Life

Craft beer: Larkin's Cascade and Coffee In The Rye – catchy titles, lovely brews

Coffee In The Rye from Wicklow brewers Larkin's
Coffee In The Rye from Wicklow brewers Larkin's Coffee In The Rye from Wicklow brewers Larkin's

IF YOU do something well enough once, you never have to do it again. I’m not sure that was the mantra JD Salinger was following when he decided to tell the world about Holden Caulfield in his one and only novel The Catcher in The Rye.

The 1951 publication is frequently held up as one of the greatest one-hit wonders in history. Wicklow-based brewers Larkin's are anything but, churning out hit after hit these days, but they did take inspiration from the famous coming-of-age tale when naming their New England IPA Cascade in the Rye. Yes, you’ve guessed it, there’s rye in malt bill and it’s dry hopped with Cascade.

Now, I love a good pun – and a good beer of course – but when the folks at Larkin's decided to keep the theme going in their coffee IPA, somehow the name Coffee In The Rye doesn’t quite hit the spot. It’s just a good thing the beer does.

This 7 per cent double coffee IPA comes in a 440ml can. The can itself was purchased in the treasure trove of craft beer that is Stephen Street News – a seemingly run-of-the-mill newsagent tucked away off St Stephen’s Green in Dublin that just happens to feature a mind-boggling choice of Irish craft beer across its back wall.

The beer itself pours a quite brown murky colour with a minimal head. A hint of coffee comes through in the aroma, along with a bit of blueberry and stone fruits.

Coffee is often chucked into stouts to give them an added smooth and roasty feel, but those aren’t really what a brewer goes for in an IPA. In this one, the coffee lends it a more creamy and slightly fruity feel. The rye adds a nice spice and there are loads of juicy flavours too.

With all that going on, it’s a pretty complex but it’s all nicely managed and the result is a beautifully balanced, flavourful beer with a nice, smooth mouthfeel.

It was actually the second Larkin’s beer I happened to come across on my recent trip to Dublin. The other was a smashing sessions IPA called Dog Days which I was lucky enough to enjoy on draught. It clocks in at 3.5 per cent, but packs a lot of flavour in there and a few could be easily tucked away on a sunny evening (* sun not necessarily required).