We’ve been spoiled with new brews this week plus we have some fancy new tech toys to play with…
Franciscan Well Jameson-Aged Pale Ale
One of the best Irish beers that JOE has come across since we were but a nipper in the eyes of the world wide interweb, Franciscan Well’s Jameson-Aged Pale Ale will prove to be the perfect winter warmer for all you thirsty souls.
The brainchild of Franciscan Well Brewery founder Shane Long and Dave Quinn, Master of Whiskey Science at the Jameson Distillery, the Pale Ale follows on from the companies’ award-winning Jameson-Aged Stout.
Speaking at the Jameson-Aged Pale Ale’s launch in Cork City on Tuesday evening, which JOE had the pleasure of attending and imbibing, Long said: “This time, our challenge was to create a pale ale with enough flavour to make a good match for food but that would not overpower the whiskey. We’re really pleased with the result.”
And so they should be, it’s quite something. The whiskey lends the pale ale a smoky, sweet flavour while the beer itself is silky smooth.
The beer is currently available on Cork’s Whiskey Way bars – Canty’s, Counihan’s, Electric, Le Chateau, SoHo Bar, The Mutton Lane Inn, The Oliver Plunkett, The Oval, The Roundy and The Woodford – where the staff are specially trained to educate punters about pairing the Pale Ale with Jameson whiskey for the ultimate experience.
Guinness Dublin Porter and West Indies Porter
Also this week, Guinness launched two new beers, heralding the beginning of what they are calling the Brewers Project. The powers that be were tight-lipped about any further new beers but for now Dublin Porter and West Indies Porter are more than enough to keep us happy.
Using old recipes found in the extensive Guinness archive, the folks at St James’ Gate have produced two tasty, and very different porters. Dublin Porter is the lighter and easier of the two. At just 3.9 % it is lower in alcohol than the Guinness we all know and as it is carbonated, it is a lighter beer in the mouth too.
West Indies Porter is a much more impactful drink, and at 6%, it is definitely one to sip and savour. Packed with loads of hops and flavour, it is a meaty drink that lovers of craft beers should really enjoy.
The Dublin Porter will be available on draught as well as bottles in selected pubs and shops from October 1 while the West Indies Porter will only be available in bottles from the same date. Both are well worth checking out.
Microsoft Wedge™ Mobile Keyboard and Wedge™ Touch Mouse
It’s not fair is it? With people heading back to school and college this week, everybody’s got brand new toys (read fancy pens and pencils) to play with and we’re feeling left out.
That’s why we want to get our hands on this brilliant new range of goodies from Microsoft to kit out the office in style. In particular we’re going for some wedges and no, we’re not talking about potato wedges (although a bowl of those would be lovely).
The Wedge™ Mobile Keyboard offers the perfect balance between form and function. It’s got a minimalist design combined with a full-sized key set, Windows 8 hotkeys, a Windows Start key and media keys for simple video and music control. The multi-purpose cover powers down the device and also doubles up as a tablet stand.
With Bluetooth® connectivity the keyboard works with most tablets and the light-touch keys offer fast, comfortable typing. If you’re making loads of typoos topys typos though, that’s your own fault.
We’d also love to treat ourselves to the Wedge™ Touch Mouse. The compact and stylish mouse offers ultimate portability, allowing you to be productive anywhere, anytime, so you really do have no excuses.
Here comes the science bit… with no USB transceiver the Wedge Touch Mouse connects directly to your Bluetooth-enabled laptop or tablet, and BlueTrack technology means it will work on virtually any surface. 4-way touch scrolling optimised for Windows 8 navigation and smart energy conservation, putting your mouse in ‘Backpack Mode’ whenever your device is shut down or hibernating, combine to make this a powerful and unique tool.
All accessories are available to purchase from PC World, Harvey Norman, Soundstore and DID stores nationwide. Find out more here.
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