Wychcraft

Hey folks, so today is Halloween so I thought I would do a post on a seasonal beer, one angled towards Halloween. I Hope you enjoy, feedback welcomed!!!!

Beer Name:

Wychcraft

Brewery:

Wychwood Brewery

Brewed and Bottled:
Marston's PLC, Wychwood Brewery, Eagle Maltings, 
The Crofts, Witney, Oxfordshire,
OX28 4DP, England

Alcoholic Percentage:

4.5% Vol

Measure:

500ml

Taste:

Hoppy, Bitter, Astringent, Smooth

Colour:

Golden Orange, Honey Coloured

Odour:

Slightly Hoppy

General Thoughts:

This is a hoppy blonde beer with a slight bitter after taste. This is a very mild, mellow in flavour beer that would be nicely enjoyed on a hot summers day. There isn't however anything that distinguishing about this beer, nothing that really stands out for me, nothing to make it special. I was expecting a lot more for a seasonal style beer, but on the whole an OK beer but nothing special unfortunately. 

Price:

€2.79 ( Based on Dublin Tesco 27/10/2012)

Shane

Continue Reading...

A Hidden Gem to accompany Great Beer!!!!

Hey Guys & Girls, I thought I would post something a little different today, so instead of just a beer review I'm going to talk about a great accompaniment to go with good beer.

     So this weekend I went to the Ideal Home Show in Dublin and came across a fantastic little stand selling chutneys, jams and preserves. I was greeted by two lovely ladies that showed a real passion for their craft of making chutneys etc.

 I was so impressed with the passion and knowledge they had about chutneys and the love that they clearly put into making them. This got me thinking, what a perfect opportunity to write about some people that show the passion I have for Beer, in something that goes brilliantly with Beer.

Some of the products that they had on offer were:

• Strawberry Jam
• Plum Jam
• Quince Chilli Jelly
• Brandy Butter
• Red Pepper Chilli Chutney
• Apricot, Garlic & Ginger Chutney

I tried all of these as well as some others but these were the ones that I bought. They have a huge variety of different products many of which can be paired perfectly with a good beer. I would highly recommend this company and you can find their details below. I would recommend pairing the chutneys above with a nice full flavoured beer, something that stands alone but helps compliment the delicious flavours of the chutneys. I would suggest something smooth and not too heavy, a beer with citrus or honey notes. I would recommend Young's Bitter - Conditioned Ale which I have previously reviewed. You can find the review here

Crossogue Preserves

Crossogue House

Ballycahill, 

Thurles,

Co. Tipperary,

Ireland

Tel: +353 504 54 416

Website: www.crossoguepreserves.com

Email: info@crossoguepreserves.com

These guys are also on Twitter and Facebook.  I hope this gives you all a bit of inspiration to go out and try matching some chutneys with some great beers. This is the perfect time in the run up to Christmas. 

Would love to hear all your stories/recommendations about great produce that matches perfectly with great beer, and any feedback you may have!!!!

Shane

Continue Reading...

Leann Folláin

Hey everyone, so today's beer of choice is another from the Carlow Brewing Company - O'Hara's. Hope you enjoy!!!!
Beer Name:
Leann Folláin

Brewery:
O'Hara's

Brewed and Bottled:
Carlow Brewing Company, Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow, Ireland

Alcoholic Percentage:

6.0% Vol

Measure:

500ml

Taste:

Malty, Slight Bitterness, Deep, 

Full Bodied,Slight Heaviness,

Coffee,Slight Chocolate

Colour:

Dark, Black

Odour:

Chocolate / Coffee

General Thoughts:

This is an intensely deep, full flavoured beer. A strong malty beer, smooth in taste. This beer is surprisingly not overpowering considering the alcoholic strength of it. It is on the other hand a fairly rich beer and quite heavy. This for me is not a beer I could drink all night, however this is certainly a beer to be enjoyed. I would recommend this as a great choice for a cold winters night in, something to warm you up deep inside. On the whole this is a very nice beer, one to be enjoyed and savoured.

Price:

€2.79 ( Based on Dublin Tesco 27/10/2012)

Shane

Continue Reading...

Banana Bread Beer

Hey everyone sorry it's been a couple of days since I last posted, but i'm back with a new blog post on a new beer. I hope you all enjoy !!!!

Beer Name: 

Banana Bread Beer

Brewery: 

Well's & Young's

Brewed andBottled:
Wells & Young's Brewing Co. Ltd, 
Bedford, United Kingdom, 
MK40 4LU

AlcoholicPercentage:

5.2% Vol

Measure:

500ml

Taste: 

Smooth, Subtle taste of Banana, 

Mellow, Fruity after taste, slightly sweet

Colour:

Light Brown, Caramel Coloured

Odour:

Strong smell of Banana, Fruity

GeneralThoughts:

 A very palatable, surprising beer for me. Before I tried this beer I wasn't expecting to like it, however I really did. The taste of Banana is very subtle, in fact the aroma of Banana is much stronger than the taste of it. It was a smooth beer with no bitter after tones. This beer also tastes remarkably mellow for a slightly stronger beer. On the whole a very nice mellow, easily drinkable beer, with an interesting twist with the Banana,worth its price.

Price:

€2.99 ( Basedon Dublin Tesco 27/10/2012)

Shane

Continue Reading...

Young's Bitter - Bottled Conditioned Ale

Hey Guys and Girls, here's today's blog post and beer of choice, let me know what you think, would love to know your thoughts and opinions : ) !!!

Beer Name:

Young's Bitter - Bottled Conditioned Ale

Brewery:

Wells & Young's Brewing

Brewed and Bottled:

Wells & Young's Brewing Co. Ltd, 

Bedford, United Kingdom, 

MK40 4LU

Alcoholic Percentage:

4.5% Vol

Measure:

500ml

Taste:

Bitter, Citrus Notes, Mild in Flavour, Smooth

Colour:

Amber, Honey, Slightly Cloudy

Odour:

Fruity

General Thoughts:

Overall this is a pleasant beer that leaves a slight bitter and hoppy after taste. Not to alcoholic in flavour, mild and mellow. On the whole this is a very mild beer but does have a nice flavour to it. I would say that this beer is worth the money that you would pay for it, however it doesn't really stand out for me. On the whole its a nice beer, however no outstanding flavours or attributes that would draw me to buy it on a regular basis.

Price:

€2.79 ( Based on Dublin Tesco 20/10/2012)

Shane

Continue Reading...

Greene King IPA Export

Hey Guys, to kick start today's blog post I have gone for a slightly stronger beer from the United Kingdom, Hope you enjoy!!!!

Beer Name:

Greene King IPA Export

Brewery:

Greene King Brewery

Brewed and Bottled:

Greene King, Westgate Street, 

Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, 

IP33 1QT

Alcoholic Percentage:

5% Vol

Measure:

500ml

Taste:

Alcoholic, Slightly Hoppy, Yeasty, No Real Bitterness, Smooth

Colour:

Light Brown, not as dark as a Porter

Odour:

Earthy, Fruity

General Thoughts:

This is a very palatable beer that is full of deep flavours. It is a strong tasting beer, much stronger in taste than the standard IPA, however not overpowering or unbearable. This beer also has a nice fruity note broadening the depth of flavour. No bitter after taste, on the whole clean and crisp. I also think this is a very reasonable priced beer for what you get. I would highly recommend this beer to any beer drinker from the avid beginner to the more developed palate.

Price:

€2.79 (Based on Dublin Tesco 20/10/2012)

Shane

Continue Reading...

Scarecrow

Hey everyone, so today's blog is looking at a beer from the English countryside, it also happens to be an organic beer. Let me know your thoughts.

Beer Name: 

Scarecrow - Organic Golden Pale Ale

Brewery: 

Wychwood Brewery

Brewed and Bottled: 

Marston's PLC, Wychwood Brewery, Eagle Maltings, 

The Crofts, Witney, Oxfordshire,

OX28 4DP, England

Alcoholic Percentage: 

4.7% Vol

Measure:

500ml

Taste:

Bitter after taste, Slightly Metallic, Full Bodied

Colour:

Golden Brown, Dark Honey

Odour:

Hoppy, Earthy

General Thoughts:

This is a not too overpowering beer, but full bodied with good flavour. This beer leaves a slight bitter after taste, a metallic note. I don't feel that this beer is worth the money that you would pay for it. I feel that there are many other pale ale's out there, that are much more flavoursome and cost less than this, I don't feel that this beer really stands out from the crowd. However on the whole its not a bad beer.

Price:

€2.99 (Based on Dublin Tesco 20/10/2012)

Shane

Continue Reading...

London Pride

Hey everyone, the second beer that I have decided to look at is London Pride. This is a beer that I drank a lot in my youth so thought I would share this one with you all.

Beer Name: 

London Pride

Brewery: 

Fuller's - Griffin Brewery

Brewed and Bottled: 

Fuller Smith & Turner PLC, 

Chiswick Lane South, London, W4 2QB, England

Alcoholic Percentage: 

4.7% Vol

Measure: 

500ml

Taste: 

Full bodied, Heavy on Hops, Slight Bitterness, Smooth

Colour: 

Reddish Tint, Semi Dark Orange

Odour: 

Fruity, Hoppy

General Thoughts:

A great tasting, full bodied beer with a slight bitterness and Hoppy flavour on the after taste. This is an all round great beer that is very palatable. I would highly recommend this beer, especially if you are someone that likes a darker beer with deep, full flavour.

Price: 

€2.33 (based on Dublin Tesco 20/10/2012) 

Continue Reading...

Curim Gold

Hey everyone, so to kick off my blog I thought I would start off with a great Irish beer. This is a beer that I have enjoyed on many occasions and thought would be a good starting point for things to come, Hope you enjoy.

Beer Name: 
Curim Gold - Celtic Wheat Beer

Brewery: 
O'Hara's

Brewed and Bottled: 
Carlow Brewing Company, Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow, Ireland

Alcohol Percentage: 
4.3% Vol

Measure: 
500ml

Taste: 
Slight Bitterness, Creamy, Silky

Odour: 
Fruity

Colour: 
Clear, Golden

General Thoughts: 
This is an easy to drink beer, its not in anyway overly alcoholic its more mellow and palatable. I would definitely recommend this to people that are new to craft beers and Ales.

If your looking for an Irish beer, this independent companies beers are a great introduction.

Price: 
€2.65 (Based on Tesco Dublin 19/10/2012) 

Shane

Continue Reading...

Introduction To Me

Hi my name is Shane, I'm a 20 something living and working in the busy Dublin city. I have tried many beers over the years, and enjoyed it!!!

There are many resources on the internet, available for those that want information about beer but if often complicated and boring. I have started this blog for other people like me....the average Guy/ Girl that likes their beer.

I am not a professional taster this blog is my own thoughts and opinions which I look forward to sharing with you, on both popular and the hidden treasures of small breweries so that you too can enjoy these drinks as much as me.

Always drink responsibly and visit Drinkaware

Shane

Continue Reading...