Author Archives: Rob Nesbit

About Rob Nesbit

Beer drinker and all round annoyance. Likes drinking, football, cricket and having a good time.

Island's Edge Irish Stout

Island’s Edge Irish Stout

Island’s Edge Irish Stout

www.islands-edge.ie/

Brewed by Heineken Ireland
Style: Irish Stout
Cork, County Cork, Ireland

Typical! I go drink a beer intending to do a cool and interesting review, leave my write up for a bit, and after a year or two the beer has only gone and got pulled from the market! HA! So this is more a requiem!

Island’s Edge Irish Stout was Heineken‘s Cork based new effort of a stout, one to rival Guinness, or even Murphy’s or Beamish. A tall order in a land where stout drinkers take their tipple VERY, VERY seriously. Brave for sure to take on the big boys in a very selective and notoriously difficult market to crack.

Island's Edge Irish StoutAnyway back in 2022 there was massive advertising of this stout on the TV with millions poured into their marketing campaign and a really big push, a new beer with an exciting “new Edge“, hence the name, and so I went and bought a few cans of it what with all the hype and all.

Apparently they said their stout was  “aimed at people who don’t drink stout” which was a little worrying……. and so they “created a stout that’s less bitter”, less bitter than a Guinness for example, and for the 18-35 age range, the young ones who might be converted to give it a try…..and not the old fellas like myself! All a little bit disconcerting, and I definitely was not the intended market here. Basically a training drink for non stout drinkers, a watered down stout for the shandy and lager drinkers! And they thought this would work……in Ireland! Ha.

They were looking to hit 10% share of the stout market, a very ambitious plan and with it several million spent on advertising, but after it just two years it was pulled. I can be happy in the knowledge that at least I was one of the very few that gave it a go! 

Review: 500ml can of Island’s Edge Irish Stout 4.0% vol.

Island's Edge Irish StoutWas to be found throughout the country in supermarkets, off – licenses, and in bars and pubs, where it could also be got on draught. 

Now as I am writing this, I did manage to find some Island Edge Irish Stout in my local supermarket store, so I am guessing there is a bit of old stock still floating about, I guess, so don’t be surprised to still find this out there, for the time being at least. 

Nice logo and can. Colourful and different. “Edgy” I think is what the cool cats call it! Clever.

The brewers added tea and basil to it which was to dilute the strong taste of a regular stout, as apparently tea kills the bitterness of the hops! They still don’t know why exactly this happens but there you go!

Smells good, like a Guinness aroma, a nice roasty coffee and chocolate smell and dark malts, a good start. 

Onto the pour, I get a very nice and creamy tanned head with the expected pitch black colour. Like the smell, its pretty similar to a Guinness. Head is decent, all is well, looks good.

Head maintains well enough. There are a few bubbles and holes appearing amongst the lacing which is a little ominous, but when it all settles down it is not too bad at all, and the thick creamy wholesome appearance is still there to the end.   

Island's Edge Irish StoutThe taste is very creamy on the tongue, a good full bodied taste for sure, its not bad and is similar to a Guinness, at least initially, but on the long stretch it doesn’t have the kick of a Guinness and perhaps that’s what they were looking for…… a light, smoother version of a heavy stout. if that’s what they were going for then they have achieved that, but for me, a man who does like his stouts, then its not so good. 

Getting the dark roasted malts and the milky chocolate, and, like all stouts, it is creamy, very creamy in fact. What I didn’t find was the tea, affirming what the brewers had said that the tea’s sole purpose was to hid the bitterness of the stout without affecting the general taste. 

It is very manageable, very smooth and easy to drink and its not bad, and it is very creamy, but its a cheap imitation without the sparkle. Ok but no kick and without that kick the taste is just blah, like a watered down Guinness! A bit boring truth be told, a bit like the young ones today so…..ha….

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

Madrí

Madrí Excepcional El Alma De Madrid

Madrí Excepcional

madriexcepcional.com/en-ie/our-beers

Brewed by Cervezas La Sagra 
Style: Pilsner
Numancia de la Sagra (Toledo), Spain

Madrí Excepcional is a a European-style lager produced and brewed for the British and Irish markets by Coors in conjunction with Spanish brewery La Sagra. It has suddenly sprung up on our shores, been sold in supermarkets and off licenses throughout Ireland and the UK.

MadríIt has capitalised on the new found fad of “Mediterranean style lagers” started by Peroni, and followed on by Birra Moretti and Estrella Damm. With people just recovering after Covid, Madrí offered one a chance to enjoy a bit of the Med without the effort of getting on a plane. It was a huge hit, as the lager boomed in sales, and from its launch in October 2020 it has managed to be sold in over 10,000 bars and pubs to becoming one of the fastest growing beer brands in Ireland and the UK. Not bad for a beer that no one knew pre Covid! 

With intensive social media marketing and playing on the imagery of Spanish sunshine and the Mediterranean feel, people bought it in droves. The marketing team put on many social events and city tours showcasing “the soul of Madrid” in London and Dublin and other towns and cities throughout and people lapped it up, celebrating Spanish culture with tapas and traditional music all the while downing Madrí lagers. Consumers are really getting into world beers and anything that is different and deemed “exotic” well the consumer on the street will just go for it.

But all of this is a bit of a marketing gimmick, as the reality is its totally brewed in the UK under licence, albeit it was created in collaboration with the Spanish brewery and is marketed as Spanish influenced, if that makes any difference I don’t know! I thought there was EU rules about that, aka Baileys Irish Cream, but maybe not and in any case the Brits are out of the EU, ha! 

MadríSo what about the La Sagra Brewery, the connection to Spain? Well this is a craft firm in Spain that was bought out by Coors in 2017. La Sagra, are actually not based even in Madrid at all, but an hour’s drive from the centre of Spain’s capital city. So much for their slogan “El Alma de Madrid” (“the soul of Madrid”), brewed in the north of England, for the Irish and UK market and with a heavy reference to Madrid! OK!.

The La Sagra brewery is a very young, innovative brewery that was founded by Carlos Garcia, a first-generation brewer born in Madrid. He started La Sagra Brewery in 2011 in Toledo, on the outskirts of Madrid, a unique area of Spain, historically, a melting pot of 3 different cultures. 

What stood out for me in the offy was the red branding which featured a man with the cap and a nice snazzy waistcoat. It certainly is eye catching and the main reason I ventured over to have a look at it. Apparently the man is called a ‘Chulapo’, originally a group of people in Spanish society in the 19th century, famous for their vibrant and elaborate style of dress and cheeky attitude. Today, as the blurb goes, “they represent the people of modern Madrid, full of life and energy. It’s this progressive spirit of modern Madrid that inspired Madrí Excepcional, bringing the Soul of Madrid, or as we like to say “El Alma de Madrid” to bars & restaurants across the world”

Review: 660ml bottle of Madrí Excepcional El Alma De Madrid 4.6% vol.

Madrí Excepcional El Alma De Madrid is the official name of the beer, but that’s a mouthful so its shortened and Anglicised to Madrí, and “Madrí is the traditional way of pronouncing Madrid”, as it says so on their website! 

MadríI got mine in a lovely big bottle but it also comes in cans and in draught in selected venues. The bottle is well designed, with lovely big red and white lettering and the Spanish looking guy, it certainly stands out and one can see why people pick it up so easy in the off license. 

Onto the appearance, it looks pretty nice, a good creamy white head appears on the pour and a good looking clear golden coloured beer ready to be drank. Standard enough but decent enough too. Some nice carbonation to add. A decent looker with a good white head and a nice colour.

Smells lagery – ok. Standard smell. The aroma for me was very light, not much at all on the nose. A bit of a typical lager smell, malty, corn and grain notes but all subtle and barely noticeable. Nothing really. 

Madrí Onto the taste and oh man……..urgh…….a very sweet and very sickly taste……this tastes like a pissy lager, very bland and nothing special at all that stands out…….this is just another bad lager in a market full of bad lagers, but this time a Spanish version…..or a make believe Spanish version!

Getting the malts and the sweet grains but not much else to inspire or enjoy. Overall a very boring and bad tasting lager, not even good for a session, not nice at all.

Watery taste, very soft and a sweet aftertaste that disappoints. Just a cheap tasting lager with no “umph”. Nothing special at all, worse than generic, and I am very disappointed considering all the marketing spiel. Disappointed.

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The Crafty Brewing Company Irish Craft Stout

The Crafty Brewing Company Irish Craft Stout

The Crafty Brewing Company Irish Stout

https://ryeriverbrewingco.com/category/the-crafty-brewing-co/

Brewed by Rye River Brewing Company for Lidl
Style: Irish Stout
Dublin Rd, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

The Crafty Brewing Company Irish Craft Stout Lidl’s, the German Discount store, has partnered with Rye River Brewing Company to bring a range of craft beers to consumers under the brand of “The Crafty Brewing Co”. They have an offer a Lager, an Irish Stout and a Red Ale to be sold in 4-packs nationwide.  

Operating out of Kildare, Rye River Brewing Company is one of the world’s most decorated independent craft breweries regularly achieving success at the World Beer Awards and other prestigious award ceremonies. At the 2018 World Beer Awards they won 19 medals, while at the same competition in 2019 they won an unprecedented 21 medals, an amazing achievement for an independent set up and only on the go since 2013.    

The Crafty Brewing Company range (produced exclusively for Lidl and available in over 20 countries across Europe) is not the only brand they produce. Other award-winning Rye River brands include the Solas range, the Grafters range and the McGargles beer (a brand I did a big write up yonks’ ago), all, like Crafty Brewing, exported and sold throughout Europe, and all winning loads of medals in the World Beer Awards and in other prestigious award ceremonies. 

Review: 500ml bottle of The Crafty Brewing Company Irish Stout 4.5% vol.

Sold exclusively in Lidl in stores right across Ireland. I have read they don’t sell this any more and the stout has been discontinued but I am not so sure about that…

The Crafty Brewing Company Irish Craft StoutA craft stout they say, whatever the fuck that is, does that mean its a wanky effort at a real stout?  Anyway apparently this stout has won a big award, or at least Silver in the world beer awards for stout. Might be impressive but I wasn’t invited so……..and it won gold in The Irish Food Awards in 2021, as best Irish stout in the country, not bad, well lets see how it goes with me!

On pour I am getting a pitch black colour with a decent sized creamy tanned head. Looks ok, a bit bubbly but overall not a bad pour, which is very important for a stout. Head maintains throughout and with some good lacing, this stout is not bad at all on appearance. 

Very good on the nose, a lovely aroma of chocolate and nuts, a very roasty smell, very nice. The dark roasted malts are really pleasant here.

The Crafty Brewing Company Irish Craft Stout The taste follows the nose, similar. Roasted dark malts, chocolate, coffee and nut taste, Not bad, initially anyway! Nice bitter coffee aftertaste, just right for a stout…..although might be a tad bit too sweet, but overall this is good.

Nice full bodied taste, nice to swish it all around in the mouth. I like this stout. Its not a Guinness or to be fair even near it, but its a bloody good effort.

Like a very nutty chocolate stout than anything else. Very good and filling, can easily see why it won awards. Good for a session. Recommended and a good alternative to Guinness.

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

Docteur Gab's Ipanema

Docteur Gab’s Ipanema

Dr Gab’s Ipanema

www.docteurgabs.ch/en

Brewed by Brasserie Docteur Gab’s
Style: India Pale Ale
Puidoux, Vaud, Switzerland

Brasserie Docteur Gab‘s is a small regional and local craft brewery, based in the small town of Puidoux, in the Canton of Vaud, South-Western Switzerland.

Docteur Gab's IpanemaIt all started when a young and very eager Gabriel Hasler, at just 16 years of age was given his first craft beer kit. Excited he enlisted the help of his two good friends Reto Engler and David Paraskevopoulos, and set out on a quest to brew their first beer. After initially producing 20 litres in Gabriel’s parents’ kitchen, and then moving to Reto’s parents’ cellar, the young entrepreneurs soon needed extra space so that they could share their passion and talent with as many people as possible.

In 2004, the trio moved to Epalinges, in the district of Lausanne, and opened their first premises fully dedicated to brewing. Here, several 400-litre tuns allowed production to rise to 6,000 litres a year. They found their first trade customers and production quantities increased exponentially, even though brewing was still something of a side hustle.

In 2010, with a bit of education and degrees now under their belts, David, Reto and Gabriel dedicated themselves to their venture full time and increased output to 80,000 litres a year.

By 2018 they had vastly expanded with more output and fulltime employees so that a move to Puidoux, where they remain today, was on the cards, with more space and a doubling of production capacity, the team were getting bigger and more professional. 

Review: 33cl bottle of Dr Gab’s Ipanema 6.0% vol.

Docteur Gab's IpanemaAvailable throughout Switzerland in supermarkets, restaurants and selected bars and pubs. I picked mine up in Coop in an Interesting looking bottle, which doesn’t look very dissimilar to a medicinal bottle! A strange drab looking IPA bottle if I am to be honest -orange and black perhaps not the best colours to mix together!

Least we forget, an Ipanema is a beer that combines typical characteristics of a full-bodied and fruity IPA beer, with a light and pleasant taste.

Looks very nice on pour, we get a lovely golden orange hazy colour, with a decent sized white head, frothy and creamy. Not getting a whole lot from the bottle, it doesn’t fill my small glass, which is always a little sad! But overall, it is a very good looking beer, nice on the eye.

As for the aroma, it is soft on the nose, not so stark, a faint whiff of a typical IPA, getting the pine, the tropical fruits and the grassy hops but not much, very light.

Getting a very, very bitter earthy aftertaste in the mouth, even though the initial taste on the tongue is quite soft and bubbly.

Docteur Gab's IpanemaIts overall quite tough to drink at the start, but once it settles down it is very manageable and drinkable, definitely a slow burner as I started to enjoy it the more I drank of it. In fact by the second glass, I found it not bad at all, and it went down much smoother over time, balancing out, and with me getting much more used to the bitterness. Experiencing malts, citrus, herbal hops and an orange zest.

The initial kick from the first few slugs does not last and goes missing afterwards to make this drink a smooth experience….. but I think it could have down with keeping that kick throughout, as it doesn’t linger at all. 

A bit of an up and a down, I think I’d like to return to get a better feel for the beer and its certainly an interesting beer to drink.

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

My Beer

My Beer

My Beer

www.singhacorporation.com/mybeer

Brewed by Singha Corporation Co. Ltd (Boon Rawd Brewery)
Style: Pale Lager
Bangkok, Thailand

My beer is manufactured in Thailand by the Singha Corporation Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of its parent company, Boon Rawd Brewery, Thai Brewery giants and kingpins. 

Review: 490ml can of My Beer 4.5% vol.

My BeerFormerly known as Singha Light, comes in cans and bottles. Mine is a none descript can, with the lettering of M-Y standing out, all very boring.

Aroma is nearly non existent, not getting much at all, just light lager aroma, malty and grainy, with corn. 

The appearance is a bit better, looks ok on the pour, some nice carbonation resulting in a nice clear golden coloured beer with a decent white creamy head. Looks good.

My BeerTypical lagery taste I am getting, ok I guess, not bad at all and pretty smooth to drink.

Grainy, malty, some fruits and light bitterness.

Slight astringent and metallic taste and a little sour but will do. 

Passable, one to drink if nothing else around. 

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

Snowy Yuzu Beer

Snowy Yuzu Beer

Snowy Yuzu

www.singhacorporation.com/snowyweizen

Brewed by Boon Rawd Brewery
Style: Weissbier
Bangkok, Thailand

Snowy Yuzu BeerBoon Rawd Brewery is a Thai brewery based in Bangkok and was created in 1933 by Phraya Bhirom Bhakdi (Boonrawd Sreshthaputra). Their best-known product is the pale lager Singha, found up and down the length of Thailand and popular with ex-pats especially. Other well known beer brands it produces are Leo, U, Snow, and Asahi. It also produces soft drinks and bottled drinking water.

Review: 490ml can of Snowy Yuzu Beer 4.5% vol.

Cans that can be bought anywhere really, but always to be found in Thailand’s ever reliable 7/11’s!  Snazzy logo on the can, a bear with some tree tops or even hops on its back, who knows, but its a nice looking can all the same. 

Snowy Yuzu BeerOn cracking open the can I immediately get the smell of fruit……. very strong on the nose, coming at you straight off the bat! Of fruits and citrus.

In fact the smell is probably of the Yuzu (hence the name), a citrus fruit that looks like a small yellow orange found in China and Japan, and with a similar aroma to a lemon and a grapefruit. I don’t know but it is what I was picking up on the nose anyway. Smells a lot like a fizzy lemonade.

On appearance, it looks cloudy and hazy on the pour with a golden colour emerging, some fast and lively carbonation too.  The white head does die a death. Not a great looking beer if truth be told.

Sure enough the taste is similar to a lemonade….. overloaded with citrus and fruits why wouldn’t it be anything else! One can definitely taste the orange peels. 

A harmless drink to try, not sour or bitter or any rough tastes, generally smooth to drink albeit it is slightly sickly with all the sugar and I doubt I could drink too many without getting a little bored of it. Basically its a lemonade with some beer. It says 4.5% alcohol, but its extremely well hidden as there is no kick to this, very light to drink. 

Mild and inoffensive, like a weak shandy. Charming and perhaps interesting for a try for one or two, but nothing else. Not a great looker but drinkable if nothing better is at hand!

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

Full Moon Malt Strawberry

Full Moon Malt Strawberry

Full Moon Malt Strawberry

www.fullmoonbrewwork.com

Brewed by Full Moon Brewwork (Natural Malt Brewing)
Style: Flavored – Fruit
Patong, Phuket, Thailand

Full Moon Malt StrawberryFull Moon Brewwork, opened since 2010, is a micro-brewery and restaurant situated in Patong, on the resort island of Phuket, southern Thailand. They produce German lagers, English style bitter ales, and classic Belgium “weiss”  beers amongst some more novelty brews and craft cocktails, all at the same time as running a fully functional restaurant and bar on site of their brewery. 

The artisan brewery combine traditional beer brewing methods and modern craft beer styles mixed in with local Thai influences and creativity. By adding local ingredients such as Thai GABA rice, Thai black sticky rice, and the peel of Thai tangerines, distinctive “Thai” flavours are achieved in their colourful and exciting craft beers.

Review: 490ml can of Full Moon Malt Strawberry 5% vol.

Full Moon Malt StrawberryComing in a very nice and colourful strawberry red can, doesn’t look much like a beer at all but more a can of soda. 

Like the coloured can, the beer also has a stark red appearance, but also, surprisingly I guess, a decent sized white head…. which does maintain relatively well. 

Naturally as it is a strawberry beer then of course the expected aroma is to be of strawberries, and yes that is what one gets, but its slight and a bit astringent too on the nose.

A little chemically on the nose. bit like burnt sugar and too sweet!

But overall the aroma is on the low level……not a whole lot overall to smell to be honest. 

Full Moon Malt StrawberryThe taste was disappointedly bland. For all the talk of strawberry there was not so much of that at all to savour or taste. 
A slight taste of malts but not so much. A very chemical taste as so often you can get from these kind of fruit beers, they tend to be overload with artificial sugar and sweeteners, or at least that’s what it tastes like.

Very carbonated too. Took a while to settle, giving it a very bubbly and fizzy taste.

Taste more carbonated , bubbly in taste. Overall not very good at all. Very artificial and chemical.  Forgettable, sorry to say.  

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

dublin riots

Life in Stasi Ireland with the Irish Fenian Make Ireland Grand Again

Good relaxed chat with Irish Fenian Make Ireland Grand Again about the recent news in Ireland.

We cover the Dublin riots and the political aftermath, immigration to Ireland and the proposed hate speech laws.

Follow Irish Fenian on Youtube at

https://www.youtube.com/@irishfenianmakeirelandgran7763

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

The State of RTE with Christian Morris

The State of RTE with Christian Morris

The State of RTE with Christian Morris where we talk about the recent Tubridy controversy, new Alt media, why RTE is so bad, the anti immigration riots, and the sovereign voyage, amongst other things….

Follow Christian Morris at on Odysee at

https://odysee.com/@christianmorristv:e

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

Brewdog Lost

Brewdog Lost

Brewdog Lost Planet First Lager

www.brewdog.com

Brewed by BrewDog
Style: German Pilsner
Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Brewdog. The two lads from Scotland that have set the craft beer world alight. Started in April 2007 by two good friends James Watt and Martin Dickie, BrewDog is a British multinational brewery and pub chain based in Ellon, Scotland.

Brewdog LostStarting small to eventually becoming a bit of a sensation in the brewing world, with all sorts of high jinks and marketing bull. To their credit they have always tried to push the boat out with exciting and innovative styles, using a wide array of mad and exotic ingredients from chilli, honey, chocolate, hemp, and mustard to name but a few.  And generally, they do tend to get the basics right……IE. their beers are actually quite bloody good, continuing to rake up a tonne of awards and prizes all over the globe.

Third time having a brew from those Scottish whippersnappers, having had their 5 A.M. Saint a while back which I found to be disappointingly very bland all things considering, but their Brewdog Punk IPA was simply FANTASTIC, easily making my top ten of all time….its tropical fruits really adding to the flavours and setting it apart from more regular IPA’s. Recommended. So lets see how the LP First lager gets on……….

Review: 440ml can of Brewdog Lost Planet First Lager: 4.5% vol.

In some places can gets cans with 4.7% volume, and there is also a non alcoholic version which amazingly only has 10 calories in it per 100ml, WOW!. 

Brewdog LostAs per usual one has to wade thought the usual PR and woke nonsense from Brewdog. From the can we get all this………“United we stand for better beer, fiercely defiant and independent”, 
“The worlds first carbon negative beer”, “brewed with surplus fresh bread”, “using 1/3 less water”, “powered by Brewdog wind turbines”, “plant trees, the lost forest in the Scottish highlands is an reforestation plan to help create a carbon clean planet” and this lovely gem….“by drinking this beer you are having a positive impact on the planet”. How about fuck off.

So basically the spiel is that its the ultimate ECO-Friendly beer…..windpower/recycling/less resources/ etc etc……..great, ha. And for the name Lost Lager, it is the return of what lagers should be like, long lost but now thanks to Brewdog, back again……clever eh? Meh!

On pour, getting a clear, light golden coloured brew with a very nice frothy white head that has good retention. Looks very good it has to be said. 5 out of 5 for the appearance.

Looks good, and also leaves some decent lacing behind. Nice.  

Light and faint smell, floral hops, but very, very faint. Not much at all on the nose, mild. 

Brewdog LostOnto the taste. A very light and smooth tasting lager taste, lovely and crisp on the tongue, very clean. Nothing too heavy or tinty, all clean and smooth. Hops on the low level and well balanced. 

A very good clean tasting lager that hits all the right notes. Lovely crispy mouthfuls. Yes top marks again to the Brewdog lads, nothing amazing but for a lager it does the job. 

Getting the malted barley, some earthy hops, and some fruit and citrus notes of apple and pear. Using both German saphir hops which give it its fruity kick, and German yeast giving its clean crisp, and lager taste. 

Very smooth, refreshing and a solid lager. Nothing that’s going to knock you out of your seat, but its simplicity that is the key here. Very drinkable. 

As usual and I have said it before, if they could cut out all the woke bull crap and just sell it as a normal top quality lager. I liked this beer a lot, not a huge array of flavours but its a simple lager and a very solid effort and it works. Will return again……

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post