Yesterday my good lady wife, my friend Tony and I made our way out to the RDS for the Irish Craft Beer Festival. Tony volunteered to document the afternoon with his camera,so I have to thank him for the very high standard of photography. Quality AND quantity! We started off the day with a DIPA from Bo Bristle. It’s a real ass kicker!
It’s always great to catch up with brewers, fellow bloggers and other beer enthusiasts at these events and sometimes you even make a new friend or two. It’s been said before that beer is a great social lubricant. It was good to see Libby and Rick from Kinnegar, and it’s nice that they’re still talking to me after I ransacked their brewery on my last visit! Try their Saison if you get a chance, it’s excellent.
We had Rascal’s Kim Jong Lem-Un next, it’s as lemony as you’d expect and they get extra points for being witty with it!
Bru’s Brown Autumn Ale was next, it took me back to the first time I had a cask ale in England, it’s got a clove like taste and I’m not the only one who thought it should really be dubbed a Winter Ale.
N17 had their Oatmeal Stout on cask so I couldn’t miss that as it’s the odd time you get to have it!
Aidan Sweeney was making sure I was following his brewsinternational.com beer festival tips closely.
Myself and one of the lads from Jack Cody’s who were making their festival debut. Their Amber is very tasty.
My trusty notepad filled with recommendations from Ian 11pm Somewhere and Wayne The Irish Beer Snob, they had done extensive research over the past couple of days. And by ressearch I mean beer drinking.
I have given McGargles a bit of stick in the past but even I have to admit that their Pale Ale is really good, I can’t remember which family member it’s named after!
White Hag were also festival first timers and I really liked their Fleadh Red IPA and their Stout is pretty good as well.
It was great chatting to Sam and John from Black’s of Kinsale. Their Topaz (9%) is a serious beer.
Mountain Man had some interesting tap handles.
Words to live by.
…and their Crazy Horse certainly lives up to it’s name, it’s a glass full of hoppy goodness!
Reuben Tale of The Ale was distributing the newly published Beoir magazine.
Eight Degrees had a lovely Nelson Sauvin Saison and their Alba Abu Scottish Independence Ale was very popular.
Janice Beer Snob aka the Queen of the Beards!
Here are a few more pictures from around the festival. Sadly I couldn’t try all of the beers, I think you’d need more than four days to get through all of them! The festival was still buzzing as we left but it’s always best to leave while the party is still going, well done to all involved!
It’s a dirty job…but somebody has to do it.
I won’t lie, it was great craic.
Looks like a good one. Let’s see if I can make it someday.
It is nice to see some familiar faces from the EBBC14. Cheers Simon!
It was even better than last year. So next year could be a really great one! Sláinte!