I was recently reminiscing about my trip to Ireland and remembered I still had a few beers to review. While getting my fill of Guinness, I was always on the look out of for something else. I really wanted something to break the delicious monotony. Oddly enough I stumbled upon some Irish craft beers in a wine bar. This beer was created by 8 Degrees Brewing, a brewery in Cork Ireland.
No need to describe the color, it was a porter. The beer didn’t have a whole lot of head, just a little bit of tan head that dissipated quickly. The beer was pretty light on ABV at 5%. The majority of the beers I had in Ireland were light on ABV.
The aroma upfront was almost entirely coffee. There were some subtle chocolate notes, but not much else. The aroma was not complex at all, which is not a bad thing.
The first sip was just like the aroma and hits with coffee. The coffee and roasted notes were followed by the chocolate notes in the middle. The finish was strong and bitter but not unpleasant. Just like the aroma, the taste was not overly complex and that made it a really easy to drink.
Verdict: Fill It! This was a good porter. To me, it was a great example of Irish craft beer. It was really easy to drink, not complex and just meant to be enjoyed. Sometimes a beer is just a beer and doesn’t have to be examined. I was lucky enough to bring one of these back home, so I was able to re-live my Ireland trip through beer. You better believe if I ever make it back to Ireland, I will definitely pick have one of these. Hopefully, next time I’ll be able to take a trip to Cork and visit the brewery. Cheers!
Fill It or Spill It 