Murphy's Irish Red - Murphy Brewery Ireland Limited

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer sure looks the part before the crown is cracked. Good looking thick-necked bottle with an impressive red, green, cream and gold label. It doesn't look too shabby after the pour either. Pristine orange-copper with a large, light beige head that's more firm and rocky than expected. Scraps of lace are starting to stick and I'm left with a respectable partial coating on the inside of my glass.

The nose is unimpressive. Lightly toasted malt/grain with a faint, indescribable off-aroma. The flavor doesn't impress either. Caramel malt and scorched grain with an unpleasant bitterness and faint metallic notes. The not-all-that-pleasant melange of flavors deflates into a watery muddle in fairly short order, resulting in a brief finish. The body is closer to light than to medium and there's isn't much in the way of carbonation.

On re-reading, the beer isn't quite as bad as my description would suggest, but it definitely didn't live up to my expectations; which weren't all that high to begin with. Average at best.

Murphy's Irish Red reminds me of a redhead who fails to make the finals of a beauty pageant: decent looks but utterly without substance, and a bit too nasty to be in the running for Miss Congeniality. Now, about that tall brunette who's a Phi Beta Kappa...

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2004 01:50:34 | More by BuckeyeNation

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a pint glass. The color is a moderate amber with an off-white head. The nose brings some light biscuit and caramel malt along with a touch of earthy hops. A very slight floral character as well. Taste is mostly some light bread and toast with a bit of bitterness that comes through in the finish and helps add at least a touch of complexity to this. Otherwise, pretty plain.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2010 05:02:28 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a nice head that provides good lacing

Smell: Vague hints of sugar water solution

Taste: Starts out with a slightly tart unbaked dough flavor that builds in a grainy direction, mid-palate; after the swallow, the bitter flavors disappear and are replaced with....nothing, nil, nada; after the finish the grainy flavors reappear, however

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation

Drinkability: Not my favorite style and not a good interpretation

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2007 02:32:37 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.54/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thin foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, caramel, and a slight hop aroma. Taste is much the same with a toasted bread flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a pretty good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is nothing all that special, but it is solid and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 04:55:26 | More by UCLABrewN84

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not my favorite style, but I'll take the exception from this good brew. Other than being a safe beer with little standout characteristics, there are very little to frown at. A solid caramel malt flavor that hinges slightly on maple syrup flavors and toffee. Lightly bready, but mostly toasty and nutty. Low butter-popcorn flavors. These characters come out in the aromas and subdue into the flavors and expecially the finish. Lightly malty finish keeps from becoming as clean as desired, but still a fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2006 23:31:46 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rich,deep amber color with a light to medium head,aroma is malty and toasty.Flavor ismalty but not quite sweet enough in my opinion with some decent toasted malt elements.I think a better than average amber ale, when I want a good amber I would definently buy this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2003 20:46:25 | More by oberon

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

2.88/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

"Brewed according to Irish tradition to offer you refreshment with an easy to drink speciality beer taste" boasts the label. We'll just see about that, won't we?
Pours a clear, reddish hue with full froth atop.
Aroma: rather sweet and soft, rather akin to the smell I associate with typical lagers, though, and come to think of it, the label doesn't call it an "ale", just "beer."
Fairly mild arrival on the palate, flavorful at first, then fast fading, with an utterly insignificant finish. No hops anywhere, but tasty, caramelly malt sweetness and a hint of fruit. Very light bodied, with little texture, no impact on the palate at all, really.
Although not bad in any way, this is a frightfully forgettable beer, one of those you want when you don't want to know that you're drinking beer. Terribly dull, but a notch above that Killian's stuff you see everywhere you go.

Serving type: can

11-17-2003 02:08:58 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

2.9/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

The beer pours a golden/amber color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is average. It has a weak malt scent that I guess has pale and light crystal malts. It seems like there are some adjuncts as well along with lager yeast. The taste is average as well. It is a bitter beer with some maltiness, but not much. It is dry and watery. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a low bodied beer with good carbonation. This beer just sucks. It has terrible aroma and taste. It's one and done for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2004 01:15:41 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

3.25/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Poured out a red/burgandy color with a foamy, off-white two-finger head. No lacing.

S - It smelled of malt and that's about it.

T - It tasted of malt, clove and grains.

M - It was soft and smooth. A light-bodied beer.

D - An okay red beer. Not as good as Murphy's Stout.

Serving type: can

03-16-2007 03:19:15 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.43/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap 12/31/06 at The Celtic Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark amber color, with a thin white head that fades very quickly and leaves almost no lace on the glass.

S: I had trouble picking up much of a smell, but there’s a little caramelized malt and tea.

T: Taste is light and malty, with flavors of caramel, tea and a touch of hops. Leaves a faint after-taste. Just like the smell, the taste isn’t very strong.

M: Smooth and very crisp, light-to-medium body, medium carbonation, clean finish.

D: Not very flavorful, but easy to drink and not too filling, it’s a good beer to pound if macros are your only other choices.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2007 15:22:34 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer poured out as a pretty nice looking red color. The head was white and fizzled away not leaving a lacing because. The aroma was mostly malts and other grains. Not much hops in there. The taste was smooth and was full of caramel malts. The mouthfeel was a little thin and wasn't as interesting I was hoping for. Overally I was a bit disappointed with this brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 00:42:01 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

3.28/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On nitro-tap at Beachwood BBQ for St. Patrick's Day,

A: Pours a light red with a full creamy nitro head, nice lace.

S: Caramel, hint of earthy hops.

T: Good caramel/toffee malt type flavours. Light hopping. Solid beer, but I wanted more.

M: On the thin side, creamy, light-bodied.

D: A fair Red Ale. I liked it, but it's not a beer to wow you, just an easy drinking pint.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-17-2010 22:43:21 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: clear copper in color with a short 1" head that last a while. Light lacing develops during the session.

Smell: malt sweetness is single component in the aroma of this beer.

Taste: malt is up front with a touch of nuttiness and very mild bitterness. Your tastebuds will get bored with this after a while.

Mouthfeel: smooth throughout. Medium bodied. Very brief lasting malty sweetness sticks to the tongue after swallowing.

Drinkability: a dull and boring session beer. Better on tap than in bottle, but still not one I long for.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2006 14:14:39 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Pours copper with a bubbly off-white head that fizzles down and eventually disappears.

The smell is caramel with mild earthy spiciness.

The taste is of caramel, slightly toasted, and grainy. It has an earthy, slightly floral-ish, tea-like dry touch balancing mild sweetness in the finish.

It is light-bodied with ample, though not excessive, carbonation. Pretty smooth.

Sweetish, but balanced... A decent, standard, Irish Red.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 13:10:13 | More by jwc215

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Large head that settles in a rocky fashion. Relatively light (spotty) lace on the glass. The color is deep, dark amber. Clear.

Rich caramel aroma--moderately sweet. Light hop background. Only distraction is a metallic note of iron.

Like a classic Amber Ale--big, semi-sweet crystal malt beginning, plenty of biting hop in the swallow. The aftertaste is short-lived, though. The flavor is not multidimensional. Good body, high carbonation. This is a good beer when other micros may not be available.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 19:04:55 | More by smcolw

Billolick

New York

2.75/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 ounce can, "brewed according to Irish tradition" in Holland! Go figure...Pours clear and the expected reddish shade of amber. Light tan frothy head, with decent retentive powers exhibited. Leaves creamy, medium bubble extensive lacing. Nose is some sweet malt, and alot of sulpher. Light bodied brew, mostly just sweet malt picked up, low hopping levels. Slight sulpher again picked up. Metalic, cabbadgy off flavors present, make this a forgetable beer and surely not one to seek out with much effort.

Serving type: can

03-15-2005 02:36:37 | More by Billolick

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap from Murphy's Irish Pub, in the Young Building at The Big E, West Springfield, MA.

Clear plastic pint cup presentation. Nice 3/5" light beige head over the deeply reddish brown brew. Aroma is of medium malts, with a slight hoppy presence. Taste is pleasantly malty, with a well-balanced flavor. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both reasonably good, with the sessionability of this brew being quite good.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2004 13:08:34 | More by ppoitras

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.03/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Lots of clarity to the brighter red hued beer. Aroma was largely neutral, like most red ales, just a smidge of sweetness.

Again, a little bit of sweetness, and not much else makes up the flavor profile. Light toasting and grain. Really not a whole lot going on, how can you tiptoe around saying its pretty plain? No hops. Light body, some metallic notes. Meh.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 15:54:05 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Gusler

Arizona

3.23/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A somewhat hazy deep amber color on the pour with a pleasant sized head and oodles of fine lace. The nose is mostly malt, lightly sweet and pleasing to the senses. Start is malt and sweet, the top middling and the finish nicely carbonated with a modest but pleasant hop bite and the typical dry lingering aftertaste, quite good in its own right, but give me the draught version, which is becoming quite scarce here in Arizona.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2002 13:46:52 | More by Gusler

DoubleJ

California

2.95/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The canned version doesn't start off promising in flavor (comparable to the tap version I had some time ago), but given some time to warm up, it becomes a more palatable beer with less astringency. I choose this beer for St. Patrick's day when I was at my friend's house, though the irony is this is brewed in Holland by Heineken. Nothing impressive, just a decent mass producd red ale.

Serving type: can

03-18-2008 07:38:04 | More by DoubleJ

plaid75

New York

1.48/5  rDev -53.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

On tap at Leo's, Garden City.

I tried this one on draft this afternoon. It poured very red. In fact, the color was so red that I am convinced food coloring is an ingredient here. The head was a sudsy 2 fingers with little retention and little lacing.

The smell was non-existent. No hop aroma.

The taste started off as a sweet malt experience that literally lasted one second before disappearing completely. It was like swallowing water.

The mouthfeel was awful. Again, the lack of flavor made me feel like I was drinking a flavorless malted liquid. Not a good feeling.

All of the above made this beer one of the most undrinkable I have ever had. I am ashamed to admit that I actually walked out before finishing the pint, which I NEVER do.

I have never been so unpleasantly suprised by a beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2006 18:48:33 | More by plaid75

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A stickler might complain that Murphy's Red Ale is actually more orangey-brown in colour. Fair enough, considering there really isn't any red in it. There also isn't a trace of froth or lace to bear testament to the soundtrack of crackling bubbles that ensued from the pour, despite that carbonation is plainly visible in the body of the beer.

The nose is a tad syrupy with a cereal-y sweetness reminiscent of poorer (often Latin American) examples of Vienna lagers. Although generally clean smelling, it does have a bit of buttery popcorn note. Void of pretty much any toast, toffee, or hop character, it becomes apparent that is a lager and not an ale. It is painfully dull.

There's more body and flavor appreciated on the palate, but not a significant amount enough to warrant a higher score. A more bready (as oppose to corn syrupy) taste emerges and with it some of the toast and toffee elements so desired (only "some", mind you, not all). The light roasted grain flavor is glossed over by low levels of diacetyl.

It's either a bit of hard, copper-y water minerals or some English hop flavor, but something gives this a surprisingly refreshing finish. Good carbonation and lagering obviously help too. While I'm quite unimpressed by Murphy's Red Ale, it might not actually be a beer I'd hesitate to order if in the right social setting. It is, as the kids say, just "aight".

Some will argue Murphy's Red as a quintessential example of its style. That argument must surely be based on the merit of its lineage rather than its actual qualities (it's like a king ruling the country because of his genealogy, rather than his credentials). This very well may be how the Irish now brew their reds. And if so, others are now doing it much better.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 17:29:39 | More by biegaman

kojevergas

California

2.7/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

I lived in my home - Galway, Ireland - for nine months. I vowed to do me best to try every Irish beer that existed. I succeeded largely, but a few select brews escaped me: 8 degrees brewing, because it's new; Guinness exports like the Nigerian one, and Guinness Red; Biddy Early's brews, because it closed down; and this beer, Murphy's Irish Red. I even searched Cork for this beer, but found no luck. If Abbott's Alehouse in Cork didn't have it, and the Porterhouse(s) and Bull & Castle in Dublin didn't have it, where could I possibly find it? The answer ended up being Berlin, Germany, in the specialty (laden) beer shop. I had to leave Ireland to find this Irish beer. Go figure.

I served this 33cl bottle in a Guinness pint glass ('borrowed' from the King's Head pub in Galway), in me friend's gaff in Berlin, Germany, the very day I purchased it. Temperature was about 10 degrees celsius, though the bottle label recommends 5-7 degrees. It was summer in Germany; what was I meant to do? Reviewed live.

A: A decent upward bubble show - somewhat rare for an Irish red. Six finger head of nice cream and decent thickness. Good retention, about four minutes or so. A copper-amber colour. Semi-transparent. Quite appealing.

Sm: Amber malt/hops, some cream, maybe even some slight ester hops - but I doubt it, as esters are rare in most macro Irish brews. Very slight hints of caramel and maybe even some nut. Pleasant and light in strength. No alcohol comes through.

T: Irish red me arse. Nuts pull through like a sweet light English brown ale (not surprising Murphy's should emulate English styles, the bastards). Some amber malt/hops enter in to a lesser degree, but don't quite resolve to the climax as the nuts do. Hoppy but limited to a simple barley foundation. Built poor for the [alleged] style, but decently for a lighter brown ale. For once, beeradvocate didn't screw up the beer categorization! The brewer did. (By the way, Killian's is not an Irish red either, and Irish reds are not widely consumed in Ireland with the exception of Smithwick's).

Mf: Smooth and wet, with limited coarseness on the climax. Not akin to an Irish red per se, but matching its true style. Refreshing enough I'd say.

Dr: 5% ABV is concealed - not that that's a difficult feat to accomplish. It refreshes on a Berlin summer's day, but would be better served a bit colder. Perhaps the label's advice was sound. It's a decent beer, but I understand now why we don't serve it in Ireland: none of the lads would give a shite. Very affordable in Berlin. I think it was something like two euro.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 16:17:36 | More by kojevergas

Brad007

Vermont

2.15/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Label appears to have been redesigned as it's now known as red ale, not red beer.

Pours a light amber color with more of a blond tint and a two-finger head into my pint glass. The head fades, leaving some lacing.

Aroma is full of sweet malt and not much else if at all. Seems about right for the style. Malt has a bit of a macro smell.

Taste is full of sweet malt with what feels like an off-flavor that takes up most of the palate. Tastes commercialized and nothing like a red ale.

Mouthfeel is full of the off-flavor and not much of the actual malt. Perhaps the bottle is older? No real "brewed on" date or "best before date".

Avoid unless you can try it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 04:29:02 | More by Brad007

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On draught at Nine Fine Irishmen in Las Vegas. This beer is a reddish amber color with a thin light beige head and very little lacing. Roasted malt aroma is difficult to detect. The mouthfeel is on the thin side, similar to other low-end Irish beers like Killian’s. Sweet malt flavor with a touch of caramel and hops. The finish is slick with just enough hops to even it out. The beer is OK but definitely not worth the $6 price tag at this joint.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2004 20:42:57 | More by Dogbrick