I'm finally getting around to this, the third regular brew of the West Kerry Brewery (Beoir Chorca Dhuibhne), a brewer that's given me a good and a great experience in the past.
I assumed Béal Bán was a pale ale, and even though it doesn't quite align with others of that style, I'm going to stick with that designation for the sake of argument.* It pours an amber/gold hue with a big sudsy head. The aroma doesn't give much away, just a light sweetness and a suggestion of fresh hops. Later on, the sweetness becomes more discernibly like the candy shell of a Smartie. The taste is much better, with loads of citrus and grapefruit to the fore, even a hint of peel, while remaining relatively low on the bitterness. What follows is a strange but delicious smoky toffee flavour that lingers right to the finish, and sticks to the mouth thereafter.
Incredibly drinkable and very tasty, this would be a good sessioner if it wasn't for the price. It may have nudged Cúl Dorcha out of the way, but it's still not as good as the Carraig Dubh.
*As it turns out, this is an English-style bitter, according to the website. I guess that makes more sense.
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