At a Glance:
Date: 16/04/2021
Breweries in Focus: Treaty City Brewery
Guest Judge: Celine Russell- Has listened to me talk about craft beer more than anyone else. She’s picked up a thing or two along the way.
Guest Tune: People Everywhere- Khruangbin. Asian-inspired funk from the heart of Texas. I know, clean mad.
BEERS IN FOCUS
| BEER NAME | STYLE | /10 |
| Thomond | Red Ale | 6 |
| Helles Gate | Helles Lager | 8 |
| Harris | Pale Ale | 7 |
| Invasion | IPA | 8 |
| Super Juicy | IPA | 8 |
| Gowlden Wonder | Wheatbeer | 8.5 |
I YURT MYSELF, TODAY
The latest instalment of Brewed Awakening took us to Limerick, a county that lays claim to two of Ireland’s finer things. The first is Ireland’s greatest cultural export; Blindboy Boatclub, the second is their highly versatile motto – ‘Yurt’.
TREATY CITY BREWING CO:
Every beer on this blog is produced lovingly by Limerick City’s highly sought-out brewery. Situated in the Medieval Quarter, the brewery’s exuberance and dedication shine through in with a range of of experimental styles and traditional favourites. Some noteworthy omissions that don’t feature on this blog include their ‘Beerini’, a highly reputed cream ale and a mango IPA that all came out just in time for summer.
CREW BREWING CO:
Also worth a mention are pub and microbrewery Crew Brewing Co; a new and exciting brewery also nestled in Limerick City. Crew don’t (currently) have a canning line meaning it’s delicious pints only, but none for us unfortunately. Gareth and Jono are Belfast-born beer geeks who are living their dream. I wonder if they’re more Yurt or Yeo these days. Be sure to call in for a post-pandemic-pint when the opportunity presents itself.
BOOZE REVIEWS
Thomond Red Ale- 4.7%
Named after Thomond park in Limerick (presumably), Treaty City’s red ale is a solid offering. Red ales can often be unremarkable or straight up forgettable – but this holds its own, even in an astute line-up.
Thomond pours opaque with more of a brown hue than a red, with a wispy white head that retains fairly well. There is a mid-level carbonation which feels more true to tradition than some counterparts on the market such as Galway Bay’s fizzy Bay Red Ale (which is also delicious, I can admit).
The expected maltiness is there with a big caramel flavour. On the nose, there’s a lovely, clear vanilla aroma that is accompanied by a smooth finish. 6/10
Harris Pale- 5%
Treaty City’s core pale ale was described by my guest as “Gary Lightbody”, for some indistinguishable reason. It’s a tad ironic actually, as there is a coppery, dark pour to this beer that gives a real character.
There’s a sweet citrus on the nose with a taste that’s maltier than most pales on the market. Expect herby and bitter with a very dry finish. Treaty City mention that this beer is named after a Limerick Hell raiser. For the sake of the town, here’s hoping the real Harris isn’t as dark or bitter as this! A lovely beer nonetheless. 7.5/10
Helles gate- 4.2%
To me, a good Helles is the ideal first stepping stone for someone who is interested in the difference between macro and craft. This is a great example of how beer’s behemoth style has a little brother with a bit more nuance and depth.
As the photo alludes to, this pours lovely and translucent. That bread-like quality of a Helles is there with honey notes and even a hint of juice. Again this is mid-carbonation nonetheless is extremely refreshing. As much as I love complex profiles (and a plain old lager too), this is simple and delicious. 8/10
Invasion IPA- 6%
The first of two IPAs on the list, Invasion has a fairly opaque body. There is a heavy citrus on both the nose and taste. It felt like I was sucking on a lime or a grapefruit with the dry, citrus finish. There’s not a whole lot more to say about this; a hoppy, citrusy IPA that disappeared before I had time to think. 8/10
Super juicy 6.1%
Donning a 0.1% higher ABV is the ‘Super Juicy’ IPA which is sure to be a fan favourite as we enter summer. There’s absolutely no seeing through its murky body. The flavour profile is one of classic stone fruit with mango on the nose too. The kind of beer you could drink in the sun again. And again, and again and again. 8/10
Gowlden wonder 4.1%
This fantastically named wheat beer is absolutely fantastic from design to drinkability. Once again, there is a subtle breadiness that you would expect from a wheatbeer, then the watermelon comes through light, smooth and extremely sweet. This is a fantastic example of how wheatbeers seems to really accentuate fruity notes. I Maybe ask Harry Styles to sponsor it? He seems to enjoy singing about watermelons. 8.5/10
Thanks for reading. If you’ve any thoughts on beers past, future or present please let me know your craic in the comment section below.
Sometimes you need a rude awakening, in order to drink in peace.
Slán Abhaile,
Eamon
Brewed Awakening 