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New Irish craft ale hits UK market
A unique Irish take on the pale ale, Chieftain IPA, has been launched by craft brewers Franciscan Well in the UK on-trade ahead of wider distribution.
The Franciscan Well brewery, built on the site of an old Franciscan monastery in Cork that dates back to 1219, aims to “strike the right balance between traditional Irish brewing techniques and innovative recipes”.
This is notable by the choice to name their new beer, Chieftain IPA an “Irish Pale Ale” – a take on the more familiar Indian Pale Ale and American Pale Ale.
While the trend in IPAs is to brew highly-hopped beers to deliver an intense bitterness to the palate, Chieftain IPA is aimed at pairing with food and balances between intense aroma, hop-bitterness, malt-sweetness and a short, clean finish. It’s “an Irish take” on the popular beer style according to the brewers.
Shane Long, founder of Franciscan Well Brewery, said: “Although it’s come a long way since I started the brewery in 1998, the craft beer industry is still in its infancy in Ireland. Following the success of our beers in the UK [red ale Rebel Red and Shandon Stout], it was a natural next step for us to try our hand at a bigger market, and with London being at the epicentre of craft beer, it just made sense.
“Rebel Red and Shandon Stout are available in select outlets across the UK, with IPA being made available in limited quantities now with a bigger launch in 2015.”
On the unique brewing techniques and flavour profiles involved with the Chieftain IPA, Long continued, “IPA’s are usually high hopped, leaving a bitterness that lingers on the palate. With Chieftain IPA we wanted to do something a little different, offering everything an IPA normally delivers but with a smoother, cleaner finish.”
Last year, Franciscan Well won two awards at the World Beer Awards, including a gold medal within the European category for its Irish red ale Rebel Red.
Franciscan Well was bought by Molson Coors in January 2013, and is a flagship name in the company’s UK & Ireland craft beer division.