IPA – Irish Beer Snob

2016, Beer Review, Beoir, IPA, Irish Craft Beer

Summer’s Here courtesy of 8 Degrees

July 3, 2016July 10, 2016by irishbeersnobLeave a Comment

I was looking back over the site and realised, it’s been a while since I last actually wrote anything that resembled a beer review. It’s all been podcast episodes. Well, i’m going to correct all that.

Everyone that knows me, knows i’m a hop head. I love me some great IPAs, and i’m always seeking out the next face melter, or juicy banger. Thankfully, in Ireland, we’re lucky to have those lads down in 8 Degrees in Cork. They have regularly released some of my favourite Irish made IPAs, so I was delighted to have a pint of Hurricane in Drury Buildings last week.

They have been releasing special Single Hop IPAs, which included a Citra one (which i loved as I love Citra), and in this review i’m going to taste the Mandarina Bavaria one.

Single Hop IPA Series: Mandarina Bavaria

ABV: 5.7%
Hops: Mandarina Bavaria
Appearance: A lovely amber / orange hue with a mousse like white head.
Aroma: Mandarina Bavaria is a new German hop which imparts an amazing mandrina orange aroma into the beer. There are also notes of other tropical fruit and citrus on the nose also.
Flavour: A very pleasing taste, nice juicy sweet citrus. The sweetness of the malt carries a pleasing bitterness into the finish.

I really enjoyed this beer, even though i’ve always been a little wary of Single Hop beers, as sometimes they can lack balance. But, with skilled hands they can be really enjoyable, and the team at 8D have managed to make a beer thats very quaffable, and very enjoyable. Seek this one out.

Summer Days Seisún IPA

ABV: 4.5%
Hops: Amarillo, Mandarina Bavaria, Equinox, and Citra.
Appearance: Pours a pale yellow, with slight haze, and compact white head.
Aroma: Lovely tropical nose, mango, and pineapple. Slight biscuity malt aroma.
Flavour: Nice level of carbonation, makes this smooth and easy to sup. Soft bitterness mixed with citrus fruits leads to a slightly dry finish. The combo brings you back for another mouthful.

Like Grand Stretch before it, 8D have again produced a rock solid Session IPA. Even though it’s 4.5% I found the body a little too thin, considering some other beers at that strength carry a bit more. But, it fits the purpose of Lawnmower Beer category, light, flavoursome, and something you could pack a few away with your faculties still in tact.

Cheers 🍻
Wayne

2016, Arrogant Bastard, Baggot Street Wines, Cans, Craft Beer, Four Corners, IPA, Ireland, Stone Berlin, Stone Brewing, West Coast

Stone Brewing Europe has arrived #DrinkFresh

June 26, 2016July 10, 2016by irishbeersnobLeave a Comment

In this latest episode the team have a taste of mega fresh beers from Stone Brewing Berlin that have just launched in to the Irish Market.

They also catch up on the latest news from Ireland and beyond.

The video of Joseph Kearns (Head Brewer at White Hag) can be found here where he talks cans vs bottles from his perspective as a brewer.

Please don’t forget to rate and review on itunes, and all feedback / comments are welcome.

You can find a direct link to the episode here

You can get us on @IrishBeerSnob and @Mrsbeersnob on Twitter, and you can find us on Facebook too https://www.facebook.com/irishbeersnob/

Cheers.

2016, BIPA, Blacks of Kinsale, Craft Beer, IPA, Kinsale, Mosaic, New Media Europe Awards, News, podcast, Special Edition

Podcast Episode 22 – Overkill & Mosaic IPA By Black’s Brewery Kinsale

May 15, 2016July 10, 2016by irishbeersnobLeave a Comment

With the blazing hot sun reigning down over Ireland this weekend, we got to sample two of the new beers from Blacks Brewery and their new Discovery IPA Series, we get to sample Mosaic IPA, and Overkill, an Imperial Black IPA.

We also look at the latest news including awards for Galway Bay, and little old us being nominated in the New Media Europe Awards

Please also spare a moment for Rye River Brewing and N17 who are currently hoping to pitch for Richard Branson on the VMBVoom Awards.

The link to N17 Pitch is here https://www.vmbvoom.com/pitches/n17-brewery
The link to Rye River is here https://www.vmbvoom.com/pitches/rye-river-brewing-company

Don’t forget you can find our podcast on iTunes, or using the RSS in your favourite podcast app http://irishbeersnob.libsyn.com/rss

The direct link to the MP3 file is here.

2015, Beer, Bo Bristle, Cider, Craft Beer, CraftNews, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, IPA, Ireland, Kinnegar, Listeners Questions, McHughs, Meath, O'Haras, podcast, Summer

Podcast Episode 11 – A catch up and a Roadtrip

July 12, 2015October 4, 2015by irishbeersnobLeave a Comment

So, after a few weeks hiatus, like buses, the Irish Beer Snob team hit you with a double hit – not only a blog post – but a podcast too!

This week we cover off on a lot of different things, like what we’ve been up to the last few weeks.

Our podcast fuel was the excellent Road Trip beer from McHugh’s Off Licence, brewed in collaboration with Kinnegar Brewing. Available exclusively via their website and shops. www.mchughs.ie hopefully they brew more as it was tasty!

Among other things we rabbit on about a new bar in Dublin city centre, The Wiley Fox, what IrishBeerSnob has been up to, Registering for EBBC 15.

We also look forward to a number of other events, including our good friend Simon of Simon Says Beer who is hosting a craft beer festival in Don’s Bar in Moate, Co Westmeath in August.

Carlow Brewing Company have been very busy, not only unleashing a number of Collabs, a new one with Pinta of Poland, but also a Hoppy Red IPA in Collaboration with Starr Hill Brewing of Virginia, USA.

So come on, and have a listen!

Direct Link is here

Don’t forget to subscribe to our new RSS feed and add to your favourite podcast player. http://irishbeersnob.libsyn.com/RSS

2015, Beer, Dunne's Stores, Four Corners, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, IPA, P Macs, Pale Ale, royal county brewers, Rye River Brewing Company, Tobias, ToOl Brewery

Podcast Episode 8 – It’s all about the Graft!

May 7, 2015October 4, 2015by irishbeersnobLeave a Comment

In this episode of the Irish Beer Snob podcast, Janice and Wayne have a sup of the New Rye River Brewing Beers made exclusively for Dunne’s Stores. Grafters is the name of the range, featuring presently a Pale Ale, and an IPA.

These are total new beers brewed from the ground up, and not re badges of the existing beers in the Rye River Portfolio.

We also chat about our brew day from 11th April where the Royal County Brewers brought down a bunch of homebrewers who were keen to brew in a Commercial Brewery and have a bit of craic as well.

And lastly – we have an interview with Tobias of To Ol from Denmark who we had the pleasure of meeting in Dublin this past week at a meet a brewer event organised by Four Corners in P Macs bar in Dublin 2. Tobias kindly settles definitively the correct pronunciation of his Brewery and the story behind it!

You can subscribe to us on Itunes, Stitcher Radio, and sticking this RSS into your mobile app you can get new eps when they go up – previous subscribers on Itunes please subscribe to this RSS also as we have change hosting providers.

http://irishbeersnob.libsyn.com/rss

The Direct MP3 link is http://traffic.libsyn.com/irishbeersnob/IrishBeerSnobCast-EP008-070515.mp3

Dungarvan Brewing, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, ICBCF, IPA, JW Sweetman, Mountain Man Brewing, O'Haras, Stonewell Cider

The Irish Craft Beer & Cider Festival 2013 – Thoughts Part 2

September 10, 2013October 4, 2015by irishbeersnobLeave a Comment

Pictures courtesy of @mountainmancork

Ok, so I’ve got a few more to tell you about

I am going to start with the lads from Mountain Man Brewing from West Cork, it was great to be able to chat to Phil on the Thursday when it was relatively quiet. Lovely guy, but what really impressed me is the branding – its really out there. They came to the fest with the Green Bullet, and the new Hairy Goat IPA. I was really keen to try the Hairy Goat, and it was delicious. The pictures are above, they used an Antler for a beer handle! And also a picture of the manic crowd from Saturday.

Also there were Dungarvan Brewing with a casked version of their lovely Black Rock Stout with oak chips. Needless to say it was spectacular. Along with a number of other festival specials, I also was very impressed with the session DIPA, hopped powerfully with a very sessionable 3.9% ABV. Yet another good showing from the team.

I was also happy to see my favourite cider there, Stonewell from Kinsale, it was also great to meet Daniel and chat with him. Hot off winning 3 Star Awards from at the Great Taste awards. Congratulations again, well deserved. It was also an opportunity to try it on Draft. It was one very refreshing pint of cider and was very impressed. Not much notable difference from the bottles.

O’Haras, were one of the organisers of the event, however i’ve had a lot of their products, and was trying to try things i’ve never had before, their barley wine was impressive and potent, but I preferred Porterhouse Louder. Early on Saturday I had a pint of their Helles Lager and i’ve had it before, but it was the perfect quencher. Though not my favourite lager of the festival. I was however also very impressed though with “Belgian Connection” which was a collaboration with JW Sweetmans.

Its always going to be difficult to try everything – and also very damaging to your liver and wallet if you even tried. But I was more than happy with what I got to try. But more importantly it was great to meet the fantastic people behind the products. They were all more than willing to chat to you.

There were a few minor quibbles with the event itself, but not enough to stop me wanting to go back. I’ll probably cover these off on a later post, but I would be interested to hear any visitors thoughts