EVERYTHING'S got a bit bigger at Kinnegar these days. With the feet well and truly under the table at their new facility in Letterkenny, which they moved to around a year ago, they've been busy churning out more and more of their wonderful beer.
They are one of the breweries helping to kick off Indie Beer Week (June 22-July 1), a celebration of Irish brewing with events taking place across the country.
They're teaming up with Sligo brewers White Hag (not for the first time) to host a big day out at their Letterkenny brewery today, so if you're in the area and you fancy some top notch beer (and a game of corn hole) pop along.
Of course, their greater capacity has allowed them to knock a greater volume of beer and in the last few months they installed a canning line for the first time. The newly canned Kinnegar has been hitting the shelves over the last few weeks and I naturally had to grab a few, although I still love the sight of their long neck pint bottles too.
The cans are 440mls and feature their core range as well as some specials, which are coming out more frequently these days, they've almost muscled their way into the starting line-up too.
In contrast to the rather spartan labels on their bottles, the cans have a playful and striking design. I couldn't resist my only personal Kinnegar favourite – Black Bucket – and can of their New England style IPA, Big Bunny.
This is billed as a souped-up version of White Rabbit, their juicy session IPA with which goes down far too smoothly. The Rabbit's big sister Big Bunny clocks in at 6 per cent abv, so is stronger than it's 4.5 per cent baby bro.
There's lots of haze in the glass once this gold/light amber ale is freed from its aluminum captivity. It certainly dials up the hops and there's tonnes of juicy and fruity flavours – peachy, mango and a fair whack of citrus fruits.
But just like White Rabbit, the malt bill helps make this a luscious, smooth beer. The American wheat contributes to a creamy mouthfeel, helping all those wonderful flavours rest themselves on your palate.
