Bottle at home, from Callans Dundalk, with what must be the longest write up for a 3.8% bitter ever !!! 05/05/14. Clear vibrant golden with a good sized off white covering that retains well - a good looker! Nose is summer fruit, orchard wood, biscuit crumbs, light apple. Taste comprises light citric notes, hint of bread dough, straw, crisp apple skin, light caramel. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with subtle bitter tones. A well made bitter, not to be filed under ’boring’!

500mL bottle poured into a tulip glass. Large off white head that lasts for awhile, some lacing. Weakish aroma profile of caramel and crystal malts, spicy rye character, some floral hops. Flavor is way more than the aroma, surprisingly firm smooth malt notes along with the spicy rye. Interesting hops used here that give more of a muted floral and fruit bitterness that combines well with the rye. Overall a nice but mild ale.

Bottle @ Copper Still, Dromod [180314]
Blonde, slight haze, frothy dense white head, good lacing
Aroma of citrus hops, soft grapefruit, sweet fruity pale malts, some tropical fruit in there, fruity nose
Taste of fresh citrus hops, grapefruit pith, sweet fruity pale malts, touch of biscuity malt, dab of pine, grapefruit zest,
Palate - soft carb, medium body, quite oily, good mouthfeel, sweet pale malts, decent hoppy citrus bite. Finish as main flavour with a nice lingering sharp citrus zest
Overall - A lot of these bottled golden ales are rather dull and insipid - this is not the case - really decent blonde, plenty of flavour. Found it better quite chilled

Bottled 500ml. -Hazy amber coloured, medium sized creamy off-white head, dry nutty caramel nose. Moderate sweet malty, light fruity and caramel with mild hoppy notes in the finish. Ok one.

Bottle at mum and dads, from Callans, 18/01/14. Hazed golden with a big old off white head that dissipates a touch but retains. Nose is bitter orange, toasted malts, dank hop notes, straw, orange marmalade, light mineral notes, bitter apricots. Taste comprises straw, bitter orange, citric tang, earthy. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, grassy bitterness in the closure. Ok GB affair.

Bottle from Drinkstore, Dublin [151213]
Black, big frothy tan head, good lacing. Aroma of roasted malt, yeast, some soft charred wood, slight spicy hop. Taste as aroma, some sweet dark malts in background, robust roast, some coffee grounds, bit of spicy hop in there. Palate - Moderate carb, light to medium body, fairly bitter roast. Finish is quite dry, dark malts, fairly bitter bit burnt roast linger, getting a touch of dark fruits in the finish as well. Overall - Perhaps a bit over burnt for me in the finish, but quite a lot of the flavour here for the abv

Bottle from Drinkstore, Dublin [101113]
Pitch black, big frothy tan head, good lacing
Aroma - rich sweet dark malts, mocha coffee, sweet dark chocolate, smooth roasted coffee, soft roasted malts, good aroma
Taste - Soft roast, mocha coffee, dark quite sweet chocolate, dark malts, some earthy malt, touch of burnt toast
Palate - Soft carb, medium body, fairly smooth texture, bitter coffee. Finish - smooth sweet dark malts, fairly bitter coffee roast, more burnt bitterness in the finish
Overall - Good texture, nice coffee in this, some rich malts

The very best example of an Irish Ale I’ve had to date. Not my favorite style to be sure, but this was very easy to enjoy. Bready malts highlighted by a smoothness rarely found in Irish Ale’s which tend to be over-carbonated. Beautiful finish on this one, another good one from this brewer.

Dark but thin in color, no head after the initial pour into a nonic pint glass. Aroma is of coffee(duh) but also of the normal roasted malt notes of a typical dry stout. The overall feel of the beer is the taste is fine, nothing extraordinary and nothing off-putting, but very thin and watery. Had better expectations than this.