12 Acres Brewing Company "Golden Pale Ale"

12 Acres Brewing Company is one I have to say I don't know a whole lot about. At the time of writing, I think there is a small glitch with their website.

Coming in (my opinion the best) the 500ml Bottle, traditional packaging with some chap, I'll presume he's from Clonmore, Killeshin.  The label does describe how the name 12 Acres is from one of their fields, where the barley, the water etc is all sourced as depicted in their ground/glass imagery below.

I'd argue that their image is one of a safe one. Colours easy on the eye, traditional so to speak and would appeal to all really.

Clearly they know what their up to as they achieved a Bronze Cup right here  recently!

The Sniff
Initial sweet biscuit, but as with some pales I've tried recently, its not very hard on the nose.

The Squint
No lacing, a light cloudy caramel fluid that looks great I have to say.

The Quench
Very refreshing, maybe its the power of marketing, maybe its the truth, but I did get a sense "brewed - shipped - bought - drank". Translation, brew it and drink it to get maximum benefits.

The "drink before" date on this bottle is May next year (2016), even with the best will in the world it wouldn't last that long.

Carbonation there, not champagne bubbles or anything thankfully and a sweet biscuit caramel again, some where in their popping up its head ever so often is a tiny flake of citrus.

The Finale
It's not marketed as one, however it has all the makings of a Session IPA to be honest! I want more and I shall have more.  Yes, this prince shall go to the ball!

Actin D'goat! Smiggy

I've always been a fan of "Smiggy" from the lads in Drawda, in the Wee County, at the same time I always wondered why I am such a fan? Let me entertain you. 

I'll say from the off that I have not been to the brewery in Co. Louth but simply by looking at their bottles on the shelves in "Offos" the length of the country, it does scream Fun! 

Orange colours (on this particular choice) nearly always work well on dark backgrounds and your eye is immediately brought to "that part" of the fridge. Clearly the marketing department should be paid more than they are! 

The "cartoony" goat character, again, ticks boxes even for novelty effect, but still gets you to pick up the bottle. Not everyone's cup of tea I'll admit, but the fact were talking about it, job done.

The Sniff?
Not an overly strong smell, toffee maybe but the smell comes back upon taste, plod along to the next paragraph like a good taster.
 

The Squint? 

If you can picture perfectly cooked caramel in a bowl, before it really darkens, well that's Smiggy. Very clear. Some constant light bubbles, so it has life in it alright. 

Lacing - the foamy bits left on the glass. Yea it's there. Fairly prominent. To be honest, lacing doesn't really bother me that much, so I don't usually put much emphasis on lacing itself. 

The Quench? 

The lack of SNIFF certainly doesn't mean lack of taste. Smiggy fizzes gently on the tongue for a couple a seconds & then it's gone. You can make up your own mind whether you want to try another Amber Ale that fizzes more or less, your call. 

A slight lasting flavour for about 45 seconds or so...just enough time to savour the biscuity  (think fresh warm  digestive biccie) elements. If it makes sense the taste smells a little like hopps from a small beer producer near Thomas St, Dublin that you can smell on the wind sometimes, faint but there nonetheless. 
If you really take your time after admiring the Goat staring at you to take more, I got a "tickle of tobacco" somewhere way at the back.

I got the urge to drink more of the beer, perhaps due to the non lingering taste, at the same time you'd have to keep your witts about you and not fall totally to its 4.8% charms! This could be a brew that would creep up on you. 

Tastes nice, Taste fading, Drink More, Tastes nice, Taste Fading, Drink More....repeat to fade.

BBQ & cheeses are recommended foods to accompany Smiggy & I would agree. 

The Finale?
Typically an "outdoorsy" beer or a nice easy drinking summer evening special...seems strange that I'm drinking it now in November. 

The power of persuasion I guess. Read the marketing bit again.

There's a whole herd of goats to try from Jackcodys I'll pick off one by one from the herd overtime.

Sláinte 

@davyod

The Glass Sandwich

Go Hang Yer Bollocks Off Them! (The 5 Lamps Brewery)

Before we begin, don't get offended by the "bollocksology"
in the title.

Read this first, then proceed.

Right, ready?

The Sniff
In my humble opinion, most lagers unless laden with chemicals dont actually smell too strong. Some do give a stronger linger on the nostrils, but most "natural" ones simply present themselves for tasting. 5 Lamps Lager is no different. This one, the reveal is in the taste, so why wait!

The Squint
Carbonation, well it is a lager in fairness. You getting exactly what you ask for here. Diminishing head, a little bit of lacing all encased within a weak tea colour and practically see through. If you placed a tea bag in a cup for 5 seconds and took it out, hey presto!

Like a beer I reviewed from Kerry, this could be a Craft Lager to introduce a suspicious drinker who is thinking of changing his or her order from the Innkeeper. Kerry v Dubs, it never ends!


The Quench
My first impression was "jaysus theres sherbert in there", then it was gone. This one is for the outdoors, think festivals, picnics. A real palette cleanser if there is such a thing where beer is related?

Offering a slightly more than gentle 4.2%, I'd happily sip'n'sit there and listen to the world go buy, with the sun on me back!

After a few more swigs, vanilla, nutty insights all sang for me

The Finale
I'm a kayak fisherman as a hobby and last year in Blind Strand just outside Courtmacsherry in Cork I caught some mackerel, 15 minutes later they were on a BBQ! I wish I could have hung my bollocks off the BBQ that day. This lager would have been the perfect remedy with BBQ'd fish!

Sláinte

@davyod

ADVENTures in Craft Part 1

So, erm....lets begin shall we? Ok.

So craft beer? My interest stems over 3 or 4 years now (as at October 2015), but my real taste for crafties came after spending a day with Jaq from Liquid Curiosity and my good pal "Milty". I have my good wife (The Fun Prevention Officer) to thank for sending me on this course, I'm sure she would agree it was money well spent! 

I'll put it to you this way:
I used to like trying different beers, but "post course" now I appreciate them. 

I'll blog about the course in the near future.  

So after reading a tweet on d'internet I came across #irishbeeradventcalendar and this was the catalyst for the creation of The Glass Sandwich. 

I am now in the throws of devising my version of Craft Beer Advent Calendar, it's very early days yet, but already have selected a few crafties for it, but like most advent calendars you don't exactly know what your gonna get.

My chosen liquids will be based on:

• Some I've tried
• Some I have not
• Labelling
• Price
• General Feeling when I look at the bottle
• Peer pressure!
• Online Feedback
• Marketing
• Free gifts from rich people/brewery owners

All the pics regarding the Craft Advent Calendar are borrowed from a quick search and I thank those who went before me for the help...I'll need it! 

More updates in Part 2...soon.