Michelob Irish Red - Anheuser-Busch

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.03/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Burnt orange infused with a considerable amount of brick red. Multiple bubble streams feed the underside of a golden beige colored cap that has a decent looking texture. Persistence is a strong suit... and lace isn't.

The nose is acceptable for an IRA, even though it lacks any sort of personality. The beer smells appropriately 'red', with a little steely caramel and a generic fruitiness. Hops aren't present, which isn't surprising given the style or the brewery.

Michelob Irish Red is average beer that neither impresses nor disappoints. Bland is the first word that came to mind, but I guess that's better than a few others that have occured to me while drinking an A-B product. It tastes like a 'focus group beer' that has had any trace of anything interesting trimmed away with ruthless efficiency.

It's amazing how muted the flavor is. We can't have any of that dreaded 'aftertaste', now can we? Each mouthful is dominated by toasted-caramel malts that are earthy more than anything else. A smidgen of fruitiness is still present and what bitterness is appreciated is probably more a function of too few malt sugars than hops. Ho-hum.

The mouthfeel is thinnish, while just managing to hang on to an average score. It too has been calibrated to be as lackluster as possible. A-B: dumbing down beer for decades and proud of it.

Michelob Irish Red is inferior to the best of the new Michelob brews (Bavarian Style Wheat, Porter and DunkleWeisse). On those few occasions when I actually want to drink a beer of this style, I'll stick with two pretty good ones that are available locally: Boulevard Irish Ale and Sam Adams Irish Red.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 12:14:54 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.45/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The last in the series that I decided to pick up and try this evening. This one was at the end of the night and I was glad I actually got to grab one to finish off the box. Again served cold, right out of the fridge and poured into a pilsner glass. This one was consumed on 10/09/2008.

The pour was decent. A nice ruby tinted amber color coming through, with a nice caramel like hint to it. Some light touches of frothy white head on the top as well as a good bit of carbonation coming up to the surface throughout the session.

The aroma was a malt bomb and this was evident really from the very first sip. But the nose was leading that way as well. Hints of caramel, some bready touches and a musky sort of aroma were dominating the day here. Nice touches of earthy hops coming through as well, but very light, more of an accent then anything. The flavor started out with a nice rush of caramel malts, syrup like in the feel almost with some soothing carbonation underlying it but not enough to push it off the map. Nice bready and biscuit like mid palate was then replaced with a somewhat chewy and earthy hop in the finish, before melding back into the sweet profile that held me at the beginning.

Overall not bad at all for the style, a little thick to really be a session able beer here as I found the carbonation a touch lacking, but the flavor was pretty darn good and I would have no issues with trying this one again any day.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2008 11:27:23 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a moderate colored caramel color with hues of red. Off white head. Nose brings some slightly sweet bready notes along with hints of caramel. Taste brings a bit more caramel but doesn't blend all that well. Moderate body. Drinks fairly well and is a decent enough offering.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2010 01:03:32 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.2/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle - $1.49 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a clear, ruby-hued body with a full finger of off-white foam. Irregardless of how it may taste, it does at least look appealing.

Smell: Faintly sweet-scented aroma with modest notes of toasted bread, toasted nuts, and caramel. Noted fruitiness akin to picked berries.

Taste: Maltiness tasting of dry caramel with sturdy tastes of both toast and nuts. Moderate sweetness. Ripe, berry-toned fruitiness. Faintly herbal, earthy hop character, though there's enough bitterness to counteract the sweetness. Touch of tannic graininess midway through. The body thins slightly as you hit the reasonably crisp, toasty finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium carbonation. Slight creaminess to the mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Okay, so while it doesn't exactly exhibit the relatively richer character of, say, the Samuel Adams Irish Red, it's still not altogether bad. Delightfully bearable!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 22:27:12 | More by ChainGangGuy

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A decent attempt of the style. But in typical Anheuser fashion, the beer has a timid, one-dimensional flavor and a thin and grainy mouthfeel.

The beer begins with a brightly colored amber hue. Dainty, yet withstanding head formation gives a bit of promise to the eye. A bit of lacing forms on the glass. The look fits the bill but a more sturdy head would have impressed.

Aromas ride the fence on malty-toasty-grainy notes. Lack of hop presence is ok for the style, but the rich and complex malt nose is a bit to acidic and grainy.

Caramelized malts give the initial sip a nice bready, sunkist taste, but then the thin grain aspects come in with a raw cereal and over-sparged tanin taste. Again, no real complexity or hop flavor.

First off, the maltiness seems strong, but then waivers quickly and falls into watery, astringent finish. Bitterness from the hops are balanced well, but the astringency increases the bite and hurts the overall drinkability.

In the end, the beer fairs ok but lacks the intangibles that make an average beer a good beer. Undermalted and a one-dimensional grain bill leads to a thin, grainy texture and over-simplified taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2009 19:38:07 | More by BEERchitect

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As would be expected of any beer from Anheuser-Busch, the head retention and lacing are quite good. The creamy yellowed-tan cap fades slowly, leaving nice wide splashes of lace as it goes. Beneath, a clear dark copper body gleems with orange highlights.

The nose is clean and bright, expressing sweet red-skinned fruits and caramel.

In the mouth it's medium-bodied and creamy smooth with just a delicate zest on the tongue.

The flavor expresses much more caramelish malt than the nose, but the fruitiness remains. Surprisingly, there are some bright grassy and floral hops present. It's a little sweetish at first, but it is balanced, and rather than becoming cloying, it actually softens a bit as it warms and the toastiness of the malt widens. Hops swirl in the finish, along with a touch of scorched sugar and toast.

Surprisingly complex and full-flavored, this runs rings around A-B's other Irish Red, Killarney's. Who needs to compete with Killian's when you have something like this? Nicely done!!!

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2009 21:15:16 | More by NeroFiddled

WesWes

New York

3.05/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The beer pours a nice dark amber/red color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is average. It has a dry, malty scent that boasts primarily of pale and crystal malts. The hop aroma is limited as is the malt complexity. The taste is average as well. It has a dry caramel flavor that goes down with some prickly carbonation and finishes with a metallic feel. There is a moderate hop bitterness to it. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a run of the mill Irish red. It's nothing to speak of really and I'm not convinced it's a true representation of the style as the bottle suggests.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2009 17:10:29 | More by WesWes

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out a semi-opaque, dark amber or deep burgundy hue. Not a very bubbly or fizzy brew. It had a small, tan, foamy head that left a little lace.

S - It smelled of biscuity malt, fruits and some subtle floral notes.

T - It tasted of sweet caramel. A nice biscuity malt flavor, too.

M - It was smooth and fairly crisp. A light to medium-bodied beer.

D - This is a nice irish red ale. Another solid craft offering from AB.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2009 01:35:10 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.6/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright coppery brown color with a large off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramelized malts, honey, tea and a decent amount of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of caramel, honey & tea followed by a bready malt character that is hearty but not too heavy. The hops presence is mild but complementary and provides a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp but a little watery, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, not one of the tops beers I've had in the style but it's solid enough to drink for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2010 02:59:11 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours out as a amberish red hue. The head is a light tan that settles into a few clumps on top of the beer. The smell has a lot of malt aromas going on. The hops are minimal sadly. The taste has a sweet dray maltiness to it. It's pretty decent for a brew from this company. The mouthfeel is bubbly and on the lighter side. It's ok, I would drink again if it was around.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 02:08:58 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review based on notes:

Pours an effervescent auburn with a pinky of tan head. Zero head retention & lacing

S:Slight toasty malt & nothing else

T: Slight breadyness, herbal & metallic hops, plus dryness up front. Toast malt & astringency dominate as this warms, plus some caramel & leafy hops. Finishes semi-crisp with leafy hops mingling with caramel & grainyness. Almost pulled a 4.0

MF: light/medium bodied with assertive carbonation & okay balance

Drinks alright, not a bad take on the style, but kind of a mediocre offering compared to some of Mic's other craft offerings. Wouldn't turn on down... Let down by its appearance & nose

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 02:59:38 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

2.75/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours red, with a very light off-tan head, nice clarity and colour redeems it a little, no lacing.

S: Crystal malt, caramel, very sweet smelling.

T: Needs more hop balance for sure. Very sugary sweet. Caramel malt, toasted bread form the main flavour, a one trick pony.

M: Sticky, cloyingly sweet at times. Relatively light-bodied, low carbonation.

D: Better than most of the stuff I've had from AB, but that's not saying much. For a beer on the cheap with some modicum of flavour a fair buy, but Sam Adams' version is much better.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2009 21:04:43 | More by Halcyondays

jwc215

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours copperish red with a light tan head that dissipates. No lacing sticks.

The smell is of caramel (in a "red" fashion) with a bit of earthy spice and some bread.

The taste is of sweet caramel (again - in a "red" way), slightly bready, though not quite "toasty" as I would expect. The is just a hint of herbal hops, with a bit of water showing in the middle, before malt comes back. Nicely balanced - sweet, but not overly.

Light-bodied, though it coats a bit. Carbonation is just about right.

Other than being a bit thin in flavour, it's a drinkable brew. Very drinkable, even enjoyable, but forgettable.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2009 00:12:23 | More by jwc215

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

Appears a ruby red hue large khaki colored head forms with fine lacing down all sides of my glass. I don't know what I think of the Michelob "craft beer" movement. But the 20 pack came with a tasting sheet that including appearance, aroma, flavor, and IBUs. Along with a website to learn more about different styles of beer. If this makes somebody scratch the surface in the world of beers, then I actually think this is a good. As far as taking market share away from microbreweries, soryy I'm not worried people know the difference between Victory and Weyerbacher with Michelob something their dad used to drink from the bottle in the 70s. Aroma works on me especially as it warms up a bit. Caramel malt notes, warm cookie dough sweetness brings almost syrup like smell to it. Flavor shows some of the hops, the tasting sheet says this one has about 25 IBUs from the flavor that's pretty accurate. Moderate sweetness roasted nut with caramel edges trickling, hops take off with pine and herbal earthy qualites, not bad at all. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a Michelob finish, much like drinking a Rogue beer or a Samuel Adams beer they have signature yeast profiles. Overall solid nothing cloying here goes down smooth just a tad overcarbonated for me. Drinkability is something I don't mind in a variety pack but don't think this beer would go in sixers by itself. Stay open minded it's AB but it's not horrible.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2008 18:57:30 | More by WVbeergeek

Wasatch

Utah

3.03/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks goes out to jwc215.

Pours a clean/clear dark amber color, nice carbonation, nice little fizzy tan head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, slightly sweet, with some spice. The taste is sweet, malty, slightly bitter, with some spice. Medium body. Drinkable, not that bad.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2009 02:01:37 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.05/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a four finger very light tan head that fades quickly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Crystal clear red/amber color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Roasted malt nose. Flavor is roasted to almost burnt malt, hops almost balance. $1.50 for a 12oz bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2009 22:16:46 | More by jdhilt

DoubleJ

California

3.5/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

What will red do for me tonight? 12 ounce bottle, on to the beer:

The head has a fuzzy texture and is over a finger's thick on top a deep carmelized red color. By now, only a paper-thin sheet of head remains on top. The aroma is a good one, my nose tells me. Toasted malt is the first to come out, followed by sweet fruity esters which gain dominance.

In the mouth it goes, and I notice the beer has a watery body with some bubbly fizz, akin to a soda. Flavor-wise, some toasted flavor pulls through the body. It floows the same path as the nose and turns fruity. It is fairly clean, and a drying grain note ends the journey.

It may be from AB, but this turned out to be a pleasant Irish Red. Bewtween this and Smithwick's and Murphy's Red, this one would get my pick among widely distributed Irish Red Ale's (Killian's is a dark lager).

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2009 02:55:27 | More by DoubleJ

Brad007

Vermont

2.85/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours a dark ruby-red color with a one-finger head into my glass. Nice hue here.

Aroma is full of sweet malt that has a trademark Michelob aroma to it. Not that impressive but has some elements.

Taste is full of sweet malt with a bit of smokiness to it. Average at best.

Too carbonated and that adjunct-y, "michelob" taste and flavor ruin this beer for me.

Not even a good attempt at the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2009 22:25:21 | More by Brad007

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into Sam Adams Sensory glass.

Pours a dark amber color with a small head, that thins out quickly. A little lacing observed.

Smell is of roasted and carmel malts. Taste is quite similiar, but now the malts almost seem burnt.

Mouthfeel isn't too impressive. Not to smooth of a beer and leaves a dry feeling in your mouth.

Overall, it is a decent beer, nothing I would go and buy again. But the sampler was a decent buy so I'd recommend the sample pack.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2008 06:59:45 | More by mothman

Cyberkedi

Georgia

2.9/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Aroma is a bit weak, but crisp and fairly malty. Color is a reddish gold, what one expects from a beer that is called "Irish Red." Flavor is so-so, better than most Michelob beers I have had - not complex but pleasant and malty. Texture is smooth, fairly typical. OK for parties.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2008 01:20:07 | More by Cyberkedi

ZAP

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Not a dumbed down effort like some of the Michelob craft offerings...this one has a metallic/earthy aroma and flavor...the body is medium to full (much bigger than say Killians)...finishes with some astringency..has some character but not particularly enjoyable...drinkable but not memorable.

.Looks good in the glass with a rich burnt orange look topped with a creamy off white head..

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2008 22:01:06 | More by ZAP

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This pours a clear red gold with about a 1` finger head of foam.

The smell is of sweet malt and maybe a touch of roasted malt. Not much for my nose to enjoy.

The taste is strong on the sweet malt with a dash of roasted and a light bitterness near and through the finish that actually grows as the session goes on. Pretty simple but also pretty tasty.

The mouthfeel is right there at medium and the carbonation is brisk. Oh and head retention is average and there's minimal lacing.

Drinkability? It's an easy drinking brew and a couple of bottles would not be a chore to have at a sitting. Pretty good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2009 01:41:44 | More by Bitterbill

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

2.93/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz bottle poured into an American Tumbler. Produced on 09037 (Feb. 6th).

A - Clear amber red on the pour with a big puffy and noisy cream-colored head. Two-fingers and slow to drop but leaving no lacing.

S - The rich caramel and malty nose is unleashed on the pour. A light kiss of hops compliments the very malty nose. Smells almost like a dopplebock. Very sweet.

T - Roasted malts give this beer it's bitter finish but a mineral water flavor and chalky dryness really ruin what this had going for it so far. The caramel is much less noticeable in the flavor and the crisp hops are more evident.

M - Medium-bodied and incredibly dry on the finish with a chalky mouthfeel. Somewhat metallic too.

D - The smell started on the right foot but the flavor couldn't follow through. The mouthfeel and metallic, mineral flavor ruin what this had going.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2009 18:25:01 | More by BeerFMAndy

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.63/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a pilsner glass.

L - clear red/amber color with a decent sized beige head that left some lacing.

S - sweet malt aroma.

T - sweet malty flavor all the way through with a very light bitterness after the swallow.

F - light/medium bodied with a crisp feel.

D - goes down smooth and easy.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2009 23:43:00 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

drpimento

Wisconsin

2.9/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Interesting, sort of. This is way better than their Marzen. Poured with some head and lace. Nice red color. Malt and again some circus peanuts in the aroma. Lots of toasty malt in the flavor with a bit of sweetness to balance. Has an unusual character of "old beer" though. Body is full. Might or might not order another.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 23:09:38 | More by drpimento