And Another One

Love the fox and apple in the logo!

It seems that everywhere I look I find a new cider producer*. No bad thing because I like a good cider me, especially in these warmer summer months. I spotted this particular producer's wares in the Brewer's House and got in touch to find out a bit more.

MacIvor's cider is a new focus for Greg MacNeice. His ciders are made with 100% fruit (no concentrates here!), with apples sourced from Macneice Fruits. He is influenced by the traditional farmhouse ciders of the West Country and has spent some time visiting cider makers there. He is also influenced by the French cidres of Bretagne as that's where his wife hails from. These observations he brought back to Northern Ireland with him to make cider out of Armagh's famous Bramley apples (among others). I was offered two of the new season's production from MacIvor's and I'd have been a fool not to accept them. I'll review them now:

Medium Cider (4.5%) Pours pale gold with lively carbonation, apple skin and candy floss on the nose. Fairly sweet red apple character with a touch of sulphite and perhaps some pear in the finish.Its a touch on the sweet side for me, but I can see this being a popular beverage (potentially over ice (shudder), but anything that weans people off of the ubiquitous "cider" brands has to be a good thing right?!). An email from Greg confirmed that this cider is aimed at those people, but of course is a much more traditional production method. I've also just found out that there are 12 different varieties in here, which helps produce that more rounded flavour than a low number of varieties could offer.

Traditional Dry Cider (5.6%) Pours slightly darker gold and noticeably less carbonated than the medium. Notes of custard, hay and toffee apples on the nose. Dryish but not drying or tart, subtle apple flavour and long dry finish. I like the balance and subtleties in this one and would certainly drink it if I found it in the pub.

Here's hoping that we get the cider on draught at Belfast Beer Fest this year.

*Not quite, but there's a similar number to breweries here!

The 12 Stouts of Christmas

As mentioned previously Bristol Beer Factory decided to release a special selection of 12-stouts for Christmas. They arrived this week and I've managed to drink them already (though three of them I've reviewed previously). I decided to present my review in the form of the well known Christmas carol.

12 Brown bottles sitting on my wall...

The first stout of Christmas I put in my belly 
was a stout made with raspberries 
Pours dark brown with a red tinge. Thin tan head soon collapses to a lacing. Tart and sweet raspberry nose with roast barley and a hint of oak smoke in the background. Very thick and smooth bodied with tart raspberry, rich malts and a hint of acrid roast barley. Gentle carbonation helps to prevent it from seeming too cloying. The Belgian yeast is clearly discernible too and a noticeable kiss of alcohol, which adds to rather than detracts from the beer. Long raspberry finish with chocolate lingering in the background. Would pair well with my friend’s recipe for raspberry chocolate cake. 


The second stout of Christmas I put in my belly-chili chocolate stout
Pours teak brown with a 5mm off-white head. Intriguing milk chocolate and tangerine aroma. At first very fruity followed by roasted barley and dark malt flavours. Light bodied for its ABV with a slightly powdery texture. A subtle chilli bite in the finish which builds as you go down the glass. Would love to try the chilli on its own!


The third stout of Christmas I put in my belly-vanilla milk stout
Dark black-brown with thick milky-coffee coloured head. Big sweet vanilla ice cream and lactose aroma. Lactose up front with plenty of sweetness, milk chocolate and a long sweet and roast barley finish.




The fourth stout of Christmas I put in my belly-hazlenut latte stout
Pours dark brown with minimal beige head that soon collapses to a lacing. Fruity and smoky roast coffee nose. Strong coffee up front almost detergent-like citrus comes second and a sweet finish. After the fantastic nose the flavour was a disappointment.



The fifth stout of Christmas I put in my belly-cho-o-late stout
Factoberfest 2011 Pitch black with a chocolate malt nose with spicy rasins with cocoa powder and a hint of peppermint. Very deceptive for its 5% with a chalky dry yet sweet finish.





The sixth stout of Christmas I put in my belly-stout with chocolate orange
Dark body, tan head. Spicy hops and orange pith on the nose. a little metallic at first, subtle orange, dark malt astringency and roasted finish. Would have liked perhaps a bit more orange in this






The seventh stout of Christmas I put in my belly-Imperial Stout
Midnight black with a temporary beige head. Vinous fruit, caramel, alcohol and a hint of lactose on the nose. Very thick and warming, molten chocolate with a slight lactic edge followed by a roasted barley and chocolate finish. fairly low carbonation. Its a bit brief in the finish otherwise superb.


The eighth stout of Christmas I put in my belly-Glenlivet Cask Stout
Pours red tinged black brown with a thin mocha head that disappears to a lacing after 30secs. On the nose we have sherry, vanilla, sultanas and a touch of vanilla. Fairly gentle carbonation and very thick in mouthfeel, Its very sweet with plenty of dried fruit with the whisky following on in behind bringing a warming complex slightly dry finish.

 
The ninth stout of Christmas I put in my belly-Laphroaig Cask stout
Pours brown almost black with a creamy tan head. Plenty of phenol on the aroma from the Laphroaig cask and a sweet edge. Dry barley followed by woody smoke, phenol and a complex roast coffee and chocolate finish.



The final three stouts were reviewed here.


The twelve stouts of Christmas I've put in my belly
12. Milk Stout
11. Bristol (dry) stout
10. Ultimate Stout
9. Laphroaig cask stout
8. Glenlivet Cask Stout 
7. imperial stout 
6. stout with chocolate orange
5. choc-o-late stout 
4. hazlenut latte stout
3. vanilla milk stout
2. chili chocolate stout 
and a stout made with raspberries