Quite a few of Northern Ireland’s breweries are selling on their own recently-created webshop (via a local off license because, its Northern Ireland and we’re run by incompetent arses politicians) and trying to make a profit in the world in which we currently live. A list of those breweries and off licenses can be found here.

One of the breweries is Bullhouse from just outside Newtownards in County Down. I ordered a box recently and decided to pen a few thoughts on the offerings. Let’s start with Water Bro, a 6.5% ABV New England IPA and uses the new US Sabro hop. It’s a hop that has the beer world wetting its pants with excitement and a percentage of profit of this Bullhouse brew goes to Brewgooder, which assists clean drinking water projects in Malawi, hence Water Bro.

Once in the glass there’s a big pineapple bosh. Like, BOSH! Look under the BOSH bonnet and there’s also a tasty piney bitterness which just about stops the beer from tripping over the ‘is it juice or beer’ line. It’s definitely beer. Piney pineapple beer with a coconut and orange underbelly. Water Bro is a really enjoyable NEIPA and the first beer I’ve tried that’s hopped with Sabro. A few more are on the way – Modest Beer from Holywood has just released a Sabro pale so I look forward to see how that compares.

The old bro to Water Bro is Merc Bro, another 6.5% ABV NEIPA, released about this time last year and named after the time brewer Mick’s car broke down on the way to AND from Dingle!

It’s waxy and fully coats the inside of your mouth with the first sip. Mosaic and Galaxy hops are reined back a bit so it’s not the full-on fruity explosion like a lot of other NEIPAs. The passion fruit and mango elements are there in among the creaminess, but just like Water Bro there’s also a tasty piney backbone to Merc. Mick’s Merc may have failed but the beer certainly hasn’t.

Finally, completing the online trio is the fantastically named Insert Pretentious Beer Name. Bullhouse does have some superb beer names: Stout’s Out, Quest for the Milky Whey, Mickerbocker Glory etc but this latest one made me laugh. We all know a few pretentious beer names don’t we?

This American pale starts off with a tasty big spicy and woody bitter bang. There’s a little touch of sweet orange following along at the back for the ride but the fun here is that bitterness. It’s a no-thinking pale ale, just perfect after knackering yourself bouncing on the trampoline with the kids. And at only 4.0% ABV, fill your boots while staying at home.