Bran & Sceolan
The White Hag Irish Brewing Company

Copenhagen 20/8 2024. 44 cl can from Meny., Vigerslev Allé, Valby. Can in different shades of blue in an intricate pattern In White Hag's usual design .

Pours clear golden yellow with a mid-sized white head. Stable. Settles as thin, patchy layer of foam unable of covering the surface of the beer. Moderate lacing.

Aroma is medium intense with a sweet malty odor mingling with a sharp citric scent. Herbal touch. Sweet pale malts, caramel and bread. Citrus and lemon. A bit acerbic.

Light carbonation. Slightly thick, oily, soft, lightly tingling texture.

Flavor is medium intense with a medium strong sweetness followed and balanced by a medium strong bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter. Lingers for a bit. Finish is dry.

I am not quite sure of what makes this a especially Irish IPA - but it is a decent Indian Pale Ale.

 

look: colossal head on this thing, four finger with great retention, nice bit of lacing, beer is a rich amber colour, hazy, slow moving carbonation in the beer.

smell: smells good, some bready malt there, but all those nice citrus fruit flavours are centre stage, lot of orange, nice bit of pink grapefruit too, quite piney, some golden syrup there, lightly earthy, inviting.

taste: a really nice ipa here, light malt flavours on the opening, bread, also a little grass, lots of orange, dense juicy orange flavours, less pink grapefruit, got a real earthy character to it, also quite a herbal character to it especially on the finish, almost like tea, orange flavours linger on the finish, bitter is mild to moderate, good.

feel: medium bodied, light to medium carbonation, lot of warming alcohol actually, dangerously drinkable for the strength however, lightly sticky, little bit of lingering bitterness on the finish.

overall: a very good ipa here from one of the great irish breweries, good stuff indeed.

 

 

330ml Can from Beer52 (£0.75)
Interesting stuff from White Hag but definitely one that was a little disappointing given how subdued the nose in particular was upon cracking the can open. The beer itself was a balanced & pleasant one with some nice tropical fruits & citrus flavours coming through from the start but I'd have liked to see them a little stronger & more pungent given this one was a 7.2% American IPA. It was an easy beer to drink though & the alcohol content was masked completely by the hops & bitterness without them overpowering.

 

330ml can.
L: Light haze, light carbonation, pale orange/yellow with a thin butcreamy and long-lasting cap.
S: Rich, juicy, tropical and citrus fruits.
T: Strong herbal flavours in addition to citrus and not as juicy as the nose.
F: Light body, light bitterness, short finish.
O: Good, not outstanding AIPA. Disappointing mouthfeel. Not sure what benefit the 7.2% ABV brings.

 

A 330ml bottle with a BB of Jan 2018. Acquired a little while back from the Brewdog webshop. Described on the label as an Irish IPA; named after the two wolfhounds belonging to Fionn Mac Cumhaill.

A: Poured into a Duvel tulip. Bottle conditioned. A rich, hazy orange-amber colour with fine sediment and moderate carbonation. Produces a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a few minutes before subsiding to a patchy surface layer. Nice lacing.

S: Aroma of juicy, fruity hops with hints of mild mango, tropical fruit, citrus, light peel, earthy yeast, caramel malt and a touch of grain. Very nice.

T: Tastes of fruity hops with notes of grapefruit, citrus, peel, tropical fruit, mild stone fruit, earthy yeast, caramel malt, stewed hops and a hint of barley sugar. A balanced, hop-driven bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with light carbonation and good body. Mildly astringent. Aftertaste of citrus, faint tropical fruit, bitter hops, earthiness and malt.

O: Nice, though not as intense as it could be. Looks great, while the aroma and flavour are satisfyingly juicy with a good malt backbone. Decent body; perhaps a tad undercarbonated. The aroma hops are pleasant but need something extra. That said, this is a tasty IPA with nice balance. Worth sampling if you have the chance.

 

 

That's a great beer! Mostly grapefruit, blood orange and pineapple for the smell and the taste. Really drinkable even with the 7.2% ABV. Really balanced. A wonderful Irish IPA

 

Very slightly hazy orange/gold. Clean, crisp, citrus, hops in the smell. Tastes earthier than the smell... citrus, slightly tart. Dry bitterness at the end.

 

Appearance: Blood orange colour. Thin head. Unfiltered.

Aroma: Beautiful aroma of malt sweetness and hop complexity. Sweet orange, pineapple, slight pine & orange zest.

Taste: The best thing about this beer is the balance. Mouthfeel and carbonation are spot on. Initial taste is blood orange and pine that tails off into a blend of malt sweetness and present bitterness.

Great beer

 

My 1st Co Sligo beer and an excellent IPA it is. 330 ml bottle. Nice label with the story of Bran and Sceolan the wolfhounds of the legendary Fionnula Mac Cunhaill. 7.2% abv.