Blog Tracker
05-09-2022, 09:20
Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/09/witch-please.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWup41-5BPaHytbpXb6Dsesj9Md4W77AMxx3lQCzNypb7Ut3AKHMfsjlF vVLrXh7EAvYiChnioud9kShg_sGmbr3DXqL2V2KL2SEt5obkYZ _a_Uy4t_Loy9uXqmdli2K_cTJj2sqzJp84J5-VVS--oa4Oc9VIGGkIAhJy6rMUmnj628yu2PU/w320-h186/hagstravaganza_2022_ext.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWup41-5BPaHytbpXb6Dsesj9Md4W77AMxx3lQCzNypb7Ut3AKHMfsjlF vVLrXh7EAvYiChnioud9kShg_sGmbr3DXqL2V2KL2SEt5obkYZ _a_Uy4t_Loy9uXqmdli2K_cTJj2sqzJp84J5-VVS--oa4Oc9VIGGkIAhJy6rMUmnj628yu2PU/s2973/hagstravaganza_2022_ext.jpg)The Irish beer festival circuit continued winding back up to normality with the fourth Hagstravaganza festival at The White Hag brewery in Ballymote last month. The brewery's welcome expansion means the former car showroom doesn't have anything like the festival floorspace it used to but there's acres of space outside and the bar queues were kept moving at a decent lick all afternoon. Sixty taps from mostly European breweries plus a handful of Americans provided plenty of selection, and there was the bonus addition of a dedicated barrel-aged bar in a room off to the side. Where to start?
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCviKCIKd2-AP1PbtAvEF6uwgHiXeMKN-aIFsDoQ_dy_fcazUwrsyz1ESIkUSFC_hAVEBg_K2ZPMLckPbhc _BG-Oyco9VeXoKmgdpMPPJ4Hd7Mv9dUpaYivQFDUbT83mEuXOwO3vC x94mxEovV6w_dXyTdqCyVxTveWmsR65pZkbmU2EF5M8/w152-h200/maui_bikini_blonde_helles.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCviKCIKd2-AP1PbtAvEF6uwgHiXeMKN-aIFsDoQ_dy_fcazUwrsyz1ESIkUSFC_hAVEBg_K2ZPMLckPbhc _BG-Oyco9VeXoKmgdpMPPJ4Hd7Mv9dUpaYivQFDUbT83mEuXOwO3vC x94mxEovV6w_dXyTdqCyVxTveWmsR65pZkbmU2EF5M8/s2980/maui_bikini_blonde_helles.jpg)With lager, of course. Hawaiian brewer Maui offered a Helles called Bikini Blonde. It's a flawless apple-golden colour, though unattractively headless in the glass. The texture is so soft it almost feels a little flat. 4.8% ABV and a strong grassy bitterness made it seem more like a pils than a Helles to me, though that's not really a criticism. This is a perfectly fine drinking lager, perhaps not worthy of being shipped to Sligo from the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but since it was there I had no objections to drinking it as my first of the day.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEb0j8hzEeKN05UPMbisQupJmrkqPVJ5lphYDli1pggF lTfigy0Qb1xH9XWK6jHeNK4cjlscfZlZU1jJI46vegGRI40TPr gHaLOQd7inI7rH0IUwG5EJErpeqRd-D8AZ0OWxBVSXj07ZAB17YOaxchSkjTXOwfoopIunQHjWlx_NSi IvtRjbI/w148-h200/vetra_black_dark_lager.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEb0j8hzEeKN05UPMbisQupJmrkqPVJ5lphYDli1pggF lTfigy0Qb1xH9XWK6jHeNK4cjlscfZlZU1jJI46vegGRI40TPr gHaLOQd7inI7rH0IUwG5EJErpeqRd-D8AZ0OWxBVSXj07ZAB17YOaxchSkjTXOwfoopIunQHjWlx_NSi IvtRjbI/s2855/vetra_black_dark_lager.jpg)Italian brewery Vetra had the day's only dark lager, called simply Black, and it's a bit of a whopper at 6.8% ABV. From that it gets a heavy mouthfeel and a little heat, while still perfectly cleanly flavoured, so had some attributes of doppelbock in what was otherwise a perfectly executed schwarzbier. Central to that is a big bag of bitter liquorice with dry roasted grains around the edges. Filling and satisfying more than thirst-quenching, it proved every inch the sipper that the ABV suggests. It would have been nice to take more time with it but time, as always, was ticking along.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZydlbZmnteZP2-N81BljSck2jpCQQurMatuKpgcs4VQiUbyJbGa-yR_Psh3Jfzhz_57bizx5unW2HtQ4t4-Tph5eNlSO0yOHccdtByDG7gQKiOsR3PIMXpg2r48N50JGf-7h813N8lruwXRnZJbYqxUW1XwEDCpYT37sbOq5bbL9_3ZtUjj0/w148-h200/dois_corvos_setimo_ceu_tipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZydlbZmnteZP2-N81BljSck2jpCQQurMatuKpgcs4VQiUbyJbGa-yR_Psh3Jfzhz_57bizx5unW2HtQ4t4-Tph5eNlSO0yOHccdtByDG7gQKiOsR3PIMXpg2r48N50JGf-7h813N8lruwXRnZJbYqxUW1XwEDCpYT37sbOq5bbL9_3ZtUjj0/s2650/dois_corvos_setimo_ceu_tipa.jpg)We get no Portuguese craft beer in Ireland normally, and it's far too long since I visited, so I made a point of drinking both Portuguese beers on offer from Dois Corvos, beginning with Sétimo Céu ("Seventh Heaven"). This is badged as a triple IPA though at only 9% ABV seemed a little light for that. It's also in the New England style so was fully hazy and a dense-looking orange colour. It introduced itself with a buzz of garlic in the aroma though the flavour is clean and juicy and the alcohol quite well hidden. Sweet orange cordial is at the centre and I got a certain clove-like spiciness as well. The finish is oily and dank, making full use of what must be a lot of hops. Other than a lack of proper TIPA oomph I have little to complain about with this one.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLx5_pA2_kVZi8ANC3YwIZVfXwU2V02xx1lC23TAAB_x uYnjBnljupJ7teQn8nD-XEYq2epWTTbZAYCj15aPgIFluVVKMstOUej31t-HRRuvalzvMvbx1bY140mqdGpMpgs9YtQ3sOODajY3x7bX06kev sDq2_LuyI7GTJLnqIXP87ATdTUrc/w152-h200/dois_corvos_still_life_with_stout_and_other_things .jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLx5_pA2_kVZi8ANC3YwIZVfXwU2V02xx1lC23TAAB_x uYnjBnljupJ7teQn8nD-XEYq2epWTTbZAYCj15aPgIFluVVKMstOUej31t-HRRuvalzvMvbx1bY140mqdGpMpgs9YtQ3sOODajY3x7bX06kev sDq2_LuyI7GTJLnqIXP87ATdTUrc/s2870/dois_corvos_still_life_with_stout_and_other_things .jpg)Their other offering was called Still Life With Stout And Other Stuff, an imperial pastry job with hazelnuts and chocolate. I expected sweet but there's a substantial roast coffee bitterness in here, as well as a savoury side which Reuben (https://www.taleofale.com/) reckoned was autolytic but I'm not so sure. It didn't do the beer any harm as far as I'm concerned. The best feature of this was the texture: a gorgeous creamy, warming hug in your mouth, thanks in no small part to the 10.5% ABV. Here's another dark beer deserving of much more time than it got on the day.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gzBq_MubApq7zALcohkEJICEpFgizFn7sAKrvmo_9j G7YtCPjbt-bFZdDGmW-JiBzduYOw-B96aDL6FW6K3DMlknrZvm4gf8qkBuYgd6ChsEYb0QsYam6Ae6i h7iYlr7NvnHw3KPayCmZV9PA5UD9cA73EUOgPk2wz3F68AspCb 5lU8el6I/w116-h200/kirkstall_to-ol_stingo.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gzBq_MubApq7zALcohkEJICEpFgizFn7sAKrvmo_9j G7YtCPjbt-bFZdDGmW-JiBzduYOw-B96aDL6FW6K3DMlknrZvm4gf8qkBuYgd6ChsEYb0QsYam6Ae6i h7iYlr7NvnHw3KPayCmZV9PA5UD9cA73EUOgPk2wz3F68AspCb 5lU8el6I/s3305/kirkstall_to-ol_stingo.jpg)At this point I decided to nip around to the barrel bar and got a glass of Stingo, provided by Kirkstall, brewed in collaboration with To Øl. It's a strong ale of 8.4% ABV, copper coloured and headless. It's surprisingly light bodied, though fizzy, and carries flavours of melon and lemon on a strongly pithy bitterness. That contrasts with a powerful sweet sherry taste. All told, it's a bit busy and this is one where slowing down was mandatory while I made my way through it. Probably no harm. I see this working better as a finishing beer rather than one at the half way point, however.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio975Fi7e4sUH3C6a8oS7I_oDtqLmpf-AlWfhnOzDcqMseGIoHw7p82jB1iAS0_-HtALhzn3AkU4J__k5_tX4WKnK1u5Nsja9YLMSKqE_PLM7lYw1n IDHakYt3rNIsuCsxBNRqc-ZuPb9ZluUq64QUK8ehMi6v9_0UnjLczSKOqi5x4DuvDys/w142-h200/90bpm_minitel_rose_raspberry_berliner_weisse.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio975Fi7e4sUH3C6a8oS7I_oDtqLmpf-AlWfhnOzDcqMseGIoHw7p82jB1iAS0_-HtALhzn3AkU4J__k5_tX4WKnK1u5Nsja9YLMSKqE_PLM7lYw1n IDHakYt3rNIsuCsxBNRqc-ZuPb9ZluUq64QUK8ehMi6v9_0UnjLczSKOqi5x4DuvDys/s2845/90bpm_minitel_rose_raspberry_berliner_weisse.jpg)A palate cleanser was very much in order and Burgundian brewer 90BPM provided that. The name is pleasingly French: Minitel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel) Rose, a raspberry Berliner weisse of only 3.3% ABV. It's fairly basic stuff: a murky pink emulsion and mildly sour with a dollop or two of raspberry jam. Although it got the cleansing job done I felt it could use something extra to add complexity; maybe citrus or herbs or the like. Regardless, it didn't last long and I was ready for another imperial stout.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYoNnu8FCqbNfONIPMIC6n3GeD4SbdVpyw1BIiELG10 Dc4cyxNLyhIa8dPbocfp0_M1fR2E3c5cIQ7JC9YN7DAaslmBiE XEAjMOwuTkHGFuL61--Bm7LIDGaYUaHFeXSFaf9SJlZxX1QFL-dAr_nv7GrNlUY0wp0ejQ5XZ4kOEgrtNoVNUQk/w191-h200/basqueland_fudgesicle_imperial_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYoNnu8FCqbNfONIPMIC6n3GeD4SbdVpyw1BIiELG10 Dc4cyxNLyhIa8dPbocfp0_M1fR2E3c5cIQ7JC9YN7DAaslmBiE XEAjMOwuTkHGFuL61--Bm7LIDGaYUaHFeXSFaf9SJlZxX1QFL-dAr_nv7GrNlUY0wp0ejQ5XZ4kOEgrtNoVNUQk/s2315/basqueland_fudgesicle_imperial_stout.jpg)That was Fudgesicle from Basqueland. Again there's hazelnuts and chocolate in here, as well as caramel, and the ABV is even bigger than Dois Corvo's at 11.6%. But success is not just about the candy and the gravity as this didn't have anything like the same complexity, being an extremely sweet and sticky booze bomb with very little else to offer. It's amazing how two beers with a similar daft spec can yield such different results.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpTJEHVZRWaPiOqoR3DfvR-5YCey4wDQOUk4oIRmeN33g3XqhPhmjr2D91DRQ-nVP59FywMYWjeUlmOaEvPjz6Zud5QDTlsYfm2ILIzMm-u9AUOHcwRYbfVdWZneuF4s15XdGIPiwxnd6K7ZVkGTtPJY8W1B 96pUKodZSEBdcELkjxqdV6I8/w148-h200/stigbergets_omnipollo_uno_2_dipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpTJEHVZRWaPiOqoR3DfvR-5YCey4wDQOUk4oIRmeN33g3XqhPhmjr2D91DRQ-nVP59FywMYWjeUlmOaEvPjz6Zud5QDTlsYfm2ILIzMm-u9AUOHcwRYbfVdWZneuF4s15XdGIPiwxnd6K7ZVkGTtPJY8W1B 96pUKodZSEBdcELkjxqdV6I8/s2680/stigbergets_omnipollo_uno_2_dipa.jpg)One last IPA next, Uno 2, from Swedish brewer Stigbergets and collaborating partners Omnipollo. I've said it before, but Omnipollo is a much better brewer when it comes to hop-forward styles as against their messy stouts, though this one didn't float my boat. It's the pale yellow of custard powder and tastes heavily of garlic to begin, before turning increasingly tropical. 8% ABV generates a lot of heat, however, and that does away with any fruit freshness. The result is a very average New England-style double IPA redolent with all the usual flaws.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSf-pMGF1fqCvlCk5goXZGhRrTrs-0P2ND_BcZF6Y_WNPJr6BG2WTPj3Lu2qQeuzlbV3bdVgs1hH-DRm31GYSuATdkG8d3_8UhQTACtAop9uE3TPgkAfRowqKHWTbYl QhWO0ieXZCl8CznyG3zcLwPsyrZexDmpekWouaHpSWmUE70Efd ijc/w145-h200/dick_macks_dingle_barrel_aged_saison.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSf-pMGF1fqCvlCk5goXZGhRrTrs-0P2ND_BcZF6Y_WNPJr6BG2WTPj3Lu2qQeuzlbV3bdVgs1hH-DRm31GYSuATdkG8d3_8UhQTACtAop9uE3TPgkAfRowqKHWTbYl QhWO0ieXZCl8CznyG3zcLwPsyrZexDmpekWouaHpSWmUE70Efd ijc/s3060/dick_macks_dingle_barrel_aged_saison.jpg)Back to the other bar where there was an intriguing offer from Kerry brewery Dick Mack's: a Dingle [whiskey] Barrel Aged Saison at 10.5% ABV: not the sort of strength that things labelled as saison usually end up. It's brown and smells strongly of grainy red apples. Saison's typical pear flavour is what it mostly tastes of, which is fair enough, and it's dry and light textured too. I was expecting lots of spirity heat from the barrels but that's absent and the whiskey merely adds some mellow oaky vanilla tones. It was a brave experiment but it worked, creating something very unusual but tasty with it. I'm glad I took a chance.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOyShmpjOD47_SPeax77YM6ubG4DRm_l5id8rKNg-ahfqTkrKNnDMJfgQHHGJZlobx1EW4E4DPgiZpBBIZdF04OlLKY IlllzeKsUzaGLd_LehJzyhrxYlJ44nkLHpOdnlbNMWwc4V9Xql sUCEJYvLdEhLtnUKhXisxYwKrwEgCFeabC4W9KY/w151-h200/brlo_rosinenbomber_imperial_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOyShmpjOD47_SPeax77YM6ubG4DRm_l5id8rKNg-ahfqTkrKNnDMJfgQHHGJZlobx1EW4E4DPgiZpBBIZdF04OlLKY IlllzeKsUzaGLd_LehJzyhrxYlJ44nkLHpOdnlbNMWwc4V9Xql sUCEJYvLdEhLtnUKhXisxYwKrwEgCFeabC4W9KY/s2675/brlo_rosinenbomber_imperial_stout.jpg)Two final tokens were burning a hole in my festival cargo pants so it was time to go all in on the imperial stouts. Penultimately I had Rosinenbomber from BRLO, a 12% ABV job that I quaffed stupidly quickly. It's highly enjoyable though; extremely smooth and rich with lots of espresso and a sharp hop-driven edge of bitterness. No messing here, just big strong stout done very well. I notice that it was a collaboration with Lervig, who provided the goods in a similar context at Fidelty a few weeks earlier (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/07/big-night.html).
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvvfBuAq7jIG75s6PjVUzA-e4VoyDoLp1_l1ImttW6x4Cruj8h6Kvd5zUEef3j10PN0En-4apASWcGYjuv2JJANkDvmT77oNCsJoNqXHKPKzCCzy-Shi-ca_iUpGQLaak9h90G_6I6KO125SiXAz8fpVCHqFp46HofdkBBE r8bZske56Ifjs/w143-h200/mont_hardi_matiere_noire_imperial_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvvfBuAq7jIG75s6PjVUzA-e4VoyDoLp1_l1ImttW6x4Cruj8h6Kvd5zUEef3j10PN0En-4apASWcGYjuv2JJANkDvmT77oNCsJoNqXHKPKzCCzy-Shi-ca_iUpGQLaak9h90G_6I6KO125SiXAz8fpVCHqFp46HofdkBBE r8bZske56Ifjs/s2485/mont_hardi_matiere_noire_imperial_stout.jpg)The last beer came to the station with me, and several stops along the line back to Dublin too. Matière Noire ("Dark Matter") is from Mont Hardi and is a bit of a lightweight in this context: only 10% ABV. Still it was the most complex one of the day, setting fudge and chocolate against a herbal vermouth and chilli spicing. A lot of work went into this, it turns out: cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom and lactose, ageing in bourbon and cognac barrels separately then blended. It's amazing the result tastes like simply an excellent no-frills example. Something for other stout hackers to aspire to.
That wraps up the gig for me. It's a festival cliché but the highlight really was spending the day with friends and catching up with trade folks I hadn't seen since before The Unpleasantness. A big thanks to Bob, The White Hag team and all the staffers for giving us the opportunity.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv-uNi74mVO89jvVN5BAf8UGc4STfeu7MvMGDiRLjqhzaD_4CrX4i Zs9vbUa3OHwkYMveeIHvpjcp-EQ0c7RXMAoofLmZg-6suyt_xqX-CQX1MdbQFTVukrmszZp6YWRq_Wx_a_1M994Zb95W8T93ZuCQcl fytK1u57uKqDOnah8peuHDaTs/w640-h324/hagstravaganza_2022_int.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv-uNi74mVO89jvVN5BAf8UGc4STfeu7MvMGDiRLjqhzaD_4CrX4i Zs9vbUa3OHwkYMveeIHvpjcp-EQ0c7RXMAoofLmZg-6suyt_xqX-CQX1MdbQFTVukrmszZp6YWRq_Wx_a_1M994Zb95W8T93ZuCQcl fytK1u57uKqDOnah8peuHDaTs/s4029/hagstravaganza_2022_int.jpg)
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/09/witch-please.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWup41-5BPaHytbpXb6Dsesj9Md4W77AMxx3lQCzNypb7Ut3AKHMfsjlF vVLrXh7EAvYiChnioud9kShg_sGmbr3DXqL2V2KL2SEt5obkYZ _a_Uy4t_Loy9uXqmdli2K_cTJj2sqzJp84J5-VVS--oa4Oc9VIGGkIAhJy6rMUmnj628yu2PU/w320-h186/hagstravaganza_2022_ext.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWup41-5BPaHytbpXb6Dsesj9Md4W77AMxx3lQCzNypb7Ut3AKHMfsjlF vVLrXh7EAvYiChnioud9kShg_sGmbr3DXqL2V2KL2SEt5obkYZ _a_Uy4t_Loy9uXqmdli2K_cTJj2sqzJp84J5-VVS--oa4Oc9VIGGkIAhJy6rMUmnj628yu2PU/s2973/hagstravaganza_2022_ext.jpg)The Irish beer festival circuit continued winding back up to normality with the fourth Hagstravaganza festival at The White Hag brewery in Ballymote last month. The brewery's welcome expansion means the former car showroom doesn't have anything like the festival floorspace it used to but there's acres of space outside and the bar queues were kept moving at a decent lick all afternoon. Sixty taps from mostly European breweries plus a handful of Americans provided plenty of selection, and there was the bonus addition of a dedicated barrel-aged bar in a room off to the side. Where to start?
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCviKCIKd2-AP1PbtAvEF6uwgHiXeMKN-aIFsDoQ_dy_fcazUwrsyz1ESIkUSFC_hAVEBg_K2ZPMLckPbhc _BG-Oyco9VeXoKmgdpMPPJ4Hd7Mv9dUpaYivQFDUbT83mEuXOwO3vC x94mxEovV6w_dXyTdqCyVxTveWmsR65pZkbmU2EF5M8/w152-h200/maui_bikini_blonde_helles.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCviKCIKd2-AP1PbtAvEF6uwgHiXeMKN-aIFsDoQ_dy_fcazUwrsyz1ESIkUSFC_hAVEBg_K2ZPMLckPbhc _BG-Oyco9VeXoKmgdpMPPJ4Hd7Mv9dUpaYivQFDUbT83mEuXOwO3vC x94mxEovV6w_dXyTdqCyVxTveWmsR65pZkbmU2EF5M8/s2980/maui_bikini_blonde_helles.jpg)With lager, of course. Hawaiian brewer Maui offered a Helles called Bikini Blonde. It's a flawless apple-golden colour, though unattractively headless in the glass. The texture is so soft it almost feels a little flat. 4.8% ABV and a strong grassy bitterness made it seem more like a pils than a Helles to me, though that's not really a criticism. This is a perfectly fine drinking lager, perhaps not worthy of being shipped to Sligo from the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but since it was there I had no objections to drinking it as my first of the day.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEb0j8hzEeKN05UPMbisQupJmrkqPVJ5lphYDli1pggF lTfigy0Qb1xH9XWK6jHeNK4cjlscfZlZU1jJI46vegGRI40TPr gHaLOQd7inI7rH0IUwG5EJErpeqRd-D8AZ0OWxBVSXj07ZAB17YOaxchSkjTXOwfoopIunQHjWlx_NSi IvtRjbI/w148-h200/vetra_black_dark_lager.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEb0j8hzEeKN05UPMbisQupJmrkqPVJ5lphYDli1pggF lTfigy0Qb1xH9XWK6jHeNK4cjlscfZlZU1jJI46vegGRI40TPr gHaLOQd7inI7rH0IUwG5EJErpeqRd-D8AZ0OWxBVSXj07ZAB17YOaxchSkjTXOwfoopIunQHjWlx_NSi IvtRjbI/s2855/vetra_black_dark_lager.jpg)Italian brewery Vetra had the day's only dark lager, called simply Black, and it's a bit of a whopper at 6.8% ABV. From that it gets a heavy mouthfeel and a little heat, while still perfectly cleanly flavoured, so had some attributes of doppelbock in what was otherwise a perfectly executed schwarzbier. Central to that is a big bag of bitter liquorice with dry roasted grains around the edges. Filling and satisfying more than thirst-quenching, it proved every inch the sipper that the ABV suggests. It would have been nice to take more time with it but time, as always, was ticking along.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZydlbZmnteZP2-N81BljSck2jpCQQurMatuKpgcs4VQiUbyJbGa-yR_Psh3Jfzhz_57bizx5unW2HtQ4t4-Tph5eNlSO0yOHccdtByDG7gQKiOsR3PIMXpg2r48N50JGf-7h813N8lruwXRnZJbYqxUW1XwEDCpYT37sbOq5bbL9_3ZtUjj0/w148-h200/dois_corvos_setimo_ceu_tipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZydlbZmnteZP2-N81BljSck2jpCQQurMatuKpgcs4VQiUbyJbGa-yR_Psh3Jfzhz_57bizx5unW2HtQ4t4-Tph5eNlSO0yOHccdtByDG7gQKiOsR3PIMXpg2r48N50JGf-7h813N8lruwXRnZJbYqxUW1XwEDCpYT37sbOq5bbL9_3ZtUjj0/s2650/dois_corvos_setimo_ceu_tipa.jpg)We get no Portuguese craft beer in Ireland normally, and it's far too long since I visited, so I made a point of drinking both Portuguese beers on offer from Dois Corvos, beginning with Sétimo Céu ("Seventh Heaven"). This is badged as a triple IPA though at only 9% ABV seemed a little light for that. It's also in the New England style so was fully hazy and a dense-looking orange colour. It introduced itself with a buzz of garlic in the aroma though the flavour is clean and juicy and the alcohol quite well hidden. Sweet orange cordial is at the centre and I got a certain clove-like spiciness as well. The finish is oily and dank, making full use of what must be a lot of hops. Other than a lack of proper TIPA oomph I have little to complain about with this one.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLx5_pA2_kVZi8ANC3YwIZVfXwU2V02xx1lC23TAAB_x uYnjBnljupJ7teQn8nD-XEYq2epWTTbZAYCj15aPgIFluVVKMstOUej31t-HRRuvalzvMvbx1bY140mqdGpMpgs9YtQ3sOODajY3x7bX06kev sDq2_LuyI7GTJLnqIXP87ATdTUrc/w152-h200/dois_corvos_still_life_with_stout_and_other_things .jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLx5_pA2_kVZi8ANC3YwIZVfXwU2V02xx1lC23TAAB_x uYnjBnljupJ7teQn8nD-XEYq2epWTTbZAYCj15aPgIFluVVKMstOUej31t-HRRuvalzvMvbx1bY140mqdGpMpgs9YtQ3sOODajY3x7bX06kev sDq2_LuyI7GTJLnqIXP87ATdTUrc/s2870/dois_corvos_still_life_with_stout_and_other_things .jpg)Their other offering was called Still Life With Stout And Other Stuff, an imperial pastry job with hazelnuts and chocolate. I expected sweet but there's a substantial roast coffee bitterness in here, as well as a savoury side which Reuben (https://www.taleofale.com/) reckoned was autolytic but I'm not so sure. It didn't do the beer any harm as far as I'm concerned. The best feature of this was the texture: a gorgeous creamy, warming hug in your mouth, thanks in no small part to the 10.5% ABV. Here's another dark beer deserving of much more time than it got on the day.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gzBq_MubApq7zALcohkEJICEpFgizFn7sAKrvmo_9j G7YtCPjbt-bFZdDGmW-JiBzduYOw-B96aDL6FW6K3DMlknrZvm4gf8qkBuYgd6ChsEYb0QsYam6Ae6i h7iYlr7NvnHw3KPayCmZV9PA5UD9cA73EUOgPk2wz3F68AspCb 5lU8el6I/w116-h200/kirkstall_to-ol_stingo.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gzBq_MubApq7zALcohkEJICEpFgizFn7sAKrvmo_9j G7YtCPjbt-bFZdDGmW-JiBzduYOw-B96aDL6FW6K3DMlknrZvm4gf8qkBuYgd6ChsEYb0QsYam6Ae6i h7iYlr7NvnHw3KPayCmZV9PA5UD9cA73EUOgPk2wz3F68AspCb 5lU8el6I/s3305/kirkstall_to-ol_stingo.jpg)At this point I decided to nip around to the barrel bar and got a glass of Stingo, provided by Kirkstall, brewed in collaboration with To Øl. It's a strong ale of 8.4% ABV, copper coloured and headless. It's surprisingly light bodied, though fizzy, and carries flavours of melon and lemon on a strongly pithy bitterness. That contrasts with a powerful sweet sherry taste. All told, it's a bit busy and this is one where slowing down was mandatory while I made my way through it. Probably no harm. I see this working better as a finishing beer rather than one at the half way point, however.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio975Fi7e4sUH3C6a8oS7I_oDtqLmpf-AlWfhnOzDcqMseGIoHw7p82jB1iAS0_-HtALhzn3AkU4J__k5_tX4WKnK1u5Nsja9YLMSKqE_PLM7lYw1n IDHakYt3rNIsuCsxBNRqc-ZuPb9ZluUq64QUK8ehMi6v9_0UnjLczSKOqi5x4DuvDys/w142-h200/90bpm_minitel_rose_raspberry_berliner_weisse.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio975Fi7e4sUH3C6a8oS7I_oDtqLmpf-AlWfhnOzDcqMseGIoHw7p82jB1iAS0_-HtALhzn3AkU4J__k5_tX4WKnK1u5Nsja9YLMSKqE_PLM7lYw1n IDHakYt3rNIsuCsxBNRqc-ZuPb9ZluUq64QUK8ehMi6v9_0UnjLczSKOqi5x4DuvDys/s2845/90bpm_minitel_rose_raspberry_berliner_weisse.jpg)A palate cleanser was very much in order and Burgundian brewer 90BPM provided that. The name is pleasingly French: Minitel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel) Rose, a raspberry Berliner weisse of only 3.3% ABV. It's fairly basic stuff: a murky pink emulsion and mildly sour with a dollop or two of raspberry jam. Although it got the cleansing job done I felt it could use something extra to add complexity; maybe citrus or herbs or the like. Regardless, it didn't last long and I was ready for another imperial stout.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYoNnu8FCqbNfONIPMIC6n3GeD4SbdVpyw1BIiELG10 Dc4cyxNLyhIa8dPbocfp0_M1fR2E3c5cIQ7JC9YN7DAaslmBiE XEAjMOwuTkHGFuL61--Bm7LIDGaYUaHFeXSFaf9SJlZxX1QFL-dAr_nv7GrNlUY0wp0ejQ5XZ4kOEgrtNoVNUQk/w191-h200/basqueland_fudgesicle_imperial_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrYoNnu8FCqbNfONIPMIC6n3GeD4SbdVpyw1BIiELG10 Dc4cyxNLyhIa8dPbocfp0_M1fR2E3c5cIQ7JC9YN7DAaslmBiE XEAjMOwuTkHGFuL61--Bm7LIDGaYUaHFeXSFaf9SJlZxX1QFL-dAr_nv7GrNlUY0wp0ejQ5XZ4kOEgrtNoVNUQk/s2315/basqueland_fudgesicle_imperial_stout.jpg)That was Fudgesicle from Basqueland. Again there's hazelnuts and chocolate in here, as well as caramel, and the ABV is even bigger than Dois Corvo's at 11.6%. But success is not just about the candy and the gravity as this didn't have anything like the same complexity, being an extremely sweet and sticky booze bomb with very little else to offer. It's amazing how two beers with a similar daft spec can yield such different results.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpTJEHVZRWaPiOqoR3DfvR-5YCey4wDQOUk4oIRmeN33g3XqhPhmjr2D91DRQ-nVP59FywMYWjeUlmOaEvPjz6Zud5QDTlsYfm2ILIzMm-u9AUOHcwRYbfVdWZneuF4s15XdGIPiwxnd6K7ZVkGTtPJY8W1B 96pUKodZSEBdcELkjxqdV6I8/w148-h200/stigbergets_omnipollo_uno_2_dipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpTJEHVZRWaPiOqoR3DfvR-5YCey4wDQOUk4oIRmeN33g3XqhPhmjr2D91DRQ-nVP59FywMYWjeUlmOaEvPjz6Zud5QDTlsYfm2ILIzMm-u9AUOHcwRYbfVdWZneuF4s15XdGIPiwxnd6K7ZVkGTtPJY8W1B 96pUKodZSEBdcELkjxqdV6I8/s2680/stigbergets_omnipollo_uno_2_dipa.jpg)One last IPA next, Uno 2, from Swedish brewer Stigbergets and collaborating partners Omnipollo. I've said it before, but Omnipollo is a much better brewer when it comes to hop-forward styles as against their messy stouts, though this one didn't float my boat. It's the pale yellow of custard powder and tastes heavily of garlic to begin, before turning increasingly tropical. 8% ABV generates a lot of heat, however, and that does away with any fruit freshness. The result is a very average New England-style double IPA redolent with all the usual flaws.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSf-pMGF1fqCvlCk5goXZGhRrTrs-0P2ND_BcZF6Y_WNPJr6BG2WTPj3Lu2qQeuzlbV3bdVgs1hH-DRm31GYSuATdkG8d3_8UhQTACtAop9uE3TPgkAfRowqKHWTbYl QhWO0ieXZCl8CznyG3zcLwPsyrZexDmpekWouaHpSWmUE70Efd ijc/w145-h200/dick_macks_dingle_barrel_aged_saison.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSf-pMGF1fqCvlCk5goXZGhRrTrs-0P2ND_BcZF6Y_WNPJr6BG2WTPj3Lu2qQeuzlbV3bdVgs1hH-DRm31GYSuATdkG8d3_8UhQTACtAop9uE3TPgkAfRowqKHWTbYl QhWO0ieXZCl8CznyG3zcLwPsyrZexDmpekWouaHpSWmUE70Efd ijc/s3060/dick_macks_dingle_barrel_aged_saison.jpg)Back to the other bar where there was an intriguing offer from Kerry brewery Dick Mack's: a Dingle [whiskey] Barrel Aged Saison at 10.5% ABV: not the sort of strength that things labelled as saison usually end up. It's brown and smells strongly of grainy red apples. Saison's typical pear flavour is what it mostly tastes of, which is fair enough, and it's dry and light textured too. I was expecting lots of spirity heat from the barrels but that's absent and the whiskey merely adds some mellow oaky vanilla tones. It was a brave experiment but it worked, creating something very unusual but tasty with it. I'm glad I took a chance.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOyShmpjOD47_SPeax77YM6ubG4DRm_l5id8rKNg-ahfqTkrKNnDMJfgQHHGJZlobx1EW4E4DPgiZpBBIZdF04OlLKY IlllzeKsUzaGLd_LehJzyhrxYlJ44nkLHpOdnlbNMWwc4V9Xql sUCEJYvLdEhLtnUKhXisxYwKrwEgCFeabC4W9KY/w151-h200/brlo_rosinenbomber_imperial_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOyShmpjOD47_SPeax77YM6ubG4DRm_l5id8rKNg-ahfqTkrKNnDMJfgQHHGJZlobx1EW4E4DPgiZpBBIZdF04OlLKY IlllzeKsUzaGLd_LehJzyhrxYlJ44nkLHpOdnlbNMWwc4V9Xql sUCEJYvLdEhLtnUKhXisxYwKrwEgCFeabC4W9KY/s2675/brlo_rosinenbomber_imperial_stout.jpg)Two final tokens were burning a hole in my festival cargo pants so it was time to go all in on the imperial stouts. Penultimately I had Rosinenbomber from BRLO, a 12% ABV job that I quaffed stupidly quickly. It's highly enjoyable though; extremely smooth and rich with lots of espresso and a sharp hop-driven edge of bitterness. No messing here, just big strong stout done very well. I notice that it was a collaboration with Lervig, who provided the goods in a similar context at Fidelty a few weeks earlier (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/07/big-night.html).
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvvfBuAq7jIG75s6PjVUzA-e4VoyDoLp1_l1ImttW6x4Cruj8h6Kvd5zUEef3j10PN0En-4apASWcGYjuv2JJANkDvmT77oNCsJoNqXHKPKzCCzy-Shi-ca_iUpGQLaak9h90G_6I6KO125SiXAz8fpVCHqFp46HofdkBBE r8bZske56Ifjs/w143-h200/mont_hardi_matiere_noire_imperial_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvvfBuAq7jIG75s6PjVUzA-e4VoyDoLp1_l1ImttW6x4Cruj8h6Kvd5zUEef3j10PN0En-4apASWcGYjuv2JJANkDvmT77oNCsJoNqXHKPKzCCzy-Shi-ca_iUpGQLaak9h90G_6I6KO125SiXAz8fpVCHqFp46HofdkBBE r8bZske56Ifjs/s2485/mont_hardi_matiere_noire_imperial_stout.jpg)The last beer came to the station with me, and several stops along the line back to Dublin too. Matière Noire ("Dark Matter") is from Mont Hardi and is a bit of a lightweight in this context: only 10% ABV. Still it was the most complex one of the day, setting fudge and chocolate against a herbal vermouth and chilli spicing. A lot of work went into this, it turns out: cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom and lactose, ageing in bourbon and cognac barrels separately then blended. It's amazing the result tastes like simply an excellent no-frills example. Something for other stout hackers to aspire to.
That wraps up the gig for me. It's a festival cliché but the highlight really was spending the day with friends and catching up with trade folks I hadn't seen since before The Unpleasantness. A big thanks to Bob, The White Hag team and all the staffers for giving us the opportunity.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv-uNi74mVO89jvVN5BAf8UGc4STfeu7MvMGDiRLjqhzaD_4CrX4i Zs9vbUa3OHwkYMveeIHvpjcp-EQ0c7RXMAoofLmZg-6suyt_xqX-CQX1MdbQFTVukrmszZp6YWRq_Wx_a_1M994Zb95W8T93ZuCQcl fytK1u57uKqDOnah8peuHDaTs/w640-h324/hagstravaganza_2022_int.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv-uNi74mVO89jvVN5BAf8UGc4STfeu7MvMGDiRLjqhzaD_4CrX4i Zs9vbUa3OHwkYMveeIHvpjcp-EQ0c7RXMAoofLmZg-6suyt_xqX-CQX1MdbQFTVukrmszZp6YWRq_Wx_a_1M994Zb95W8T93ZuCQcl fytK1u57uKqDOnah8peuHDaTs/s4029/hagstravaganza_2022_int.jpg)
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2022/09/witch-please.html)