Blog Tracker
22-12-2023, 11:30
Visit The Beer Nut site (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-twelve-brewers-of-christmas-9.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8mvlmHeQ7reI-PIa6oPRJ05Yn_Vcm4tNq5ARUVqmlPyLE6NvwJkBhVRLbyXb4Vh-Q-Qy45W0DHM2NKAqoNy6u86iamzqLpRUPj9kTzEbT1N9suPEWidE ttEr5Db0Y6EbCTbNuElhE7rOK3t3nYgFCGBnv3SONuOlOTzdSf 5sNvDdZqccLMdtkQ/w146-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_33_hazy_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8mvlmHeQ7reI-PIa6oPRJ05Yn_Vcm4tNq5ARUVqmlPyLE6NvwJkBhVRLbyXb4Vh-Q-Qy45W0DHM2NKAqoNy6u86iamzqLpRUPj9kTzEbT1N9suPEWidE ttEr5Db0Y6EbCTbNuElhE7rOK3t3nYgFCGBnv3SONuOlOTzdSf 5sNvDdZqccLMdtkQ/s3110/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_33_hazy_ipa.jpg)The Brewers At Play series from Kinnegar reached 33 with a Hazy IPA. There's nothing especially creative or exciting about this one, at least from this drinker's perspective. The brewer tells us they're playing with a new yeast, so essentially is charging us for their in-house their research and development. I think you'd need a brewer's fine-tuned palate to tell this from dozens of other beers in the same style made by Irish breweries. There's a bigger than expected body for only 5.5% ABV, and more pithy bitterness than is the norm. I consider both of these to be positive aspects. The flavour offers a mélange of jaffa orange, raw garlic, meringue and vanilla, all of which together is a little hot, harsh and tough to drink. Smoothness is one usual NEIPA attribute that you don't get here, and likewise juice. It has a great deal to offer, certainly, but it's not really to my taste, this time.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgZu55FfxIA_IBatcnRBlPKuDwGXEuTaJ6ong8r-uo3YAP67w0JLqIEBmumbKDF8fWBk1JOVr7wMJeO751DaSBqJ7u 3Rls3Bj9cyEK2rmn3-K0AnWYYg_WXRg4Xxd_SgblxqBgFSoMA5AoYa_HmKD034booKIh HTU-hRqvg-Gzoo0DaYzSYO-FQ/w154-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_34_barrel_aged_chocolate_ imperial_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgZu55FfxIA_IBatcnRBlPKuDwGXEuTaJ6ong8r-uo3YAP67w0JLqIEBmumbKDF8fWBk1JOVr7wMJeO751DaSBqJ7u 3Rls3Bj9cyEK2rmn3-K0AnWYYg_WXRg4Xxd_SgblxqBgFSoMA5AoYa_HmKD034booKIh HTU-hRqvg-Gzoo0DaYzSYO-FQ/s2935/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_34_barrel_aged_chocolate_ imperial_stout.jpg)Brewers At Play 34 couldn't be more Christmassy: a barrel aged chocolate imperial stout. I waited for the mercury to drop below 5° before opening. It's 9.5% ABV but feels more, being thick and unctuous, like hot fudge sauce. Which is how it tastes: lashings of gooey chocolate and only a faint honey heat and oak sap to indicate the barrel's presence. The barrel side is well done: balanced, unobtrusive, and allowing the cake of a base beer to shine through. This is an absolute treat; hefty and filling, but accessible and harmonious too. Some breweries need a fully involved barrel ageing system to get the hang of it this well; I guess it comes naturally to others.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNAGk_1xeERETfZi_66ZIyKqj1vrOy1QMi_-i2ThmO6GWZmzaPtwHTf68BbtWpBXRtiX8PGbxwjDMeNBblmnv7 c7tnhYw6SKREWIFsFnjqcrC40fWc804myGLGb0HEaiGfNyXo9P ItQcgNDTwl0sZTubbxpOAb753v2-M0jPomXqZwxv-pdp1cQ/w163-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_35_belgian_blonde.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNAGk_1xeERETfZi_66ZIyKqj1vrOy1QMi_-i2ThmO6GWZmzaPtwHTf68BbtWpBXRtiX8PGbxwjDMeNBblmnv7 c7tnhYw6SKREWIFsFnjqcrC40fWc804myGLGb0HEaiGfNyXo9P ItQcgNDTwl0sZTubbxpOAb753v2-M0jPomXqZwxv-pdp1cQ/s2775/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_35_belgian_blonde.jpg)The y played it pale again for Brewers At Play 35, a Belgian-style blonde ale. It's darker than one would expect such to be: almost the amber end of deep orange. 6% ABV is just on the cusp of normal too. Still, the fruit esters in the aroma are absolutely where they should be, offering dried sultanas, crisp red apple and soft nectarine or apricot. There's even a fun spark of peppery spice. The flavour continues in that vein, adding a cakey malt sweetness that begins to suggest something stronger, like tripel. Alongside the fruit, there's also a buzz of clove and aniseed. Belgian Belgian blondes are essentially lager substitutes and tend to show a crisp finish. I liked the different direction this one takes: rounder, thicker and altogether more flavoursome. It's a sipping beer, and it's nice to have one which isn't at double-digit strength.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWNlZBjEgadgVzqLBSqHf6seeJiO1oyfvBz7Jz2tKw9 u3ek1kp4UuNoFL5YfQ_qdzIX_JY1i1fXkPLV1-b7aL24U72QZ8JEDFjZBXFltp4wz5js38WKVAMzEVlrWPF4L6pI f8EdPlLwdkFCElvh_q-BfbDFiqOIOPy_N5Rt54Z7KF4tHPOprwrg/w144-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_36_barleywine.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWNlZBjEgadgVzqLBSqHf6seeJiO1oyfvBz7Jz2tKw9 u3ek1kp4UuNoFL5YfQ_qdzIX_JY1i1fXkPLV1-b7aL24U72QZ8JEDFjZBXFltp4wz5js38WKVAMzEVlrWPF4L6pI f8EdPlLwdkFCElvh_q-BfbDFiqOIOPy_N5Rt54Z7KF4tHPOprwrg/s3115/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_36_barleywine.jpg)Just under the wire for this set is Brewers At Play 36, a properly wintery barley wine, and a recipe which apparently (https://twitter.com/KinnegarBrewing/status/1732778534790197513) featured previously as 21 (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2021/12/play-to-winter.html) and 28 (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-single-irish.html) in the sequence, though after a slight dip in ABV it's back up to (hooray!) double digits. It's still a handsome mahogany red and very much malt-forward, with no more than a pinch of liquorice by way of bitterness. I guess the maraschino cherry and plum on display are also hop-related, but they're not bitter or tart, rather smooth and sweet. A wood-like rasp dries out the finish. As with the previous editions, it's a novelty-free, classically-styled barley wine, perfect for considered sipping and strong cheese.
There's lots of the usual Kinnegar talent on display here. It's just a shame that the market keeps demanding hazy IPAs from them.
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-twelve-brewers-of-christmas-9.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8mvlmHeQ7reI-PIa6oPRJ05Yn_Vcm4tNq5ARUVqmlPyLE6NvwJkBhVRLbyXb4Vh-Q-Qy45W0DHM2NKAqoNy6u86iamzqLpRUPj9kTzEbT1N9suPEWidE ttEr5Db0Y6EbCTbNuElhE7rOK3t3nYgFCGBnv3SONuOlOTzdSf 5sNvDdZqccLMdtkQ/w146-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_33_hazy_ipa.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8mvlmHeQ7reI-PIa6oPRJ05Yn_Vcm4tNq5ARUVqmlPyLE6NvwJkBhVRLbyXb4Vh-Q-Qy45W0DHM2NKAqoNy6u86iamzqLpRUPj9kTzEbT1N9suPEWidE ttEr5Db0Y6EbCTbNuElhE7rOK3t3nYgFCGBnv3SONuOlOTzdSf 5sNvDdZqccLMdtkQ/s3110/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_33_hazy_ipa.jpg)The Brewers At Play series from Kinnegar reached 33 with a Hazy IPA. There's nothing especially creative or exciting about this one, at least from this drinker's perspective. The brewer tells us they're playing with a new yeast, so essentially is charging us for their in-house their research and development. I think you'd need a brewer's fine-tuned palate to tell this from dozens of other beers in the same style made by Irish breweries. There's a bigger than expected body for only 5.5% ABV, and more pithy bitterness than is the norm. I consider both of these to be positive aspects. The flavour offers a mélange of jaffa orange, raw garlic, meringue and vanilla, all of which together is a little hot, harsh and tough to drink. Smoothness is one usual NEIPA attribute that you don't get here, and likewise juice. It has a great deal to offer, certainly, but it's not really to my taste, this time.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgZu55FfxIA_IBatcnRBlPKuDwGXEuTaJ6ong8r-uo3YAP67w0JLqIEBmumbKDF8fWBk1JOVr7wMJeO751DaSBqJ7u 3Rls3Bj9cyEK2rmn3-K0AnWYYg_WXRg4Xxd_SgblxqBgFSoMA5AoYa_HmKD034booKIh HTU-hRqvg-Gzoo0DaYzSYO-FQ/w154-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_34_barrel_aged_chocolate_ imperial_stout.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgZu55FfxIA_IBatcnRBlPKuDwGXEuTaJ6ong8r-uo3YAP67w0JLqIEBmumbKDF8fWBk1JOVr7wMJeO751DaSBqJ7u 3Rls3Bj9cyEK2rmn3-K0AnWYYg_WXRg4Xxd_SgblxqBgFSoMA5AoYa_HmKD034booKIh HTU-hRqvg-Gzoo0DaYzSYO-FQ/s2935/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_34_barrel_aged_chocolate_ imperial_stout.jpg)Brewers At Play 34 couldn't be more Christmassy: a barrel aged chocolate imperial stout. I waited for the mercury to drop below 5° before opening. It's 9.5% ABV but feels more, being thick and unctuous, like hot fudge sauce. Which is how it tastes: lashings of gooey chocolate and only a faint honey heat and oak sap to indicate the barrel's presence. The barrel side is well done: balanced, unobtrusive, and allowing the cake of a base beer to shine through. This is an absolute treat; hefty and filling, but accessible and harmonious too. Some breweries need a fully involved barrel ageing system to get the hang of it this well; I guess it comes naturally to others.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNAGk_1xeERETfZi_66ZIyKqj1vrOy1QMi_-i2ThmO6GWZmzaPtwHTf68BbtWpBXRtiX8PGbxwjDMeNBblmnv7 c7tnhYw6SKREWIFsFnjqcrC40fWc804myGLGb0HEaiGfNyXo9P ItQcgNDTwl0sZTubbxpOAb753v2-M0jPomXqZwxv-pdp1cQ/w163-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_35_belgian_blonde.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeNAGk_1xeERETfZi_66ZIyKqj1vrOy1QMi_-i2ThmO6GWZmzaPtwHTf68BbtWpBXRtiX8PGbxwjDMeNBblmnv7 c7tnhYw6SKREWIFsFnjqcrC40fWc804myGLGb0HEaiGfNyXo9P ItQcgNDTwl0sZTubbxpOAb753v2-M0jPomXqZwxv-pdp1cQ/s2775/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_35_belgian_blonde.jpg)The y played it pale again for Brewers At Play 35, a Belgian-style blonde ale. It's darker than one would expect such to be: almost the amber end of deep orange. 6% ABV is just on the cusp of normal too. Still, the fruit esters in the aroma are absolutely where they should be, offering dried sultanas, crisp red apple and soft nectarine or apricot. There's even a fun spark of peppery spice. The flavour continues in that vein, adding a cakey malt sweetness that begins to suggest something stronger, like tripel. Alongside the fruit, there's also a buzz of clove and aniseed. Belgian Belgian blondes are essentially lager substitutes and tend to show a crisp finish. I liked the different direction this one takes: rounder, thicker and altogether more flavoursome. It's a sipping beer, and it's nice to have one which isn't at double-digit strength.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWNlZBjEgadgVzqLBSqHf6seeJiO1oyfvBz7Jz2tKw9 u3ek1kp4UuNoFL5YfQ_qdzIX_JY1i1fXkPLV1-b7aL24U72QZ8JEDFjZBXFltp4wz5js38WKVAMzEVlrWPF4L6pI f8EdPlLwdkFCElvh_q-BfbDFiqOIOPy_N5Rt54Z7KF4tHPOprwrg/w144-h200/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_36_barleywine.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWNlZBjEgadgVzqLBSqHf6seeJiO1oyfvBz7Jz2tKw9 u3ek1kp4UuNoFL5YfQ_qdzIX_JY1i1fXkPLV1-b7aL24U72QZ8JEDFjZBXFltp4wz5js38WKVAMzEVlrWPF4L6pI f8EdPlLwdkFCElvh_q-BfbDFiqOIOPy_N5Rt54Z7KF4tHPOprwrg/s3115/kinnegar_brewers_at_play_36_barleywine.jpg)Just under the wire for this set is Brewers At Play 36, a properly wintery barley wine, and a recipe which apparently (https://twitter.com/KinnegarBrewing/status/1732778534790197513) featured previously as 21 (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2021/12/play-to-winter.html) and 28 (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-single-irish.html) in the sequence, though after a slight dip in ABV it's back up to (hooray!) double digits. It's still a handsome mahogany red and very much malt-forward, with no more than a pinch of liquorice by way of bitterness. I guess the maraschino cherry and plum on display are also hop-related, but they're not bitter or tart, rather smooth and sweet. A wood-like rasp dries out the finish. As with the previous editions, it's a novelty-free, classically-styled barley wine, perfect for considered sipping and strong cheese.
There's lots of the usual Kinnegar talent on display here. It's just a shame that the market keeps demanding hazy IPAs from them.
More... (https://thebeernut.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-twelve-brewers-of-christmas-9.html)