Three Floyds Brian Boru Irish-style Red Ale

Three Floyds Brian Boru Irish-style Red Ale. 

It's Not Normal. 

6.5 % ABV, 40 IBU. Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN. 

Oh, no, I'm drinking an Irish-style beer the day after St. Patrick's Day! Scandal! Horror! What will become of me? Will I turn into a leprechaun? Let's find out...

Lightly clouded, bright crimson coloring, slim white head. 

In the nose: Sweet and malty. Slight fruit/mineral notes. 

In the mouth: Splashes of bold, malty flavors douse the palate. Moderate bitterness, but plenty hoppy for the style. Brief flashes of fruit, apple, cherry, berry, orange, staying sweet, ultimately ending dry. Medium bodied, and ridiculously drinkable. Beautifully balanced. Judiciously bitter hops and fruity malt continue to play, and I'm left draining the glass and wanting more. 

Brian Boru, I hereby dub thee: yum a dum dum. 

Born in Munster, Ireland, Brian Boru spent his life uniting the Irish tribes to become the first high king of Ireland. With a heavy dose of new and old-world hops which gives rise to notes of citrus, stone and tropical fruit, we brewed this rich and full-bodied Irish-style Red Ale for him.

Drumconrath (DCR Brewing Company) Ribbonman Irish Red Ale

Drumconrath (DCR Brewing Company) Ribbonman Irish Style Red Ale with Honey. 

5.5 % ABV. 25 IBU. 16 oz. can. Drumconrath Brewing, Fargo, ND. 

Mostly clear, deep burgundy hue, slim reddish head. 

In the nose: Slightly sweet, malt-forward.

In the mouth:  Clean, smooth, malty, earthy, and exceptionally easy drinking. Hint of honey. Minor hops. Well balanced. Classic rendition of the Irish Red Ale style. Quite nice. Good drinking. 

A malt forward beer with a perfect balance of bitterness and a deep red color.

Town Hall Ol' Blarney Irish Red Ale

Town Hall Ol' Blarney Irish Red Ale. 6.9 % ABV.
Minneapolis, Town Hall Brewery, Minneapolis, MN.

You'll have to forgive me if I mention these things that happen once again, and again, over and over. Again, and again.

So there I am, looking over the crowler selections from Town Hall, about to order for delivery, and I think to myself: Ol' Blarney? Has that been in the Nib? No! An oversight, of course, not that I don't care for Irish Reds. I do, of course. In nearly 10 years of doing this, and every single year I neglect to bring a crowler home to get it here in the Nib.

So, I ordered a crowler, along with three others, and Chris drove them down to my place. I downed the contents without comment, for I did take some notes, way back in 2009:

It's red, indeed, red all the way, with an nice beige head.

Malty nose,sweet,rich, and full....a little fruity and herbaceous...some caramel malt in there. A little chocolate, too...actually a lot. Mmmm.

Very full-bodied, rewarding and delicious. Have to say it again, Mmm, mmm.

Finishing the last of here in 2020: you know, it's short and sweet, delivers the goods, nothing wrong with that. My review, and the beer.

Hayes Public House O'Ruaidhri's Irish Red Ale

Hayes Public House O'Ruaidhri's Irish Red Ale.
5.5 % ABV. 25 IBU.
Hayes Public House, Buffalo, MN.

And here we have only the second appearance of Hayes' Public House in over four years, here in the Nib. The first visit in 2016 was recounted in this blog post. I've seen bottles before, but they were a bit out of my price range. I've had a sample and shared a cheers with Pugs' at beer fests, but never came across kegs on tap anywhere else, or had the chance to order any myself. My good friends Jeff and Renee saw these for sale at a recent beer run, and thought of me. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for more in the future. For now, let's enjoy this one...but don't ask me to pronounce the name.

Mostly clear, dark crimson coloring, slim reddish head.

In the nose: Sweet, malty, slightly fruity. Not a trace of hops, just right for the style.

In the mouth: Tasty, sweet malt delivery on the palate first, quickly balanced by the merest amount of hop bitterness. Big caramel, with a twist of toffee. Perfect balance in this one. Slides right away and leaves you thirsty for another. Medium bodied, light malty finish, and quite consumable.

Although I don't often drink them, I like a good Irish Red Ale, and this is one of them.



Gaelic Origin: Surname for Rogers

Gaelic Pronunciatoin: "O'Rory"

Flavour: Medium bodied Irish Red Ale with sweet notes of caramel and toffee. Brewed with a unique blend of malts imported directly from Ireland and Britain. 

Boom Island Rye-ish Irish Red Ale

Boom Island Rye-ish Irish Red Ale.
5.2 % ABV. 27 IBU.
Boom Island Brewing, Minnetonka, MN.

Let's have an Irish Red for St. Patrick's Day, because someone is celebrating it somewhere, just not here. Where will they sing "Danny Boy" when all the bars are closed for coronavirus pandemic? Who will sling corned beef and cabbage and pour the Guinness? Tough times all over. Let's just not die, people.

Clear, bold crimson color, slim white head.

In the nose: sweet, malty. Earthy. Light hops.

In the mouth: Minor bitterness. Touch of hops. Mostly malts. Rich and sweet, to a point. Nicely balanced, with all the elements intact. Perfectly serviceable red ale. Medium bodied, easy drinker.
It's alright.

Now, let's play The Chieftains and pretend it's an Irish pub, or something...sigh...

With notes of bis­cuit, roast­ed malt, and light tof­fee this Irish Red Ale is a tasty and easy-drink­ing beer.

Song for this beer is a natural. I just yanked this one randomly off YouTube:

Smithwick's Irish Made Red Ale

Smithwick's Irish Made Red Ale.
4.5 % ABV. Guinness LTD, Dublin, Ireland.

I got some samples of Irish beers months back in an attempt to get me turn go all Erin Go Bragh in time for St. Patrick's Day. It didn't work. I reviewed the other two a long time back, but this one's just been sitting in the fridge giving me a puppy dog look every time I open the door. So, let's drink it up.

Clear, red, slim white head.

In the nose: Malty, herbal, slightly nutty, maybe a whiff of fruit. Little from hops.

In the mouth: Mainly malty, with an edge of roast and caramel. Hops only on hand for balance. Light bodied and drinkable, fits the Irish Red Ale style fairly well. But not well enough. I've never been much of a fan of that style, and this one isn't making me a convert.

A robust red brew with a gentle hop bitterness & a sweet malt finish.

Gray's Busted Knuckle Irish style Ale

Gray's Busted Knuckle Irish style Ale. 5.2 % aBV, 32 IBU. Gray's Brewing, Janesville, WI.

Clear, amber/bronze color, slim ivory head.

In the nose: Malty-sweet, lightly fruity. Apple & cherry.

In the mouth: Sweetness kicks it off, but never too much, kept just in check with some bitter hop notes. Good balance. But, not great. Not really together, here. Just short of satisfactory. Eventually, over-sweet maltiness takes over, and the result is unpleasant. I'm not liking it.

This Irish Style Ale is a special blend of four types of malted barley and three varieties of hops. It is a medium-bodied ale showing off a deep reddish amber color and thick, tan bubbly head. The aroma is sweet and light followed by moderate caramel-malt flavors with a light roasty finish. 

Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale

Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale. An Irish Style Ale. Brewed and bottled by Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleveland, Ohio. 6.5% ABV, 25 IBU.

Clear, amber/copper color, slim white head.

In the nose: malt-forward, earthy, floral hops, low-bitterness. Well-balanced, but leaning toward the sweet side.

In the mouth: Flat out tasty. Again, terrific balancing act, malty sweet with just enough hop bitterness. Kissed by caramel. Medium body, malty finish, drinkable as all heck. Well done.

"A pint for Pa Conway! Our co-founder's grandfather and policeman who'd likely uphold that an Irish Ale with full-bodied caramel malt flavors is just the ticket."

Ha. Ticket. Police. Irish. I get it.

NorthGate Red-Headed Piper Irish Red Ale

So, it's St. Patrick's Day. And a guy with a name like mine is supposed to care about such things, but I'm not one to give a twirl over it. Not a lack of love for my 25% Irish heritage, just not a fan of the holiday. Nonetheless, I should drink something Irish, shouldn't I?

NorthGate Red-Headed Piper Irish Red Ale. 4.5% ABV.

Here's one I've had in firkin form at Acadia, and a couple of samples in cans. Yes, one can was the one I took these notes on, some time ago, and never got around to publishing because the sample can was blank and the pictures were terrible. Meanwhile, I was given another sample can, and this one has the logo on it somewhere, so that's something. So, notes away!

Dark crimson coloring, slim off-white head.

In the nose: Starts out sweet, malty, caramel-y. Hardly a hair of hops. Clean and even.

In the mouth: Bright and hoppy at first, with lush, sweet malt coming in behind. Caramel and toffee notes aplenty. Nicely balanced. Bitterness comes back up and keeps time with the malt. Medium bodied, excellent consumability. Flat out tasty, this one.

I looked it up on their website and found only this:   Rich in color while light in body, with roasted barley and toffee notes.  Exclusive to Merlin’s Rest and The Pub.

Must be old information on there. If it's exclusive to Merlin's Rest, why do I keep getting samples?

Flat Earth Red Cape Irish Red Ale

Flat Earth Red Cape Irish Red Ale. Flat Earth Brewing, St. Paul, MN. 5.1% ABV. Winter Seasonal.

This Flat Earth beer is one that I'd always passed on when I saw it on local shelves in bottles. There was always something else that seemed a little sexier. The sample man came through with these unlabeled 12 ounce bottles. I wondered if I should include these for review, but, why not? They came from the brewery. It has to be the same beer as the one you find on the shelves, right?

Dark brown color, showing clear and crimson at the edges, with a slim tanned head.

In the nose: caramel malt's in charge of this one. Sweet and toffee-ish at the start. Mostly malty, hops are hidden. Nice.

In the mouth: Malt grabs the palate at first, keeps things sweet and supple, before losing the grip. Stays malty-sweet throughout the sip, before ending on a lightly bitter edge, then fading away. Definitely down able. A friendly ale, to be sure.

But something is a little off. It doesn't really fit the parameters of an Irish Red. Certainly doesn't look very red. I wondered if they'd mislabeled the cap, and then checked some reviews on BeerAdvocate, and it does seem like we were all drinking the same beer. A different take on an Irish Red Ale, that's for sure, but not bad at all.

Hammerheart Barrel-aged Peat-Smoked Dublin Raid Irish Red Ale

There's a signpost ahead...Hammerheart is here!

Hammerheart Barrel-aged Dublin Raid, Bourbon Barrel-aged Peat Smpoked Irish Red Ale, 7.5% ABV. Hammerheart Brewing, Lino Lakes, MN.

So, the other day I had my first Thursday night off since I started my new job, and was looking for something to do. I also hadn't been to Hammerheart in all that time, so I called Dave and we made plans. If you've read some of my previous posts, you might have come across my desire to diminish the number of growlers from different breweries that I'm hanging on to. Dave, though, has tried even harder, discovering exactly which breweries will take a growler back, give a refund for the return, trade them out for their own, or whatever their policy might be. I checked with Dave, and he told me that Hammerheart will take back their growlers, as well as fill anyone else's with their own beer.

I took my three Hammerheart growlers into the taproom with the intention of swapping them out for the credit on two of them, taking one of their beers home. This is always a hard decision. So many great beers. One determining factor would be the cost. They range from $15 to $30, and the more expensive ones are those I want to drink the most. It's hard to justify spending the money, but somehow I did it.


Then, Nathaniel Chapman, co-owner, reminded me that they had 750 ml growlers. And they're beautiful and perfect. These are most appropriate for Hammerheart, more than for any other local brewery. The prices are right, too.And I can finish those big beers in the small growlers in only one night. Right on.

Just for fun, a peek at the menu this weekend.

And Dave poked fun at me, because I was going to reduce my number of growlers, and I was trading in 3 for 2. Well, I am reducing the number by one, and those 2 will take up less space, and also, how can I only choose one beer, among all those great ones? If I were to do it his way, I'd return all the Hammerhearts and have them fill a different one that can't be exchanged. But I don't want to drastically reduce my collection that much. He's down to 4 growlers, by the way, and this reduction brings me down to 40. I don't think that he started at 52, though.


Now, it's time to drink some Barrel-aged Dublin's Raid.

Appearance: dark, fully opaque, with a slender tan head above.

Aroma: Bourbon spills out. Vanilla, coconut, some leather, cherries, chocolate, with hints of smoke down below.

My partially finished flight at Hammerheart.
Clockwise from top left: Skol Och Hati smoked chocolate stout,
Thor's Porter, BA Dublin Raid, and Surtur's Flame.

Taste: Sweetness first, the big bourbon factor, which I am highly susceptible to, chimes in the loudest. The sweet stuff first, the whiskey, vanilla, fruit, etc., and then the smoke rises up just enough. I can't really get a handle on the base beer, but I don't think one could expect an Irish Red to really stand apart from the bourbon in this barrel-aging.

Okay, wait a minute. Now, it's coming through, I can taste a sweetish and malty Irish Red somewhere down there, down underneath the peat smoked, and way below the bourbon barrel. Complexity, thy name is BA DR. Mmm. Yum. Just about right on the money. Full-bodied, rich, long finish, and highly enjoyable.

I am liking this, every lovable layer of it.

Kentucky Ale

Kentucky Ale. A marriage of traditional English Pale Ale and Irish Red Ale styles. Brewed and bottled by Alltech's Lexington Brewing Company, Lexington, KY, ALC/VoVOL 5.34%. "Visit www.kentuckyale.com for the story behind our microbrewery."

Clear, light amber coloring, slim whitish head.

Aroma: sweet malt. Very wort-y, if I may coin such a term. Like I'm in the middle of a brew session. Big malt, minor hops. Pleasant enough, though. 

Taste: hmm. More of the same. Sweet malt, only slightly tempered by hops. Warm, malty, and uniquely refreshing. I don't think I'd imagine a cross between English pale ale and Irish red as being exactly like this, but perhaps that indemnifies my own imagination. Or is testament to a unique creation by this brewery?

Mild in flavor, easy-drinking, malty as all-get out, low-ish alcohol-wise. But not consisting of flavors that grab me, please me, squeeze me, etcetera. This may be good for some, and I hope they're happy with it, but, yeah, this don't do it for me. 

Actually, it's losing what little appeal it ever had. I'm getting close to calling "yuk" on this one. I know what I like, and I know what's good, and this ain't good, buddy.

P.S. I just discovered that I'd already reviewed this, six years ago, and completely forgotten about it. My notes were essentially the same sentiment, but worded differently, of course.