Murphy's Irish Stout - Murphy Brewery Ireland Limited

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tried Murphys Irish Stout for this first time since I have been a member of BA. The beer looked great, nice and dark with foamy slightly off white head that left spotty lacing. The smell was simple, hints of roast and espresso. Thetaste seemed a bit off to me. The beer started with roast/espresso, then I got a finish that seemed to have bourbon or some type of scotch/whiskey in it. Wasn't very appealing. The mouthfeel was lighter in body for a stout with subtle carbonationl. Overall it was just ok.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2013 02:00:00 | More by WoodBrew

vinhgoh

3/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is a very safe stout to try for new stout drinkers. The taste isn't too coffee-like nor chocolate-like.

Personally, I like the dense chocolate, creamy texture. This one is more of the mild side.

If there was a stout to just drink easily without much thought, this would be it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2012 08:25:17 | More by vinhgoh

matjack85

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I tried this on tap at the Bulldog Ale House in Roselle, IL. $5 for a pint glass, but only $2 on Thursdays.

The beer poured jet black with a full finger of creamy tan head on top that just wouldn't go away. I got tired of waiting for the head to subside so I finally just drank it with the head still on and put up with the tan mustache it gave my upper lip. The lacing was incredible.

Not much smell to this one - just some faint coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt.

This certainly lives up to the "dry" part of its style name. There's not a hint of sweetness in it. Weak black coffee, roasted barley, and powdered cocoa make up most of the taste. Some mild hop bitterness rounds out the flavor.

Creamy, yet light bodied with no carbonation. I didn't say low carbonation - I said ZERO carbonation, which may take some getting used to, but not altogether unheard of for the style.

If you like sweet stouts - this isn't it, but then again it's not supposed to be. It's a decent example of what it is - a dry Irish stout.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2012 18:19:26 | More by matjack85

slitherySOB

Ontario (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Served to me at Baton Rouge steakhouse, this dry stout came black as night, with maybe a half finger of head. Aroma was of coffee, roasted malts and a bit of caramel. Taste was lightly bitter, with a bit of chocolate sweetness. Mouthfeel was dry and a bit thick. Overall, an underwhelming beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2012 16:03:00 | More by slitherySOB

RedBiddy

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice pour. Smokey in the glass with a thick halo of head about 15% of the glass. Lacks distinction from other Irish stouts. Enjoyable but nothing remarkable. I cannot detect any strong odor emanating from the glass. I wonder if my alergies are acting up. Good mouthfeel, good taste, just good good good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2011 18:29:55 | More by RedBiddy

Merkur

Tennessee

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a very thick, dark black. About one finger worth of tan head.

The beer tastes very roasty, while suprisingly sweet. Much more flavor than Guinness.

The beer is very easy drinking with an excellent amount of lacing. Very smooth.

I would recommend this over Guinness

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2011 19:03:24 | More by Merkur

soju6

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at an Irish pub.

A: Served a virtual black color with a creamy tan head and good lacing.

S: Mild aroma of roasted malt and coffee with a hint of sweetness.

T: Flavor is a mixture of sweetness and bitterness. There is a mild taste of coffee and has a dry finish.

F: fairly full bodied, creamy and smooth. Nice balance.

O: Easy drinker, good for the style, good for a few.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2011 13:16:37 | More by soju6

mdfb79

New York

3.83/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From 07/22/11 notes. On tap at Stoney's in DC, poured into a pint glass. Best beer they had on tap.

a - Pours a dark brown color with a reddish tint, one finger of light tan head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, and cream. Pretty nice, reminds me of Guiness.

t - Tastes of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, toasted malts, and cream. Some light bitterness but not much.

m - Thick, full body and low carbonation, smooth and creamy. Very easy to drink and enjoyable.

o - Overall a good Irish Dry Stout that is pretty Guiness-like. Not ideal for this summer heat, but considering it was the best beer they had on tap, I would order it again before some of their other offerings.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2011 20:39:04 | More by mdfb79

Brittmb29

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

On tap at World of Beer Coconut Creek, FL

A- Black opaque but not hazy body. thin bubbly white head ~1/4" dissipates to thin ring once at temp, no lacing down glass. served in a murphy's cider pint glass.

S- roasted notes, some earthy slightly bitter tones.

T- Let to warm up slightly since cold off tap, roasted w/ some hops to add bitterness. earthy, almost tea-like or water down coffee flavor over the malt. not too satisfying for a stout.

M- very thin body and w/ no head it has no saving grace, lacks that thicker body to compliment roasty flavors. falls short for me.

D- Not drinkable for me, I would definitely look for a different stout unless you want a less tasty/less filling stout. For the same ABV you can get much richer flavors and body.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2011 20:03:50 | More by Brittmb29

TacoSaladin

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:
It is very consistent to the Dry Stout style. The color is jet black with a creamy tan head. The head is retained through the duration of the beer with good lacing.

Aroma:
Overall the aroma is weaker than expected but it is complex and enjoyable. It is of roasted barley with coffee overtone. There is nor real hint of hops (as the style suggest).

Taste:
Very creamy and sweet initial taste with a bit of a bitter bite upfront. The overall taste is consistent with the aroma with a dry (coffee like) finish. The body is moderate with very mild carbonation.

Overall:
I feel this beer is very consistent with the desired style. This is one of my 'go to' beers for many occasions and foods. Its a shame this one is not on tap in as many places as I feel it should be.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2011 21:22:19 | More by TacoSaladin

heebes

Ontario (Canada)

2.58/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On-tap.

Poured black with a light tan all foam head that remains throughout consumption. Nose was dark roast malt, light coffee notes and mild brewers licorice. Taste was light flavoured, seemingly flat and boring; licorice, dark malts but remains watery and unimpressive. Mouthfeel was very lite and thin. Overall a weaker effort than the draft Guiness that's offered in chain restaurants here. Good abv, sessionable but thin on body and taste.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2011 00:22:48 | More by heebes

ant5431

Rhode Island

4.75/5  rDev +28%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Another great Irish Stout! Looks, smells, tastes exceptional! Was a little disappointed when one of my favorite bars stopped serving Guinness then They handed me a Murphy's and I had nothing to complain about I was all smiles! I now go out of my way for this great beer! I had some delicious corn beef & cabbage & 4 or 5 Murphy's on St. Patty's day nothing better made me wish I was Irish!

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 20:27:48 | More by ant5431

aepb1

Florida

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Stubbies, notes from phone

A- Black body with a small creamy tan head

S- Roasted malts and some sweet milk

T- Creamy sweetness and nice dry roastiness.

M- Creamy, full-bodied. Moderate carbonation. The dry finish is really nice

D- Very easy to drink, not overly complex but still good and quite solid. A nice session beer!

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2011 15:25:26 | More by aepb1

bundy462

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Black with a frothy and sticky tan head.

S: Dark malts, chocolate, sweet.

T: Dark chocolate malts that is very sweet. Hint of caramel and vanailla. Burnt taste lingering in the dry finish.

M: Creamy and medium bodied. Very smooth.

O: Good brew, it's tasty, not too heavy, smooth as silk.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2010 20:13:30 | More by bundy462

ConsumerWhore

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I had a pint on tap at Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit in Minneapolis and of course I had a slightly more pleasant experience drinking the Murphy's out of a tap than I do drinking it out of the can.

Pours almost pure black with a large, tan, thick and creamy head which lingers with a decent lace which ensures you will get some of that creamy head with every sip.

Smells like I would expect a good stout to smell; roasted barley, burnt smell with those hints of coffee, chocolate, vanilla. Smell good but it is a little weak for a stout.

The taste is a little bland but at least better than the can. The taste is a good, smoky with good flavor of vanilla and oats almost. Not as bitter as I like my stouts. Almost tastes like a good beer watered down. Still beats a Guinness though IMO.

The feel is light and creamy. This would have made it amazing had it more flavor!

Drink-ability is good. If your planning on kicking back a few and prefer a stout flavor to a "pee colored beer", you could almost down these all day. If your just having a beer for the moment, there are better stouts out there.

Well it was still lacking some of that much loved 'body', it did have more than the nitro-cans do. When drinking this out of a can, I like to crack it open really cold, then let it breath up to a good, slightly higher than normal temperature before I pour and drink. It seems to make it taste a little more heavy if that makes any sense.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2010 08:09:36 | More by ConsumerWhore

brdc

Wisconsin

2.5/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Had this on tap, poured into a pint glass.

The presentation is indeed very nice, with a nearly pitch black color, and that reverse cascade producing a very thick and long lasting dark brown head. Average lacing.
Aroma is good, with roasted grains, but not a lot of those, and some chocolate. It lacks depth and complexity.
The taste is also fairly bland, and unidimensional, with some grain notes, but neither sweet nor bitter.
Easy to drink, but overall a fairly mediocre stout.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2010 22:53:09 | More by brdc

TheKingofWichita

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep blackish brown color with a thick tan head and some great lacing. Smells of vanilla and roasted barley with some sweet notes. Tastes of vanilla, roasted barley, a little sweetness with enough bitterness to even it out. Dry finish to this pretty good beer. Mouthfeel is medium with a little carbonation. Drinkability is decent.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2010 13:59:12 | More by TheKingofWichita

Swedes21

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

20 oz draft at the Halifax Airport

Appearance - the beer pours with a tremendous amount of cascading head, the head is a light brown and appears extremely rich. The beer is dark, almost a chocolate brown and i am unable to tell the amount of carbonation. The head lingers and some remains throughout the whole tasting.

Smell - I can smell some roasted oats in this beer with a very subtle hint of sweetness, almost from a vanilla/caramel base.

Taste - Nice tasting beer, to me there is almost a "burnt" under tone to the beer. The bitterness is present and almost appears to be drawn from the roasted oats.

Mouthfeel - Minimal added carbonation added to the beer in the mouthfeel. The taste do come fwd however remain the same as the taste.

Drinkability - Overall good beer and glad i tried it, would be interested to see how it taste in a can. I can see myself having one or two of these, but that would be my limit.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2010 00:27:47 | More by Swedes21

CampusCrew

Florida

2.8/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

At Culhanes jacksonville

Appearance: pitch black body with a thinnish, near white head. nie fluffy sticky lacing.

Smell: sublte aromas. not much goign on there.

Taste: roasted malt ans the typical dry irish stout mouthfeel. I haven;t had this in years. The metal finish was horrible.

Mouthfeel: Medium body.

Drinkability: I remember liking this mush more in my non ba days.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2010 21:38:27 | More by CampusCrew

yax75

Alberta (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ok this was my first time having this beer, and I was blown away by it. It was so smooth and creamy, and not just in appearance but in flavor, and mouthfeel. The color was dark and luxurious, with and nice firm long lasting head. The aroma was full of roasty goodness, and malt. I can definitely see why some people prefer this stout over a Guinness, its less astringent for one, but me I prefer both just because of their differences. If you can find this on tap try it, I have never had it from the can mind yah. The worst part about this beer was patiently waiting for the bartender to pour it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2010 18:28:11 | More by yax75

FreshHawk

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Black with a good sized tan head. Decent retention and fair amount of lacing.

S - Fair amount of roasted malt and milk chocolate. Fairly sweet.

T - Roasted malt base with a good amount of chocolate (not all as bitter/dark as something like Guinness). Also a bit of coffee. Somewhat sweet and somewhat bitter. A little bit of caramel and finishes with a slight hop bitterness.

M - Medium body with adequate carbonation. Very smooth and creamy with a velvety texture. Bit of a drying finish.

D - Very easy to drink. The mouthfeel just lets this slide down your throat and the flavors are nice and inoffensive.

Notes: Nice to get at a bar with a limited selection, especially if you want something smooth and creamy. Somewhat sweet and somewhat bitter.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2010 00:48:28 | More by FreshHawk

schanker21

Illinois

1.85/5  rDev -50.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Had this on-tap just for the hell of it. I've had it canned before, and my beer tastes have developed quite a bit since then, but still, this tastes almost exactly like Guinness draft.. I don't understand the high rating on here. It looks neat when poured due to the nitro, however, it still tastes like someone took a very mediocre stout and added a whole bunch of water. Well overpriced for what you get. I will not give this beer three strikes; two tries were enough for Murphy's.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2010 21:38:59 | More by schanker21

Dster

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Maybe I'm a sucker for the style. Which I think should always have high drinkablity or it is missing the point.

Appearance: sexy, black, opaque with tan silky head.

Smell: Faint but smells of chocolate and coffee

Taste: Low carbonation, not overly complicated, taste of iced coffee and toasted nuts on the back of the tounge

Drinkabilty is killer because of low carbonation and straight forward tase

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2010 05:38:55 | More by Dster

MentorBeerGuy

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Been drinking this stuff for a long-time and felt like doing a review after last night's session.

A: Pours jet black with a nice 1-inch caramel head that stayed well into the pint.

S: Roasted malts and coffee are present, but definitely not overbearing. Like other milk/dry stouts, the lack of aroma compared to RIS and other dark ales is not indicitive of the taste.

T: Burnt toast and coffee are the 1st flavors revealed. Some dark chocolate bitterness on the backend but not at all offputting. This is where it puts Guinness to shame. Great roasted flavor but none of the bitterness that it's Irish rival leaves on the palette.

M: Much the same as Guinness, its quite a thick beer with very little carbonation. Think a happy medium between 1% and 2% milk. Very creamy/smooth like a milkshake that has melted away.

D: Murphy's bread and butter. I've never understood why people have labeled most dry stouts hard to drink. The mouthfeel is heavy, but the low ABV and low calorie count make Murphy's easy to drown in.

Overall, a prime example of the style and without a doubt my favorite session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2009 17:36:14 | More by MentorBeerGuy

Haybeerman

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Almost black color; completely opaque. Poured a 1 finger creamy tan head with excellent retention. Lots of sticky lace.

S: Big toasted malts; burnt toast, roasted nuts.

T: Consitent with smell with big toasted malt flavors; burnt toast, coffee, nuts. Lingers to an even bitter. Very dry.

M: Light to medium body. Low carbonation. Velvety and smooth.

D: Good as it gets; great example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2009 17:11:44 | More by Haybeerman