Smithwick's - Guinness Ltd.

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours beautiful thick amber brown with deep red hues. A 2 finger tan head fades into a frothy cap that lasts the entire duration of the beer. It has moderate lacing.

Smell: The smell is similar to an O’Hara’s Irish Red (but a bit muted, with the classic toasted caramel malts that are a signature to the style, a bit of a Pale Ale butteryness as well.

Taste: Very crisp malts, sugary up front, clean through the middle and it has a crisp dry finish. The hop character shows up mostly at the finish and after taste as does a touch of diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is a very smooth, creamy medium body that feels frothy straight through the palate.

Drinkability: This may be a pretty typical Irish Red, but as a fan of the style, I found it to be extremely drinkable. It is fairly straightforward in taste but sits lightly in your stomach and aftertaste begs you to keep sipping. This is certainly a sessionable ale. Very nicely done.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2006 08:13:20 | More by Phatz

jwc215

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

An Irish steakhouse that I enjoy going to has this on tap. I tried it between guinnesses, so couldn't rate it before. On my way home from work, and before any other beers, I decided to go to the store and pick it up to give it a fair review. It has become quite popular in this area.
It had a dark, reddish color with a white head that didn't last too long before becoming a decent lacing. Its carbonation was light to moderate.
The smell was faint. Couldn't quite pinpoint it, but had faint tea-like malt aroma with slight hoppy scent. The scent was not bad, but very subtle.
The taste was not bad either. Nothing great though. Some hints at a sweet tea at first. Later it became slightly more bitter. This was what it should be for this type. However, it was a bit too watery. The taste was thinner than the appearance led me to believe. To improve, it should have a bit of a stonger scent and more malty thickness.
It was refreshing, lending to its drinkability, but could become boring.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2006 02:30:06 | More by jwc215

JayTheFinn

California

2.95/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Picked up a six pack of Smithwick's at M & R Liquor (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10885) in Carpinteria CA. Great place to find some good stuff.

Smithwicks is one of those beers I could drink and drink and drink. Not that I'm a big fan, but it goes down pretty darn easy. I'm not huge on hops and this wasn't overwhelming, so that's probably part of the reason I'm good with it. It doesn't leave much of an aftertaste either, so that's a bonus. Other than that it's pretty average and nothing to get terribly excited over.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2006 23:43:52 | More by JayTheFinn

IntriqKen

California

4.05/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice reddish amber with a full beige colored head which faded rather quickly to fine lacing...then nothing.
Aroma is light and clean...biscuits, sweet malts, and very light hops at the end.
Mouthfeel is rather thin and watery, even for this style with not quite enough carbonation to carry any body.
Taste is surprising. Very balanced between the hops and sweet malts with a bit of drying on the end, leaving little or no aftertaste.
A very mild Irish Red Ale. I prefer American Reds with their empasis on hops, but this is very drinkable.
Can be sessioned well and not too heavy for a summer day.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2006 17:44:16 | More by IntriqKen

plaid75

New York

3.1/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I had a few pints on tap while in Connemara, Ireland. Overall a decent ale.

The color was in keeping with its style as a red ale. I, however, have learned to be very leary of a red beer (Killians, Red Dog, Red Wolf - need I say more?).

I was impressed however with this ale's drinkability. It wasn't overly smooth and had a very good hop presence.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2006 20:56:41 | More by plaid75

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this both on tap and by bottle.
A good pour, dark, caramel color with beige head that lingered a bit, that all but disappeared.

Aroma was light; soft hops, malt and nuts and biscuit.

Taste was about the same as aroma. The biscuit seemed to fade. A balanced beer between sweet (at first) and dry (finish).

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2006 16:46:08 | More by Mebuzzard