Selfless as ever, Team Hop Press were first to arrive and last to leave yesterday as the Irish Craft Beer Festival returned to the RDS for three glorious days.
Making their festival bow are Sullivan’s, the resurrection of the Kilkenny brewery that operated from 1702 until 1918 when they were taken over by local rivals Smithwick’s. Given all of this history, it’s fitting that the man bringing Sullivan’s back is Paul Smithwick, a scion of the famous family who’s set up a gorgeous Taproom in the Marble City at 16 John Street Lower.
Their first beer is Maltings Red, a 4% ABV ruby-tinted ale with big biscuit and caramel flavours. We were also treated to a sample of their 8.1% Birchfield Barley Wine, which head brewer Ian Hamilton rightly describes as “liquid Christmas cake.”
Currently at the test batch stage, it should be available commercially in the run-up to the holiday season.
It was also our first time meeting the folk from Dew Drop, the Kildare micro whose own highly sessionable 4.2% Bushwhacked Irish Red is infused – and indeed enthused – with Rooibos tea. Their 5.5% Forbidden Fruit White Wheat Pale Ale and 4.8% ’96 Oatmeal Pale Ale also get a resounding Hop Press ‘Thumbs Up’!
Also new and highly recommended are Easy Lover, a 3.8% session IPA from Wicklow Wolf; Metalman’s 4.6% Blaager, which is actually brewed with Waterford’s famous PGI designated bread rolls, and Rood Boy, a remarkable (in a good way!) Maple & Bacon creation from Dungarvan Brewing, which is currently only available as a festival special.
We spent a very pleasant half-hour shooting the breeze with Richard Siberry and Michaela Dillon, the husband and wife team behind Ballinlough, County Roscommon’s
Black Donkey Brewing whose 4.6% ABV Belgian Pale Ale is a thing of beauty – as are their t-shirts!
They also had tasters from Clooonconra, Black Donkey's cheese-making neighbours who farming fans have the only Irish Mollied cow milking herd in the country. If you come across any of their wares, scoff on sight but leave some for us…
Bon mots were also exchanged with the legendary Doug Odell and Logan Plant, the son of Led Zep’s Robert who was flying the flag for North London guest brewery, Beavertown, whose stand was mobbed all night.
Feeling justifiably proud of themselves were the Wicklow Brewery crew who were still on a high after winning gold at the International Beer Challenge with their 4.9% HopKnut Pale Ale, a first for an Irish independent. Well done, ladies and gents!
These are exciting times too for Hope who’ve just opened their own brewery in Howth and are producing top quality beers like Grunt, a 4.8% Belgian-style Saison which was a recent Hop Press Tipple Of The Fortnight.
O’Hara’s neatly have 20 taps for the 20 years they’ve been fighting the good fight, with their 5.8% Whiskey Barrel Aged Falling Apple Cider and 4.1% Wild Side Sour Cherry both tickling, caressing and generally acting very seductively towards our tastebuds.
There was just time left for a wee nip of the limited-edition 53% Cask Strength Irish Whiskey that’s brand new from St. Patrick’s Distillery and Overkill, the aptly named 9.5% Imperial Black IPA from Black’s of Kinsale, which also tastes of more.
Don't forget that Team Hop Press' Colm O'Regan and Stuart Clark are hosting Friday and Saturday's panel discussions as detailed below. The Irish Craft Beer Festival re-opens at 2pm today in the RDS, with tickets priced €10 available on the door.

Friday

6pm Bushmills Malt Masterclass

7pm The Beer Necessities with Metlman, Trouble & Eight Degrees

Saturday

4pm The Craft Pioneers with O’Hara’s, Galway Hooker & Porterhouse

5pm Brew Kids On The Block with MONT, Black Donkey, Kinnegar & N17

6pm All Things Craft! With Longueville Cider, Micil Poitin & Dingle

All of these are taking place in the O’Brien’s Masterclass Suite, located upstairs above the festival in Hall 5. Places are limited so to guarantee your spot log on to irishcraftbeerfestival.ie/bushmills-masterclass