Food & Drink

Craft Beer: The best brews of 2021

Kinnegar's Shuttle Bucket was probably the beer Paul enjoyed most in 2021
Kinnegar's Shuttle Bucket was probably the beer Paul enjoyed most in 2021 Kinnegar's Shuttle Bucket was probably the beer Paul enjoyed most in 2021

SO here we are - another year in beer behind us, and 12 months of new brews and old favourites ahead of us.

There were small slivers of hope in the return of taprooms and a dragging of legislation into the 21st century which will hopefully see more breweries able to throw open their doors and server their wares in the future.

For now, I have been pondering the beer I enjoyed most in 2021.

:: Best Session beer: All Night Long - Bullhouse

There was once a notion that craft beer was inaccessible to the so-called normal beer drinker. That's not the case any longer thanks to session beers which are easy drinking and pack in lots of flavour.

Beer Hut have been pretty adept at churning out some great session IPAs and I also enjoyed the new Tain Taproom offering from Carlingford Brewing company last year.

For me, though, the best sessionable brew of 2021 came from Bullhouse. All Night Long ticked one box by coming in under 4 per cent ABV. It still managed to cram in flavours of stone fruits and citrus peel with a wee tinge of lime and was a welcome thirst quencher this summer.

:: Best IPA: Shuttle Bucket - Kinnegar

Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?

I've loved Kinnegar's many incarnations of a rye ale, stretching right back to the original Rustbucket.

So when I saw that they had doubled up the recipe to make a rye DIPA, I was sold. Hitting the shelves in early spring with a St Patrick-inspired label, it pours an auburn colour in the glass. There are toffee and sweet stone fruit aromas. The sticky sweet malt flavours marry well with the fruit flavours of peach, mango and grapefruit with that little warming rye popping its head up too.

It was probably the beer I enjoyed most in 2021, but unfortunately seems to have been a limited brew. Any chance it may return this spring? I'll hold on tight to my lucky clover.

:: Best stout: Breakfast of Champions – Rascals

The breakfast stout is fast becoming my black beer of choice and this one really hit the spot. An oatmeal coffee stout which delivered flavours of espresso and dark chocolate with a creamy and smooth mouthfeel.

These are my top beers of 2021 but let me know which brews you enjoyed throughout last year.