Brews and Blues Beer and Smokin’ Blues

O’Hara’s Irish Red

I grabbed a 4-banger of O'Hara's Irish Red at Gail's Hops and Grapes the other day so I could give it a try. They had some O'Hara's Irish Stout as well, so I'll probably give it a go next time around.  This offering comes from Carlow Brewing Company in Carlow, Ireland.  Even though it says "Imported from Ireland" on the bottle, this beer doesn't fall into that 'import' category of sales that I have mentioned in previous posts.  This beer isn't really targeted at the "I only drink yellow fizzy imports" crowd. 

O'Hara's Irish Red poured with an excellent foamy head and a darker reddish-brown color in the glass.  The bottle lists this beer as a full-bodied irish red, but in my humble opinion, the body is a little lighter than what I'm used to in the realm of full-bodied brews.  The beer has a rather crisp mouth feel and a nice presence of hops.  It's not quite as malty sweet as some other Irish Reds I have had in the past, but all-in-all, this is an excellent beer. 

I went to the Carlow Brewing Company website (see above link) to see what information was available on this brew, and couldn't find it.  I'm not sure if this brew is discontinued or if the website just isn't up to date.  It's hard to tell sometimes, but I'm thinking that the website must me a little out of date.  They only list three beers coming from this brewery, and the comment listed on their Red Ale is from 2000...

Anyway... if you enjoy this style of beer, definitely give this one a try.  At 4.3% ABV, it won't hurt you much :) 

Smithwick’s Irish Ale

I'm sure all of you have been out and about shopping and stumbled across the "Beers of the World" assorted packs in various shops. I traditionally avoid those. Most of the ones I have seen have some rather lame beers packaged up in them in hopes that someone will buy it because they couldn't sell it on a shelf somewhere else.

A recent gift from a good friend just happened to include one of said assorted packs of beer (along with a growler of Dead Guy!!!).  My first sample out of this assortment is Smithwick's Irish Ale.  It's brewed buy Guinness and it's quite tasty.  The beer has a deep amber color and a nice malty caramel flavor and an extremely nice hop balance.  I would almost put this beer on par with Murphy's Irish Red in taste and quality, but not quite.  It's close enough for all practical purposes though. 

I think, at this given moment in time, I would drink just about any beer within reach and be happy with it.  I have just put in about 24 hours of studying since Friday night.  I have my final exams this coming week, but the bulk of the work is now done.  The rest of the week should be smooth sailing (knock on wood). 

Samuel Adams Irish Red

Just for kicks the other night, I decided to check what my favorite convenient store had in their beer cooler. I had never really bothered to look before, but I was surprised to find a six-pack of the Samuel Adams Brewmaster's Collection for $7.99. This six has two each of the Irish Red, Black Lager, and Honey Porter, so those will be coming down the pipe soon as well. Since I had just tried a great amber ale last night, I figured I would follow it with another for comparision.

The New Belgium Brewing Fat Tire Amber Ale that I tried last night was definitely one of my favorites.  I can't quite compare the Irish Red to the Fat Tire because they are rather different overall.  The only plus I see on the Irish Red is that it's a little fuller in body than the Fat Tire, and not quite as crisp on the finish.  The Irish Red has just a tad more hop punch, but the balance with the malty side is still right on target. 

From the website:

The gentle rain and fertile soil of Ireland helped inspire this style of ale, known for being remarkably balanced.  Pale and Caramel malts give the beer its rich, deep red color and distinctive caramel flavor.  The sweetness of the malt is pleasantly balanced by a pronounced hop bitterness and an earthy note from the East Kent Goldings hops.  Samuel Adams Irish Red finishes smooth and leaves you wanting to take another sip.

5.5% ABV

For those of you who like Fat Tire Amber Ale, I would suggest giving this one a try as well.  The Irish Red will be more readily available and you might be surprised at how nice it is...