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

Short Pour: Missed beers

Mescan: Westport White (Wit) 5%.

Historically, Belgian White or wit’s in the Irish craft beer scene  had played a some what secondary role. There had been a tendency from Irish brewers to favor the it's Teutonic cousin, the German Hefeweizen  as the wheat beer of choice.

Batting for the German Hefeweizen's, Franciscan well Friar wise , Galway Hooker Ban Weiss, Opus II and Porterhouse Haus weiss. An representing Belgian centered wheat beers, Kinsale Williams Wheat (now closed). **Comparison based on my memory, reality maybe different**

But one issue with German Hefeweizen was the use of dry over liquid yeast. While the dry German Hefeweizen are grand, I find they don't quite capture the true essence of the style. Compared to the liquid version, such as White labs WLP300. Also compounding the issue is that some of these Hefe yeasts need to be top cropped. So as to maintain the selective phenotype and this doesn't always suite conical fermentation. Whereas there are a couple of dry yeast that produce some very fine Belgian wheat beer such as T-58 (Safbrew) and Brewferm Belgian Wheat. 

Colour: Straw yellow with a fluffy white head

Aroma: Belgian phenolic, herbal

Taste: Dry with a slight sweet cereal and some mineral notes. Lightly spiced with the classic Belgian wit spice combination of crushed coriander seeds and Orange zest. I prefer a light hand with spice's as it something that can be over done all too easily.  All in all, a tasty and refreshing beer, one to try. Hopefully  one we will seen in kegs as the summer rolls in.

Reel Deel: Jack the lad 4.5%

Colour: Darkish yellow.

Aroma: New world hops, citrus with a pleasant sweet  tropical edge.

Taste: Lots of C hops with a citrus edge finishing with some sherbet and a little grass. Dry with a slight bitter finish, medium body. A very nice and well brewed IPA. Possibly lighter that a lot others at 4.5%, but certainly very drinkable.