In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, this month we will be learning about one of the most popular and highest-rated Irish Red Ales currently available in the world, Brian Boru. Brewed by 3 Floyds up in Munster, Indiana, the beer is named after the first (and only) high king of the Gaelic race, who was born in Munster, Ireland over a thousand years ago. This Irish Red Ale is a beautiful copper red and the smell is citrus hops and caramel malts. I’ve mentioned in the past about well-balanced “middle of the road” beers which don’t contain too much hop flavor, nor are they particularly dark from the roasted malts. This Brian Boru is an excellent example of that. For those of you who simply enjoy beer, and don’t turn up your nose at a particular style, it has it all. If you’re the kind of person to say “surprise me” when you go out to a bar or a restaurant, consider asking instead for this one. The taste is similar to the smell, in that you’ll get pine and citrus hops, bready, caramel malts, and even maybe a few surprises depending on your palate. I’ve heard notes of pineapple, mango, brown sugar, grapefruit and even strawberry on the tongue. These aren’t all pronounced, big-hitting flavors, so don’t worry that there’s too much going on here. If any of those are to be tasted, they’ll be quite subtle.
For anyone who has traveled north to a neighboring state and tried their beers before, Fat Head’s Brewing recently expanded their distribution to our neck of the woods here in South Central Kentucky, particularly at Mellow Mushroom, though it may be available at other locations soon. You might ask around. This is great news for anyone who is looking to try new beers, but also wants to make sure they’re well-received before taking that leap. The name Fat Head’s started with a restaurant/bar called Fat Head’s Saloon in Pittsburgh. Then they opened a location in Cleveland, which is when they started making beers under that name, and eventually they opened a couple more restaurants as well as a location that is only a brewery and only makes beer for distribution. All the added locations are around Ohio, with the exception of the original Pittsburgh one, of course. They are most well known for a handful of their beers, namely the Headhunter and the Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale.
The Headhunter IPA is an award winning India pale ale with an ABV of 7.5%. The scent is pine with floral and citrus notes. The taste is immense with hints of pine, pineapple, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits all blended into a west-coast style IPA that is super refreshing. The Headhunter finishes surprisingly smooth for a beer with such a flavor-forward appeal, especially considering the alcohol content, which is well-hidden. Anyone drinking IPAs who has not tried the Fat Head’s Headhunter is missing out, no doubt.
Another new Fat Head to come into town recently is the Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale. While not as widely beloved or well known as the Headhunter, this beer is not just another “fruity beer” made in an attempt to draw in a larger crowd who may not usually drink beer, but who enjoy fruity ciders. This is a beer. It just so happens to also have some blueberries in it. The smell and taste are that of blueberries mostly, with a pinch of hop bitterness and biscuity malts in the background. Not too sweet with a wheat backbone, it is both light-bodied and quite drinkable. If you’re looking for something fruity, but still want something with real beer flavor, check out the Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale. Am I getting paid by the word? If I were, how many times do you think they would let me mention by name the delicious Bumble Berry Honey Blueberry Ale by Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon?
-by Josh Helton
