix - a summer beer that could find its way out of a glass all too quickly on a warm summer's day. Or even a cold January one.
Next was the American pale ale - no % abv visible but Untappd has it at 5.3. Instantly I'm hit with a soapy/washing up liquid taste on the first sip, and again on the second. A third sip was enough before this half pint was put down never to be drunk. It couldn't have been washing up liquid remnants in the glass as it had been in the same batch as the lager glass, I'm hazarding a guess at fermentation timing issues. Anyhow, it was a shame.
Popping back into Derry later that night we headed for Dopey Dick's other bar, Grand Central on Strand Road. Only the pale ale was available on tap along with Sam Adams' lager and the usual other macros. Plenty of local bottles though from Boghopper, Hillstown, Northbound, Farmageddon and Kinnegar. Deciding to give it another go in a different establishment I asked for a taster of the pale but again found it soapy. Bottle of Northbound it is then!
Grand Central has a smaller floor space than Guildhall Taphouse but has a great atmosphere with a band playing in the corner and a 'cosy' environment with the person sat next to you.A couple of breweries have opened on the Republic's side of Inishowen over the past year or so. Boghopper from Muff started selling in late 2015 and Evans' Brewery from Carndonagh became commercial in the spring of 2016. The Derry and Donegal wans will probably have tasted Evans' Foyle's Gold (and also maybe the seaweed stout called Selkie) as brewer Tom Evans was serving at Sippy Fest in December.
As I was in the area I drove up to see the Welshman at the brewery, plus it's always good to have a yarn with brewers concerning stuff that they know a lot more about than me. He brews over 200 litres of Foyle's Gold at a time so there's enough to go around the peninsula and one bottle made its way back to mine. 4.3% ABV is just right for this golden ale, some snooty beer folk scorn the word 'quaffable' in write ups but stuff you. Quaffable, it is. So jog on. Just right for the locality - a pleasant, inoffensive golden beer that's a good starting point for anyone wanting something that's not a macro. I preferred his seaweed stout Selkie - Tom forewarned me it was quite sharp but it must have conditioned and mellowed a good bit in the bottle as I found it had the right balance of light saltiness and smooth stout. Sorry no pic - I forgot - but here's the deal, it was black and tasty.
Tuesday, 3 January 2017
Aloha Ya Boy Ye!
Hawaii, the 50th and most recent state to join the USA is renowned for its volcanoes, good weather, flambuoyant shirts and Magnum PI. What many folk in Northern Ireland may not know, however, is the existence of a Hawaiian-inspired restaurant in Belfast's Victoria Square. Kua 'Aina serves an abundance of quality burgers, fish, chicken and salads while also being the only eatery in Ireland to pour Kona Brewing beers. I was invited to their first birthday bash just before Christmas where I indulged in some of the imported bevvies, so ... E ke ka hoʻomaka. (Let's get wired in)
First off and easing me in gently to the tropical vibe was 4.6% ABV Longboard Island Lager. Poured a crisp golden colour with aromas of grass and lemon (not lemongrass) - I'm generally not a fan of lagers but I really enjoyed this one. Was it because 'first beer of the day' syndrome kicked in or was it really because of that crisp lemony edge running through it? Who knows, either way, delicious. Summer days (in December)...
Moving on to the 5.8% ABV Fire Rock Pale Ale. Looked more copper and tasted maltier than I expected for a pale, there's a soft and sweet honey and peachiness gently floating around and it went very well with a medium-rare Ahi tuna and avocado burger!
Kua 'Aina also serves one draught beer (I know the picture has two pumps but only one's in operation), Big Wave Golden Ale. At 4.4% ABV this is more sessionable than Fire Rock but everything about this was... just average. Some very light traces of Citra hops in there, however Big Wave needed a bit of a firecracker up its wotsit to give it some life. Sessionable? Yes. Inoffensive? Yes. Lacking a wow factor? Yes.
Hophead that I unashamedly am, I was more pleased that a small firecracker, of sorts, had been inserted into the wotsit of the 6% ABV Castaway IPA. A more pronounced fruitiness coming off this one but just stopping short of being something REALLY good.
Finally, enter Koko Brown a 5.5% ABV brown ale that's brewed with the addition of toasted coconut. I'm a big coconut fan and really enjoyed the first few sips but the more I had, the more it started to lose me. The sickly sweetness increased exponentially after half a bottle and dominated any of that tasty coconut flavour that had now packed its bags and gone surfing, shame.
So despite not being a lager enthusiast, the Longboard Island lager was probably my favourite of the five with Castaway IPA runner up. Sometimes Marks & Spencer stock Kona beer, but failing that get yourself along to Kua 'Aina for some seriously tasty grub and grab a beer while you're there. Thanks to Massive PR and all the very hospitable and friendly Kua 'Aina staff.
Huli Pau! Hau'oli Makahiki Hou. (go look it up)
First off and easing me in gently to the tropical vibe was 4.6% ABV Longboard Island Lager. Poured a crisp golden colour with aromas of grass and lemon (not lemongrass) - I'm generally not a fan of lagers but I really enjoyed this one. Was it because 'first beer of the day' syndrome kicked in or was it really because of that crisp lemony edge running through it? Who knows, either way, delicious. Summer days (in December)...
Moving on to the 5.8% ABV Fire Rock Pale Ale. Looked more copper and tasted maltier than I expected for a pale, there's a soft and sweet honey and peachiness gently floating around and it went very well with a medium-rare Ahi tuna and avocado burger!
Kua 'Aina also serves one draught beer (I know the picture has two pumps but only one's in operation), Big Wave Golden Ale. At 4.4% ABV this is more sessionable than Fire Rock but everything about this was... just average. Some very light traces of Citra hops in there, however Big Wave needed a bit of a firecracker up its wotsit to give it some life. Sessionable? Yes. Inoffensive? Yes. Lacking a wow factor? Yes.
Hophead that I unashamedly am, I was more pleased that a small firecracker, of sorts, had been inserted into the wotsit of the 6% ABV Castaway IPA. A more pronounced fruitiness coming off this one but just stopping short of being something REALLY good.Finally, enter Koko Brown a 5.5% ABV brown ale that's brewed with the addition of toasted coconut. I'm a big coconut fan and really enjoyed the first few sips but the more I had, the more it started to lose me. The sickly sweetness increased exponentially after half a bottle and dominated any of that tasty coconut flavour that had now packed its bags and gone surfing, shame.
So despite not being a lager enthusiast, the Longboard Island lager was probably my favourite of the five with Castaway IPA runner up. Sometimes Marks & Spencer stock Kona beer, but failing that get yourself along to Kua 'Aina for some seriously tasty grub and grab a beer while you're there. Thanks to Massive PR and all the very hospitable and friendly Kua 'Aina staff.
Huli Pau! Hau'oli Makahiki Hou. (go look it up)
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