What beer are we drinking this week? Episode 3

Effects · 05-11-2021 8:30pm

Rather than use chips, I've gone with rectangular blocks. Currently toasting them in the oven at the moment, and will toast in three different batches, at different temperatures. It's just an experiment really.

I'm then adding them to three 500ml jars, one is a cheap scotch from Aldi, one is Jim Beam and the third is a damson wine I made in 2019. The barrel is fairly old, so not sure if it's imparting much flavour at this stage!

The damson was aged in an oak barrel for two years. The same barrel that I used in 2019 to attempt to age an imperial stout that didn't work out.

I'll take some small sample bottles from each liquid at the start so I can see how it affects the source liquid. But I mainly want to add some flavour to the oak, so see how it affects the finished stout.

Might just be another disaster, but a learning process. 😂

youcancallmeal · 06-11-2021 11:41am

Finally got a can of the Rascals rock shandy pale ale in my local off license. Surprisingly not awful, definitely a drink for sitting in the sun in summer though.

Also a few of the Black's Ace of Haze beers. Most other brewers will be hit or miss with this style but Black's seem to be consistently excellent. They're usually 4/5% abv too, not sure how they do it

astraj · 07-11-2021 12:54am

Is Innis & Gunn available in Ireland any more. Cannot seem to find it anywhere.

Hotblack Desiato · 08-11-2021 12:06pm

Got some of the latest batch of Atlantean from White Hag (canned on Wednesday, drank it on Friday so as fresh as it gets) - lovely.

Pen Rua · 01-12-2021 8:57am

A little sad to see this (and some other threads in this sub) so quiet after the Boards.ie change over.

Highlights from the last couple of weeks include:

Jansara, a Nelson Sauvignon based IPA brewed by Larkins as a Cork Beer Club / Cork Ale Trail home-brew competition. Was initially disappointed to see another Nelson beer being brewed, but this was a cracker.
Lineman's Insulator, a barrel aged barleywine. Decadent.
World's End 2021 is excellent.
Fluid Dynamics out of Lineman is one of their best beers ever.

ben.schlomo · 01-12-2021 9:02am

Lineman Astral Grains - lovely classic, toasty stout.

Gänstaller Zoigl - enjoyed this. Malty, bit of bitterness, very drinkable.

GBB - Stormy Port, hadn't had it in years. I'd say the recipe is slightly different to the original but it's still excellent.

Macy0161 · 01-12-2021 2:36pm

A few new ones that I've enjoyed the last few weeks...

Lineman Big Calm and Rye Rivers Revelation are lovely Brown Ales. I enjoyed Brú's Firestarter, but those two are a step above.

Great to have another dark lager, and I thought the Ballykilcavan Dunkel was very good.

New brewery to me, nevermind new beer, but was very impressed by Lacada's Devils Washtub Dark Ale. Enough to be looking at a mixed case anyway, and I can see why so many rave about their beers online.

Not too many IPA's but O'Brother's Ghostkeeper is as good as you'd expect. Don't recall ever having a bad small batch from them!

Pen Rua · 01-12-2021 3:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118250886#Comment_118250886

Maybe it's just the time of year, but I'm not picking up near as many IPAs as I previously did. Whiplash's production schedule is partly to blame - new releases biweekly seems to be a thing of the past for now.

BeerNut · 01-12-2021 3:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118251213#Comment_118251213

The other side of that equation is lots more barley wines, brown ales and imperial stouts. I think IPA can take the hit.

Macy0161 · 01-12-2021 8:07pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118251695#Comment_118251695

Definitely lots of Barley Wines, but like Imperials, my main problem with them is I'm not good at the sipping...

Beanstalk · 01-12-2021 10:35pm

Kinnegar has a new Barleywine out the end of this week. Looking forward to hopefully getting one!

Cetyl Palmitate · 01-12-2021 11:19pm

Guinness west indies porter. Very tasty. Can compete with the craft brewers stout/porter.

Redsoxfan · 01-01-2022 12:48am

Is Lagunitas 12th of Never unavailable over here anymore?

BeerNut · 01-01-2022 2:11am

Haven't seen it since the takeover fully kicked in.

Redsoxfan · 01-01-2022 6:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118398881#Comment_118398881

At the same time, their Session IPA seems to be everywhere 12th of Never was. Wonder if a nod to upcoming MUP or just not a good seller. Seems to be still available elsewhere in the world.

BeerNut · 02-01-2022 1:28am

At a guess I'd say that the only Lagunitas we get here now is what's brewed in the Netherlands, and 12th of Never isn't one of those.

ben.schlomo · 02-01-2022 9:20am

Had a very tasty Whiplash Oat Triple a couple of nights back. Had their Witbier last night, not as standout. A tad bland but very drinkable and went down easy.

On Lagunitas, haven't actually seen any of their stuff in Galway in a long time. McCambridges used to have a good range eg Lil Sumpin, 12th, Regular etc

silliussoddius · 04-01-2022 9:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118398635#Comment_118398635

They cut back a lot of their range. Haven’t seen that in a year or so in California. Used to be nice at $3 a big tin.

They got rid of Hop Stoopid, the imperial stout, capucino stout, imperial red and undercover shutdown to name a few. They have a couple new hazies and re-introduced Maximus in a big tin format. They are always good for great value beer.

Sierra Nevada have also scaled back some of their stuff like porter and stout. I think the local scene is biting into the bigger breweries.

Redsoxfan · 04-01-2022 10:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118418410#Comment_118418410

I had looked at check ins on Untappd and seems people are still drinking it. So wondered if it was unique to Ireland.

ben.schlomo · 05-01-2022 10:53pm

Wicklow Wolf Call of Juicy Black Hops. Loved this, slightly smoky and a nice bitterness.

Pen Rua · 11-03-2022 1:42pm

Wicklow Wolf's newest core beer (Tundra Tropical IPA) is a heck of a beer. One of the best I've had in some time.

ben.schlomo · 05-04-2022 11:11pm

Christ this thread has died a death.

Few I've had recently: Wide Street Brewing Neo Noir Black Ipa. It was an excellent beer from a usually excellent brewery. Roasty and hoppy.

Brewmaster Dunkel Bock, an absolute cracker. Loved it. Everything I'd expect in a bock. Sweetness, malt and so easy drinking. Will definitely get it again.

Third Circle Empire State of Lime - a fruit gose, a style I usually love. This was grand, nothing to write home about. There was some lime but maybe not enough and I didn't get any mint really.

dominatinMC · 06-04-2022 10:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118886534#Comment_118886534

Ya this thread is gone. I'd say the ending of restrictions and pubs being back open have largely contributed to it

ben.schlomo · 06-04-2022 1:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118887774#Comment_118887774

Dunno bout that. Sure the thread originated and stayed going previous to that so I don't see why that would affect it now.

Hopefully a few start dropping back in anyway, was a good resource for finding out about different things available and where people got them.

Effects · 06-04-2022 1:24pm

I don't think pubs being open means people don't drink craft at home as much anymore. There aren't that many pubs with the selection of a good off licence. And the high ABV stouts I often enjoy are generally eye watering prices in a pub.

Macy0161 · 06-04-2022 1:48pm

Just laziness for me, as well as more pub for a variety of reasons.

Really enjoying O'Brother Singularity at every opportunity. I enjoyed the Lineman and Rascals Black IPA's, and Miami J 3.0

Wasn't as impressed with Ballykilcavan's Robinson's Revenge as I was when it was the Clancy Can #1. Just picked up their "Resist" Anti-Imperial stout at lunch time, along with Wicklow Wolf Far Far Away.

Really like Dead Centre's Trifecta, and their Brown and Craic Red. Actually, really liked all the craic box - the Ballykilcavan Export Brown on cask was dangerously drinkable.

Effects · 06-04-2022 2:11pm

I keep seeing Miami J and not picking the can up. Must give it a try.

I liked Rascals recent Black IPA.

Really loved O'Brother's Opus One barrel aged stout, using Powerscourt barrels.

ciaran76 · 07-04-2022 7:01am

Sailor Sam Hazy IPA from Dundalk brewery.

Got 2 cans from Aldi at €2 a pop, first can was the colour of the river Liffey so didn't think it was right.

Second can was a nice hazy orange colour and was great.

Went onto Twitter and seems a few people have got the dodgy cans but if you get a good one its well worth it.

the beer revolu · 07-04-2022 11:16am

I think the die off is more to do with the fact that getting decent beer is just pretty common place now - it just doesn't seem so remarkable now that almost all offies have some sort of a craft selection and more and more pubs offer craft beer. Added to that is the fact that Boards just doesn't have the footfall that it used to have.

There was a time that if I tried a beer that I really liked, I felt the need to share it - now it just seems normal.

Beanstalk · 08-04-2022 10:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118892231#Comment_118892231

The can i had was well dodgy.

What beer are we drinking this week? Episode 3

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