Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale - Guinness Ltd.

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.64/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

440ml Nitro Can from SuperValu (Ireland - £1.69):
Thick and quite creamy too before settling to a dark caramel brown colour with a very creamy, darkish white head on top that is about the width of a pinky and holds very well.

Bland malts and a little sweetness from some brown sugar, there is a very faint and almost water like smell with some bitterness at the end.

Bland with some malts and light caramel flavours and a sugary sweetness following this. There is a burnt toast and nutty flavour. The beer is quite bitter and very creamy.

Creamy with a medium to full body yet it still feels slightly watery. The beer seems quite bland and there is almost no carbonation with some small amounts of bitterness at the end.

Great looking beer when poured and settled but everything else about it was fairly average sadly. The aroma was bland and unexciting, definitely not an ale worth looking out for. I'm not sure if it would be better on draft and I'm not sure if I really want to find out either.It was drinkable and the nitro can was a plus.

Serving type: nitro-can

01-23-2013 15:56:38 | More by flyingpig

Wildeman

Michigan

2.21/5  rDev -35.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 1.75

All I really have to say is this beer feels like a practical joke. It looked like it would be a decent beer since it was poured from a nitro tap and I had to wait 5 minutes for the head to settle to even taste the damn thing, but alas, a flavorless waste of time. Instead of straight up slamming this beer I'm just gonna say drink anything else that is available. You'll make the right decision.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-19-2013 06:27:50 | More by Wildeman

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

2.38/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

440ml nitro-can poured into a 20oz nonic.

A - Pours thick and creamy, initially a glass full of cream colored foam, that slowly transforms into a simple rusty-copper hue. The head is a dense, thick, creamy cap of about an inch high. Looks damn impressive. Nice head retention, but minimal lacing.

S - Light and simple overall. Some toasty caramel malt and barley. There's also a strong underlying aroma of green apple, which probably isn't supposed to be there, but I actually enjoy it a lot. Not quite as rich and malty as I'd hoped, but still very nice.

T - The first sip is a massive disappointment. Initial maltiness hits the palate for a second of enjoyment before being blasted away by a harsh metallic flavor the dominates the finish ans only grows stronger in the aftertaste. It almost tastes sour. Subsequent sips see my palate become a bit more accustomed to the horrible metallic flavor; sensory adaptation kicks in and I taste it a little less. Underneath the terrible upfront flavor there's not much else going on. Some mild barley malt, a touch of crystal malt, and maybe, just maybe, a dash of hops. As it warms a herbal/vegetal quality makes itself apparent. Certainly not good.

M - Nice a creamy. Full bodied, but not too thick. Carbonation is kept super low, helping showcase the excellent viscosity here.

D - Definitely a big letdown for me. Maybe I got a bad can, maybe it's old, I don't know. I recall having this on tap a while back and I don't remember any terrible off flavors. Another one to re-review down the road I guess. Shame.

Serving type: nitro-can

10-19-2012 22:12:17 | More by Converge

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a shaker pint glass at McGonigal's.

A nice way to cap a train trip out of the City and as a prelude to a nice sushi dinner from down the street. This stuff pours a lightly hazy bronze topped by a nice finger of cream foam. The nose comprises light sweet malt and even lighter powdered sugar. I think some light sweet flowers may have wafted in there from time to time as well, but I could have been imagining things. The taste brings in more of the same, flowers and all, only stronger and with an addition of mild caramel and even milder grass. Th body is a light medium, with a firm nitrogenation and a subsequently silky-smooth feel. Overall, this stuff wasn't bad at all. I could easily see myself downing pints of this as a Guinness replacement at Irish-style pubs around here (if they carried it...).

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-19-2012 20:09:22 | More by TMoney2591

Dave1999

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a translucent copper colour with a huge wite foamy head which take a while to settle down.

Not much to smell, a little malt perhaps.

The taste is mostly malty, a little caramel with slight hop bitterness.

The mouthfeel is really smooth a creamy, it's easy to drink with low carbonation.

Overall I like to drink this when I'm having a few in an Irish pub, don't think I'd buy it to drink in the house though. The low abv and easy drinkability makes this excellent for long sessions.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2012 13:43:29 | More by Dave1999

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on nitro-tap at The Lucky Shamrock at the airport (PEK) in Beijing, China

A: Pours an opaque creamy copper to clear garnet red in color as the nitro-pour settles out with some light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall creamy beige head that has very good retention properties, keeping a full finger of head in an even layer over the surface of the beer for the entire drinking of the beer. Huge amounts of lacing are observed, essentially coating the entire glass.

S: Mild in aroma with some notes of caramel malts, nuts, and floral hops.

T: Extremely mild in flavor but very enjoyable - there are some light hints of caramel and toffee malts. There is also a light hint of bitterness which does not linger from the floral hops and some nuttiness.

M: Light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Very creamy.

O: Extremely easy to drink but not a lot of specialness in the taste or smell - this beer's best qualities are the appearance and the mouthfeel. Definitely enjoyable.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-26-2012 11:40:43 | More by dbrauneis

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. poured via nitro-tap in a clear plastic cup at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. From notes.

A: Pours a reddish copper color with the typically gorgeous waterfall effect from nitro-tap. The head is an (amazing) two finger offwhite color with near perfect retention and an incredible texture. Tons and tons of lacing are left on the glass. Exactly what I'd expect from a nitro-infused beer - truly stunning to look at, even in a dinky plastic cup.

S: ...and here's the bad part of the nitro-tap. There's very little in the way of aromatic qualities. Some caramel malts here, a little cream there, and that's about it. Nothing about it smells unpleasant, but there's so little aroma, that it's hard to give it a good score here.

T/M: It's weird, there isn't much flavor at all, but for some reason, this just works. It's milquetoast character means its hella drinkable, but uninspired. There's some caramel malt notes, cream, nuttiness, and the faintest touch of fruit; otherwise it's kind of bland. The feel is that of a typical nitro beer, very thin, watery texture (and even flavor), but with a subtle touch of dryness that aids drinkability without drying the tongue too much.

O: This is NOT a beer that will impress you through your tastebuds. Rather, it's the kind of beer - like draft Guinness - that only works in the right situation, but when it does, it inspires the ability to put down multiple pints of this in a single sitting. Accept it for what it is, and you might enjoy it a lot. It gets high marks here just because it's so easy to down.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-29-2012 23:46:42 | More by ThisWangsChung

heygeebee

Australia

3.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From notes.

Pours a clear copper with dense white head. Takes a while for clarity to emerge after pour.

Subdues aromas due to serving temp

Toffee malts on nose, add in some caramel to taste

Mouthfeel very light.

Interesting to compare after a Guinness - much lighter all in all.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-20-2012 06:01:35 | More by heygeebee

TubaManJack

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Always helped by a proper pint glass, has a moderate brown color with reddish undertones. (Like most bars there wasn't an abundance of light) Its thick creamy nitrogen head did not diminish throughout my consumption. It was weird to have that much "cream" left at the tail end of the beer.

S- Moderate and almost muted. However the nitrous sensation was there along with the notes of malt.

T - A slight note of bitters(hops) but overwhelming malt taste. The nitrogen body was smooth and creamy. So I propose this beer be renamed a thick Irish Cream. Its is so thick that it seems to have a delay between when you tip the glass back to when it begins to pour, just kidding its a thicker beer than most of what I have encountered in the past.

M- A lingering bitterness that is floating on the nitro-body. Towards the end of the sitting, the head began to be repetitive and almost airy in relation to its initial character.

D- A refreshing change from Guinness and when the bar runs out of it then you shouldn't be disappointed. The body gets in the way of its endless drinkablity, however I enjoy the style and its certainly more friendly per pint then Guinness. If you like Guinness than revel in a new found beer.

Overall- I loved this beer from the tap and from the can. This might just be my favorite session beer that isn't a microbrew.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-13-2012 19:57:31 | More by TubaManJack

hoserking

California

3.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On a nitro tap in Kilkenny.

Very reminiscent of Wexford Irish Cream (which I didn't see at all in Ireland or the UK). No real strong aroma, taste is very dry and bitter with a touch of malt sweetness.

I love this style, the beer isn't magnificent there is just something about it that I really enjoy. The mouthfeel ties the beer together and the off flavored bitterness is fixed by the super creamy mouthfeel.

Definitely worth trying on tap.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-03-2012 10:21:35 | More by hoserking

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Kilkenny "Irish Cream Ale" @ 4.3% served cold from a 4pack a 440ml nitro-can
A-from the crack of the can being opened to the initial pour starts off a milk white and cascades into a clear copper brown with a tan head with good retention leavin large lacing along the pint glass
S-toasted malts and a hint of earthy hops
T-lightly buttered toast with a sweet caramel finish
MF-smooth and creamy , medium to thick body ,
Ov-oh so easy to drink , feeling a little rough try a couple of Kilkenny's , your on your way

Cheers LampertLand

Serving type: nitro-can

06-22-2012 23:15:45 | More by LampertLand

Murrhey

Montana

2.8/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured on-tap at the Auld Irisher in Orange, CA. Reviewed from notes.

A- Finger and a half foamy head. Reddish color. Decent carbonation. Great retention.

S- Golden bodied malts. Really subtle smell. I'll drink it down a tad and smell again. Has some skunky and darker hop notes. Not great.

T- Some lighter malts and nutty flavors. Ok tasting but not very good.

M- Creamy and thick bodied. Pretty good feel.

O- Passable beer. Might be a good standby when Guinness runs out.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2012 04:36:18 | More by Murrhey

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

440 mL can picked up at the LCBO. Haven't had this since it was bought by Diageo - in fact it was one of my first reviews, back before it came under the Guinness umbrella.

Pours an amber-red colour; cloudy at first as the bubbles slowly settle out, but completely clear once this process is over. Beautiful light-beige head that reminds me of whipped cream, with great retention as it lasts for most of the drink. Malty aroma is quite faint like with many of these nitro ales, so it's hard to identify any specific qualities. If forced to be more detailed, I'd describe it as creamy and lightly toasted I guess.

The flavour is equally muted, or 'mild' if you prefer. Lightly toasted bready malts are pretty dominant, with a light toffee sweetness not far behind. Pleasant, leafy drying bitterness that comes through in the finish and aftertaste. Like most nitro ales the mouthfeel is creamy and smooth as silk. Still, the body is on the thin side of medium, and rather watery overall. Quite light and easy to knock back.

Inoffensive and straightforward. Optimists might call it mild, while pessimists would probably use a word like bland. Either way, I don't think either side would disagree that it's a smooth brew and not a chore to drink. Wouldn't recommend this to beer geeks, but if you're a fan of nitro beer in general this could be worth the time.

Final Grade: 3, a comfortable C. If I had to choose between this and Guinness it'd be a tossup; they're of comparable quality but I doubt I'd ever be in a situation where nothing better is available. Kilkenny is just more cream and less roast. I wouldn't turn this down, but it's not something I'd want to be a staple... at least it makes for a decent St. Patrick's Day session.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-19-2012 03:55:49 | More by thehyperduck

DexterP236

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Came out a cloudy amber - and the head dissipated all too fast.

S - A bit of a grainy aroma, maybe some maltiness, light hops

T - Caramel, a little fruity, but quite bitter too but not too heavy

M - Velvety, smooth, light carbonation

O - good beer, but not something I feel is worth having too often

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2012 15:23:40 | More by DexterP236

djura

Serbia

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Clear amber color,medium carbonation,nice sweet darker foam,lasting all the way.

S-Mostly sweet aromas with coffee,and roast cereals.

T/M-Refreshing bitterness,a bit watery taste,low carbonation. Usual average taste for red beers.

O-Very refreshing,but nothing 2 special about this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 14:19:45 | More by djura

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a semi-hazy copper brown with an extremely dense cream-coloured head, about 1-2 finger width (very milky and smooth, clings to the glass as you drink).

Smell - Condensed milk, vanilla, light sweet orange.

Taste - Very mild flavour with a creamy taste. Very light sweetness and bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied with minimal carbonation. Very smooth and creamy texture, as the name suggests. A tad on the watery side.

Overall - One of the brews I like to revisit once in a while, when I'm looking for a mild brew. A decent cream ale, but could use a little work to avoid wateriness. Beautiful appearance is noteworthy.

Serving type: nitro-can

01-23-2012 04:30:24 | More by leaddog

hopfacebrew

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Re-post from my hacked "jmkratt" :(

look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On nitro tap poured to a pint glass.

A - It has a nice copper/amber color to it with a nice creamy off-white head that dies down slowly and has nice lacing. The nitro cascade looks great with this translucent brew.

S - Perhaps the nitro muted the aromas a bit but there isn't a lot here with hints of roasted malts, caramel notes and a bit of earthy hops.

T - Begins with a roasted malt taste with slight caramel notes and some fruity notes. The hops also add a bit of bitterness at the end. Surprisingly little flavor, I expected more. It wasn't bad but not outstanding.

M - The nitro adds a nice creamy smooth mouthfeel, which works wells with the style.

O - A bit of a disappointment but it isn't terrible. I liked the nitro smooth creaminess which compliment the malty caramel flavor well.

Serving type: nitro-tap

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-18-2012 14:40:27 | More by hopfacebrew

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

2.9/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pint at some Scottish pub. From notes.

A - Poured with one finger of creamy and pillowy white head. Dark copper colour. No visible carbonation. Cunky lace and good half finger of retention.

S - Malty. Really mild.

T - Earthy, a little sweet, musty, malty, some toffee.

M - Creamy, minimal carbonation. Medium body and a sweet finish.

O/D - Smooth. Extremely uncomplex. Simple and drinkable, yet in no way interesting.

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-16-2011 17:19:10 | More by tbeckett

keeganfrank

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a nitro tap into a Smithwick's glass. Nice "raining" as the beer settles, leaving a thick, foamy head. Smells sweet and creamy. Flavor is creamy, roasted barley; mildly bitter with hints of black coffee. Unique and very tasty.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-28-2011 19:25:50 | More by keeganfrank

rangerred

Tennessee

2.7/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served from a nitro tap.

Poured with a large creamy head typical of beers served on nitro. The beer was a dark reddish brown.

Smelled of some caramel malt along with a sour smell that's typical of irish beers.

Taste was extremely sour/bitter. More than I was expecting. There is some caramel flavor in there but it is all overpowered by the bitterness.

Not a very well balanced beer and one that I would probably not seek out again.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-26-2011 17:25:23 | More by rangerred

airforbes1

New York

2.73/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes taken this morning.

"Oh my God, they imported Kilkenny!" This is the first time I've seen this beer in the US, so I had to try it, even though it's only 10:35 as I sit here at the airport. I just learned this pint will cost me $10.88, so it better be good!

It has the same cascade effect as Guinness Draught and even seems slower to settle. Pours a clear red-brown color and has a weak, toasty aroma.

The taste is pretty watery. In fact, the watery taste offsets the creamy head. The taste that's there is toasty and a little buttery. It's easy drinking, at least.

This was worth trying once, but I'd much rather have a Tetley's if I wanted a lighter ale on nitro.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-12-2011 03:08:09 | More by airforbes1

oldirtycaffrey

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a dark copper with an inch foamy off-white head. Leaves a good amount of lacing along the glass. Smell is sweet and malty, but the taste is a little flat. It's smooth and creamy, but just not a lot of character to it. If you're looking for a smooth ale, I'd go with Tetley's or Boddington's Pub Ale. This one pales in comparison.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2011 13:13:55 | More by oldirtycaffrey

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

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

Nitro-Tap

Appearance - Light brown colour with a large size creamy beige coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is a lot of lacing. The head lasted for around 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, pears, tea, caramel

Taste & Mouth - The beer has a low amount of carbonation and it feels very creamy on the tongue. I can taste caramel mixed with notes of tea and a bit of a pear juice sweetness. It ends with a malty slightly sweet aftertaste.

Overall - This is the type of beer that I feel like I could drink a dozen of with no issues. It goes down way too easy and it has a fantastic appearance in the glass. The taste is pretty subtle, but that adds to the drinkability.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-03-2011 18:44:29 | More by spinrsx

skypup

Germany

3.45/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Irish pub in Amberg

Poured into a Kilkenny Pint glass.

A- Deep Copper color, short coarse head, not much retention. No lacing.

S- Toasted malts, cereal grain, some hops and floral notes

T- Very light toasted malts, some sweetness and herbal notes, very watered down. Mellow bitter aftertaste.

M- Very mild bodied, still velvety.

D- Not a bad beer, but doesn't hold a candle to some other Irish beers.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2011 09:15:38 | More by skypup

nickthetick

Maryland

2.98/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: pours a copper, almost rusty amber color into a nonic pint with the pretty cascade of bubbles and nice hockey puck of creamy, khaki colored head. This is a pruddy beer.

S: some sweet caramel malt and a bit of wheat is about it.

T: it is creamy, there is almost a lactose taste to it in the beginning then a toffee note comes and chases it away before it is discernible. I don't know what keeps this beer from being too sweet but it defiantly walks that line.

MF: a bit heavy and chewy, but I suppose that's the point. Not dry but defiantly not refreshing.

O: a good "irish red" from the nitro, but I'd take a Guinness for what I got for this and be happier.

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-21-2011 02:43:11 | More by nickthetick