Two Kildare sisters who brew their own ale have earned rave reviews from beer expert on Newstalk
An ale that has been brewed by two sisters in Kildare Town was on the receiving end of a pretty good review on Newstalk this afternoon.
Dean McGuinnes, an expert on craft beers, was speaking on the Moncrieff show on Newstalk today during the 'Movies and Booze' feature on the show, and he was highly impressed with the Brigid's Ale that is brewed by Two Sisters Brewing. The brewers are Judith and Susan Boyle, who own Boyles Bar and Off-licence in the town, and they use their interest in bee-keeping as a way to help make their ale.
The Boyle family have around 30 hives at present, and they use the honey from they gather from these hives to add to the flavour of their red ale.
McGuinness gave a pretty lengthy description to show his enthusiasm towards the drink, saying how excellent craftmanship and family values combine well to make a superb ale.
"The honey is added to the beer in the brewing process at the end of the boil and before fermentation. The result of this in brewing terms is that the rich sweetness of the honey becomes very much a secondary character of the beer."
"A certain amount of this honey sweetness is fermented out by the yeast after the beer has been cooled, and the honey integrates into the flavour of the beer. Distinctive floral aromas, reminiscent of Kildare hedgerow blossoms, come through on the nose, and the honey notes on the palate are subdued, clean and secondary to the malt character of the beer," he outlined.
The name of the drink comes from Saint Brigid, who is recognised as Ireland's Patron Saint of Brewing, and was a prominent religious figure throughout her life in Kildare.
"As a red ale, there is a significant backbone of malt flavour in this beer. Biscuit, cocoa powder and a chocolate roast acidity are forward to the residual honey, which is present but in the background in terms of its subtle sweetness. Malt aromas come through, and fuse with floral aromas from the honey, supported by Target hops used in brewing the beer," he continued.
McGuinness went on to describe the ale as distinctive, saying that there are lots of interesting flavours mixed together to make the perfect beer.
"Brigid’s Ale is a multi-dimensional affair – honey being one aspect, fusing with classic red ale character and target hops, giving a layered drinking experience," he concluded.