Supporting craft breweries

Normal One

Normal One wrote: »

I put in an order today at 15:55, got notification a whopping 3 minutes later to say it was packed and waiting to be picked up, notification from DPD that it was collected at 16:14 and is now in the network so I should have it tomorrow. Ridiculous efficiency!

Arrived at 11:00 this morning

Pen Rua

I got a FB ad for this, seems like exceptionally good value and a good introduction to solid, Irish craft beers.

https://www.thewinecentre.ie/p/irish-craft-beer-zoom-box-tasting-notes/?fbclid=IwAR3atnQUIa8rURMojeqs-RYUQXUNzLsaufdvwqvynd8MD_Y3bmb3Fb2O2jU

€30 for:
Kinnegar Rust Bucket Rye Ale IPA, 44cl Can
Lough Gill Andersons Red Ale, 44cl Can
Sullivan’s Maltings Red Ale, 44cl Can
O’Hara’s Nitro Irish Stout, 44cl Can
Wicklow Wolf Apex Oatmeal Stout, 44cl Can
Yellowbelly Pirate Bay IPA, 44cl Can
12 Acres Make Hay IPA, 44cl Can
Galway Bay Slow Lives Helles Lager, 33cl Can
White Hag Roc Pils Lager, 33cl Can
Bru Brewery Hop Bomb IPA, 33cl Can
Whiplash Rollover IPA, 33cl Can
Hope Grunt Wheat Beer, 44cl Can

They promise tasting notes. €30/12 = €2.50 per can (when a lot of the cans are 440ml and are typically in the €3+ range). Delivery is €8.50.

BaZmO*

Pen Rua wrote: »

I got a FB ad for this, seems like exceptionally good value and a good introduction to solid, Irish craft beers.

https://www.thewinecentre.ie/p/irish-craft-beer-zoom-box-tasting-notes/?fbclid=IwAR3atnQUIa8rURMojeqs-RYUQXUNzLsaufdvwqvynd8MD_Y3bmb3Fb2O2jU

€30 for:
Kinnegar Rust Bucket Rye Ale IPA, 44cl Can
Lough Gill Andersons Red Ale, 44cl Can
Sullivan’s Maltings Red Ale, 44cl Can
O’Hara’s Nitro Irish Stout, 44cl Can
Wicklow Wolf Apex Oatmeal Stout, 44cl Can
Yellowbelly Pirate Bay IPA, 44cl Can
12 Acres Make Hay IPA, 44cl Can
Galway Bay Slow Lives Helles Lager, 33cl Can
White Hag Roc Pils Lager, 33cl Can
Bru Brewery Hop Bomb IPA, 33cl Can
Whiplash Rollover IPA, 33cl Can
Hope Grunt Wheat Beer, 44cl Can

They promise tasting notes. €30/12 = €2.50 per can (when a lot of the cans are 440ml and are typically in the €3+ range). Delivery is €8.50.

When you add the delivery charge it pushes all the cans into the €3+ range.

irish_goat

https://brewerycorner.com/collections/all

O'Haras now selling via their pub. €2.50 for Leann Follain.

Pen Rua

irish_goat wrote: »

https://brewerycorner.com/collections/all

O'Haras now selling via their pub. €2.50 for Leann Follain.

€6 shipping.

I had planned to pick up their bottled Irish stout (to compare with the Nitro one) but it's sold out of the Bierhaus in Cork, and wasn't in Tesco on Friday. Hoping it might still be left in Dunnes.

If I were to put in an order there, what other O'Hara beers are worth picking up? Probably a lot at €2.50 each!

Ivefoundgod

Pen Rua wrote: »

€6 shipping.

I had planned to pick up their bottled Irish stout (to compare with the Nitro one) but it's sold out of the Bierhaus in Cork, and wasn't in Tesco on Friday. Hoping it might still be left in Dunnes.

If I were to put in an order there, what other O'Hara beers are worth picking up? Probably a lot at €2.50 each!

I was trying to find the stout as well but no sign of it in O' Briens or Tesco here. Odd because the O' Briens is always well stocked with their beers given its the local brewery here in Carlow.

I'd recommend the Hop Adventure series above most of the core range. The IPA is serviceable, the double IPA is tasty and Leann Follain is exceptional. I'm not mad about the 51st state, Red Ale or lager but am a big fan of the session IPA, tropical IPA and White Haze.

Pen Rua

Ivefoundgod wrote: »

I was trying to find the stout as well but no sign of it in O' Briens or Tesco here. Odd because the O' Briens is always well stocked with their beers given its the local brewery here in Carlow.

I'd recommend the Hop Adventure series above most of the core range. The IPA is serviceable, the double IPA is tasty and Leann Follain is exceptional. I'm not mad about the 51st state, Red Ale or lager but am a big fan of the session IPA, tropical IPA and White Haze.

Maybe they've diverted the beer from bottles to the nitro cans. It was in stock during the week in the Bierhaus, but now it's not listed -- oops.

There’s a good few other brands you could add to make up an order anyway.

Macy0161

Their Irish Stout hasn't been in Tesco in months, maybe the guts of a year? I generally picked it up in Supervalu. As mentioned, Hop Adventure and White Haze would be ones I'd fairly regularly buy. The "Session" is decent, and I think the Red is alright as well.

They've been selling via Brewery Corner/ O'Hara's website since lockdown one, albeit it was by the box. Having it pick and mix is new though.

Pen Rua

Oops, looks like I've thoroughly missed the boat on that one. There is a SuperValu in the city centre here in Cork, but it closes rather early and has a meh off license, but I might give it a shot all together.

After all my hunting for this bottled version, 1) I'd like to find it and 2) it better be worth it for the comparison I want to do! :')

BonnieSituation

BonnieSituation wrote: »

Martin's kept the same prices from the 4/10 etc deals from what I can make out.

Would love to know what happened ya there tbh? It has never struck me as a joint where you could have an awful experience.

That being said, I have my own grudges against various hostelries around the city for perceived sleights over the years that are never going away.

I was in town with a mate, having a few pints and on the way home we stopped in to grab a few cans. It was just around the time that the 10pm off-licence restrictions had come in, so we went into Martin's as we weren't gonna make it back to Artane in time.

We had no cash so we went to the ATM at the corner of Fairview and Malahide Rd. The machine had no 20s, so we took out a 50.......me hoping that I had enough in the account, which I did.

We went in, picked a few beers and queued to pay. As he's serving us, the guy behind the till is having a chat with some regular behind us in the queue about how all the crazies have been coming in all night. Not sure how high up he was, but he seemed like a manager at least. Anyway, he hands my mate back change from a 20 and starts serving the people behind us.

He said "I gave you €50, mate" and the manager looked at the regular as if to go "here we go again". He point blank refused to entertain the idea that he'd made a mistake and basically said we were too gargled to know what we'd paid with. Wouldn't even open the till to check, nor listen to any talk about the machine having nothing but €50 notes. He was right, we were wrong....end of.

I asked him to check the cameras or count the till, it was the only way to be sure, and he said he would........tomorrow morning as he hadn't got the time to do it tonight. My mate said "you've just robbed me of 30 quid, how about I take 30 euros worth of gargle out the door with me until you check your cameras?" and he exploded, cursing us out the door saying we were like a bunch of travellers preying on people.

We were drawing the ire of everyone else queuing up, as it was 5 to 10pm at this stage, so I said we'll be back in the morning. Turn up the next day about 2pm, and as we walk in the door the same fella looks up from the till and sees us, then immediately walks into the back store room. A few seconds later some fella of about transition year age walks out and takes €30 out of the till and says he was told to give us that. No apology, nothing.

We asked to speak with him, and the youngfella went back into the store to talk with him. He was back out 30 seconds later saying your man was too busy to talk to us, so we left. Haven't been back since.

kilrush

Pen Rua wrote: »

Oops, looks like I've thoroughly missed the boat on that one. There is a SuperValu in the city centre here in Cork, but it closes rather early and has a meh off license, but I might give it a shot all together.

After all my hunting for this bottled version, 1) I'd like to find it and 2) it better be worth it for the comparison I want to do! :')

Have you tried Bradleys on North Main Street? I don't know for certain but they usually have everything I would be looking for.

Pen Rua

kilrush wrote: »

Have you tried Bradleys on North Main Street? I don't know for certain but they usually have everything I would be looking for.

Oooh I’ve been in there far too much. I’ve never noticed them stocking O’Hara’s before.

kilrush

Pen Rua wrote: »

Oooh I’ve been in there far too much. I’ve never noticed them stocking O’Hara’s before.

They definitely had the barrel aged lean follain back in november but I've not been in looking for anything O'Haras recently.

LollipopJimmy

I bought a box of O'Haras barrell aged stout, gave one to a mate who's idea if craft beer is Hop House 13, he has now put me on charge of all of his purchases

Hotblack Desiato

L1011 wrote: »

Decided to give it a go as there was a discount code for doing the last quiz. Value of the contents is (likely to be, based on past performance) decent even if you don't bother with the quiz element really

White Hag box arrived this morning, I got:

4 Puca Lemon (much prefer the Berry & Hibiscus one, but none of those )
4 Atlantean 440mL
4 Little Fawn
4 Phantom
4 Ninth Wave
3 Bran & Sceolan 440mL
2 Shamrock Shake

And an A4 page with the quiz logo on it but no details at all...

A little disappointed to get 4 the same of some of these (especially the Puca Lemon) a little more variety of beers would have been nice. Or even a mixed stout and hoppy option. But €2.60 a can is good value and I'm pleased to have got 3 of the Bran & Sceolan...

DrZeuss

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

..snip
4 Atlantean 440mL
..snip
3 Bran & Sceolan 440mL
..snip

Atlantean 440ml sounds good, I wonder are they starting to move all their core range to 440ml

Starlord_01

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

White Hag box arrived this morning, I got:

4 Puca Lemon (much prefer the Berry & Hibiscus one, but none of those )
4 Atlantean 440mL
4 Little Fawn
4 Phantom
4 Ninth Wave
3 Bran & Sceolan 440mL
2 Shamrock Shake

And an A4 page with the quiz logo on it but no details at all...

A little disappointed to get 4 the same of some of these (especially the Puca Lemon) a little more variety of beers would have been nice. Or even a mixed stout and hoppy option. But €2.60 a can is good value and I'm pleased to have got 3 of the Bran & Sceolan...

Have 2 of these to try tonight - looking forward to them.

Pen Rua

A whole swathe of new releases hitting Ireland this week...

https://craftcentral.ie/collections/frontpage

Most notably, as pointed out previously in this thread, prices for British breweries are much higher.

Two new Gipsy Hill ones are over €7 and €8 respectively.

The cheapest Deya one is a pils going for over €6 but their IPAs et al are closer to €8/9.

Wander Beyond has a raft of imperial IPAs and stouts, most of which are going for well into the €8/9 range.

Granted, Craft Central seem to typically being a small bit more pricey than my local shop.

Compare to Oddity (Spain) at €5, O Brother also in the same price point and Whiplash at €5.50

BeerNut

Pen Rua wrote: »

Compare to Oddity (Spain) at €5

Brewed in Ballyfermot. Has probably never even seen the sun.

The Buster

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

White Hag box arrived this morning, I got:

4 Puca Lemon (much prefer the Berry & Hibiscus one, but none of those )
4 Atlantean 440mL
4 Little Fawn
4 Phantom
4 Ninth Wave
3 Bran & Sceolan 440mL
2 Shamrock Shake

And an A4 page with the quiz logo on it but no details at all...

A little disappointed to get 4 the same of some of these (especially the Puca Lemon) a little more variety of beers would have been nice. Or even a mixed stout and hoppy option. But €2.60 a can is good value and I'm pleased to have got 3 of the Bran & Sceolan...

Got the box the last 2 times but didnt bother this time as came too quick after the last one. Glad I didnt as I dont like their Sours. Am surprised the new Juicy Pale Ale wasnt included. Would if been good to get a sample.

Hopefully Atlantean moves to 440ml permantly - its my favourite of the core range

The last two boxes were 27/28 cans for €60, 25 for €65 this time so the value isn't as good this time round.

I enjoy the quiz nights and the mystery box of beer but they could do with keeping them a bit further apart and look at the value for money

BaZmO*

I wouldn't be rushing to buy any more beers from Wander Beyond after the two abominations I got with my last order.

youcancallmeal

The Buster wrote: »

Got the box the last 2 times but didnt bother this time as came too quick after the last one. Glad I didnt as I dont like their Sours. Am surprised the new Juicy Pale Ale wasnt included. Would if been good to get a sample.

Hopefully Atlantean moves to 440ml permantly - its my favourite of the core range

The new pale ale "Magic Mist" is actually nicer than Atlantean imo but they're both quite nice anyway

Basq

^ I love Atlantean so was looking forward to it but thought Magic Mist didn't hold a candle to it

L1011

The Buster wrote: »

The last two boxes were 27/28 cans for €60, 25 for €65 this time so the value isn't as good this time round.

I enjoy the quiz nights and the mystery box of beer but they could do with keeping them a bit further apart and look at the value for money

They said the box would be dearer/smaller this time due to dearer beers - Puca and presumably the Shamrock Shake. It was also €59 for people who did the last one.

I'd like to think the very close spacing this time is because they forgot that the Paddys Day one was coming up when arranging the last one - but if they announce another tomorrow I'm clearly wrong :pac:

l14masasddadsg

Macy0161 wrote: »

Yes, was one of the specials. I've one of each of their stout specials left, planning an Apex night one of these days. Mad Mex into Pointy Shoe's could be a messy end though!

I have one of every stout going back as far as the 4 bean Apex, up as far as the collab with Lough Gill. I need some help to drink them at this stage!

Basq

Having Ballykilcavan's Walnut Whip Stout this evening...

.. as I've mentioned a few times, I'm not a fan of sweet stouts.

But this is nicely bitter with a slight hint of walnut.

Really good!

grimbergen

Anyone familiar with canning on here? I’m just wondering if it’s feasible to ask a brewery to say, can 1,000 cans, with my company’s logo on them?

I would provide the artwork but is it something breweries go for?

CiaranMT

grimbergen wrote: »

Anyone familiar with canning on here? I’m just wondering if it’s feasible to ask a brewery to say, can 1,000 cans, with my company’s logo on them?

I would provide the artwork but is it something breweries go for?

It can be done alright, you'd need to get in touch with a brewery who could produce a small batch on a pilot kit. Hope have one, Third Barrel too. I'm sure there's more around. Whether they go for it or not is up to them!

grimbergen

CiaranMT wrote: »

It can be done alright, you'd need to get in touch with a brewery who could produce a small batch on a pilot kit. Hope have one, Third Barrel too. I'm sure there's more around. Whether they go for it or not is up to them!

Thanks. when you say small batch, do you mean one of their existing beers with just the can being piloted? Or would it be a new beer? Pardon my ignorance