Galway and The Great Irish Beer Festival - Part 3

After leaving the festival we moseyed back into town to see what was happening and somehow ended up in a packed bar with poor beer. The place was heaving with no room to move. The antithesis of what I was looking for.

Not my kind of place.

I made my excuses to all and left by myself for a better look around town.

 I decided to cross the river and head towards the Bierhaus. It was busy there too but at least you could get a drink at the bar. The music was a bit loud (maybe it’s because I’m pushing on!) and it was hard to make yourself heard. I  spotted  ‘New Belfast Beers’ on the specials board and asked for a Clothworthy Dobbin but they had none left so I settled for a Bitter & Twisted  from Harviestoun instead. This was served in a Bitburger tankard that suited it well and the beer was not too chilled, it was perfect.

On draught were London Porter, O’Hara’s, Becks, Staropramen, Leffe, Hooker and others I couldn’t get a good look at. They had a good few beers in the cooler too.  I still wonder why the beers are not separated in different coolers, with one temperature for ales, etc and one for lagers and the like. Or maybe that’s just me.

Hunger was taking a hold now and I headed out to see if I could find something spicy to fill me up. I was heading back across the river when I spotted the Salt House and the mention of international beers. It was a bit late and I was a bit hungry so I decided to leave it until the next night.

Back across town I found a nice kebab shop, ordered a Lamb Shish and took a seat. It was very quiet and I took the time to chill out and relax. The food was exactly what I need, nice and spicy with plenty of sauce. I decided to call it a night and headed back towards the hotel.

Passing Sheridan’s I noticed they were still open and couldn’t resist a second visit. I ordered a Leffe, served in a Leffe glass, to wash down my Shish and took a seat.  This place was busy too but in a better way, people could talk and listen without having to shout or use sign language.

Now if I only had someone to talk too.......

Galway and The Great Irish Beer Festival - Part 2

My comrades Beer Mat and Beer Goggles turned up in due course and after they got a bite to eat we headed up to The Black Box to the festival, stepping around the broken umbrellas and puddles as we went. I have never seen so many dead umbrellas in any city, there were hundreds of them. A testament to the earlier weather and the lack of concern for littering and rubbish in this country. (and many others of course.)

We arrived around six and the place was fairly packed. We headed first to the Gordon Biersch/Speakeasy importer to see what was on offer.

I had read about these on the ICB site and thanks to The Beer Nut so decided to try the Gordon Biersch range first, beginning with the Hefeweizen. The tasting notes had mentioned banana and bubble gum but I didn’t believe it until I took a whiff. Well it certainly did smell of both, the taste being a little more subtle with a little malt and spice coming through. It was a really nice beer, refreshing and easy to drink. Next up was the Marzen, a sweet, spicy beer without being cloying. A fine and tasty beer indeed. I had decided that I would not try the Blond Bock as I thought it might be too rich and sweet but I was splitting bottles with BG so I said I’d try it. It wasn’t bad but not to my taste, perhaps it was after the Marzen, which was so good. A great start to the day, this was a great-tasting range. We decided to move on to another stand and leave the Speakeasy until tomorrow.

Seating was a bit disastrous at the event. There was a scattering of picnic tables and a few chairs. Apart from that you had to stand at tall tables or sprawl on the ground.  Certainly not an ideal arrangement, surely a few more picnic tables could have been bought. It’s been a bad summer, they’d be cheap now!

We snuck in on a tall table that was quite full already and had a look at the list I had printed out. (Yes. I am that sad/efficient! Delete as applicable.) We decided on the Gulpener Korenwolf. With its blue bottle and hamster on the label it certainly looked appealing. Taste wise we thought it ok but didn’t blow us away. I got a bit of spiciness but not as good as I thought it should. A mix of flavours with a bit of lemon to the fore but the taste didn’t seem to last. I think I might have to try it again in other circumstances as I feel I might have missed something.

Next up was the Well’s Banana Bread Beer which was ok actually. I really did exactly what it said on the bottle. I’m not sure I need to say more.

After that, we moved on to the Weihenstephan range. BM and I had tried them at a tasting in Kilkenny and I was keen to try them again. We went first for the HefeWeissbier Dunkel and it was nice to get these in proper glasses and not the plastic ones. This caught me by surprise as I smelled of the seashore! It was quite rich in taste though with flavour of bitter banana and spices, perhaps a bit of clove and a touch of lemon. Not bad at all.

As we drank we commented on the amount of young people there and decided this was a good thing. They were experiencing something other than ‘the usual’ in the pubs. However much you would lament the lack of Irish beers there, it would still seem that this festival was a good thing. Not perfect but still a good thing.

The food was quite good.  One stand selling German style food and another selling a mixture of continental style sandwiches and stews. BM and I had the Krakeaur (Bacon sausage) and BG had a chick pea and roasted vegetable stew. All were excellent.

We decided to continue on the Weihenstephan beer and picked the Vitus next. Wow this was good! It was sweet, tasty and spicy but, again, not in a sickly or cloying way. Loads of sweet barbecue banana with cloves and a bit of malt. A super beer, this would be hard to beat.

By now we had been joined by The Cider Girls and another mate from Dublin. The CGs were working their way through the cider on offer and the odd beer. Time was pushing on and we decided to have one last beer  here for tonight.  BM picked a Maisel Weisse Dunkel to keep us in the same general area. It was smooth, very smooth and subtle. I couldn’t pick up a lot in taste but I think that we had maybe gone one to far here so I will reserve judgement for another time.

It was now ten and most people still here were either very merry or worse but there was no hassle.

 I have to say that I was quite cheery myself but not too bad really. Just in need of a walk and some more food.

So off we toddled into the night.

Galway and The Great Irish Beer Festival - Part 1

I almost missed the connection to Galway.

Going from Carlow to Galway involves going east to head west, changing trains in Kildare.  When I booked the ticket online I had 25 minutes to spare before the Dublin-Galway train arrived. Unfortunately I never reckoned for the first train running so late so I arrived in Kildare with 2 minutes to spare. I would like to think that Irish Rail held the train, were super efficient and conscientious and knew that there might be people on my train needing to change in Kildare but I think that would be one leap of faith too much. I think I was lucky.

I ended up opposite a rough looking woman who smelled of feet. I don’t think it was just her feet that smelled of feet it was kind of all encompassing. She also had two black eyes and a strange bearded husband with a small head and large hands. She had a strange habit of lying flat across two seats and sticking her feet out in to the aisle causing the odour to waft around the carriage in an almost visible manner, like the stink lines in a cartoon. I should really have changed carriages but I was too fascinated by the woman to move and I thought she might do something worth hanging around for, like spontaneously combust. 

I was wrong. She left in Athlone. Her smell got off in Athenry.

When I arrived in Galway it was spilling rain. It was noon and Beer Goggles and Beer Mat had not left Dublin yet. They had a wedding there the previous day and were driving across the country at some stage. Although I got soaked getting to the hotel I was keen to get back out and get in to Sheridan’s on the Dock as soon as possible for a pint of Hooker. I quickly dried off and made the short dash along the quay and went inside.

I was greeted by friendly staff and a ferocious back draft from the lit open fire. I sat up at the bar and took a look around. It was a nice place with two separate rooms as well as the main bar area. Not very big but that seemed part of the charm.

The list on draught was quite impressive, for me anyway. As well as Galway Hooker they had Leffe, Erdinger, Staropramen, Budvar , Hoegaarden and others.  They also had a nice range of beer in bottles including specials on Sierra Navada Pale Ale and Menabrea. This was the first pub I had been in that served a decent selection of beer, I’m not the Beer Novice for nothing you know!

There was a nice mix of hearty food on the menu too, ranging from stews to meat and cheese platters.  I spotted a Rare Beef Sandwich and immediately knew this was the perfect compliment for a pint of Galway Hooker. I was quickly served with my beer and my food followed soon after.

Well what can I say, it was without doubt the best lunch I have had in years. The beer was suberb. I had previously tasted it at Septemberfest in Farmliegh and had liked it then but somehow, sitting at a bar in Galway with rain pummelling down outside, it was fantastic. The fact that my beef sandwich was superb helped. It was fat slices of beef in generous proportions, crammed between thick slices of bread with salad inside and on the side. Words can’t express how good it was. The fresh, hoppy taste of the Hooker combined with the rich beef was a perfect combination. This was Nirvana.

I wasn’t just the food and the beer, it was the whole sense of comfort, homeliness and satisfaction.

So as the smoke billowed out of the fire I relaxed and waited for BM and BG, who were on their way at last.

Brooklyn Lager - (Insert stereotypical New York saying here. Use a name like Vinnie and words like 'soy-ten-lee')

I have to say that I wish that there were more American craft beers available over here. From what I've read, America seems to be the place for variety, inventiveness and quality.

(And to think the make Bud Lite too!)

I have really only came across a few and I don't think Sam Adams counts anymore. This might be remedied soon according to Mr Beer Nut and I hope to try some in Galway at the weekend.

In the mean time, this one has been sitting in my fridge for a week or so and it seemed like a good idea to give it a try.

Good idea indeed. When I poured it, it looked great. A really nice, fine, foamy head and a lovely deep colour. Mrs Beer Novice took and sniff and declared that it was quite 'perfumy' and I know what she meant. It had quite an intense scent that reminded me of another beer, Whitewater Belfast Lager. Surely that could only be a good thing, for me.

My comment about nettles and the Belfast brew came back to me as I got that intense hoppy (I presume) flavour and scent. As well as that I got an aftertaste of citrus, like really tangy mandarin oranges, which I seem to be picking up in the last few beers I've had so could be down to my palate. Whatever the reason I liked it. It seemed a more bitter brew than the Belfast one too. I will have to try them side by side soon. (Any excuse!)

Oh and also, it also had a strange smell towards the end, a bit like wet dog but not in a bad way(!?)

The Verdict

I liked this beer, I liked it a lot. Will certainly have it again.

Brooklyn Lager - 35.5cl - 5.2% alcohol - USA

De Verboden Vrucht (The Forbidden Fruit)

I think I might keep this review short and sweet. A bit like this beer.

It's an ok beer if nothing special. It has a sweet and sour thing going on , which might appeal to some but I didn't really appreciate it. I got a citrusy, fruity taste that reminded me a little of Tango (or at least I think it was Tango) or some other orangish beverage. There was a little spice there too that does suit my palate but it seemed a bit lost in the sweet and sour thing. I got a slightly funky taste too that I couldn't shake off.

Maybe I was having an off day. Oh well, no harm done.

The Verdict

I just couldn't get enthusiastic for this one. Might try it again if I'm stuck.

De Verboden Vrucht - 33cl - 8.5% alcohol - Belgium

Schneider Aventinus - My Faith Restored....For Now

I had picked up a bottle of this with the Ayinger Doppelbock that I had a couple of weeks ago. I was a little scared of it after the Ayinger until The Beer Nut and Adeptus eased my worries.

I'm glad they did.

This is a gorgeous beer and means that I might try other Doppelbocks in future. Although it might be hard to top this one.

It was smooth and slightly sweet and left a tingle on my tongue. It had a nice maltiness with no trace of bitterness. The alcohol content is 8.2% but there is little sense of the strength because it blends so well with the flavours. This is good stuff!

There's a strange fruity taste there too perhaps like a little banana with burnt oranges, I'm not sure. What a smooth tasty beer, not to mention a decent size bottle. Not good stuff, great stuff!

The Verdict

A great beer. This goes in high on my list.

Schneider Aventinus - 50cl - 8.2% alcohol - Germany

Leffe Triple - The Ugly Older Sister?

As ye know by now I have a bit of a soft spot for Leffe beers in general. Yes, I know there part of InBev and as ubiquitous as a old bike in an Irish theme pub but I still like the Blond, Brunette and the Red Head.

With that in mind I was really looking forward to the Triple. I mean really.

I waited for the perfect evening and pulled out the bottle. I gently peeled away the foil and carefully eased the cap off. I tilted my glass and let it slip gracefully and easily in with just a slight gurgle. It eased up towards the rim and at this stage I could feel my heart pounding. I picked up the glass and eased it to my quivering lips, the sense of expectation palpable in the subdued lighting.

(Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?)

I took a swallow and then, and then, and then...feck!

It wasn't good. Like finding out that, up close, the girl of your dreams is not really that attractive and has a slight nasal twang that you never noticed before. Feck!

All those dreams you had about her should have stayed that way. Just as dreams. You admired her from afar for so long and now you wish that it had stayed that way, Afar. Feck she's ugly up close!

Will ok, maybe ugly is a bit strong but Leffe Triple is a bit harsh for my taste. The alcohol is over whelming, it gets up your nose it's that strong. I've had stronger beer than this but never had the same uncomfortable feeling. There's a strange metallic taste too (Maybe she's wearing braces?) so that between both of these issues you loose the lovely spicy, mellow after taste of the others. I couldn't get it at all. The last mouthful was sweet and sticky and really was the last straw. Feck.

Oh well, at least from now on I won't be wondering.......

The Verdict

Shocking disappointing. Feck again!

Leffe Triple - 33cl - 8.5% alcohol - Belgium