Smithwick's - Guinness Ltd.

OdinMcHaggis

1.1/5  rDev -68.7%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Received as a gift and I popped a top. The bottle appearance is unimpressive, who the hell is Smithwick, but it does say Guinness which I find decent. Smell, faint sweetness. Taste, bad hops and metallic brewing vessel, long finish with a bad aftertaste. Mouthfeel, thin but decent carbonation. Overall this beer sucks, I gave it a three on appearance because it is a bottle of beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 01:04:27 | More by OdinMcHaggis

lukeoberm963

Michigan

1.7/5  rDev -51.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Poured a nice soft two-finger head that did not retain for very long. The bubbles rushed to the top which showed me that this beer is probably going to be over carbonated and lose its head fast.
Sure enough the head has diminished just as fast as I poured the beer. The smell of the beer reminds me of a macro amber or brown ale. There is some corn smell to it.
The taste is kind of malty with some chocolaty roastedness to it. But there is not enough of it to satisfy. There is a bit of citrus hops in there, but they are mostly tasted after the beer has been swallowed, mostly just a nasty bitterness in the corners of your mouth.
The mouthfeel is NOT good. Way too carbonated. I guess I was expecting a little bit of more smoothness to it, but the carbonation destroys any possibility of that. A nitro widget would help maybe.
Very mediocre and not worth what I paid for a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2009 18:03:00 | More by lukeoberm963

Blakaeris

Iowa

2.08/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours burnished copper with a thick pillowy head.

Aroma is almost nonexistent. A mild malt sweetness is all I can find.

Taste is sweet, light caramel malt with the slightest hint of peaty smokiness. Hops appear in the finish for an instant and then disappear.

Mouthfeel is light bodied.

A startlingly light and tasteless version of the style. Granted, I do not find any off or offensive flavor. However, there is very little flavor of any kind to be found at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2008 23:53:04 | More by Blakaeris

fx20736

New York

2.08/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint at fridge temp.

Tea-like amber with a natural vanilla toned thick head. Impressive lacing.

Aroma: This must be what DMS smells like. Reminds me of a dirty diaper.

Well structured mouthfeel.

Tastes like it smells.

Notes: There was a time when I liked this beer. That was before I delved into craft beer. Maybe I got a bad bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 23:08:54 | More by fx20736

theopholis

California

2.1/5  rDev -40.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Appearance- Very deep, clear amber color That continues effervescing for a while. Small white head with little staying power. Foam clings to the side well.

Aroma- Very faint caramel. Some malt sweetnessand malty. No hop aroma.

Taste- Not real impressive. Somewhat of a malty flavor with a strong metallic after-taste. some hop bitterness. Kind of dry at the finsih to. Not much to recommend it.

Mouthfeel- Body a tad light and over-carbonated. The over-carbonation brings out the very worst in the taste.

Drinkability- Wish I hadn't bought a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2007 03:27:46 | More by theopholis

busterthecat

Massachusetts

2.1/5  rDev -40.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Poured into pint glass.

A- Pours a mildly transparent muddy red hue. a thick rocky head forms before dispersing. Lots of large bubbles from carbonation.

S- Light, sweet, canned pears. Kinda sugary, no hops or bitterness detected.

T- Similar to smell, but less robust. A sweet light malt body, one dimensional. No fingering of flavors. No hops or much of anything. A slight earthiness in finish.

M- Like a faint bubbly soda. Thin, watery, very light.

D/O- Like a dark semi-sweet soda water. Nothing really to it.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 23:17:18 | More by busterthecat

GRG1313

California

2.13/5  rDev -39.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

From the brewers of Guiness.

Pours brown/black with a thick, firm and pillowy off white head. Nice looking and inviting.

Nose is lightly sweet, lightly burned black coffee with a plum character. Better than it sounds.

Mouthfeel is thin and watery with no character or appeal. Feels like a light coffee flavored water in your mouth.

Flavors follow. Light, weak and watered. Like a weak cup of coffee to which one added light carbonation and some water.

No reason to drink this one, unless one needs to hydrate and there no water in sight.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 21:23:02 | More by GRG1313

Osirus

Tennessee

2.13/5  rDev -39.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Appearance - Deep copper. In a curved pint it was a beautiful copper on the bottom and dark hued brown on top which was good. A little lacking on the foam but I did not control the pour. Good Belgian Lace considering the lack of head.

Smell - Caramel, grain, not much hop presence. Simple and leaning heavily towards malt.

Taste - Like the smell, the taste is simple and straightforward. Straight to maltiness with little complexity.

Mouthfeel - A little on the thin side. Carbonation was ok.

Overall - Simple. Middle of the road. Pedestrian but that is sometimes a good thing. There is nothing bad about this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2011 15:33:44 | More by Osirus

WakeandBake

Michigan

2.15/5  rDev -38.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a clear mahogony hue with a soapy sudsy white head. Herbal, caramel malt aroma with notes of apples and hay, some roast and burnt notes. Most of the flavors are roasty, dry and lots of cramel malt flavor and dry grain. some notes of apple and cardboard. Sorry I did not like this at all and had a hard time finishing it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2008 23:04:50 | More by WakeandBake

charlesw

New York

2.15/5  rDev -38.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Beautiful amber color and medium white head. Knocked for losing the head too quickly.

Smells like an american macro lager - corn, "crisp" hops, overcarbonation. Yuck.

Doesn't taste too much of corn but, yeah, it's there. Some malt. Carbonic acid/pride of ringwood hops/too much of a bite to this. On cask it might be worth drinking. Maybe. In a bottle it sucks.

Too carbonated to want to drink it and I can't think of a time when this would be the right beer.

Knock the carbonation way down. Get rid of the corn. If knocking the carbonation down hasn't already done it, increase the body a bit through some other means. Add a touch of wheat to get better head retention. "Inspired by the original recipe" my ass!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2009 23:42:26 | More by charlesw

Spider889

Ohio

2.15/5  rDev -38.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Looking back at a beer that I used to consider my favorite. This time around I couldn't even finish the glass I was so disappointed... luckily the damn thing was free.

Nice dark color, a sort of watery coffee ground brown. Small head on it.

Smelled half of roasted malts and half of a macro lager.

I used to think this was such a complex, flavorful, and rich beer. Years later I discover that I tastes like a blend of Guinness Draught and Harp. Not very appealing at all.

Mouthfeel is thin and creamy, barely carbonated at all.

This beer drinks easily if you like it, but i have to mark it low because I couldn't stomach a pint of it.

Time changes a lot of things. I still have a ton of respect for this beer as one of the gateways into craft and import goodness for me. But, unless it's free again, I don't see myself ever ordering one outside of some need to experience nostalgia in my olden days far from now...

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2010 06:50:34 | More by Spider889

LilMatrix

Washington

2.25/5  rDev -35.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours clear and a light amber color; lacing clings and retains on the glass.

S - Faint and flat... kinda toasty, but not really.

T - Starts off with just a hint of malt which proceeds to a light alcohol taste and ends with a metallic hoppy taste.

M - Very thin bodied and a stingy carbonation.

D - This was leftovers from some 'Black-Smiths' we made (Guinness/Smithwick's). Seems to be better w/ Guinness, not so much by itself. I'd drink this over AB or Miller product but I would get sick of the taste and stingy carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2008 04:19:35 | More by LilMatrix

mactrail

California

2.28/5  rDev -35%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Flat and dishwatery are the flavors that come to mind. The faintest beer-like smell. Why do I think of bricks and concrete basements? There is something like used tea bags and spoiled fruit here. A hint of sawdust in the nose. Sharpish club soda flavor takes over. No hint of anything hop-like, nor any hint of malty sweetness. The head is big and rather coarse, but pleasant enough.

This is such a wretched beer, I don't think being an allegedly Irish style is any excuse. I went back and looked at my review of bottled Guiness with the new harp logo. The Diageo legacy seems to be making their beers into even more unpleasant industrial concoctions. I feel a rant coming on.

12 oz bottle from Trader Joe's.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 05:43:56 | More by mactrail

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.33/5  rDev -33.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

From a bottle into a lager glass .Pours a dark cherry red with a two and a half finger head. The smell is of sweet candy. Lots of sweet candy. Unfortunately, The taste is of agave and tequila. I hate tequila, thus and so why it is getting the current rating that it is getting from me. The mouthfeel opens up nothing else, Just more agave and tequila. Sweet, Yes, Drinkable, Perhaps, Bad tasting? depends on whether or not you can drink Cuervo. The only beer I have had that tastes like it should be made into a liqueur, Or better yet, A tequila. I'd avoid, But I got the bottle for free, So no true complaints. Overall, A 2..

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 02:53:58 | More by SometimesIfart

ghostofpaulman

Missouri

2.35/5  rDev -33%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I was really dissapointed by this one.red ales are usually one of my favorite beer types and this just didn't hold up anywhere near others that i've tried.

All I can really say about it is that it looked liked killian's when i poured it, but tasted and felt like milwaukee's best when i drank it.

Guiness should really stop charging people $8 a six pack for an $8 a 12 pack beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2009 09:33:42 | More by ghostofpaulman

KarlHungus

Minnesota

2.4/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This brew pours a clear dark red color. The head is two-fingers in height, and recedes slowly into decent lacing. The aroma is of malty and mildly spicy. The taste is amazing, but not in a good way. I am amazed at how a beer this dark can have such little flavor. There is absolutely nothing there while the beer is in my mouth, and the aftertaste of caramel malt is very mild. The mouthfeel is overcarbonated, which might account for some of the lack of flavor. It is also very light in body. Overall, this beer is a major disappointment. I will not buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2006 00:14:16 | More by KarlHungus

raszputini

North Carolina

2.4/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

From the bottle. Pours amber with a very foamy white head. It kind of smells like a pilsner. Very light notes of caramel and malt, hops are very understated, almost non-existent. This ale is very easy to drink, but there's just not much to get excited about. Boring.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 02:49:40 | More by raszputini

tab021

Michigan

2.42/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

As I was browsing the local beer store, a random stranger said to try it... I figured why not... here goes

A: Pours an red/copper color with a nice head that retains. I must have done something right because this looks straight from a commercial

S: smells roasted and malty. different from most beers, but as I have never tried an Irish Ale before this may be standard...

T: ooo... bitter back of the tongue taste that lasts quite a while... not sure I am a big fan of that...

M: Thinner but not like water, low carbonation...

D: I really don't think I could drink more than one for the experience. I suppose it is worth a try. If this beer is your style, more power to you, but as for me... not so much

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2008 17:38:44 | More by tab021

bashiba

Iowa

2.42/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured a dark amber color with a light off white head, small retention and very light lacing.

The smell was very faint, what was there was light and sweet with a bit of cedar.

The flavor is mild with a bit of sweet malt and a bit of woody cedar coming through. No hops to speak of.

Mouthfeel is fairly watery and a bit creamy with light carbonation.

One dimensional and pretty boring.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2008 23:45:34 | More by bashiba

GPHarris

Alabama

2.5/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

a - poured a three-fingers thick off-white, thick and creamy head into a snifter that was long-lasting and sticky throughout. the body was dark brown with red tints.
s - bready with a hint of citrus and dark fruits.
t - very hard to discern a taste, had a metallic twinge to it.
m - thin and dry.
d - easily drinkable but not a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2009 22:02:24 | More by GPHarris

ZebedeeDuBois

Kansas

2.5/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Had this beer on tap from my local craft bar, which is running some specials fro Guinness for March.

It had a rich reddish brown hue and a light malty smell.
However, upon drinking it - it was just forgettable - not much flavor at all. Nothing objectionable, but nothing recommendable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2010 18:23:48 | More by ZebedeeDuBois

sevenarts

New York

2.5/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A: Dark reddish brown with a strong, frothy head. Nice lacing.

S: Not much of a smell, just a bit of a sweet malty aroma, very faint and simple.

T/M: Nice flavors of sweet malts, a little bit of spice, just a touch of very understated bitter hops. A little bit of a thin, watery mouthfeel.

O: This is a solid ale, very refreshing and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 23:33:19 | More by sevenarts

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

2.55/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

It tasted very flat with little head and flavor. Although smooth, the taste wasn't for me. However, this is coming from someone with an appetite for a "paler ale". Nevertheless, very little aroma and an almost bitter taste.
Overall...an average beer. A bar that carries Smithwick's should also have Guinness....I say just go with the Guinness.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2007 13:37:32 | More by DrinkSlurm

jonziefle

North Carolina

2.6/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Poured a clear brown color, with a three finger foamy/pillowy white head. Excellent head retention. Lots of lacing all the way down.

Smell: Smells of bready malts. Caramel and nutty flavors, as well. Mild sweetness

Taste: Bitter malts without much other flavor at all. Very bland.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, with decent carbonation. Filling.

Drinkability: Easy enough to drink and quite the looker, but the taste is very bland an unsatisfying.

Buy Again? No

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2010 05:15:51 | More by jonziefle

bigmo66

Illinois

2.63/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Our local grocery store decided to carry some decent beer finally and has "pick 6" available. $8.99 gets you a choice of about 100 singles. I decided to put a bottle of Smithwicks in the bunch and now I wished I hadn't.
It pours very carbonated and the head is soon fleeting. It has a pleasant enough color and I was expecting a decent malt flavor but what I got was fizzy tasteless "beer". Not enough substance to go on about mouth feel and such. There are much better Irish beers out there for sure. $1.50 is no loss and now I learned..

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 17:14:05 | More by bigmo66