The Good, The Bad, and The Rest of The Bubbly Brews

So we have gone over a brief introduction of what Craft Beer is all about, and how brewers go about taking 4 or 5 mere ingredients and transforming them into a delicious, refreshing, thought provoking beverage!
So what is the story with craft beer in Ireland? What breweries are making the best grog? Which bars and pubs are offering the widest and more interesting selection of beers? and which places are just the total package, good beer, good food, cool staff, and great atmosphere? Lets find out!!

So while there is not a huge array of choices for a good selection of craft beers, there are more and more places opening each month, which is great for us beer drinkers. My first review is going to be of one of my favourite spots that I have found so far in my search for the best hangout spot in Dublin that combines all the above attributes.

The Black Sheep 

61 Capel St, Dublin

The Black Sheep is a beer focused gastropub that is owned by the Galway Bay Brewing Group. There are 3 other pubs around Dublin by the same owners, but in my opinion this is by far the best. The Black Sheep is located towards the north end of Capel St, close to Parnel St. Close walk from Luas red line, Henry St, and the Spire.

Beer
The Black Sheep has a great selection of beers, with 23 rotating beers pouring on draft including two cask ales, and also a wide selection of bottled beers. My favourite thing about the beers at the Black Sheep is the variety of selection. Many places that are carrying craft beers now are solely carrying Irish craft beers, which while some are great, many are still learning....Our neighbours in Europe have been brewing for hundreds of years (Belgium in particular) and have perfected some amazing flavour combinations and different styles that are not available in Ireland. The Black Sheep however offers a good mix of Irish, Belgian and American brews, which tick all the boxes in my opinion, depending on how I am feeling on a particular day. Some days I feel like a dry Irish roasty Stout, but others, I want a citrusy, bitter west coast coast style IPA, and at The Black Sheep I can easily make that choice!

Food
The food selection at The Black Sheep is not crazy different to your average Dublin pub, they cover most of the bases with items such as Chicken Wings, Calamari, Steak Burger, Beef Stew, Fish & Chips, but also have some other interesting items like Quesadillas, Bruscetta, and Thai Green Curry.
The calamari pair nicely with a hoppy IPA, with the citrus notes from the beer meshing with the fresh lemon covered squid. I thought the fish could have been fried for slightly longer, as it was quite soggy but the flavours were tasty. The Steak burger was recommended by one of the waiters, and while it was a tasty enough combination, the meat quality was not great in my opinion. I'm sure they sell a ton of them, and they definitely fill a hole, hunger wise, but there are better burgers in Dublin. Chicken wings were good, spicy but not over the top, crispy on the outside, but nice and moist inside. Overall, I think some of the starters go great with their impressive beers, leaving you wanting more of both, but wouldn't necessarily recommend if you are trying to impress a date, or are seeking something complex from your plate.

Staff
One of the main reasons I will go back to a business, no matter what area of business, is their staff. It doesn't cost anything to say hello, say goodbye, recommend some interesting items for me, and overall appreciate my business. The staff at The Black Sheep tick all the boxes in this regard, they are great. Sitting at the bar especially, like in any pub, you have more opportunity to converse with the staff, ask opinions, recommendations, whats new, whats great, whats not so great etc. The staff here are both knowledgeable and friendly which makes all the difference in my eyes.

Atmosphere
The layout of The Black Sheep is nice, small bar area, but generally quite open and spacious. The place seats around 70-80 people (guess). There is generally some music playing in the background, dimmed lights and candles (evening) and the pleasant rumble of various conversations taking place around the place. They do not have any tvs, so probably not the spot for you if you are craving some premiership football, or Leinster rugby. Overall I would score the place quite high on the atmosphere chart as the place is generally busy, but not intensely crowded to the point that it is hard to get a drink. Good vibe!

Beer Review
The Beer I am going to review was a staff recommendation from my most recent visit to The Black Sheep.

Brewer: The Wild Beer Company, Shepton Mallet, England
Beer: "Madness IPA"
Style: Imperial/Double India Pale Ale (DIPA)
Alcohol by volume (abv) 6.8%
Format: 500ml bottle
Price: €6

<-- cool branding too

The aroma was grassy hoppy, and fruity (apple, lemon, pineapple). On my first tastes I got notes of pine cones, citrus fruits,followed by up front hop bitterness, with background balancing malts. Definitely very refreshing. The alcohol was hidden well by the American hops and good carbonation levels added to the overall brightness of the beer. I really liked it, especially since it was not something I had tried before, or would have seen, as it was hidden away in the back of the fridge. Also so far I have not been wowed by English IPAs so this was a particularly pleasant surprise. Final thoughts, great IPA, would gladly go back and have another, well worth a try people!!
For folks just getting into the craft beer world and not sure which styles they prefer, it has the strength and depth of a great craft beer with lots of exciting flavours, but the citrus notes from the hops make the beer very easy drinking and refreshing. Again, worth a try!

Stay tuned to Craft Beer Scene blog for more reviews on places to check out, beers to try, food to nibble on, and who is brewing the best gargle around! Slainte!