The minute I landed at Hagstravaganza Tara wrested my empty receptacle from me and returned it filled with the last drop of Don’t Tell Brian from Green Cheek Beer Co. It’s an Imperial Banana Coconut Chocolate Vanilla Cupcake Stout! And it’s 13.1%. So much for starting off with a few sessionable ones. I don’t like a lot of banana flavoured things but this one was made with real bananas and was delicious.
Taking a step back from the abyss (more on that in the next sentence) I thoroughly enjoyed Deschutes King Crispy, a 4.8% German style Pilsner. Later in the day I paired Burgersluts American Classic cheeseburger with a drop of the 2022 Abyss. I’d say my timing was a little off there but it was certainly an interesting pairing. (Crisp lager and burgers is a much safer bet!)
Speaking of Lager, Round Corner’s Fuggling Helles, a Lager hopped exclusively with Fuggles was an experiment that worked. I bumped into the brewer, bizarrely enough a Leitrim man who recommended trying their World Champion Steeplechase Pale Ale. I thought it was a perfect ‘beer that tastes like beer ‘! He seemed happy with that assessment.
Paul Jones from Cloudwater is no stranger to Ballymote. I introduced myself as I’m now selling some of their beers in my role of Territory Sales Manager with Four Corners. And I enquired about the cans in his bucket, he gave me one and it was a collaboration with Other Half, a Double IPA canned a couple of days earlier. But he said I had to share it, I had no problems finding volunteers to try it. As you’d expect, it was a very well put together Double IPA.
Longtime White Hag supporters Brickyard were running the Barrel Aged bar at the event. I sampled Alesong’s Silver Lining which is a dry hopped Barrel Aged Farmhouse Ale. It was a nice change of pace for my palate. And I had to try Brewfist’s Trinidad el Vasco ’17, a Port Barrel Aged Barley Wine which was warming as the evening chill came in.
I had a great day and am looking forward to Hagstravaganza no. 10. Well done to all involved in pulling the event together. Serious plugging. It was great to see so many sound people enjoying great beer. I bumped into Mel of Galway Bay Running Club fame on the way to the slightly earlier train and we had a pair of very civilised train cans.
I rounded out the evening with a pint of Dagda in Bree’s Bar, Strandhill. There was a band playing some very tasty tunes including a couple by The Beatles, if you can imagine them in the style of Steely Dan. Thanks to Kevin and the guys for their hospitality too. Hopefully I’ll see some of you again on the 26th of this month in Moate… sláinte!