Counihans- Murphy's Irish Stout

I was in Cork yesterday and couldn't pass up the opportunity to try the local attempt at this common style on the Emerad Isle. Counihans, which arguably took a couple of minutes looking at the sign to get the spelling right, was a classic looking pub, but was bigger than most. It had multiple rooms and floors, but the segmentation into smaller spaces still made it feel coy.

The beer was poured on nitro with a creamy solid white head. The color was an opaque black with deep brown edges. The nose had a stronger roast character than either Beamish or Guinness, and was the most aromatic. Upon taking your first sip it is easily evident that this has the creamiest and densest head of the three. The top looks and feels like a single mass not individual bubbles. The roast flavor on this beer comes in the middle of the sip with the front being dominated by the creaminess of the foam. On account of that, it has a very soft mouthfeel and finishes with a dry but lasting roast character. It had a light-medium body with a solid bitterness on the back end. The most notable thing about this beer was the lacing which came in thick sheets, coating the glass entirely. Of the three, I prefer Beamish the most, but this was still a tasty beer to enjoy in Cork.

On Friday, I went on a class fieldtrip to Glasnevin Cemetery where we got a guided tour of some of the more famous graves and monuments of the cemetery. One of the most shocking figures about it, is that there are 1.5 million people buried there, more than are currently living in the City of Dublin.

Saturday, we took another Paddywagon Bus Tour to Blarney Castle. Our first stop was the Rock of Cashel, a fortified hill once used by the Kings of Munster, but in the 12th century was turned over to the church, and became a holy site.

Our next stop was the infamous Blarney Castle where we climbed the steep narrow steps to kiss the Blarney Stone. Another cool feature about the place is its expansive grounds and gardens with waterfalls, rock formations, rare trees, caves, and much more. Of these, the coolest were the Poison Garden, a place where they grow specimens of poisonous and dangerous plants. Also, the Wishing Steps where if you go up and down them while keeping your eyes closed and mind focused on your wish, it will come true within a year. The gardens are absolutely beautiful making the site well worth your time even if your don't want to stretch back to kiss the stone.

To close the trip we had about and hour in Cork. We strolled through their main shopping street and English Market, housing local produce, meats, breads, and sweets. Additionally, we took some time to enjoy a nice beer before heading back to the bus.

As we will be leaving on our 2 week European tour, hitting the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Hungary, these next few weeks of beers from the bottle shop will be samplings of the regional specialties from the places, especially Belgium, to wet my appetite for the delicious beers to come.

Cheers!