Two weeks is not enough time to sample all of Dublin's (much less Ireland's) best beer, and one blog isn't enough space to tell you everything about it. But, lads and lasses, just keep that music playin' -- I'm gonna try.
Guinness - St James Gate, Dublin
Let's start with the big boys. I won't regale you with stories of the countless pints of the delicious black stuff I had all over the country. When I say it's better there because it's fresher, you have two choices: take my word for it, or better yet, go see (taste) for yourself. It's a sublime experience you'll want to repeat over and over.
Guinness just absolutely dominates the Irish beer market, just as Bud does here, and after 50 or 60 pints of the stuff, even an excellent stout can make you long for diversity. Not wanting to cede even one pint to the opposition, even the mighty Guinness has developed some new non-stout products for the Irish market.
Brio - Frankly I can't give this bland wheat beer a fair review. One sip was enough. You've had others like it. Let me save you 3 bucks… bypass this beer when you're there.
Guinness Cold - This is how Guinness was not meant to be sold. No need to go there for it - you've probably had it here! As you'd expect, it deadens all flavor perception. It's everything you've ever had in a Guinness… and less.
The Porter House Brewing Company - Temple Bar, Dublin
The Porter House moved from suburban Dun Laeghere to the posh Temple Bar district in Dublin just one scant month after my last visit to the streets of Molly Mallone. To make up for it, I visited this excellent pub no less than four times in the four days I spent there. The Porter House is a very relaxed albeit slightly upscale pub by day - and a rockin' hip locals joint by night.
I can't say much about the food (I had the only vegetarian entrée, a decent Ploughman's sandwich on crusty fresh bread) but the beers are on par with anything you'll find here in Portland. Not only are their own draft brews dynamic and fresh, but they had 4-5 European guest taps and at least 30 bottled imports - including over a dozen Belgians. Alas, none were from Beervana - but it seems that's more a problem of availability, not choice, as the friendly staff and management knew quite well of Portland's brewing reputation. (The Brew Crew Card - don't leave home without it!)
When (not if) you go to the Porter House, bring your favorite souvenir beers with you. You'll get a free pint for any filled bottle you bring that they don't have in their collection.
Chiller N.A. Lager - Very pale and clear; a hoppy nose with some DMS, aroma a bit sweet but subtle overall. Taste also very subtle, predominantly malty with low bitterness and some corn sweetness, and low but fruity hop flavor. Thin bodies with a crisp finish. 4.2%
Temple Brau - A very nice European pilsener-style beer. A bit deeper gold than Chiller. Malty nose, some wheat graininess. Malt-balanced but dry, with low hop bitterness (although more than the Chiller), slightly bitter on the finish. A rather nice pils. abv 4.3%
Hersbrucker - An excellent Bohemian pilsener. Deep gold, thick long-lasting white creamy head with a strong floral noble-hop nose, a hint of DMS. Medium bodied, big malty flavor, but balanced by strong, smooth bitterness. High Saaz hop flavor through to its malty finish with lingering bitterness. abv 5%
Porterhouse Red - Good but fairly typical example of an "Irish Red Ale" the way they really make them. Hoppy fruity nose with lots of malt and caramel sweetness. Smooth with substantial body. Malty sweet with some carmel flavor, medium-low bitterness but high hop flavor. Sweet, caramelly finish; some toasty notes throughout. abv 4.4%
Plain Porter - on nitro. Black as night, with a creamy thick tan head. Flavor and aroma are chocolatey, roasty, malty, low on the hop flavor/aroma scale. A roasty finish like a stout - but not as deep as their stouts… abv 4.3%
Oyster Stout - A nice smooth stout, and yes, it really has oysters in it! Black with a creamy head; malty sweet nose, fairly roasty. Sweet, malty, roasty but smooth flavor, all lingers long on the tongue. Moderate-high bitterness balanced by all that malt. abv 4.8%
Wrassler's XXXX Stout - This is why I kept going back. The roastiest stout on the planet that you can actually drink - and enjoy - a lot! Pitch black with a dark brown creamy head. Roasty, smoky aroma. Full-bodied, rich, thich, and roasty, malty but not at all sweet. High bitterness from both hops and roast malt - this beer has a bit of an edge. Bitter roast-malt finish. abv 5%
An Brainblasta - A strong ale, not quite barleywine. Malty, somewhat sweet aroma, fruity and estery but not citrusy. Deep gold/copper colored, clear, with a long-lasting thin fine head. Malty flavor, moderately sweet, and warming, this beer would benefit from aging. Medium bitterness, just enough for balance. Fruity - especially on the finish. abv 7%
Messrs Maguire - Burgh Quay (On the Liffey), Dublin
By contrast to the Porter House, Messrs Maguire has no illusions of beer grandeur. Its beers range from bland to rather decent, which is perfect for its target market - the fashionable under-25 Europop crowd, there to see and be seen. That doesn't describe me exactly, so we stayed only long enough to taste one round of beers. Unfortunately that didn't include their "Extra Stout", the one they are most proud of.
American Lager - An excellent representation of style, which is to say, it was basically water. Very subtle nose, light body, low malt flavor, very low bitterness and hop flavor, but smooth and dry.
Euro Lager - The best of the lot. Clear, golden, dense white head. Hoppy (Tettnanger?) nose, some malt there too. Malty flavor, medium bitterness, some DMS, slightly sweet, medium noble hop flavor with a malty finish.
Rusty Red Ale - Very pretty bright red color, thick nitro head. Aroma of light hops, moderately malty, some caramel and fruity esters. Moderately malty flavor, low bitterness but medium hop flavor and a touch of fruit flavor. Balance is toward malt, esp. on the finish.
Plain Stout - Black with a creamy nitro head. Very low aroma of roast malt. Roasty flavor, moderately malty, fairly high bitterness, smooth with a roast malt finish.
Dublin Brewing Company/Cobblestones - Smythfield, Dublin
Dublin Brewing does not have a pub, but they have a good neighbor, a pub named Cobblestones about a block away that is very willing to feature their beers both on draft and in bottles. Cobblestones is situated about two blocks from the Ceol, the Irish musical history museum - an excellent place to tour while you're waiting for the pubs to open (or, in my case, after my 10 AM tour of the Old Jameson Distillery). But I digress. Cobblestones is a true locals pub in the very residential Smythfield section of Dublin, a great place for (low-volume) traditional Irish music and "craic" (conversation, storytelling, fun) in the evening. And a great place for Dublin Brewing Co.'s beer.
Maeve's Crystal Wheat - Named for a 17th century brewess and the namesake of an ancient warrior Queen of Irish legend, this beer is clearly marketed to women for forsake Ireland's darker national drink. Pale gold, clear, malty/grainy, low wheat flavor, with low bitterness and a nice noble hop flavor esp. on the finish. It could pass for a light lager.
Beckett's Pale Ale (bottled and very cold) - Deep gold with a low head, subtle hop nose but a bit fruity. Malty, but highly bitter and medium-high hop flavor, even a bit metallic. Aimed at a Sam Adams Boston Lager, and not too far off.
Revolution Red Ale - Hops! Finally! If only I had found this beer my first night in Dublin, rather than my last… but then, I might have appreciated it less. Strong aroma of English hops and some nutty caremel maltiness. Malty, hoppy flavor - hop-balanced - with medium bitterness. A touch fruity with a hoppy finish. And as you guessed, red in color. A knockout beer, especially after 2 weeks of malty stout and mild red ales.
D'Arcy's Stout - Sweet, malty, mildly roasty aroma. Slightly sweet flavor but very malty, medium-high bitterness, fairly noticeable hop flavor esp. in the finish. A touch fruity, and has a strong roasty finish. A nice sweet stout, and a welcome change of pace from the dry stouts everywhere else.
Conclusion
Beautiful scenery, friendly people, lively music, and fresh beer… what a great country! I recommend a visit, and plan on staying long… this place just charms you. Don't worry about the Troubles - neither side would bother an American anyway. Your greatest worry should be - will there be any beer left after my next trip?
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