Galway Hooker moved to their new brewery in Oranmore last year and asked what we’d like them to brew with their extra capacity. I’m sure I’m not the only one who was crying out for a properly hoppy IPA. Their Irish Pale Ale was one of the first Irish ‘Craft Beers’ for many of us but now that we’re all hop heads we want more. I had high hopes for this beer when I first read about it. But then I heard some mixed reports. It’s just as well really because I am inevitability disappointed when I have my expectations built up too much. For starters the bottle is smaller at 330ml to their usual 500ml. Also the label is more ornate and slightly embossed which certainly gives you the impression that this is a quality beer.
I put the beer to the ultimate scientific test, I paired it with a pepperoni pizza. And you know what? It was able for it. And that’s good enough for me. It’s 60 IBUs which in my opinion is enough for an IPA that doesn’t claim to be in the West Coast style. It’s got a lovely hop to malt balance and I enjoyed it. It’s very drinkable but at 6.5% you wouldn’t be able to go mad. I’m going to be having this one again. A nautical salute to Galway Hooker and slàinte!
Don’t forget also that many of the best West Coast IPA’S from the West Coast of North America are not always 100 IBU. Some at 60 taste huge. Its all in the balance. Glad they made it work for you though!
Cheers Mike, I suppose a lot of it could be our perception as well!
I am sure also that many of the really good 60IBU beer just don’t get shipped that far.
You can bank on that! We might be able to get more in the next while though as Green Flash is also being brewed at St Feuillen now and Rogue are building their facility in Germany. .
Fingers crossed. Now if only one of Canadas breweries would set up somewhere over there. The closest Canadian brewery I know of set up taprooms in South Korea.
It is and it isn’t really. Where in the world is the largest population base? Asia! They are tapping into the market early. Mission Springs Brewing opened up one taphouse in South Korea that has exploded into more location in that country.
https://m.facebook.com/thespringstaphouse?_rdr
Russell Brewing here in Surrey BC is or was (not sure) working on opening a brewery in China.
Also a big player in the Canadian Provinces of British Columbia And Alberta “Craft Beer Market” was looking to open up multiple locations in China. They are a craft oriented pub that has 140 taps in Canada. Not many that rotate but impressive none the less.
140 taps? I just had a little trouser accident! Fair play to them for being ahead of the curve. I do remember being very impressed to find a Hofbrauhaus in Thailand about 9 years ago. It made a change from all of the Singha and Chang I had been drinking
Craft Beer Market would be a great place for someone like you that is not familiar with Canadian and some of the other smaller US breweries.
http://www.craftbeermarket.ca/
Although most of the truly Craft oriented drinkers here keep to our 40-50 tap houses that have 100% rotating taps.
It’s the same everywhere I suppose, you have to scratch below the surface to find the gems. To give you an idea of where I’m coming from 57 The Headline, a pub in Dublin has the biggest selection of Irish taps, some of which rotate. That’s about 24 taps!
Most pubs here in the Metro Vancouver area a region of about 2-3 million people are very Macro centric although it is changing before our eyes. Places that had 40 or 50 craft only taps are still rare although very very popular. Its is an all out Craft Beer Revolution here in British Columbia. Even small towns in the middle of nowhere in my province say 17 hours drive have a brewery now! Its crazy.
Crazy good! The island of Ireland probably only has 5 odd million inhabitants and currently about 50 breweries.
According to my google research BC has a population of 4.6 million and should break the 100 brewery mark this year!
http://www.57theheadline.ie/
Well over half of those are within Metro Vancouver a tiny blip on the map of the province.
Oh heck yeah. Doesn’t hurt that Seattle Washington and Portland Oregon are only a Days drive away.
Portland aka Beer Mecca
Portland is a regular Pilgrimage for people of BC. I know it had an almost religious feel for me when I went and I am not a religious person lol.