Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale - Guinness Ltd.

palphen

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

New on tap at the Old Court in Lowell, MA. Poured into a Kilkenny glass with a similar pour of a Guinness.

Very smooth and easy to drink. Not much of a smell, a very slight hop aroma. A very basic Irish Red, nothing extraordinary with the taste just a little hop. I found the most notable thing with the beer was the extraordinary smoothness.

I had never heard of the beer before I saw it on tap so I didnt know what to expect, I probably wouldnt order another one but it wasnt a bad beer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-09-2010 21:35:41 | More by palphen

jeranbrews

New York

3.7/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - A fine light beige nitro-head. Very clear amber / apple cider color. Carbonation stopped early but still this is a fine looking beer.

S - Creamy sweet almost floral smell. A bite of straw and dry hops.

T - Smooth with a tiny bit of hoppyness. Taste of amber liquid malts. The hidden flavors are like banana candy smell. Laffy taffey.

M - Very smooth. Easy to drink.

D - This is a fine anytime macro-beer. This is what large wealthy beer companies should try to make. Easy to drink. Non-offensive to beer novices and snobs alike. Very sellable.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-20-2010 09:30:02 | More by jeranbrews

morebeergood

Massachusetts

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

On nitro tap at the Lansdowne Pub near Fenway. Not on the menu, but I saw the tap handle behind the bar. Served in a Kilkenny glass, which is another thing I like about this pub (unrelated). Super dark red color, almost brown. Nice thick and rich creamy head on top. Had a bit of a malty and floral smell. Taste was not overwhelming, but just good enough. Hints of roasted barley here and there on the palate. I don't normally order Irish Red style beers, but I certainly will again if it's on nitro. It really adds a nice layer of texture to the beer that I enjoy. The low abv made this beer an easy drinker. While not the most flavorful beer, it was a nice pairing to my bangers and mash dinner.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-08-2010 20:46:53 | More by morebeergood

kilks

Ireland

4.47/5  rDev +31.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

pours a dark amber colour with a beautiful thick creamy head. Attractive aroma. tastes dry with hints of caramel and malt also packed with plenty of hops. this beer goes down extremely smoothly and is highly enjoyable to drink. all in all its a great beer and one of favourites that i'd highly recommend.

Serving type: nitro-can

02-01-2010 16:58:59 | More by kilks

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.4/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer comes in a brown long-necked 33 cl bottle. The red label got a picture of an irish-style church.

A: The beer pours dark amber with an airy off-white, rather large head that dissipates after a while, leaving rich lacings. The liquid holds rather large bubbles.

S: Caramell malt, even some butter to it. Faint hops. A bit fruity.

T: Sweet caramell malt (a bit roasted?). Buttery and bitter, from the hops. An "off-smell", maybe corn.

M: Long dry, bitter aftertaste. The body is creamy, medium and the carbonation is rich.

D: Goes down, almost to easy. You could call this a "beginners-ale" - many of the greatness from ales are present, but very mildly.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 17:09:02 | More by Sunnanek

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a deep reddish color with excellent carbonation and a nice creamy white head. Nose is dry, caramel malt, but thats about it. Taste is grains, caramel and dry but creamy. Mouthfeel is sordove creamy but light on ABV for sure. Not much going on.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-27-2010 03:05:39 | More by barleywinefiend

Yoonisaykul

Quebec (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I used to drink this all the time. Got kind of bored with it. I sometimes buy it again when I can't find anything special at the store. Decided to review it tonight.

440ml nitro-can poured into it's own Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale pint. One of the first glasses in my collection.

A-Beautiful clear red amber surgically topped with a thick dirty-white head (seriously, the head/liquid separation is perfect.) No bubbles in the liquid. Some decent lacing. Head stays until the last sip. This kind of appearance is part of what really makes me love beer.
S- Fresh Candied Malt. Acid Caramel. Sweet Hops. A little burnt honey.
T- Hazelnut. Almond. Light smooth malt. Hops.
M- Smooth and Creamy. Very tiny tingle. Less watery than I remembered (still a tiny bit watery).
D- High. I've demonstrated this many times. I usually want three at a a time. Great session beer.

Watch your pour and enjoy the beautiful cascade effect.

Serving type: nitro-can

01-21-2010 01:23:23 | More by Yoonisaykul

WHROO

Australia

3.83/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can with widget poured into 500ml mug.
As expected after a slow pour, very soft & creamy 1 finger head...creamy lacing down the glass & as typical with red ales, a deep reddish burgundy - strong tea colour. No real carbonation.
aroma had a little yeasty sweetness, but definately had to search for anything really.
The taste was creamy & as expected...just don't expect a carbonated mouthfeel...& a fraction bitter at back!
Drinkabilty:: Good...& will & have had more

Serving type: nitro-can

01-08-2010 00:38:31 | More by WHROO

BillyBoysPie

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Hoppegarten in Steiglitz, Berlin.

Dark reddish-copper color with an off-white head. Plenty of lacing, but little retention.

Slightly malty, nothing more than a little caramel, balanced against a clean nigh citrus hop.

It's ok. Typical Irish Red - a touch of caramel and toast, clean hop finish. Nothing outstanding, but it doesn't suck.

I'd push for a little more carbonation to giver a lighter feel than this beer. It's a fair bit too dense in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2009 14:30:20 | More by BillyBoysPie

mralphabet

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nitro Can purchased in England

A: Looks a lot like a Guinness but glowing amber in color with a thick creamy head that lasts the entire session. A thing of beauty !!!!

S: Some sweet malt, caramel, a little nutty with a touch of hops. Was hoping for a little more.

T: Lighter in flavor than I was expecting, there is some sweet malts, some nuttiness and caramel all followed by a slightly bitter hops.... Nicely balanced, but not the most complex of brews... Just well done.

M: Wow creamy right up front, but settles into a surprisingly light finish... Not heavy bodied but not mid or light... very complex and lovely.

D: Very easy to drink, and with a low ABV you could drink quite a few of these easily. This is a great session beer !!!

It is a shame you cannot get this state side... some one needs to get this states. Great beer from the little islands.

Serving type: nitro-can

12-04-2009 05:08:38 | More by mralphabet

Paisan

Belgium

3.8/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Irish and red, it's a cliché, but there it is.
Reddish amber, a silky head that lasts, and lacing that would make Bruges jealous.
Tad of malt, wee bit of caramel, do I detect corn?
Smooth, light, bittersweet, unassuming. Nice on a summer's day. I like it, but not necessarily love it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2009 20:42:27 | More by Paisan

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

440ml can poured into Creemore glass on nov9

A crystal clear reddish amber with a crazy thick head with ridiculous retention and it just coats my glass with lace, this is looking good a little too good if you ask me

S smells sweet like candy corn and malt

T as it smells but with a little skunk

M creamy but flat, thick enough to save its cause but not enough to impress

D not bad but it looks better then it is

there are much worse beers out there that you can drink but this was a little boring

Serving type: nitro-can

11-10-2009 04:42:12 | More by wordemupg

JTahoe

California

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

A - Pours and settles just like Guinness, but a glowing amber color with a thick creamy head that lasts all the way to the bottom of the glass with thick lacing.

S - Very faint, almost indistinguishable.

T - Very smooth and almost light flavor, subtle malts and nutiness come through with a bit of minerals and a touch of mild, fruity English hops.

M - Fairly creamy up front, but settling out to a surprisingly light finish... you can see why the Irish refer to this as "the summer Guinness."

D - Super easy to drink, and one that I enjoy as a novelty when in Ireland since it is not so widely available. Nothing too special here, really, but it is one of the few Irish Cream Ales amongst Irish Reds, and it is probably the standard for the sub-style... bearing in mind that it is now a Diageo product and likely "improved" for mass market appeal.

I've had this in nitro-can as well, and would ding it down a couple of notches in that presentation.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-09-2009 22:55:29 | More by JTahoe

PoisonedMushroom

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I had this on nitro-tap at a random pub whose other options were all BMC & derivatives. At that moment I also realised I never actually had this beer before.

A: This was served to me in a Guinness glass, close enough I suppose. Colour was quite dark but the bar was fairly lowly lit. The head... well, it was a nitro, and was going absolutely nowhere.

S: I smelled. And then I smelled some more. And a little bit more. And there was so very, very little there. I could smell a slight malty note on and off, but it was barely present.

T: There was a little redemption here. The malt coming to the fore was subdued but pleasant. There was a fair amount of bitterness in the finish. Overall, it did not taste horrible, by any means. Just slightly too bland.

M: Oddly watery, I thought, considering this was a cream ale. The carbonation was light.

D: Quite high, I could have definitely had a few of these.

Overall, a little bit too subdued, but one could do far worse.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-08-2009 08:32:56 | More by PoisonedMushroom

AmberMan22

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Had this in Tours, France. On tap at Paddy Flaherty's Irish Pub. Go there if you get the chance!! Their house Red Ale is out of this world good.

Quick Sidenote...confused about the category, but w/e.

A: Usual nitro tap pour, with the cool inverse cascade effect. Head remains present all the way through. Most impressive is that lacing absolutely coats the entire glass top to bottom. Guess this nitro actually worked. Color is bronze.

S: Like most nitros, this has a very creamy and sweet smell. Thankfully it's a cream ale, but I don't know how much to attribute to actual brewer skill here. However, there is a bit of a hoppy twang right upfront so 'll give that some credit.

T: Taste starts off fairly creamy and sweet, not too pronounced in any way. There is however a wicked hop bite at the end and prolonged hoppy aftertaste.

M: Watery. Carbonation is fantastic though, so some redemption.

D: for a nitro, fairly solid. The last cream ale I had was quite a while ago (Spotted Cow from New Glarus) and I can barely remember that.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-01-2009 13:51:19 | More by AmberMan22

prosper

Alberta (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a very clear amber with a dense creamy head. The colour seems artifical somehow, it's not the dense saturated reddish brown I'd expect.

Smell is faint, but what there is consists mainly of caramel malt with some light toasty character, and some adjunct - corn probably.

Taste is mostly caramel malts - and not a powerful caramel character, but restrained. Slightly acidic, but not tangy or tart. Finishes slightly toasty. Has noticeable hop flavour, of a fruity english variety. Bittering is moderately light. Again, the flavour of something that's not barley - I'd guess a maize adjunct. Altogether, it's pretty subtle.

Mouthfeel is thin and watery, surprising for a nitro-beer. But it does compliment the flavour character of the beer fairly well. Nothing special.

Drinkability is pretty good - there's enough character to the flavour to keep you coming back for more, but I doubt it would carry through if food was involved.

Overall, kinda boring. I remember being bored with this from the tap, and it's the same from a can. Nothing off-putting about it, but nothing compelling either. Just, boring.

Serving type: nitro-can

10-18-2009 19:58:22 | More by prosper

CrazyDavros

Australia

2.5/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Ruby amber pour, with a white nitro head.
Very faint aroma, not much there at all! Some slightly toasty malt, metallic notes, faint caramel.
Toasty, nutty flavour with some caramel. Again, very weak. Grainy metallic finish.
Too watery! Waaay to watery!
Easy to drink, but almost tasteless. This would give American lagers a run for their money!

Serving type: nitro-can

10-05-2009 10:31:13 | More by CrazyDavros

aquatonex

New York

3.58/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had much of this on tap across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Basically, if you want a Guinness but feel too full, try this nitro red ale.

Pours a ruby with a thick rich creamy head from the nitro. Nose is lightly sweet maltiness, that's about it. Tastes like a creamy less bitter Smithwick's, moderate malts giving it body but not making it too heavy. Very drinkable and refreshing.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-16-2009 01:04:19 | More by aquatonex