Caffrey's, a decent Irish Ale
May 01 '01
The Bottom Line An Irish ale revived by Bass in 1994. Great nitro-pour, light creamy texture, flavors are light with nut and fruitiness, finishing slightly bitter. Give it a try.
Caffrey's Irish Ale, Thomas Caffrey, Belfast
The brewing of traditional ales in Ireland has always played something of a background role, initially to porters and currently to stouts. Aimed primarily at the younger UK market, Irish ales are making something of a revival. This is probably due to the maltiness and pleasant flavor of these brews, compared to the nitrogen induced smoothness. They have been gaining something of a trendy image.
Caffrey's is the Irish ale which has certainly seen the most impressive growth, having been introduced only 7 years ago. Thamas Caffrey established the Caffrey brewery in the 19th Century. As Michael Jackson points out in his "Beer Companion", the original family name had been Cloworthy Dobbin. It was a fortunate name change when his daughter married Thomas Caffrey. The brewery changed hands in the 1920's, and eventually became part of the Bass group. The Caffrey name was revived by Bass in 1994, and applied to an Irish ale. I remember being introduced to Caffrey's in London in 1995 a forgettable night of over consumption. By 1997, the beer was gaining popularity all over England, and is now available in the USA, especially in Irish and English bars.
The can opens up with the same sharp, long fizz as the Boddington’s I opened a few days ago. Yes this is another one of those cans containing the now famous nitrogen filled widget. As a result it will pour very foamy and creamy, so take your time. If you watch the beer as it flows out of the can you can kind of see a separation between the beer and the foam, which then mix together as the brew hits the glass. As the beer settles it looks very much like an uncarbonated pale ale, deep amber in color, with a white thick creamy head. It’s certainly a joy to look at. The lack of bubbles by the way is a deliberate intent of the nitro-style.
In the nose there’s a nice mild maltiness, and I also detected some hop, although neither really dominates. It’s initially light on the palate, although it has a creamy texture it doesn’t carry nearly the same weight as a Guinness. I’m assuming it’s intentionally easy drinking, while at least leaving a pleasant mouthfeel. It does finish a little heavier, you certainly feel it go down past the back of your throat, warning don’t drink me too fast flashbacks to my over consumption again.
This beer is just oozing smoothness (emphasis on the o’s); it feels good to drink. The flavor however is very light; don’t expect something dominating. There’s a nice blend of nut and fruity malt, while the finish does have some hop, leaving a little dry bitterness. From my memory it’s certainly not as sweet as I had thought.
Caffrey’s is pretty close to a stout in creaminess and texture, but as for the rest of the experience, I’d have to put it alongside a typical English bitter, the sort of thing you find in the pub. However it is a little stronger, most English pub ales are3.5-4%, this is 4.8%, and therefore a premium brew. For it’s pour and looks you’d put this down as a 5 star beer, the flavor however while pleasant and satisfying is not quite so exciting. I’d have to rate this somewhere around 3.5.
If you're interested in further drinking on Irish ales, Kilkenny (4 stars) is the best I know of. Killian’s (2.5), which ceased production in Ireland in 1956, is now brewed under license by Coors. While this is OK, I'm not a big fan, and I've heard the same brew made by Pelforth in France is much better. You just can't trust these big American corps. Beamish (4) is another excellent Irish ale, although Murphy’s red (2) is disappointing, especially from such a good brewer.
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