PORTADOWN-based brewer McCracken's have become one of the latest local breweries to begin canning their wares. Having come onto the scene only a couple of years ago, the last few months have seen them launch most of their core range in cans while adding a new brew to the line-up.
First up is Legacy, a double-IPA which clocks in at a modest 7.5 per cent abv, the lower end of the imperial scale, although it has been ramped up from the 6 per cent from the bottled version.
It's a bright amber colour in the glass with a minimal bubbly head. There are fruity and citrusy aromas but the initial flavour is off a sweet, biscuit malt.
I suppose the prominence of West Coast IPAs has allowed us to expect a hoppy slap across the face from a double IPA, but this one tends towards this side of the pond a bit – more Burton than Berkeley shall we say.
They hops used are Citra and Chinook – both of which contribute to decent levels of bitterness. There are certainly some softened citrus notes to this one, not the piney, clean hit you'd expect from the West Coast version. It builds slowly, giving a flavours of bitter orange marmalade as the hops do a good job at balancing out the malt sweetness.
Next up is their pilsner. It's always a bold move for a microbrewery to take on this iconic style. It's one that perhaps requires the most work to produce what, on the face of it, appears to be a fairly straightforward beer. However, it's anything but.
The McCracken's pilsner pours a golden colour in the glass with a very minimal head, still there's enough to throw out a few bready aromas.
The malt profile on this one gives this a hint of white bread up front with a hint of sweetness. There's a malty backbone throughout this, but the carbonation isn't lively enough to deliver the crisp hit you need from a pils.
Still, there is a relaxing smoothness to it and perhaps a cool couple of these are best served on a hot summer's day.
