Carlow Brewing Co.
Carlow, Ireland
Imported by: D’Troff Foods, Inc.
Charleston, SC
Available: GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, DC, DE, PA, NY, OH, IA, IN, IL, WI, MI, MN, CT, RI
Carlow Brewing Co., one of a small handful of microbrewers in Ireland, was founded by the O’Hara brothers in 1998.
Alcohol by weight: 3.34
Color: n/a
Bitterness: n/a
Gravity: n/a
Black and beautiful, with a luxurious, long-lasting head of miniscule tan bubbles, a regal nose of tobacco, vanilla and bittersweet cocoa essence, and a rich, beautifully balanced, coffee-like maltiness in the middle of the palate that makes the more well know Irish stouts pale by comparison. We had the luck of the Irish to try it with a couple of dozen Kumomoto oysters on the half shell, organic pumpernickel and home-fried potatoes.
Wonderful, complex and balanced roast barley, malt and hop masterpiece. A classic Irish stout. Not harsh. Highly drinkable. Velvety smooth. Hints of hazelnut, caramel and cocoa. Exquisite. I’ll pay good money for this brew. Bring on the oysters. Bring on the cheese.
Beneath a dense head of foam, the brown/black beer offers a smoky aroma with a powerful hint of fresh tobacco and cappuccino coffee. It’s intensely bitter in the mouth as a result of roasted malts and hops, while the finish zings with bitter hops, dark grains, tangy fruit, bitter coffee and vanilla. Uncompromisingly bitter, the beer would marry well with oysters and other sea food.
Founder of Merchant du Vin and the Pike Brewing Co., Charles Finkel is a pioneer in the marketing of craft beers in America.
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer Festival and a Beer Examiner at www.examiner.com, Papazian is a leading voice in beer and brewing.
Roger Protz is the author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He is a respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
