What's you favourite irish craft beer?

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.

Philush

Tried the three kinnegars this week. Limeburner, rustbucket n scraggy bay. Nice old stuff. Rye ale is an acquired taste I think. Can't go wrong with the 8 degrees. Howling gale draft is the job.

grenache

I find O'Haras Pale Ale hard to beat.

Irish Craft Beer Lover

Cormacjones, you're picking up on words and missing the point of my posting. Every commercial product is intent on profit generating in order to make a business viable (or survive), that goes without saying whether you operate from an individual unit or you own a multinational chain of supermarkets. Micro brewers make their beers, to a large extent anyway, for the pleasure and enjoyment of their craft, discovering new flavours, and trying to make their own small stamp on the market. This can be said of all locally produced products, whether they are home grown vegetables sold at a farmer's market, or hand made crafts in general sold on a small local level. In my opinion, it's nice to support those who develop their products locally, with a passion for what they do, whenever or wherever we can, without pumping money into a giant commercial entities. I would have thought that goes without saying...

Krusty_Clown

Irish Craft Beer Lover wrote: »

I would have thought that goes without saying...

Then why do you feel the need to say it? You're posting on a forum that clearly has an abundance of Irish craft beer enthusiasts, yet you're trying to convince people to drink Irish craft beer anyway. Preaching to the converted.

Also, it's Metalman Pale Ale, Helvick Gold Pale Ale and Trouble Brewing is a company, not a beer. Also drinking a beer because the name is pretty cool, kind of contradicts your own argument that "...we have lost (or never had) the appreciation for the flavours of beers". I don't mean to be a pain in the a$$ (but have clearly failed!), but your first couple of posts do 'go without saying'.

cormacjones

Irish Craft Beer Lover wrote: »

Cormacjones, you're picking up on words and missing the point of my posting. Every commercial product is intent on profit generating in order to make a business viable (or survive), that goes without saying whether you operate from an individual unit or you own a multinational chain of supermarkets. Micro brewers make their beers, to a large extent anyway, for the pleasure and enjoyment of their craft, discovering new flavours, and trying to make their own small stamp on the market. This can be said of all locally produced products, whether they are home grown vegetables sold at a farmer's market, or hand made crafts in general sold on a small local level. In my opinion, it's nice to support those who develop their products locally, with a passion for what they do, whenever or wherever we can, without pumping money into a giant commercial entities. I would have thought that goes without saying...

I think most micro breweries would rather do a bit more than just survive and "get their message out there".

Scortho

I really liked Amber Ella, cyclone, hurricane and troubled hooker.

As regulars go its Leann folain and dark arts porter.
I had gone off the irish beers for a while, a combination of nothing new and exciting was beginning to bore me however some off the beers at the rds, restored my confidence.

Galway bay seem to be getting a bad rap for the bottling over lack of carbonation.
Would it not have been a good idea to do a test run say with 20 bottles to see how they were holding up, especially if the line came with no instructions.

They've lost a good few potential cut ones over it.

Footoo

Just had my first Amber Ella and it is beautiful.

Not sure I've tasted such a well balance irish beer in ages.

veetwin

grenache wrote: »

I find O'Haras Pale Ale hard to beat.

Had 2 bottles of this tonight and have to say that while I'm far from an expert I'm struggling to think of a nicer beer. It really has a depth of flavour and character the likes of Galway hooker can't achieve.

BadmanRiddim

Metalman Pale Ale

yknaa

A vote for Rowers Ale from the Carrig brewery. Very nice.