Murphy's Irish Stout - Murphy Brewery Ireland Limited

wmtxbb

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Can poured into pint glass

Appearance: Thick finger sized head.

Smell: Creamy dark malts and a sort of metallic.

Taste: Sharp stout bite with a background of cream like dark malts.

Drinkability: very drinkable. Isn't too thick or thin. Bitterness from the hops enough to keep it interesting. Not a bad beer.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

12-11-2010 01:25:22 | More by wmtxbb

JayQue

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I assume this came out of a nitro can. I had it at a restaurant and it wasn't on tap. Very creamy light tan head. Good retention. A light covering stayed on the top throughout. Sheet of lacing, more like a filmy coating than thick lacing.

Smell was pretty mild bitter chocolate.

Taste was good. Malts and a little bitter chocolate. Mouthfeel was very smooth but kind of thin at first. A little coating on the tongue minimized this somewhat.

Drinkability is good. Between the light but pleasant taste and the creamy smooth mouthfeel, this is a good session beer.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

12-14-2009 03:00:16 | More by JayQue

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.6/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is my first experience with a nitro bottle and I'm having trouble deciding if it worked as designed. I followed the instructions on the bottle, but I got a very small head as a result. The color of the beer is dark mahogany brown with plenty of lighter brown highlights. The head is small, only about one finger, even after an aggressive pour. Disappointing. The cap is persisting nicely however, and I can see sheets of lace below the surface of the beer as I tip the glass to drink, but there's no lace on the glass itself when I put it back on the coaster. Odd.

The nose says 'classic Irish stout'. Roasted black malt with an undertow of coffee; not much chocolate in this one. The first thing that I notice when I drink is how thin the body is. It's firming up somewhat as it warms, but doesn't venture anywhere close to full. The nitro does give the mouthfeel a certain creaminess though. The flavor is also weak (again, roasted malt and coffee) as if there's something coming between the beer and my taste buds.

The less than aggressive flavor profile, the too-thin body and the low ABV make Murphy's Irish Stout quite drinkable/sessionable. It's pretty underwhelming though, all things considered. I can't help but think that it would be much better beer without the nitro gimmick.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

04-26-2004 22:56:27 | More by BuckeyeNation

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Big stubby brown bottle: Color pours out a dark red-toned black with some highlights but not much light gets through it. Head was very foamy, frothy and whipped cream looking and off-white, close to getting light brown in color with some large bubbles and divets. Smell is mostly roasted malt tipping towards a burnt/toasty mocha or chocolate thats faint and soft. Taste is creamy smooth in its bitterness that lends itself to a roasted/toasted malt thats just a hint of chocolate cream or toffee flavored. Feel is creamy smooth, almost velvety with a lingering smooth bitterness thats dry and sweet. Super awesome feel. Drink, and drink some more. Pretty decent stout and would like to see this offered more at places that think Guiness is the stout to be drinking, cuz this is a slightly better offering.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

04-14-2003 17:58:30 | More by tavernjef

AudioGilz

Pennsylvania

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

It's pitch black. The head is the usual nitrogenous thick and creamy sort. Always a pleasure to admire the appearance of these stouts. I didn't get much out of the aroma, a little bit of roasted maltiness. Tasting this reveals a sweeter stout that it's competitors. It's quite pleasing. The smoothness and high drinkability is there of course. Roasted malts are pretty much the entire flavor, with some bitterness coming in on the dry finish. I enjoy this a lot more than Guinness, and just a tad more than Beamish. I really like O'Hara's Irish Stout when it comes to this style. But this is definitely a brew I will be going back to on many occasions.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

03-12-2003 13:58:30 | More by AudioGilz

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful nitro-head of light tan foam atop a rich, dark red chestnut beer. The aroma is faint, but is a bit of a hop floral smell. The atse is also light, with roasted malt and chocolate notes. There is a good sweetness to it, followed with a nice hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is smooth and light, with minimal carbonation. Drinkability is near excellent. A solid Irish Stout.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

01-06-2003 16:17:43 | More by aaronh

maxpower

Missouri

1.85/5  rDev -50.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Nitro bottle, pours thin black color, creamy foamy tan nitro head, light roasty aroma. Roasted malt flavor, has a dry semi bitter finish, thin and watery mouthfeel, like Guinnes and Beamish IMHO they are overrated and pretty weak.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

12-28-2002 14:37:59 | More by maxpower

ThreePistols

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Almost opaque ruby-brown, huge creamy head, faint burnt malt nose, dry with some malt sweetness in the background, light body, roasted malt flavor with almost no hops, light dry roasted malt aftertaste, watery. I was disappointed with the lack of ample flavor and body.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

11-27-2002 12:14:44 | More by ThreePistols

StevieW

Florida

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nitro bottle....Nice jet black color as you would expect, but the head on this one was very thin and lacked the creamy, fluffy, fullness that the other nitros produced. Not sure, if this is good or bad. Heavy roasted coffee smells, more than guinness. Nice dry flavor on the finish, less sweetness on the finish. Lacked the creamy smoothness of the guinness nitro. Overall very tasty, a bit thinner than expected, but very good. I think it will be much better on tap....

Serving type: nitro-bottle

06-14-2002 19:28:39 | More by StevieW

John

New York

3.38/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Haven't had the Guinness version of this yet, so I can't make the comparison. But I was pleasantly surprised that this was decent and drinkable. I typically don't care for the astringency that nitro widget brings to the beer. That being said, this was as good as any similarly packaged simulated draught beer. I prefer the draught version.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

05-08-2002 08:38:33 | More by John

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Creamy fresh 3/4 inch head, doesn't cascade downward like a Guinness nitro. Some chocolate hints in the smell. Extremely smooth and with a taste reminiscent of cream itself. Needs more of a dark roasted malt flavor and more bitter mid mouth tastes to be a better Irish Stout in my opinion. Very drinkable but not better than OK to fairly good.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

04-01-2002 10:43:52 | More by ADR

rickyleepotts

Arizona

1.84/5  rDev -50.4%
look: 2.25 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 1.5

In the Glass: This beer poured thick, and with a TON of bubbles. Not overly carbonated, but just the way this style was pours. If you ever see a bar pour a Guinness, a similar style, they will take several minutes to properly pour the beer. I am not sure the saying… but I think it is supposed to take 90 seconds, or more to properly pour a Guinness. That is what this beer reminds me of. The head, by the time the beer settles, is thick and creamy. That is the best way to explain this beer. Creamy. The beer has a nice lace, too.

Nose: There isn't a lot of aroma here, but what I am getting is a hint of chocolate. I have to take a deep breath to get much. I am also blown away with the low ABV on this can. 4% isn't even enough to write home about. Of course, at 4% I could drink a gallon of this and not even know it! I hope the flavor is better than the aroma.

Flavor: This is better than Guinness… a little more flavor than Guinness. Sorry I keep comparing this beer to that, but that is what it reminds me of. I just took a bite of BBQ, and they were right… it IS a good pairing. I must say, I wouldn't order this in a bar. I WOULD order this when in Ireland, but I wouldn't order it here. Beers over there taste better, anyway.

Mouthfeel: Creamy. It looked creamy in the glass and has a very thick and creamy mouthfeel. I bet this beer would taste best room temperature in a room temperature glass. Typically I like beers with low carbonation, and while there are a lot of bubbles in the glass, the beer isn't very carbonated. I even swished the last drink around in my mouth, and nothing. Quite frankly, the flavor is boring. I will say I am not getting the metallic flavor that I expect from most Irish dry stouts.

Aftertaste: What aftertaste? I drink, there is a hint of flavor, and then it's gone again. There is literally no aftertaste here. I also like how they spell draft. On the can it says, "DRAUGHT STYLE". That is not how you spell draft! Oh well. I will give this beer credit for the style… but just not for me.

Serving type: can

05-16-2013 20:21:20 | More by rickyleepotts

metter98

New York

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: The beer is clear but extremely dark amber in color (black when viewed from afar) It poured with a finger high creamy tan head that has good retention properties, consistently leaving a thin head covering the surface and coating the sides of the glass.
S: Light aromas of coffee and roasted malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but has stronger flavors of coffee and roasted malts along with a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light-bodied, smooth and a little creamy and thin on the palate with a low to moderate amount of carbonation. Hints of dryness are also perceptible.
O: This beer is very drinkable and goes down easily. The smooth and creamy nature from the nitro-can help to make up for the thin mouthfeel.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-12-2013 12:59:03 | More by metter98

MikeAAL

Wisconsin

4.04/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is better than I expected it to be. It has a lot more flavor than Guinness.

It has a thick creamy, white/tan head. A dark, black color (Black Beer).

Smells like coffee and roasted malts.

It has a lot more flavor compared to Guninness. It tastes like coffee and roasted malts. Nothing offputting.

Creamy mouthfeel with a dry finish.

Overall, it's a pretty good beer. I would take a Murphy's over a Guinness any day.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-05-2013 17:54:16 | More by MikeAAL

richj1970

Alabama

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 16 oz can into nonic pint glass.

A: Very beautiful beer. Pours with a fantastic cascading head. Once it settles, the beer is nearly pitch black with nice 2-3 finger extremely creamy tan head. Nice lacing on the glass.

S: Almost non-existent. Some malts and bread. Leaves me wanting something more here.

T: Very creamy and dry. No big flavors here, but it is an easy sipper.

M: A bit thin and watery for my taste, but the creamy texture in nice.

O: A decent example of Irish Stout, and a nice alternative to Guinesss. I used another can for my Irish stew which turned out fantastic. this past weekend, and that might be a better use for this brew.

Serving type: can

03-21-2013 23:16:50 | More by richj1970

steveh

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

So I happened on some of this for St. Pat's, not having tried it in a while (and having never reviewed it?), thought I'd give it a go. I used to drink this on and off in the mid-90s, usually rotating with Guinness Draught and Beamish -- when that was available.

"Imported" from Edinburgh, Scotland? Yeah, brewed at the Scottish & Newcastle brewery, now owned by Heineken, "under supervision of Murphy Brewery Ireland Ltd."

16 oz. can (in answer to a thread started today) with a Julian code on the bottom: canned on July 29, 2012. Poured into my Guinness imperial pint.

A -- Deep, dark black with ruby highlights when a Mag-Lite is held at the pint's base. Very long-lasting, creamy tan head.

S -- Creamy cocoa characters and roasted barley.

F -- Cocoa or milk chocolate characters up front blending into mellow roasted malt. Finishing dry with roasted malt, but still carrying a lingering cocoa finish.

M -- Light medium body with a smooth & creamy mouthfeel up front finishing dry.

O -- A great example of the style. "Better" than Guinness Draught? Not particularly, but just the mildest difference in having more chocolate character than the roasted, coffee-like character in the Guinness.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-20-2013 20:52:45 | More by steveh

bambam2517

Arizona

3.81/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Fulfilling the Irish constituent of my St. Paddys celebrating, mixed with Sierra Nevada PA in a Black n Tan upgrade. Came out great this way...

16oz nitro-can into a pub glass in this instance, but I've had it other ways in the past. It does seem better on draft but I'll keep my comments to this sampling for now.

A - This is where it shines, one of the prettiest beers I drink. Been doing alot of Stouts this past few months and this is tops for looks. Creamy billowy mocha froth when poured, looks like a thundercloud building up. Settles into an inky black body with a meringue-like mocha head. Sitcks around and laces nicely.

S - Mostly roasted malt, for what smell there is. A bit lacking here.

T - Roasted malt and coffee flavors, bit of unsweetened chocolate comes in at the finish.

M - Very creamy, then slick mid-palate and a watery finish. Starts off with a boom and ends with a fizzle.

O - For me its an occasion beer. I prefer it to Guiness (from here in the States anyway), but other than drinking "Irish" I'll get my stouts elsewhere. Too many good craft stouts out there to be stuck with this...

Serving type: nitro-can

03-18-2013 20:39:44 | More by bambam2517

silverking

Florida

3.41/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- When first poured, the "waterfall" head is gorgeous. Once things die down, the beer is a very dark reddish brown. It has a creamy, off white head with unbelievable lacing. The head lasts all the way to the bottoem of the glass.

S- Pretty tame, some very light notes of coffee.

T- Coffee, dark roasted malt, a little smokey. The finish is dry, bitter, and astringent.

M- IT feels a little too watery for my liking. The carbonation is so low it's almost a still beer, which isn't a complaint.

O- I figured I'd try a new Irish beer for St. Patty's day, but upon further inspection I found that this beer is brewed in the UK. It loses some style points there. Overall, it looks amazing in the glass, but it lacks any real aroma or a heavy mouthfeel that I expect from stouts.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-17-2013 16:59:21 | More by silverking

Moose90

Colorado

3.84/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A – Pours a creamy dark brown, with a nice waterfall thanks to the nitro. Head is thick, lingering and light tan, almost looks like the color on the outside of the can. This looks really good in the glass.

S – Kind of boring, certainly some roasted malts and some lactose, but that is pretty much it. Standard for the style

T – Light notes of roasted malts, coffee and some chocolate. Nothing comes up and grabs you, quite dry, and flavors are quite understated.

M – Overall this is quite thin, and drinkable. It does have somewhat of a lingering creaminess, but nothing too cloying or sweet. Again, this is dry, and nicely so.

O – Good beer, the style itself leads to beers that are for the most part underwhelming. This beer however is one of the best looking beers I have ever seen. It tastes standard for the style, though perhaps a bit better, it doesn't have the earthy/dirt notes of some of its competitors. This is easy drinking, and leaves you wanting more.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-17-2013 07:19:48 | More by Moose90

EternalCask

Connecticut

4.36/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

In keeping with the holiday, I've decided to approach a traditional nitro tapped stout for the first time with some actually useful stylistical context

A- deep burnt sienna... Throws some auburn on the edges... Half inch head...looks like a giant espresso doppio

S-roasting coffee, rubosto cigar.. Slightest hint of allspice

T- smoky caramel, more coffee some notes of rhubarb pie!

M- light but deep, bouncy but rich..not slippery

O- since my beer journey has started in earnest.. It feels good to review a commonly familiar style. The mouthfeel offered more and more with each sip.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-17-2013 03:57:51 | More by EternalCask

timn

Kentucky

3.74/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a dark brown until it settles. Once it settles, it is a nice pitch black with a thick tan head. One of the nicer-looking beers you'll see in a glass.

S: Not a lot in the way of aroma here. Some roasted barley or malt, but not a lot else. Pretty similar to Guinness and other Irish stouts.

T: A consistent light flavor of roasted barley with some coffee undertones. The taste is solid and good, but nothing stands out or hits hard.

M: The head is great -- nice and thick and creamy. Once you get past that, though, Murphy's is quite thin. You barely notice you're drinking it. This isn't the "beer milkshake" type of mouthfeel that is popular with a lot of stouts nowadays, but it works for an Irish Dry stout. The head is the standout here, by far.

O: I tried Murphy's on a whim one day instead of buying Guinness, and enjoyed it at the time. Grabbed a 4-pack of cans for St. Patrick's Day this year and still found this a pleasing, easy-drinking Irish stout. If you're looking for a thick, complex, meal-in-a-can type of stout, this isn't it. This one is made for drinking a few in a sitting, or maybe having one with a meal or a snack. Pretty comparable to a Guinness, though maybe a little more flavorful.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-17-2013 03:43:30 | More by timn

AnalogReigns

North Carolina

4.41/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An excellent dry irish stout. Better than Guiness, IMHO, though Beamish may have it beat.

I'm not a huge stout drinker...tending to pay attention to it mostly around St. Patrick's day, however, as a rule, I prefer Imperial Stouts (high gravity/alcohol) to dry Irish ones. Of course Imperial stouts are sweeter, and usually more complex, than the authentic dry Irish style. Still, simplicity is a beautiful thing, as I've learned with German beers...and Murphy's is simple, and great.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-15-2013 19:29:48 | More by AnalogReigns

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.28/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Tall, 500ml nitro-pressurised can with widget, purchased from Dan Murphy's in Alexandria.

Hisses with that gorgeous nitro explosion on opening, and pours a creamy off-white, which settles into a persistent reverse cascade, eventually (after quite a few sighs) resulting in a clear, red-tinged black, with a perfect cream of head. Lacing is spectacular, as expected. Very fine bubbling as it's tilted. Really, it looks just about picture-perfect. Just about as good as an Irish Stout can look, and almost as perfect as you can expect from a can.

Nose is smooth and creamy. No roast, perhaps a slight grainy toastiness, but more of that rich thick cream, some vanilla, and a suggestion of sweet spices: cinnamon and nutmeg—perhaps the only true darker tones to the aroma. Very nice.

Taste is clean and light. Smooth, creamy entrance. More spice, nutmeg, and a slight minerally character. Again, very little true roast: there's a tickle on the back of mild toasty darkness, and a synergy between the darkness, the mineral character and even a suggestion of smoke that leaves a slight phosphorous character lingering. It's very nice and very smooth.

Feel is as you would expect. Extremely creamy with almost no noticeable carbonation. Despite the richness it's relatively light, meaning it doesn't cloy in the mouth.

I really love a good Irish Stout, and I think this is a particularly good one. It's certainly much, much better than the locally contract-brewed Guinness you'd get here in Australia. At 4% ABV, this is exquisitely sessionable. Indeed, the whole can went down without a question, and I'm already craving another.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-09-2013 05:17:24 | More by lacqueredmouse

PaterMorse

Indiana

3.61/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.75

Today was a quick taste test between stout macro-brews: Guinness Draught, Guinness Extra Stout, and Murphy's Stout.

A: Pours black. Head -- fluffy snow-drift white at first, turnng slightly tan over time. Ever-present to the end; very LOOONG lasting. The ideal in consistency, if not simple/one-dimensonal in color.

S: Pleasing enough, yet one-dimensional. Nice, smooth "sout" scent, with chocolate notes. Faint roasted barley. Sweet. Nothing remarkable, other than a total absence of drawbacks.

T: VERY thin, almost watery. Extremely easy sipper. Dry, begs for another sip. Creamy, no bite (for better or worse).

M: Pretty lame -- really, like swishing your own spit. Leaves bitter unpleasing after-taste.

O: Very smooth, but actually too smooth. Velvety feel, no bite -- but it's so noticeably missing that it's a little disconcerting. If you can get past that, EASIEST DRINKER of any stouts yet. Bottom line: largely unremarkable, but perfectly fine staple for serving...

Repeat? Yes, for quantity and price sake. Serve to newbies, serve to down a lot; but I wouldn't reach for it over other more complex / interesting stouts (and would probably rather have a Guinness Draught when comparing these two softer beers).

Where Ideal? Bonfire, tailgate, party when introducing newbies to stout.

Two Words: Flimsy Staple

Serving type: nitro-can

03-02-2013 17:30:02 | More by PaterMorse

Beerstorian

District of Columbia

3.91/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Served from a nitro-can into a standard pint glass.

Aroma: Very light, with a slight sweet malt. Some roastiness in the background. Nothing big here.

Appearance. Coal black. Full, foamy head that lasted for the duration.

Taste: Full malt flavor, some sweet roastiness. Slightly hard background.

Mouthfeel: Not unlike a pub beer, but sharper than a hand-pulled stout would be.

Overall: Not bad, not stellar. It's a good stout for people who don't like huge, full-bodied stouts. It's definitely designed ot appeal to the mass market.

Serving type: nitro-can

02-24-2013 12:58:01 | More by Beerstorian