McGrattan's-Bru Czech Lager

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. This past week has been pretty busy and didn't leave much time for the pub. McGrattan's was a decent pub, pretty big, but it had pop music playing in the background so it didn't feel very cozy, but wasn't very busy either, so it didn't have the right vibe for what they were trying with the music.

As for the beer it poured a brilliantly clear gold color with a one and a half finger white head, which became almost conical at the top, creating an impressive presentation. It has a malty aroma with hints of herbal and lemony notes. The taste was very similar. It started out with a very soft mouthfeel and the head was very dense and creamy. It had a soft, sweet pilsner malt character. Similar to the nose there is a slight lemony taste, making the beer more refreshing. It finishes cleanly, not too dry, not too sweet.

As I mentioned this has been a pretty packed week. Starting last Tuesday, we went to Dublin Castle. The highlight of that trip was the Chester Beatty Library. It contained rare manuscripts and religious texts from all major world religions, and was very informative. Even better, it was free. It is absolutely a must see for anyone who is visiting Dublin for a few days. After we went and got gelato at a local shop before splitting off to do some shopping for Valentine's Day on Grafton Street.

On Friday, we finally made it to the Guinness Storehouse. Here we got an interactive walkthrough of the ingredients, brewing process, historical advertising and much more. The sensory room was very cool because they broke down the aroma of Guinness into compounds based on if they came from the malts, the hops, the roasted barley, or the yeast byproducts. I even learned how to pour my own pint and enjoyed it with a 360 panoramic view of Dublin from their Gravity Bar.

Saturday was all about sports. In the afternoon, I watched 6 Nations Rugby on TV and watched Ireland handily defeat the Italians. Shortly after, Becky and I went to Croke Park to watch a double header of two Gaelic sports, hurling and Gaelic football. I'm glad I did a little research on how they are played beforehand because without that, I would have been utterly lost. When we got to the park it was raining and cold. As we made our way to our seats, we realized that our amazing seats (about 5 rows back from the field) were just outside of the rain awning and we were getting drenched. Luckily not too many people were there for hurling, allowing us to scoot back a few rows to enjoy the game and stay dry at the same time. Each sport is played continuously in two 35 minute halves, and both are very fast paced. Hurling involves hitting a ball with a stick called a hurley into one of two goals. The first goal is guarded and is worth 3 points. The other is above the first, is unguarded, but is only worth 1 point. Gaelic football is very similar in the scoring, but in terms of how it is played, is pretty similar to rugby. It was a much more guttural sport, and by this time the stadium was a little more packed, intensifying the action. When we finally made it back to our place, my feet were beyond frozen and I even had to soak them in warm water for a while. Overall, the sports were good craic (Irish word for fun), but I would have preferred it a little warmer.

On Sunday, Becky, two of my other roommates, and I took a bus tour to Northern Ireland. Our first stop was at the Dark Hedges, a common site for filming, and was most prominently used in Game of Thrones. Our next stop was supposed to be the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge along the cost, but unfortunately due to high winds, the bridge was closed for the day. Instead, we headed straight to the Giant's Causeway, a geological wonder formed when lava reached the cold sea coast, creating a field of octagonally shaped pillars stretching down to the water. The coolest part about the place is that you actually get to walk on them. After there we took a photo stop at Dunluce Castle, where in 1639 the kitchen fell off the back of the castle into the ocean, killing 7 servants. This sad tale gives the place a spooky vibe, but it is very picturesque. Our last stop on the tour was Belfast, which unfortunately wasn't too great. In a couple weeks I am heading back there with school to learn about the Troubles, and other than that, there isn't much to do or see in Belfast.

Tuesday, of course, was Valentine's Day, so Becky and I returned to Howth for a longer hike. Due to recent rain the trail was very muddy leaving our boots covered in a thick muck, but just as before the views were beautiful. When we returned from Howth we exchanged gifts before heading out to a delicious Mediterranean dinner and watched a movie before finishing the night.