What's you favourite irish craft beer?

navigator

I've heard of Franciscan Well, Galway Hooker, Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne and more... but never tasted them

goldencleric

Had Galway Hooker last week ... not impressed

My favourite is O Hara's stout on draught in the bull and castle

plonk

Ya I wouldnt be a fan of hooker either. It has a dreadful after taste. The bay ale(brewed in salthill I think) is pretty nice.

BeerNut

Clotworthy Dobbin.

Ham'nd'egger

BeerNut wrote: »

Clotworthy Dobbin.

That's a British beer so it don't count But yes, Clot's a great brew, the best of the Belfast beers.

In a pub I find Wrasslers a great drink

Technocentral

A tie between Galway Hooker and O' Hara's IPA for me

BeerNut

This reminds me of the Irish beer league we did last year.

Brian CivilEng

Another vote for Clotworthy Dobbin here. Also Black Rock and Helvick Gold from Dungarvan.

noby

BeerNut wrote: »

This reminds me of the Irish beer league we did last year.

Oops, I never completed that. The end of the thread coincides with the day I left my job - so that's my excuse. Anyway a quick tally gives it to Galway Hooker.
Obviously the bitter after taste isn't for everyone.

yknaa

A recent convert to Copper Coast Ale from Dungarvan Brew Co. Yum!

ciaran76

Galway Hooker on tap for me.

Will be trying the O'Hara's IPA tonight I believe !

JnarF

Galway Hooker for me too. Quite fond of O'Haras stout as well.

irish_goat

Clotworthy Dobbin for me as well or O'Hara's Traditional Irish Ale - the Aldi version (pity they only come in 330ml bottles).

Technocentral

noby wrote: »

Oops, I never completed that. The end of the thread coincides with the day I left my job - so that's my excuse. Anyway a quick tally gives it to Galway Hooker.
Obviously the bitter after taste isn't for everyone.

I honestly never noticed a bitter aftertaste, or maybe I just like bitter aftertastes!

bennyob

Aldi ale gets my vote with rebel red close behind.

Focalbhach

I'll go with Clotworthy Dobbin or bottled O'Hara's IPA; Belfast Black or Black Rock when I'm in a stoutier mood. Call me Indecision!

For sheer accessibility and affordability, the Aldi Special red ale deserves a mention. And it's lovely too.

IrishWhiskeyCha

Technocentral wrote: »

A tie between Galway Hooker and O' Hara's IPA for me

Snap ...

From my limited experience ...

Hooker on tap beats the Bay ale for me.

Any of the dungarvans were nice had a few of the nordie beers and all were fine too but nothing blew me away but the O'Hara's IPA is class in my book ... reminds me of some of those tasty american IPA

The Minstrel

Hamndegger wrote: »

That's a British beer so it don't count But yes, Clot's a great brew, the best of the Belfast beers.

In a pub I find Wrasslers a great drink

I don't find this comment funny at all, just deeply snobbish. Whether or not Belfast is considered British or not has absolutely zero relation to the fact that it is also Irish. Something can be Irish and British.

Technocentral

FYI Belfast is part of Ireland, not Britain unless your a colonialist or a Loyalist.

The Minstrel

Technocentral wrote: »

unless your a colonialist or a Loyalist.

I hope you are not addressing me with that comment.

Technocentral

No, your man Ham'nd'egger.

BeerNut

It's the ability to bring people together that I love most about beer :rolleyes:

The Minstrel

Technocentral wrote: »

No, your man Ham'nd'egger.

Apologies techno...

Beernuts - it's only fair that the Belfast beers count.

A-Trak

I'm very partial to Headless dog from a bottle and Galway hooker on draught.

BeerNut

The Minstrel wrote: »

Beernuts - it's only fair that the Belfast beers count.

It's not a competition. Nobody's keeping score.

spdmrphy

The Minstrel wrote: »

I don't find this comment funny at all, just deeply snobbish. Whether or not Belfast is considered British or not has absolutely zero relation to the fact that it is also Irish. Something can be Irish and British.

Hear hear. Even though Clotworthy Dobbin isn't from Belfast - it's brewed in Kilkeel I think. Either way it's still on the island known as Ireland.

Focalbhach

The Minstrel wrote: »

I hope you are not addressing me with that comment.

I don't think it matters who he's addressing - it's a ridiculous comment to make. Although it has inspired me to go open one of my Clotworthys, so silver linings an' all that :pac:

CiaranC

Trouble brewings Or for me

The Minstrel

Leto wrote: »

I don't think it matters who he's addressing - it's a ridiculous comment to make. Although it has inspired me to go open one of my Clotworthys, so silver linings an' all that :pac:

Must get myself a bottle of this

Seaneh

I was in Fran. Well in Cork thursday night, really liked their Rebel Red and the Purgatory IPA but their stout was very unimpressive, left a very soapy after taste and felt very watery on the tongue, really disappointed.

I also really like a few of the Porter House brews (their Plain, Wrasslers and Oyster espically).

I would give my vote to either the Dobbin or Wrasslers.

Anoeta

Galway Hooker, although I can get a bit tired of it at times. Clotworthy Dobbin in bottle and Hersbrucker Pils are also personal favourites.

grenache

Technocentral wrote: »

FYI Belfast is part of Ireland, not Britain unless your a colonialist or a Loyalist.

Belfast isn't part of Britain no matter what political ties that poster holds. It is however part of the UK. UK and Britain are not the same thing.

As regards my favourite Irish craft beer, at the moment i'm loving Friar Weisse by the guys at Franciscan Well.

Technocentral

grenache wrote: »

Belfast isn't part of Britain no matter what political ties that poster holds. It is however part of the UK. UK and Britain are not the same thing.

As regards my favourite Irish craft beer, at the moment i'm loving Friar Weisse by the guys at Franciscan Well.

I give up! One of ya's is as bad as the other!!

grenache

Technocentral wrote: »

I give up! One of ya's is as bad as the other!!

i might be bad but according to the atlas i'm also correct

Black Sheep

The Porterhouse's various offerings will always have a special place in my heart (or gut?) because they opened my eyes to non mass-market beers.

1. Wrasslers - still my favourite stout in the world.
2. Vienna- Used to love a pint of this over the papers on Sundays. Shamefully haven't had a pint of this in a couple years, do they even still offer it seasonally?
3. Temple Brau, my go-to beer during college.
4. TSB- a genuinely good cask ale offering, IMO, we're lucky to have this available the year round in Dublin.

Outside of that I was in Dungarvan around the time the brewers started up down there, and have a fondness for Helvic Blond and Copper Coast that's partially because I really rate them as craft beers but also just because of fond memories of that particular holiday.

Lately I've been drinking Galway Hooker in Ryan's on Parkgate street. Really liking this, incredibly flavoursome although I can see how I could get tired of it eventually, as a previous poster mentioned.

Anoeta

Black Sheep wrote: »

Lately I've been drinking Galway Hooker in Ryan's on Parkgate street. Really liking this, incredibly flavoursome although I can see how I could get tired of it eventually, as a previous poster mentioned.

Its a quality beer. Its the most widely available half decent beer around these days hence why I can become tired of it. I always have a shocking case of desert mouth though aswell the morning after Ive had a few of them.

domcq

Belfast black is a favorite of mine. It has a lovely smokey flavour that I like.

BeerNut

Black Sheep wrote: »

2. Vienna- Used to love a pint of this over the papers on Sundays. Shamefully haven't had a pint of this in a couple years, do they even still offer it seasonally?

This year's batch is in the conditioning tanks now.

navigator

recently in Galway I have tasted 'Full sail', an IPA by Galway Bay Brewery (I liked it, good american hops), Galway Hooker (good beer) and Nimmo's (a seasonal blonde ale produced by Galway Hooker only for Tigh Neachtain's bar in Galway)

MonstaMash

Porterhouse - An Brain Blásta

White Gypsy - American Pale Ale

willwe

for me when i can get them:
Crean from Dingle Brewery and Cuirim

Lovely Bloke

My favourite Irish craft beer is Trouble Brewing's Dark Arts Porter, followed closely by JW Sweetman's Porter, availability of Dark Arts for drinking at home is the main reason it's top of the list(I'm aware of growlers, but I'm not in town often enough).

Galway Bay's Chocolate Milk Stout is also delicious.

dub_skav

I am a huge fan of Hop Head, probably my favourite - bottles and draft

Howling Gale isn't bad either, I like headless dog and recently tried a full sail for the first time which was good too.
All of them in bottles.

On draft it's hop head, TSB, Wrasslers, O'Hara's IPA probably the front runners for me

It's brilliant that there is so much choice around now

Creamy Goodness

If I could only pick one:

Metalman Pale Ale.

if I could pick two:

Metalman Pale Ale.
Trouble Brewing Dark Arts.

the beer revolu

For everyday drinking: Metalman PA, though Howling Gale has gotten very good lately.
I thought Amber Ella was fierce good but twas only a special.

With more recent offerings, I liked Full Sail and the Kinegar beers I've tasted are very good too. I also liked the Fran Well IPA and White Gypsy American Pale Ale.

Pale ales are where its at for me at the moment and, finally, Irish brewers are starting to make more assertive and interesting pale ales and IPAs.
But why so many carbonation issues with bottles ? (I'm looking at you, Fran Well and Galway Bay)

RasTa

I'm liking dungarven helvick gold atm.

Irish Craft Beer Lover

It's nice to see that there's a growing interest in Craft Beers in Ireland. I have often been disappointed with the selection of beers in our pubs: the Budwiesers, Heinekens, Carlsbergs of the world, which pretty much have the same artificial after-taste in my opinion. I have nothing against these particular beers, but these macro brewers are focused on mass distribution and profit generation, primarily through strong marketing strategies (I personally enjoy the Budweiser ads, especially the winter ones, and obviously the Guinness ads, phenomenal!), but they don't have the same enjoyment factor as the more locally produced beers around. Maybe that's just psychological, and I'm sure many would disagree with me, but sure I like them anyway!

To throw my pennies worth in, I think we have lost (or never had) the appreciation for the flavours of beers, the enjoyment factor of having a pint or two in a night, comparing flavours like you would do a wine. Beer here seems to be a means to an end i.e. a drunken end. I personally don't mind spending a little bit more to support local brews, drink less and take my time to enjoy it...

Oh, the original question, what's my favourite; I went to the Craft Beer Festival few weeks back, definitely liked Mettleman's Pale Ale, also Helwick Pale Ail (I like light beers)... wanted to try Trouble Brewing because the name was pretty cool, but didn't get around to it. Anybody tried it? Any good??

Seaneh

the beer revolu wrote: »

For everyday drinking: Metalman PA, though Howling Gale has gotten very good lately.
I thought Amber Ella was fierce good but twas only a special.

With more recent offerings, I liked Full Sail and the Kinegar beers I've tasted are very good too. I also liked the Fran Well IPA and White Gypsy American Pale Ale.

Pale ales are where its at for me at the moment and, finally, Irish brewers are starting to make more assertive and interesting pale ales and IPAs.
But why so many carbonation issues with bottles ? (I'm looking at you, Fran Well and Galway Bay)

I had one each of Buried at Sea and Full Sail the other day and the carbonation was spot on.

Bumped into Chris (brewer) in Against the Grain on Saturday night and asked him about it and he said basically the bottling line came with no English instructions so the first run, which was 2 hours after the line was installed, was a total fumble in the dark but a few test rubs since and he reckons its spot on now and shouldn't be an issue anymore.

Lovely Bloke

Seaneh wrote: »

a few test rubs.

eeewwwwww

cormacjones

Irish Craft Beer Lover wrote: »

It's nice to see that there's a growing interest in Craft Beers in Ireland. I have often been disappointed with the selection of beers in our pubs: the Budwiesers, Heinekens, Carlsbergs of the world, which pretty much have the same artificial after-taste in my opinion. I have nothing against these particular beers, but these macro brewers are focused on mass distribution and profit generation, primarily through strong marketing strategies (I personally enjoy the Budweiser ads, especially the winter ones, and obviously the Guinness ads, phenomenal!), but they don't have the same enjoyment factor as the more locally produced beers around. Maybe that's just psychological, and I'm sure many would disagree with me, but sure I like them anyway!

To throw my pennies worth in, I think we have lost (or never had) the appreciation for the flavours of beers, the enjoyment factor of having a pint or two in a night, comparing flavours like you would do a wine. Beer here seems to be a means to an end i.e. a drunken end. I personally don't mind spending a little bit more to support local brews, drink less and take my time to enjoy it...

Oh, the original question, what's my favourite; I went to the Craft Beer Festival few weeks back, definitely liked Mettleman's Pale Ale, also Helwick Pale Ail (I like light beers)... wanted to try Trouble Brewing because the name was pretty cool, but didn't get around to it. Anybody tried it? Any good??

Unlike our own indigenous, not for profit breweries..

Pretty much all the 8 degrees beers, metalman pale ale and galway hooker would be my current favourites. Also the franciscan well Jameson stout whenever it's available.