The Great Woods, Blanchy Spoons

Yesterday saw the opening of the third pub in the latests instalment in the Irish portfolio of JW Wetherspoons. The name that was chosen via a reader pole in the Northside people was “The Great Wood”. The Great Scaldwood is the woods proper title and was old rements of old growth Irish forest. Part of the forest would have been in the area of where the Blanchardstown centre now resides. The old Irish forest that was maintained by the local lords till the coming of Cromwell. With the removal of the local gentry wolfs proliferated, which became a danger to man and beast Which resulted in great cull in 1652. 

While I was out for a walk I decided I would pop along and check it out. The site that was chosen was a form night club. Pure drinking establishment in the Blanchardstown area have not fared to well over the years. But I suppose if anyone can make a go of it, it’s probably Wetherspoons. Targeting the pub, cafe/coffee shop, restaurant and general leisure spend. The same day of the opening of  The Great Wood. Wetherspoons in Ireland decide to increases price, somewhere around 33% on selected products. But that didn't appear to put the punters of, the place was packed on both floors. Even with the price increase it’s still cheaper than any pub in the area as far as I am aware of. Although this increase was not applied to any real ale product’s and remained at 2.50 per pint. But that maybe down Tim Martins tipple of choice. The choices currently are all English real ale Hobgoblin, Doom bar, Ghostship etc. I am hoping over time that we will get to see some Irish micro’s getting some space on the beer engines. I wasn't eating but the  food orders did appear appeared to be moving. There is a good bottle selection of Irish craft beer from 8 degrees, Bru and McGraths. Given the proliferation of pubs offering Cute hoor and Hop house as their "craft "options in the area. An as I was told in one new local pub "that's what Diageo/Heineken offered"! The spoons offering is possibly one of the largest selection of Irish craft beer in the area. But why did it take an English pup chain for this to happen?

Adnams Ghost ship (cask): 

Amber in the glass with a good head and lacing.  From been served though a sparkler as God intended. The aroma was mildly hoppy with citrus lemon and finishing with some lemongrass. Taste wise it started with bready malt, citrus fruit and with a very nice tang hop bitter finish. A beer in very good condition and easy drinker to boot. Its great see some cask ale available in the local area and hopefully some from Irish brewery in the not to distant future.

New Things

Oxymoron kiwi Wit: 8 degrees Belgian inspired wit beer, pours hazy yellow with a big fluffy head. The aroma is of big classic Belgian phenols and pepper. Following with floral, tropical and citrus fruits. I got to sample both the keg (via Against The Grain) and bottle form. I did notice a slight difference between the two. The bottle had a little more of the phenols punch, whereas the keg I though edged on the tropical hop aromas. Medium bodied, with a softness that come for the use of malted wheat. Not the classic form of wheat for a wit. But one that works very well to balance out the yeast phenols and when you want hops to a play role. All of this was closely followed up with the Belgian yeast flavours interplaying with hop bitterness, lemon and a pleasant pepperiness in the finish. 

Grand Stretch:  I picked up a bottle from my local Malloy’s off-licence the latest beer from 8 degrees, a session IPA. It pours a clear orange in colour. On the noise it hits with mango, citrus mandarin, pine and ending with a dash of sherbet from cascade.  Medium body, it’s bigger in mouth feel that you would expect from a 4.2% season IPA. A firm hop bitterness and a dose of hop acid balances out the beer nicely. A well brewed session IPA that drinks like a bigger beer, with out the side-effects.   

Equinox SMASH: On what start out with me dropping of Beoir Magazines to a few place around Dublin city centre. I happened upon a few Beoir member and bloggers in the Brew Dock. Preparing to head do to the Killarney beer festival, more on that in another post. Forward on a few venue drop offs and a few beers later, Des De Moor, Steve Lamond and myself ended up at the Butchers bar in the Bull and Castle. Des and myself order a glass of Trouble brewing new Equinox SMaSH (single malt and single hop). At this stage of the evening I was not taken a huge amount of note! But the aroma was truly memorable , one of the highlight of the evening. All big tropical fruit on the noise, papaya and finishing with a hint of lemon. An at 4.5% it is something you can enjoy a few without worries. It good to see such great brewers releasing such  full flavoured  low abv beers

Irish Beer & Whiskey Festival 2015

Helping out at a beer festival can be a good bit of fun, and this year was no exception. The Irish Beer and Whiskey festival has moved from CHQ down on the quays to it new location in hall 1 at the RDS. I found myself helping out at the concession stand with a few other of the Beoir members.  The hall is a much bigger venue than the old CHQ and a better one in my opinion. Much more seating than even the Septembers festival too. The only down side was the reduce number of glass wash stand and potable water for people, but this are minor quibble to what was a great festival.   

Lager space hall with plenty of seating and room for everyone to get around.

There where some great beers on offer and a few festival special that where launched for the event.  Given that I was volunteering there was a lot less note taking that I probably should have done. But here are some of my favourite  beers and ciders that I came across at the festival.

First up was a beer I had heard very good things about on the grape or beer line, Black Bucket from Kinnegar. A black rye IPA (6.5%), probably a first for Ireland. Flowing with big flora, pine and citrus zest aroma. Black in colour, but without any major roastiness like many good blacks IPA. A medium bodied beer that finished up with a lingering hoppyness. Overall a very well crafted black IPA. 

Two new beers that  8 Degrees  had on keg for the festival where, polar vortex which I  had previously reviewed Weather Experience: Polar Vortex. Although the review was based on the the bottle serving rather than keg. Both format where equality good. The second  was Enigma (6%) a SMaSH beer, single malt and single hop in this case the newly release Enigma hop from Australia. 54 IBU's weighing in, high for a pale ale and with the 6% ABV this could easily be many breweries IPA. But that's just how the roll over at 8 Degrees.  A golden color in the glass with an a aroma of melon, with a touch of candied oranges too. This then followed up with a slight dank-ish  hop herb aroma, possibly very slightly peppery.  That in total works really well.  Finishing up with a nice clean bitterness. The malt is some what in the background, but this beer is all about showcasing these new hop which it does in spades. 

Trouble brewing possible brought the most specials to the festival. Sadly the cask of their Triple IPA, (11% ABV) was not ready on the Saturday when I was around. But it is good to see a brewer hold back a cask till its in the right condition before tapping. One of my top beer at The Irish craft festival last September (2014) was  their Vietnow IPA. This current version was dry-hopped with  Comet hops. I am not sure if the standard brew was dry hopped with the same hop. I did pick some herbal/glassy not that I did not remember from last time. But it all worked out very well.

Up next was their new released Fallen Idol and the second Black IPA-dark ale of the festival. Weighing in at 6.3% and hopped with Chinook, Citra and Vic Secret. The aroma is a big load of citrus hops finishing with some dank-ness. The flavour has a little roast with  a  good bit of resin from the hops in the finish. But that just in total adds up to a near perfect CDA-Black IPA in my book. Again another masterfully brewed beer for the trouble brewing boys. The last of their festival special I got to try was Wandering Star. A 5.3% blonde ale, brewed with Golden Promise malt, and hopped  with Summer and Huell Melon. A tasty beer, lighter in taste and aroma  than the previous tow. I did pick up some stone fruit and a little melon. I could see this been a very popular summer beer.  

The one cider I tried over the even was Stonewell Festival, golden in colour, low in carbonate and in all a very tasty cider

Independent brewing had two beer for the festival. The first was their  Pale ale casked hopped with citra. The aroma started of with a musky tropical fruit finish up with  a light citrus notes. Which I presume was the contribution of the citra. The second and my favourite of the two was there special festival IPA and their first IPA I believe. A big bitter beer with lots of orange and grapefruit aroma. The 7% abv was not as apparent as I would have believed for such a strong beer.  

There was green beer to for those who want it. Independent brewing gold ale was infused with a natural green colouring from Spirulin. Not the first time seen in Ireland the  Bull and Castle  did a similar thing a few years ago to great success with tourists.  

The only White hag  beer I got to try was their White sow  on coffee rocket (Randell). The base beer is a oatmeal milk, which is a solid beer with a creamy body with a very nice roasty finish. The hook for me was coffee rocket (randell) with 3FE. The aroma was of big fresh well brewed coffee and one I would love to see around again.  

The third black IPA that I was looking out for was the releases of O Brother Brewing Bonita (India Dark ale), Spanish for " pretty, cute"  and it certainly is.  7% ABV it is well hidden in this beer. A little roastiness  on the palate like all the best Black IPA's. Bitterness was low, which allowed some sweet hop flavor come through. The aroma was a big C hop fruit which I thought were coming from  a combo of Simcoe/Columbus with maybe some Cascade.  A lovely beer for a such a new brewery. 

I helped out for a bit behind the bar for Mountain Man and its possibly one of the fun-est thing to do at a festival. As you  get to meet some great people and the fans of the beer. One beer I was looking to was their Sneaky owl, I missed the Franciscan wells cask festival. A dark English style bitter, ruby in colour and with a firm malt backbone. Aroma was of dark fruit with a light bitterness a beer that would be prefect for serving on cask. A beer that was  very popular with the punters, while I was on the bar.  On cask was hairy goat and it was also in top condition proving very popular too.  

Sam from Blacks Brewery and Derek Neville from 8 Degrees chatting over a glass of Polar vortex. Its always great to chat to the brewers over a few beers.

The food offering where much more extensive than last years CHQ event, much more in line with the September event. there was some old favorites like the Pie man and Jane Russell sausages.  

Jugging buy the quality of the three CDA's-Black IPA's its a style that Irish brewers have really nailed down.

All in all a great festival and I think the new venue was a hit with everone

Weather Experience: Polar Vortex IPA

The Polar Vortex has arrived!

Short-Pour: I picked up a bottle from my local Molloys as the Irish beer and whiskey festival was starting up at the RDS. It weighs in a 5.8%  abv and 59 IBU's (bitterness). Hops are listed as cascade, citra and Simcoe. The grist is kept fairly simple in pale malt, Carapils and Cara aroma.  The aroma I found to be  of the tropical fruits variety. With a slight dank/dark finish, most likely coming from the Simcoe addition. I  didn't  get the sherbet notes,  that some times can be associated with cascade. But maybe the paring with citra edged this towards the  tropical fruit end. Flavour wise I noted  C hops,   following with some pine and then brimming with a  smooth hop bitterness. 

Reminiscing I though there was a firm nod towards  it's other running mate Amber-Ella, but with a slightly darker finishing hop presence. Probably similarity in colour and somewhat in aroma where the trigger for those fond memories. Over all I found this to be  another very enjoyable IPA from 8 Degrees.

Color: Amber with slight red-hue.

Aroma: Tropical fruit aroma, C hops and finishing with a  dank edge.

Flavour: C hops, pine, brimming with a smooth hop bitterness.