Dublin Raid
HammerHeart Brewing Company

 

Given by a distinguished BA from GreenBay, Wisconsin.
Pours a deep mahogany brown with distinct amber highlights when held to a light source. The beer is topped by a dense, 2-finger tan head with exceptional retention and substantial lacing.
The bouquet is subtle but well-defined, characterized by a clean beechwood smoke and a solid grainy malt backbone.
This is a multi-layered experience. It begins with a front-end woodsmoke—reminiscent of a campfire—which transitions into deeper, earthy peat notes. The mid-palate introduces unexpected dark chocolate and cocoa elements, likely from the use of specialty malts like chocolate rye. The finish is marked by a sharp, spicy rye character that cuts through the malt sweetness.
Full-bodied and exceptionally smooth. It possesses a creamy, viscous texture that coats the palate without being cloying.
Overall: Despite the reserved aroma , the interplay between chocolate and rye make this a standout, deliciously balanced smoked lager

 

From a 16oz can. No date on the can.

In the glass the beer looks quite dark brown in color. There's amber hues when I hold it to the light. There's a 2 finger tan colored head to the beer that has great retention. There's a bit of lacing on the glass.
The aroma is somewhat light. The main aroma I get is a hint of smoke. I also get some malt in the aroma.
Ok, the flavor is quite complex. It has layers of smoke flavor that hit in waves and each wave has a unique twist to it. Up front it's like a light campfire smoke. There's elements of a peat smoke flavor that, while light, has some Scotch notes to it. I also get malt flavors. There's some chocolate notes, which is unusual for the style, but work. There's a rye like flavor/sharpness in the flavor profile.
This beer is quite smooth and full feeling. It has a creamy like texture to it.
This beer's aroma is light, but the whole package makes up for it. Delicious.

Had this on draft at the Beer Temple in Chicago.

L: A nice mixture of reddish brown amber, and a fairly robust head that stayed around even after a few sips

S: Bready malt, I didn't really get any smokiness that I was expecting on the nose.

T: A light smoke that you can't miss on the taste, but also some sweetness that's kind of like a smoked cracker, maybe a little nutty. Fun to drink, a little bitterness at the very end that made for a pleasant experience.

F: Pretty full for a 6-ish percent beer.

O: Like a lightly smoked cashew with some crackers, this was an enjoyable beer.

Dark reddish brown from the front, but a murky deep red with a back-light, light carbonation revealed by the back-light. Thick, creamy, tan head with good retention, receding slowly with a mounds and craters surface. Sparse lacing.

Aroma is a mix of bright hops and campfire smoke.

Smoke dominates the flavor, from the initial taste through to the aftertaste, but it is a pleasant campfire smoke flavor. There's an undercurrent of earthiness to the smoke. The aforementioned bright hops keep it light and easy drinking. It is slightly bitter beginning in the middle and into the finish and aftertaste, with the lingering bitterness growing as I consume the beer. The finish is dry.

Body is thin, perhaps a bit too thin.

Overall, a pretty simple flavor profile resulting in a dry, smoky, easy-drinking ale.

16oz can. No dating information found, but this a current production release. ABV% marked on label as 7%.
Amber brown colored body. One finger beige head which settles back to a tight bubble cap. Partial walls of lacing.
Aroma of smoked malt, with a sweet bit of peat. Toffee and caramel.
Taste is savory peat smoke and floral/herbal hops. Good balance with a sweet caramel consensus. Smoke lingers in the aftertaste.
Thicker than medium mouth feel. Good carbonation.
Savory and sweet, and slightly chewy. Good treat.

Pours a rusty cola color with a tan thin head. Smell is smoke wood roast and faint peat Taste has Taste is thick full bodied bready meaty earthy and Smokey peat works it way in with toffe ,dark fruits and wood. Medium full bodied as it warmed more of the peat smoked barley come thru.. I will miss this brewery as it will shut down production this week to be contract brewed ,and a small to be named brewery will open in the future.

 

 

L: pours bright deep dark brown under a 1" tan cap with a very fine bead and good retention.

S: mild smoke aroma, some malt, bread crust, traces of nuts.

T: Moderately rich malty and nutty lightly sweet flavor with a drying finish and a light touch of smoke.

F: Creamy, full bodied, medium carbonation

O: Full flavored with just the right mix of bitter, malt and smoke.

Pours very dark with a creamy tan head. Smells of dank smoke, root beer, and alcohol. Tastes of aggressive clean smoke! Very assertive smoke like a German “smoke beer”, but cleaner ave easier to drink. As one reviewer said, the smoke is of a very natural flavor, not something purposely infused with. Mouthfeel is creamy, carbonated, sticky, and delicious! I will seek this one out again! Cheers!

Had on tap. Very dark copper body with traditional dark tan wispy foam. Smell is smoky, with amber malts, rye bread, peat and toffee. Taste at first was a mouth full of smoked meat, like a rauchbier, but let it warm up, because then the invasion of peat smoke and meat is met by the forces of the malts: toffee, rye bread, and toast. Intense, won't be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. Only qualm is the body could be maltier to balance a little more on the smoky finish, but I'm nitpicking.

As with everything these guys do, this is a hybrid style type of beer. Very dark color for a red ale. Smokey aroma and flavor. Slightly sweet malt flavor compliments the smoke. The peat smoke is sort of a neutral smoke which I was not expecting. Being a fan of Islay Scotch I was expecting something briny and earthy. And it is not like the German smoked beers which taste like bacon or ham.

 

 

 

 

i seriously love everything these guys do, so rustic and unique! this beer is perfectly suited to their penchant for smoked beers, the irish red base style always lacks a little something for me, and its not a style i regularly drink because of that. the smoked element in this makes it complete, and this is hands down one of the best i have had, as untraditional as it is. the sweet caramelized red malts and the biscuity bready dry irish ale yeast both seem to really love the smoke, which is strong and has a campfire vibe about it, slow smoked, relaxed, earthy, rich. i think the little bit of sweetness i necessary for balance, and i like how much more body this has than i am used to in the style, i think thats also pretty critical to support all this flavor. its not over smoked, but its very smoke forward, woody even, really intense in a mellow way, so good. great carbonation here too, keeps it feeling lively and upbeat, better in the fall than the spring i would think, but another gem from hammerheart! if you like smoked beer, this is a champion!

Appearance: Brownish-red, good head.

Smell: Smoky, earthy, bit of roastiness.

Taste: Mild sweetness, then moves to smoky peat flavor. More Ardbeg type peat than Laphroaig type peat.

Overall: Finally got around to reviewing this classic from Hammerheart. I'm not much of an Irish red beer fan, but if you add scotchy peat to it, I enjoy it a lot. Nice beer with malty sweetness, then good smoky peatiness.