White Hag "Little Fawn" Session IPA

Fruity, refreshing and effortlessly sessionable Irish craft beer.
Little Fawn is one of the beers that helped put The White Hag on the map, and it remains a brilliant example of how much flavour can be packed into a genuinely sessionable IPA. Brewed in Ballymote, County Sligo, this 4.2% Session IPA is built around a pale, clean base made with 100% Irish malt and a generous dose of Mosaic hops. The result is a light and exceptionally drinkable beer, but one with plenty of character: vibrant grapefruit, blueberry and passionfruit notes meet a gentle bitterness that keeps the whole thing crisp and balanced.

Mosaic is very much the star here, bringing its famously expressive combination of citrus and ripe fruit aromas. Rather than pushing the bitterness or alcohol upwards, The White Hag lets those hop flavours do the work, creating a beer that feels bright and juicy without becoming heavy. The clean Irish malt base gives the hops plenty of room, while also providing just enough body and sweetness to keep the beer rounded and satisfying.

Pouring a pale golden colour with a soft white head, Little Fawn is immediately inviting. The aroma brings fresh grapefruit alongside blueberry, passionfruit and subtle tropical fruit, with the Mosaic hop character changing slightly as the beer warms in the glass. On the palate, the beer is light-bodied and crisp, with fruity hops leading from the first sip into a mild, lingering bitterness. At around 30 IBU, the bitterness is noticeable but deliberately restrained, leaving the finish refreshing and moreish rather than aggressively bitter.

At 4.2% ABV, Little Fawn sits firmly in the session beer category, making it particularly easy to enjoy over a longer occasion. This is not an IPA designed around strength or intensity; instead, it is about balance, freshness and the simple pleasure of having another sip. That approach has made Little Fawn one of The White Hag's best-known beers, and it remains a particularly accessible introduction to modern Irish craft beer.

There is also a lovely sense of place behind the beer. Little Fawn takes its name from the young warrior of Irish mythology associated with Fionn MacCumhaill, with the brewery drawing inspiration from the folklore and landscape of Sligo. It is a fitting identity for a beer that has become closely associated with The White Hag and its distinctive approach to modern Irish brewing.

Why we love it:
Little Fawn remains a remarkably easy beer to recommend: bright, fruity and full of hop character without ever becoming heavy. The combination of Mosaic fruitiness and gentle bitterness gives it just enough complexity, while the 4.2% ABV keeps it wonderfully sessionable. A modern Irish craft beer classic that has earned its place in the fridge.