Smithwick's - Guinness Ltd.

champ103

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: A dark ruby brown color with a two finger white head that leaves some sticky lace.
S: Sweet malt with some caramel. Not a lot of depth, but pleasant enough.
T: Lots of sweet caramel malt and a bit nutty. Barley any bitterness. I nice inoffensive taste.
D: Very smooth and creamy. A good session beer.

Nothing outstanding, but pleasant. Something to drink at a bar when nothing else is available.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2008 20:37:16 | More by champ103

tdm168

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep amber with 1/2" of head. Nice retention. Smells of caramel malt. Taste is caramel malts with a hint of yeast. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and crisp; decent carbonation.

Rather one dimensional, but it's not a bad dimension. This is my go-to St. Patty's day drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2011 02:40:23 | More by tdm168

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.43/5  rDev +26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I've had this beer many times before today, but today I reviewed it...

It's St. Patty's Day season so I bought a six pack of Smithwick's at the supermarket (that's what my wife gets for asking, "can you go out and get milk and eggs?"). ps> I got an Irish Soda Bread too!

Smithwick's pours a very nice dark reddish brown with good lacing (I pour slow to avoid "head")

Smithwick's smells good, sweet roasted malts.

IMO this beer tastes very good for the style and price.

it goes down easy and has a pleasant aftertaste.

I can (and have!) drink a lot of this beer, great for St. Patty's Day parties and celebrations. Makes a great Black & Tan when poured very slowly (over a spoon) on top of a half pint of Guinness Extra Stout... an Irish Classic

Erin Go Drinking!

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2007 22:04:17 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Wow only 4.5 damn I must be spoiled by dark beers because I thought this one was at least 6!

This beer seems to be popping up all over my town on tap and in bottles in every mix and match shop so after I found out it was by Guinness I was sold.

A - darkest amber without being like a porter. Aggressive pour resulted in heavy head that laces the glass.
S - Smells of bread malts and a tiny bit of hops.
T - mild Roasty flavor along with malt presence.
M - Thin (as expected) for a beer like this but refreshing
D - Meh... I really didn't like it too much. One and done.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2010 06:12:52 | More by DrDemento456

Vancer

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured this bad boy into a freebie Sammy Adams glass - looks pretty darn good with a dark and clear amber (root beer?) with a 2" rocky top floating on top, leaving a sheet of lace.

Aroma of spicy malt, not too strong, not too weak. Damn good taste of spice, caramel and malt - followed by a well balanced hop kick and finish.

Ya know, this a fine Irish Red. Just because it's made by Guinness is no reason to turn ones nose up at it.

Edit - oh, I see BA gives it a "B". Nevermind, rant over... ;)

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2009 22:44:11 | More by Vancer

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served as a very deep amber colored beer with moderate white creamy head. Good retention.
Smell is significant for roasted malt and caramel.
Taste also has some light caramel notes, with only a slight hop character at the finish.
Very thin mouthfeel, with little taste retention.
A nice refreshing beer, but really very simple. Could be a nice sessuon beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2008 23:29:28 | More by tgbljb

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

flagmantho

Washington

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

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: rich, deep amber hue with a crystal-clear body and two solid fingers of frothy ivory foam. Very attractive.

Smell: sweetish caramel malt aroma with just a little biscuit thrown in. Relatively mild, but not bad in composition.

Taste: flavor starts dry but finishes sweeter with biscuit and caramel in the malty mix. Hops are not terribly present but there is a light earthiness and a light bitterness. I actually rather like the overall effect.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a very decent carbonation which leaves a pretty frothy and refreshing mouthfeel. I like this as well.

Overall: this is a smooth-drinking, tasty beer. Its light sweetness and bitterness balance each other well, and its low alcohol means it is a good session quaffer.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 02:14:14 | More by flagmantho

Gmann

New York

3.38/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear brown color with a sudsy off-white head that became rocky as it slowly settled into a puffy cap. The aroma is light, some caramel malt and mineral water. Light toffee flavors are forefront, honey, and mineral water, kind of heavy on the mineral water. The feel is light, watery and quite fizzy, finishes slightly dry. An average brew, some light flavor mixed with fizzy mineral water. Easy to swill.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 01:47:11 | More by Gmann

mynie

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very dark rust color. Very, very dark. Very clear, as well, and with a head that's gigantic and sticks around. Nice pours for an Irish Red.

Very intense and crip fruity grain. Half-pasteurized. Like, it takes the good fruity crispness part of pasteurization but leaves behind all the gassy chemical badness.

Tastes like a wonderfully fruity and crisp grain all throughout. Sweeter up front, big fruits like red apples and white grapes. This moves into a middle that's lightly spiced by British hops and ends with a caramely sweet finish. Wow, that's impressively complex!

To me, nothing confirms my patriotism more than my own taste in beer. No matter how much I may try and hide it, I am at hearta gaudy, excess-loving American. As such, I have to say that I'm more partial to the overblown, highly-hopped American versions of the Irish red style.

Even taking this into consideration, though, I can't help but give this brew some very high marks. It manages a wonderful complexity without going overboard on anything, it's interesting without being punishing. It is, simply put, a wonderfully brewed beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2007 07:25:38 | More by mynie

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown bottle into a weizen glass. Has a dark brown with reddish tint color and a 1 inch head. Aroma is sweet and malty. Taste was rather bland compared to the color and smell. Not bad, but not a lot of flavor. Felt good in the mouth and is definatly drinkable. Overall a fairly decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2009 22:40:27 | More by tone77

Durge

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Virtu's in Waterbury, CT, this well known brew poured into the pint glass a dark carmel color with a giant, slightly off-white head, and lots of thick lacing. The aroma is yeasty grass hop bitterness and caramel malt. Not too complex but decent enough. The flavor is very consistent with the aroma, grassy tartness with thin malt background. Peppery carbonation, fairly thin and refreshing, pretty easy drinking if you like the tart side of ales. Not bad but nothing exciting to me.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2009 18:44:52 | More by Durge

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at Village Pourhouse in Hoboken, NJ

A: Pours a clear very dark amber in color with some light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall creamy light beige head that slowly reduces to a thick layer covering the entire surface of the beer with an even thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Very significant amounts of lacing are observed (it practically coated the entire inside of the glass).

S: Moderate aromas of roasted/toasted malts and some caramel malt sweetness. There is a very light smell of nuttiness and peat notes.

T: Moderate flavors of molasses and caramel malt sweetness with some light notes of nuts. There is a light amount of peat smokiness and light earthy hop notes. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness with this beer that lingers in a non-aggressive fashion.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Creamy.

O: Relatively easy to drink but not one of my favorite beers - I think this one might be a little more enjoyable on nitro than it is on tap. This is just on the border of being sessionable - might be just a hint too bitter.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2012 22:39:37 | More by dbrauneis

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a reddish copper color, with a creamy head made of tiny, tight bubbles. Little bits of lace dot the sides of the glass.

Smell features nutty malt, a little caramel, and not much else. Also carries a trace of canned macro lager scent. Weird.

Nutty and caramel maltiness feature in the flavor, yet there's also a juicy, fruity sweetness adding some roundness. There's even a lightly smoky feel in the background somewhere. Nothing hammers you over the head here, but together with the long bitter/sweet finish, it's a comforting flavor, not complex but not one-dimensional either.

Mouthfeel is overcarbonated for the style and flavors, maybe more noticeable from the bottle than if it was on tap...

Marks are all over the place on this one, but the flavor saves it from being an average beer. Since that's what counts most, and the alcohol level is low, this can be considered a highly drinkable beer, and an excellent session choice if that's what you're after.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2007 16:07:09 | More by Metalmonk

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

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

New in can in BC. Not a bad beer in that it has a pleasant malty note that creates a beer that works well in the style. This is a mass produced beer that actually delivers. Nice finish and nose though not overly complex. Will buy again as long as I can find it in cans.

Serving type: can

03-31-2012 02:24:46 | More by canucklehead

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Had this on draft tonight at TGIFs. After a lackluster experience from the bottle, I thought it deserved another try.

Appearance - served in a large 22-ounce tumbler mug, amber red, high clarity as with the bottled variety. About a finger of tan head, constantly fed from below, there was still a thin cover at the end.

Aroma - clean, sweet, caramel and toastiness. I can already tell this will be better than my initial experience. Maintains a light roastiness throughout dinner.

Taste - the metallic taste I picked out from the bottled sample is not here on the draft version. Matching the nose with a caramel, toasted grain flavor, slightly sweet but not very much, really. My wife had a Killians and in a side-by-side, hers was less malty, thinner, and sweeter. Comparatively, the Smithwick's had a far more robust malt flavor, was a little drier, and the hops played a far better role in balancing out the beer.

Mouthfeel - thin-bodied, crisp. Pretty average.

Drinkability - much better on-tap, I'd session this easily.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2008 06:04:16 | More by brewdlyhooked13

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On Tap

Appearance - Clear brown colour with a large frothy off-white head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes or so.

Smell - Malts, dark fruits, roasted/toasted notes

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, nuts, and some raisins. There is also a slight amount of a woodiness and a touch of spice. It ends with a malty slightly bitter aftertaste.

Overall - An above average highly sessionable beer that is a better option than most of the beers available to me locally. It hit the spot and I'll order it again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2011 18:05:04 | More by spinrsx

ehammond1

California

3.23/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

On Tap

Patrick's Irish Pub
Poway, CA

A good enough looking beer. A deep rich mahogany color with a thin white head that doesn't stick around for long at all. This beer leaves nice and regular lacing down the glass.

I struggle to find much in the nose except simple bready malts and a slight hint of fruity sweetness.

A mild fruity taste with dominant bready, toasty and caramel malts. Pleasant enough but unexciting.

Thin and watery mouthfeel. Not much heft to this beer.

A sessionable and serviceable red ale, appropriate for an Irish pub setting if Guinness isn't what you want.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2011 08:35:17 | More by ehammond1

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A dark colored body that is a mixture of browns and reds.

Smells of some sweet caramel notes with some roasted character.

This beer is very mild tasting. It has notes of caramel and a nice roasted character. Mouthfeel is somewhat dry.

Pretty drinkable beer. Not too heavy with a decent roasted flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2008 16:08:35 | More by Hojaminbag

rfgetz

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, dark amber with moderate cap of dense foam. Scent brings toasted and roasted malts with a moderate dose of caramel, light herbal hoppyness. Taste is quite pleasent, malt forward with equal notes of toast and caramel, light herbal and grassy hops. Little bit more body than expected from the ABVs. Solid, easy drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2013 15:33:19 | More by rfgetz

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass, the beer pours a deep, amber-red color that is crystal clear. There is a huge, chunky off-white head that has reasonably big bubbles and remains for quite some time. Semi-sweet caramel and nutty smells on the beer. Super sweet and tangy malts on the tongue when you first taste the beer. There is a very subtle underlying hops bitterness that creeps up on the end of the flavors. It helps greatly to balance all the sweetness. Also, there is a roasted quality that reveals itself after the beer has had some time to warm in the glass a bit. There is a crisp and slightly sour bite to the finish, with a subtle caramel aftertaste. Tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 00:06:14 | More by GarthDanielson

cjgator3

Florida

3.63/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark amber color with creamy white head with pretty good retention. Aroma is clean with malt, biscuit and nuts. Much like the aroma, the taste is roasted malt with a dry finish. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Overall, this is a solid brew that makes for a good session.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2006 03:09:08 | More by cjgator3

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap at the Grand Canal prior to the Celtics game. One of the few interesting beers on the menu.

Is this Guinness Light? Or Guinness with Training wheels?

Came with a thick creamy head that sat atop the reddish amber ale. This head had a great deal of retention and slowly coated the entire glass with lacing. Almost perfect rings lined the glass marking each and every sip.

Aroma?? Aroma?? A little of the mineral like, yeasty, roasty aroma that I actually associate with Guinness.

Light roasted flavor with some light cracker/caramel notes... A bit grainy. Not very interesting to be honest.

Mouth feel was creamy and smooth. Drinkability was decent, but not a lot of complexity here.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2008 00:25:55 | More by Reagan1984

prototypic

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: It's dark and smoky brown (hint of red when held to the light). Head is foamy and about one finger. Retention was decent and lacing was light.

Smell: Primarily caramel malts. A bit of a sweet smell. A bit smoky or toasty. Light on the nose. Not much in the hops department.

Taste: Not bad. It has a toasted nut flavor mixed with caramel or toffee malts. It's sweet. A bit grainy. Not very hoppy or bitter. Just a straight forward malty beer.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: It's light bodied, pretty well carbonated, and smooth. All in all, it's drinkable. There's much better out there, but I'd take it over a number of beers found in most bars. Overall, decent beer. Certainly worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2007 00:31:29 | More by prototypic