The SHO must go on

With a dwindling list of Dublin pubs which put their beer offer first, it's important to treasure the ones we have left. I still think of Brickyard as a newcomer to the scene, even though it's been going for a decade now. It is a bit out of my way, however, so it's nice when I have a specific reason to go. One such was on a recent Saturday when there was a showcase of beers from Ukrainian brewery SHO, intended for the Hagstravaganza festival but missing it due to logistics problems. Sligo's loss is my gain, thank you very much.Five beers were on tap, and I chose the natural starting point of a Helles called Hellь. Pale lagers are a good way to get a sense of any brewery's abilities, and this one gave very positive signs for SHO. It's a light 4.7% ABV but still beautifully full and smooth, with a gentle condition that could have come from a countertop wooden cask. The flavour opens sweetly, almost like candyfloss, but follows it with a balancing salad-leaf greenness, which also forms…