Fair play to everyone involved with Bloom, I had a great time on both trips there. I even got to see some gardening stuff. For half an hour. On Saturday morning.
Highlights for me included getting to try 8 Degrees' first beer Howling Gale, Messrs Maguire's "Seasonal special" Haus lager, Metalman's Windjammer (preferred it on keg at Bloom but did my best to finish the cask in the Bull and Castle on sat night) and Dungarvan's Coffee and Oatmeal stout. Also the cheese trays from a nearby stall complemented the beer perfectly. I also enjoyed getting to chat with the brewers, I believe my ambition to one day open a brewery reached epic proportions by Saturday evening. Even my wife was tempted.
It was an expensive few days, what with the entry fee, the t-shirts I purchased and the trip to the Bull and Castle afterwards. But it made up for missing Easterfest. Roll on next year, or even another Dublin based craft beer festival...
