There’s something magical about reaching for a style of beer you rarely gravitate towards before it blows all expectations completely out of the water. This was my introduction to Heaney Brewery in County Derry. 

Malty, and caramel-sweet with a light, peppery note, I instantly declared to my friends that it was the nicest red ale I’d ever tasted.

I’d tried a few beers from Heaney over the years, having long admired their stylish, bookish yet sleek branding, but this revelation of a red placed them on higher ground. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely adverse to an Irish red ale, it’s just not my go to, more of a “once in a while”.