Lucky S.O.B Irish Red Ale

Just other day we were discussion the upcoming St. Patrick's Day Feast, and I was thinking about finding some Irish Red Ales to enjoy. Not long after that conversation I arrived home to find a sample of Flying Dog Lucky S.O.B. Irish Red Ale sent by the brewery. I enjoy this malty style on occasion and was looking forward to trying out the Flying Dog version.

Poured into my Flying Dog glass, the beer is a clear, reddish-copper color with a frothy off-white head. The aroma of bready malt and caramel is quite strong. The flavor is rich in toasted malt with a very faint sweetness. The finish brings on a lingering bitterness which remains along with the toasted malt flavor. The flavor profile is simple, but what is expected for the style. It's a clean, smooth beer and at just 5.5% ABV I could have easily enjoyed another.

Flying Dog says they brew Lucky S.O.B. with "real four-leaf clovers" so I guess it's a natural for toasting our favorite Irish Saint, St. Patrick, next month. The brew has previously been distributed only on draft and is released in bottles for the first time this year. It should be showing up on the store shelves through March. I'll be looking for it.

Disclaimer: This bottle of Flying Dog beer was an unsolicited gift from the brewery. This review written of my own free will.

Kilkenny's Pub, Knock

One of the pubs we visited during our pilgrimage to Ireland was Kilkenny's Pub in Knock. Located on the main street, just a couple of blocks from the Marian Shrine, we discovered it during our quest for lunch. Kilkenney's was established in 1888, and the owner is the fourth generation to run the pub. We enjoyed a long conversation with the proprietor and his wife. They also run a B&B next door.

The pub offers a limited food menu, including breakfast served all day. Our son opted for a pepperoni pizza that was very delicious. The other food item offered was described as a "ham and cheese sandwich with onion and tomato, with fries." And this is where I learned a lesson about ordering food. I asked for "the ham sandwich" and another member of our group asked for the "ham sandwich with fries." When our food arrived, we received exactly what we asked for, a ham sandwich, a ham and cheese sandwich, and the ham sandwich with fries. My lunch may have been the only meal the entire trip that did not involve potatoes.) The food was all very well-prepared and quite tasty. We had a laugh about our orders, remembering that the priest who was the spiritual leader on the trip often reminds us that "Words mean things." As we would see other places as well, the pubs here will prepare your meal as you want it.

At this stop I decided to take a break from the Guinness I'd been enjoying so far on the trip and ordered a Smithwick's Ale. The beer looked as good as it tasted. I've had Smithwick's in the States, but I found the "local" version to be much more tasty. Perhaps it was the environment adding to my enjoyment.

We enjoyed a long conversation with the very friendly proprietors, discussing their pub, the Irish economic situation, US and Irish politics, and various other issues. Unfortunately, we had too little time to spend in Kilkenny's, a theme that would be repeated often during the trip. Fortunately, there would be other pubs and sights to explore.