CUTE NAME, ANGRY BEER (Long Ireland Beer’s Pale Ale at Beer Authority)

My search for the best beer in New York continues….

As an addendum to this review, it turns out the beer I reviewed was mislabeled and in fact not Long Ireland’s Celtic Ale. Greg, one of the owners at Long Ireland Beer Company, wrote to inform me that this must have been their Pale Ale and something got lost in translation from when their distributor delivered it and Beer Authority served it to me. My guess is the bar screwed this up and is not in fact living up to its name. That being said, I still found the beer a little out of balance and too hoppy. But I will be sure to re-visit the actual Celtic Ale for a proper review.

I first heard about Long Ireland Beer Company a few months ago (right around St. Patrick’s Day). The name is pretty clever and I assumed they focus on Irish style beers (much like what Ommegang Brewery does for Belgian styles). It would have been a perfect pint for those thirsty days in March. But the beer was tough to find in the city back then.

It’s become a little more common – the name sure is catchy – and I found it on tap at the brand spankin’ new Beer Authority. It sounds as if this bar is meant to imply that this is the final word on craft beer bars and that they could answer any of your questions about brews. The more likely reference for this name is the fact that they are down the street from the Port Authority (and seemingly just as massive). Although the outside looks like a jewelry market.

Upstairs, the block-long bar filled up pretty quickly with business-types getting a drink before heading home to Jersey or Connecticut. I was here for a meeting and to finally drink that Long Ireland Celtic Ale. The beer selection was large, but not as unique as I had hoped from the authorities on beer.

The Celtic Ale is similar to an Irish red ale with an amber, unfiltered appearance. The white foamy head was healthy and tinted the glass. Scents of pine and grapefruit overwhelmed on the first few whiffs, but then it died out and I couldn’t smell anything at all, so I decided to taste it. The mouthfeel was harsh and the bitter hop quality outshone any possible malt or yeast. It mellows out a little bit after a few sips, but I found the beer incredibly unbalanced. I love hops as much as the next guy, but this made me feel like I was eating a piney carpet. Not fun.

Needless to say, I didn’t finish the beer. I contemplated ordering something else, but the crowds started taking over and the waitress didn’t have time to be any sort of beer authority.

Would Long Ireland Beer Company’s Celtic Ale Pale Ale make my Top 100 of the year? I found it too harsh and unbalanced to be enjoyable, so unfortunately have to give it a 5 out of 10.