"Irish" ales

Despite the wave of decent new breweries in Ireland, some don't always get it right and today we have two breweries that reflect that well. I almost considered not bothering to write these up but people need to know what to avoid as well as what to seek out!

The labels of the first have already caused much controversy; so I won't dwell on it here though I'm not a fan of the "characters" and their associated paddiwhackery blarney. They're also curently brewed in England; so not even Irish! (BeerNut thoughts here)

 

First up Gravy Maevy's Pilsner...the controversially labelled one...also what kind of a name is Gravy anyway...just named that way so that it rhymes probably. As you can see it looks nothing like a pilsner, being closer in colour to a Vienna and tasting like neither. Sweet cereal grain nose. Sweet, 1 dimensional buttery biscuit base. This went down the sink after a few sips.

Granny Mary's Red Ale is another with style above substance. It all starts well pouring an attractive dark ruby with fluffy tan head collapsing to a lacing but goes downhill thereafter. Wet cereal grain and cardboard boxes, metallic mouldy berries. Medium body, sweet, caramalt and burnt toast, acrid finish...another drain pour.No one needs to brew red ales!

Rye River Brewing Co

Next up a brewery who quite impressed with their lager but not so with the rest of their range. Again, strong branding but nout else.

The Liberties up first. Dusty caramel, sweet malt and butterscotch on the nose. Buttery biscuit, quite dry bitterness, touch of red berries. Another beer not given long enough for the yeast to mop up diacetyl...or just a poor choice of yeast.

Honor Bright is your typical Irish Red  - Slightly peppery cereal notes, malt led. More diacetyl and caramalt.Almost as bad as the McGargles and again straight down the sink.

Best of the bunch was Black Pitts Porter dark cola brown, roast barley and molasses on the nose. Medium carbonation, dry brown malt, some residual chocolate sweestness, very dry burnt toast, slightly astringent and red berries in finish. Its missing on the hop balance, being mostly malt led but at least it didn't end up being poured away.

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Red in the face

Breweries both north and south of the border here seem to have a core range which consists of three styles, a blonde (read: lager), a (dry) stout and that ubiquitous Irish style: a red ale. I've never really been that taken by them, often being a little too caramel malty and not much else, all very samey.

I decided to put that to the test by doing a comparative tasting of some of the better Irish brewers

Four Shades of Red

Carlow O'Hara's Irish Red (4.3%)
dark auburn with watermelon and green apple.
Acetaldehyde, medium bodied, solvent, caramalt and green apple.
Not nice - tipped it away.

Porterhouse Red (4.4%)

light chestnut with slight white head formation.
Sweet caramel and herbal nose.
Astringent, sweet, thin, medium carbonation, papery.

Dungarvan Copper Coast (4.3%)

Medium bodied, chocolate, caramel, touch of astringency,
cocoa and toffee in finish.

8 Degrees Sunburnt Irish Red (5%)
Spicey cardamom and caramel. Garnet red with minimal lacing.
Very low carbonation, sweet, caramalt.
Promising start but dull finish.

Clanconnel McGraths Irish Red (4.3%)
Alcoholic musty, dried fruits on the nose. Fairly dry with light carbonation, candy sugar, shortcake, custard with astringent yet sweet finish.

As you can see from my tasting notes, they're all pretty dull with some being downright nasty. Why do they persist with something so dull. To all Irish brewers please stop using so much caramalt and be more inventive with your hopping instead. Thanks!