Samuel Adams Irish Red - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

lwillitz

Florida

3.8/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12-oz bottle into mug

A - red-tinted amber under a massive frothy cream-colored head; lots of carbonation initially, then it calms down

S - weak caramel malt

T - sweet fruity malt, caramel, spicy hops move in and stick around for a balanced finish

M - smoothy and creamy, almost a buttery feel, medium/full body, medium carbonation

O - not bad

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 16:57:22 | More by lwillitz

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

pours a transparent, deep amber/red tone while yielding a small, whispy off-white head; minimal rention and lacing.

aroma is pretty underwhelming. vague maltiness to accompany some light hops and maybe a touch of spice in the background. maybe. mediocre at best. not sure i can even give it that. taste, fortunately, is an improvement. caramel malts are more evident, as well as some breadiness and a slight touch of hop bitterness. fairly tasty in its own right; won't knock your socks off but i think it holds its own on the flavor front.

medium-bodied with medium carbonation. pretty style-standard. i wouldn't mind another (that said, nor would i necessarily seek one out). falls into the vast 'moderately enjoyable' abyss.

original review on: 09-09-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 03:03:15 | More by BostonHops

scootny

New York

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice malt fest in my glass. Nice red hued amber ale with a faint red tint in the terracotta head. Smell is sweet and malty with the traditional Irish fruit esters. Notes of banana and pear with a touch of grape and sweet alcohol. Taste is malty with the aforementioned flavors from the nose. Yeast is a signature here and this one leaves a nice mark on the ale. good fruitiness with a clean character. Finish is dry and also clean with a touch of malted grains. Feel is well carbonated with a crisp edge. Weight is medium. A nice Irish red overall

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 07:29:34 | More by scootny

AtrumAnimus

Texas

3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

So far this is now officially my least favorite Samuel Adams brew. I typically like the work they do but this one is lacking when compared to their other brews.

The beer pours a perfect amber color for an Irish Red with a nice tan head this is creamy and settles slowly with a nice bit of lacing down the glass.

The nose is rather subtle and dominated by the malt with a sweet floral mix that has hops undertones of pine.

The taste is a tad bit off balance with a slightly bitter aftertaste that falls in the acceptable range. The majority of the flavor is dominated by malt sweetness that is decently balanced with the hops and notes of vanilla and butter giving way to the previously mentioned bitter aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is a tad bit watery for my tastes and the carbonation is surprisingly lacking for something from Samuel Adams.

While I would rate this one as “drinkable” I would not recommend buying it as there are hundreds of others that are far more enjoyable. Also you can buy every other single brew Samuel Adams makes and it will be better than this one. I just don’t see myself buying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 00:39:02 | More by AtrumAnimus

Bookseeb

Washington

3.1/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance has a reddish amber hue supporting a dissipating head leaving a thin film and spotty lace. Smell is light on the nose of light sweet malt, honey, tea and light hops. Taste again having the light sweet malt while sucking on a bitter tea bag having a dry finish. Mouthfeel is lightly medium with good carbonation. Not a bad brew, just one I personally wouldn't go after again.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 01:41:34 | More by Bookseeb

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

3.05/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- Pours an amber hue with little to no head. Very little retention or lacing. Fairly translucent.

S- Mostly malts and a lot of peat notes here. Underlying sweetness is present, but semi-sweet caramel malts are prominent.

T- Just like the smell. Mostly peaty malt tones with slight hints of caramel sweetness. Very earthy and not terribly complex.

M- Pretty watery. Not as chewy and thick as I expect from an Irish red. Should be heavier with a better flavor profile on the palate.

Overall, probably one of my least favorite from Sam Adams. Good thing this was part of a $14.99 case sampler, otherwise I don't think I'll buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 17:51:34 | More by boilermakerbrew

rawfish

California

3.43/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours red amber with a small off white head, maybe half a finger with poor retention. Lacing reaches for the sides of the glass but doesn't really stick.

Dull caramel malt with some dry toast. Oddly fruity like dried cherries and tobacco with some buttery and mild rubber off tones.

Solid malt backbone caramel, toasty and bready, mild sweetness sets a nice tone for the spicy, earthy hops. A bit of cedar and roast add some much needed complexity. Bitterness is mild and sticks with some residual tartness from the roasted malt.

Medium bodied, decent carbonation. Smooth and even a little drying. Drinkablility is high.

Not familiar with the style at all but it feels like an amber with some odd buttery roasted malt and mild spice hops. Drinkable, wouldn't turn one down but I'm not going out of my way for this.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 08:13:06 | More by rawfish

bobhall78

4.2/5  rDev +20%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Brownish/red color, Little to no foam after a few minutes.

S - Almost odorless, clean, crisp smell.

T - Crisp, almost no bitterness, barley, hops, smooth.

M - Nice clean feel with no aftertaste.

O - Not a bad beer if your looking for something light in taste,
with no bitterness. Overall not a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 20:23:48 | More by bobhall78

Drinkerofales

California

3.73/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear copper red, with a large tan fluffy head that leaves tons of lace. Great color and look.

Smells of warm roasted and sweet malts. A bit shallow.

Taste is slightly bigger, malts, with and added hop bitterness that start at the end of the middle and goes through the finish.

Texture is a bit bubbly, but not horribly so. However, it's not quite as smooth as a red should be.

A nice beer, really good looking, flavors are pretty good, everything else isn't quite there. I feel like sometimes SA brews beer to fit into the 5.2-5.8% range to keep it for the masses, and this one just reeks of it.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 19:04:36 | More by Drinkerofales

ncsutton

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Serving - Bottle

A - Dark redish amber color, almost no head, half decent lacing throughout

S - Earthy malts, a hint of caramel very slight hops

T - The malts are up front the first taste, a nice caramel middle with a little hint of hops mixed in

M - not too carbonated and a bit of a heavier brew

O - A solid beer but nothing too special, it's kind of a general Sam Adams brew, good but nothing over the top that really is jumping out at me

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 01:23:54 | More by ncsutton

jmarklan

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a beautiful deep amber / red (i've said it many times, but i love this color). Nice head with moderate retention and a bit of lacing.

S: Malty. Caramel. A very slight touch of fruit (apple cider?). Earthy.

T: It tastes like it smells, slight grain in the finish.

M: Light/ medium body, a bit thin. Appropriate level of carbonation.

Overall: Nothing spectacular, but a decent and enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 23:16:25 | More by jmarklan

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.83/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass:

A: clear yet deep amber/orange colored body with a foamy, cream-colored head, it had a decent amount of lacing on the glass

S: hops, sweet and roasty malts

T: sweet through crisp and clean malts and hops, hops only come out as the beer warms

M: medium, moderate amount of carbonation felt on the tongue, sessionable, no aftertaste, malty finish

O: this is good for the style and good for me

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 13:30:03 | More by kangarooAdam59

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Irish Red opens with a sweet, malty, sugary nose of medium strength, bearing nice notes of orange, berry, apricot, brown sugar, and cherry on the sweet side, but these are balanced by touches of toast crust and floury baguette. A thin rind of flower petal aromas circles everything. As a whole, the nose is nicely balanced and enticing, suffering only from a lack of potency and a tendency for the sugary aromas to fade quickly.

On the tongue, the beer opens sweet and sugary, the oranges, berries, apricots, cherries, and brown sugars translating almost directly from the nose. Wheat crusts and floury baguettes continue to balance the brew here, helped by a good citrusy grapefruit tang from a decent hop addition, which tingles the soft palate nicely. The sugars are far and away the dominant flavor, and exist in a nicely balanced and flavorful palate, offering several varieties of esters. In subsequent sips this sugary palate diminishes somewhat, replaced by more wheat bread and earthy plant stem notes. The aftertaste is a quickly-fading remnant of the main mouthful. Mouthfeel is medium-light, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is good fare, and while it is most certainly not a "big" beer with massive flavors and a knock-yer-socks-off hop blast, it's not intended to be. Instead, this is simple, good beer that excels at offering delicious flavors in readily-palatable quantities. Having said that, I did want for at least, say, a 10% increase in flavors, or at least enough that the sugars maintain their tastiness over several mouthfuls. Still, for decent beer at roughly $1 a bottle prices ($24.99 for a case at my store), this is a great option.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 22:12:36 | More by jondeelee

wafers

New York

3.6/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a fairly clear amber-red, small foamy head that disappears quickly
S: Somewhat nutty aroma, not a whole lot else
T: Nice malty taste, roasted background with flavors of toffee, caramel, and spices
M: Smooth, very drinkable
O: Thought this was pretty good, maybe not something I would go out of my way to seek out but overall decent flavor and drinkability

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 04:32:49 | More by wafers

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.45/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Reddish-amber with a 1/3" off white head off the body.

Smell: Light hops, smell slightly dry.

Taste: Bitter, sweet, and lightly malted. Not bad at all but nothing to wow for.

Mouth: Med-heavy carbonation, very smooth for most drinkers.

Overall: Not a bad beer, not great either but very satisfying. Doesn't hurt to grab one and catch a flick. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 18:20:42 | More by BlurryVisi0n

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle best by Aug 2012

Pours dark amber with a small soapy head that fades quickly. Smell is typical of the style: faint caramel malts and a bitter floral/earthy smell that I can only describe as being 'red' smelling. Not my favorite smell. Taste is crisp biscuity malts, with the floral smell translating into an odd rose incense taste.

Better tasting than most other reds, but I'm not a fan of the style. I'll pass.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 07:59:03 | More by jimmah120

Misfit138

Tennessee

3.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

A- Amber in color with a fizzy head that went away very quickly

S- Caramel and bready malts mild dark fruit undertones

T- Mostly like the smell with caramel and bready malts followed with a tart plum finish

M- Medium in body with fair carbonation

O- Pretty average beer, it certainly is on the malty side but has some flavor.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 01:22:14 | More by Misfit138

CMUbrew

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a mug

A: Poured with a one finger light khaki slightly uneven head that faded pretty quickly to a ring of foam. Darker brown color that's a bit lighter at the edges. Lots of carbonation bubbles moving quickly to the top.

S: The smell gives me bready malt and spicy hops.

T: Bready malts with a minor malt sweetness and spicy hops with a minor bitterness. Flavors are stronger when the beer gets warmer, but a slightly astringent aftertaste shows up when the beer warms up as well. Good tasting overall.

M: The carbonation is right where I want it to be, and it makes the beer very drinkable. Medium light body. Finish is a little dry to style.

O: This is a great beer for the style that it is, though not spectacular in the big world of beer. If you like S.A. Boston Lager you should like this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 05:03:42 | More by CMUbrew

Yoda22

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- Pours a clear reddish brown with 1 finger tan head. Very bubbly which leaves a thin layer at the top; nice lacing.

S- Sweet crystal malt smell - pretty good and to style. There is something else, maybe a faint floral or bready character?

T- Pretty basic but good. Light caramel malt otherwise pretty neutral. Finishes pretty dry.

M- Light to Medium body with high carbonation and bubbles all over your mouth. A little thin for sure and the carbonation is overdone in my opinion.

O- Looks and smells a bit better than it tastes and finishes...it's a decent beer and i'd take it over non-craft beers any day of the week; but not something that would be on my shopping list.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 23:22:51 | More by Yoda22

LiquidSanity

Florida

2.03/5  rDev -42%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Ap: Very dark reddish-purple brown color. Weird description to use, but it has a cockroach brown color. I hate roaches but I won't allow it to affect my opinion. Surprisingly, I find it to be a beautiful color. Virtually no lacing however.

Ar: Harsh, bitter floral smell. Almost like fresh soil. Weird aroma. The maltiness is present in the aroma.

Ta: Awkward syrup and malt flavor. Very thick sugary presence which does not allow the flavor to settle. This is almost worse than Killian's. I'm guessing I'm just not a fan of this style. It seems artificial and sugary.

Mf: Watery but rich. The carbonation is mild and the remainder of the feel is lackluster. Not a fun beer to sip.

Ov: Rather thick and syrupy. It showcases a rather disgusting flavor. Almost identical to Killian's which makes me think I'm just not a fan of the style. Take my review with a grain of salt. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 00:12:19 | More by LiquidSanity

srandycarter

California

3.03/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours clear leathery amber. Not much light tan head leaves to ring. Some cling.

S - Pretty simple and malty.

T - Bright malt notes, very simple beer.

M - Medium body, good carb, balance nice and runs to clean finish.

D - Good beer, just a bit boring.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 07:44:15 | More by srandycarter

Gavage

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: pours a reddish amber color with a one finger head that falls apart quickly.

Smell: caramel, ripe fruits, and a bit of earthiness is pleasant on the nose.

Taste: slightly grainy and bready malt base with caramel, plums, and a mild bitterness. There is a bit of an earthy tone late.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lightly crisp to start, a bit smoother towards the finish. Short aftertaste.

Overall: an easy drinking Irish ale. Definite sessionable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 18:01:32 | More by Gavage

zac16125

South Carolina

3.13/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a Stella Artois glass
Best before Nov 2011 (oops)

A: Pours a translucent amber red with 1 fingers width of light khaki colored head, with decent retention but fairly quickly dissipates down to leave only an outer ring. Leaves almost no lacing, just a couple tiny patches randomly clinging to the glass. It is a pretty color though.  

S: Caramel malts, candied sugar, some ripe dark fruits, and a touch of alcohol which is surprising considering the relatively low ABV.  Not terrible complex but a nice aroma nonetheless.  

T: Like the nose, it has a good degree of caramel malt sweetness.  There is also a bready character, some spicey hops, and a touch of bitterness on the backend.  Starts off surprisingly strong, but towards the end of the drink, a somewhat unpleasant almost astringent aftertaste starts to come out after each sip, which is a shame because otherwise it is a very tasty beer.  

M/D: Medium to light bodied, relatively smooth but it does have a biting carbonation, pleasantly dry on the finish.  Drinkability is ok, but really decreased by the aftertaste that comes out midway through the drink.  

O: Overall, not bad but nothing special.  I wouldn't turn it down if it were offered to me, but I don't plan on buying again.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 20:46:02 | More by zac16125

mscudder

Georgia

2.65/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz from variety pack. Best by July 2012

A - A clean copper red with a decent sized light tan head. Leaves some lacing, but not much.

S - Like most Sam Adams brew there is little going on in this category. I am getting some roasted malts and caramel. Underwhelming.

T - Primarily bready malts here. There is a very faint taste of cherry and sweetness, but little good is going on here.

M - A smooth overall feel with little carbonation and a strong light body makes this one drinkable.

O - This beer is not something I would ever go out of my way to have, heck I probably wouldn't reach to a shelf above my shoulder to pick it up, there simply is nothing really going on here. Better than the american "light lager" but a poor attempt for a true irish red.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 04:35:24 | More by mscudder

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.6/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a bright red, with a quarter inch white head, that leaves some lacing. Smell very bready, carmel, and some hard candy. Taste is that, very little hop presence, carmel and the hard candy blend together, a little to sweet for me. Body medium to thin, easy drinking, not dry, and plenty of carbonation. It is good for the style, but not my favorite style do to its lack of hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 18:18:03 | More by SawDog505