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Sunday, February 21, 2010

drink of the celtic gods

BOTTLES OF THE WEEK

Whitewater Clotworthy Dobbin
, Northern Ireland, 500ml bottle, 5%, €2.99

This is made by the Whitewater Brewery in Kilkeel, Co Down. All of its beers were very good, including a very tasty lager and one of the best ales of the night. The Clotworthy stood out as one of my favourites, and most of my group agreed. It tastes like a cross between an ale and a porter, with a lovely balance of hops and fruit, fresh and dry but not rasping. It really stood out as something special. Whitewater is a true microbrewery, founded in 1996 with four employees. It is possible to visit the brewery by appointment, or visit the White Horse Inn, their pub in Saintfield, a few miles from the brewery. See whitewaterbrewery.com for further details. Stockists: Very widely available in Northern Ireland, including many independents, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda. In the south, Deveney’s, Dundrum; Redmond’s, Ranelagh; Carvill’s, Camden Street; McHugh’s, Kilbarrack Road and Artane; Martin’s, Marino; Harvest, Galway; Holland’s, Bray.

St Peter’s Organic Ale
, England, 500ml, bottle, 4.5%, €3.89

English ales and bitters deserve far better recognition in this country. They offer so much more than the tasteless commercial lagers. St Peter’s Brewery makes a wide range of interesting beers, including a lovely porter. All come in a distinctive bottle, modelled on an 18th-century gin bottle. This is a real session beer, light enough to drink all night but with plenty of interest, too. Fresh, zippy and clean with a subtle hoppiness. Stockists: D6 Wines, Dublin 6; Cheers, Bakers Corner; Mill Wines, Maynooth; McHugh’s, Kilbarrack and Artane; Abbot Ale House, Cork; 1601 Off Licence, Kinsale.


Maredsous Tripel

, Belgium, 330ml bottle, 10%, €3.30

This was an amazing mouthful covering just about every sensation; rich and powerful with a hint of sweet fruitiness, yet with a pleasing bitterness too. Despite the high alcohol, it still manages to retain a lovely freshness. Definitely not a session beer, but enjoy a single glass or have it with fairly substantial food. Originally brewed by Benedictine monks, this is now made by the Duvel Moortgat brewery, which also produces the wonderful Duvel range of beers. Stockists: Deveney’s, Dundrum and Rathmines; Whelan’s, Wexford Street; Drink Store, Manor Street; O’Neills, South Circular Road; World Wide Wines Waterford.

Maisel’s Dunkel Weisse
, Germany, 500 ml bottle, 5.2%, €2.35-€2.99

Apparently, there are four kinds of wheat beer: Heffe, the cloudy style we are most familiar with here; Kristal, which has been filtered; alcohol-free; and dark or dunkel. Maisel’s is dark. This is a wheat beer with attitude. Dark brown in colour, with a cocktail of fruits, mainly banana and citrus, along with refreshing spiciness. Brewed in Bayreuth in northern Bavaria. Stockists: Deveney’s, Dundrum; Sweeney’s, Phibsboro; Drinks Store, Manor Street; Bradley’s, Cork; Egan’s, Portlaoise; Harvest, Galway; Dicey Riley’s, Ballyshannon.

La Trappe Bockbier
, The Netherlands, 330ml bottle 7% €2.85-€2.99

This is a Bavarian-style beer, made in a monastery in the Netherlands. Bock beer was traditionally made in Bavaria, where they had top-fermenting yeasts, as used in Pilsners. However, it is made with deeply toasted malts and therefore has a deeper colour and more flavour. La Trappe is produced only in the autumn, and continues to ferment in the bottle. It is big and rich with an attractive dry fruitiness with malt and caramel. This is well worth seeking out. Stockists: Deveney’s, Dundrum; Bradley’s, Cork; Sheridan’s, Galway; The Oslo, Galway.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, USA, 250ml bottle 5.6% €2.99

Sierra Nevada was founded in 1979 by science graduate Ken Grossmann. It has grown exponentially in size, and can no longer be considered a micro-brewery. Standards remain high though, with some very good beers coming from here. The Torpedo IPA and Porter are well worth trying if you can find them The Pale Ale is surprisingly light in style, with a fragrant nose, and very moreish, malty citrus fruits. Clean and long, this slips down easily on its own, but would be a good match for lighter foods. Stockists: Deveney’s, Dundrum; Redmond’s, Ranelagh; Drink Store, Manor Street; McHugh’s, Kilbarrack and Artane; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Holland’s, Bray.

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