James Squire Brewhouse The Craic Irish Stout - James Squire Brewhouse / Portland Hotel

soju6

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at thePortland Brewhouse.

A: Served a virtual black color with a good head that faded slowly to good lacing.

S: Mild aroma of roasted malt, coffee and bit of dark chocolate in the background.

T: taste of roasted malt, with some coffee and bit of dark chocolate. has a nice mild bitterness and a dry finish.

F: Fairly full body, smooth with a creamy texture.

O: Good drinker, nice way to end the day. Worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2012 18:49:38 | More by soju6

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tap at the Portland Hotel. From notes.

A - Poured nearly black with a creamy two finger tan head. Decent carbonation with great thick lace and one finger of retention.

S - Light coffee and roasted notes.

T - Sweet but not overly so. Light roastiness and bready.

M - Dry finish with a creamy feel and good carbonation. Really smooth.

O/D - Alright. Really drinkable and tasty enough.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2012 01:28:27 | More by tbeckett

vancurly

Australia

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at King St Brewhouse, Sydney.
Excellent stout. Appearance, aroma & flavour all as you would expect for this style. Mouthfeel & overall balance is excellent. Good firm bitterness & roasted notes, balanced with a lightly sweet creaminess. Excellent winter drink in the beergarden.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-28-2009 07:38:26 | More by vancurly

foles

Australia

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

Sampled on tap at the Portland hotel in Melbourne. Well presented in the house pint glass. Lovely roasted flavour with a hint of cocoa and subtle spices. Slighly bitter rough sharp finish that suits the style perfectly. Very fresh on tap and a rare treat as I didnt know they had "pub only" brews.

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2008 12:12:21 | More by foles

jarmby1711

Australia

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

There is something magical about a pint of stout pulsating in the glass as the head works its way up.
this stout looked good and looked like most other stouts That is black witha creamy tan head.
The smell was a little low key but I expect the colder than preferable serving temperature may have had something to do with this.
The flavour was charcoal toast but with an underlying sweetness. The best thing was the creamy smooth texture It was just lovely to feel it slosh around the mouth
I had this at the Docklands James Squire , and have made it a must before every Docklands footy game

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2006 07:47:49 | More by jarmby1711

BeerNutta

Australia

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The Craic is a great beer to drink at the portland hotel.

A = Pours a dark brown. Quite a sight with its bubbles flowing backwards and stuff.

S = Light scents of roasted malts and coffee.

T = Roasted Malt start that mellows to a slight coffee/dark chocolate bitter aftertaste. Very nice.

M = Very smooth in mouthfeel. Just could be a little bit more thicker. A little too watery.

D = Good. Nice one to have at the end of the night to wind down a session.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2005 08:23:55 | More by BeerNutta

DaveFL1976

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

James Squire – The Craic
James Squire/Portland Hotel Brewhouse – September 1 2005
A Dark, Dark Brown, almost opaque beer with a head that lasts so long that I got impatient to drink it.
Smell is subtle. No noticeable chocolate, coffee or toffee overtones, however, the smell of roasted malt/chocolate malt is apparent.
The Chocolate malt is the first flavour to greet you, followed by a tartness that I imagine comes from a combination of said malt and a few well-boiled hops. Mouthfeel is just about what I look for in a stout. Not thin enough to pass as a porter, but not so thick that it fills you up in one pint, either. Carbonation is excellent for the style. This is a good stout, for sure. Neophytes to beer wouldn’t like it, but it’s a very acceptable stout for the masses. This caters to the Guinness crowd a little too much, perhaps. Granted, if you’re going for a stout, there are worse beers to copy. All in all, a good irish stout; just not my favorite style of stout. Gimme some chocolate and coffee flavours! Still, highly rated.
Appearance: 4.5
Smell: 2.5
Taste: 4.0
Mouthfeel: 4.0
Drinkability: 4.0

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2005 06:39:00 | More by DaveFL1976

joecast

Australia

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

good looking foamy head settles over a pearl black beer. stout always looks best poured from the tap where it gets time to settle on its own.
aroma was a bit lighter than it could have been. not much coming up to the nose.
the taste is where this beer really shines. one thing i dont care much for in a stout is that harshness i sometimes find, and this beer had none of it. just smooth roasted and full malty flavors.
really nice, smooth mouthfeel. a pleasure to drink.
its hard to fault this beer for anything really. a seriously solid stout.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2005 22:42:45 | More by joecast

diablo14

Australia

3.25/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

the portland hotel is my pub of choice when im out for a session on a weekend. with 5 james squire beers and 5 micros on tap (a couple of which are here, some i will add later) you just cant go wrong, and they are all better than average beers. i tried this stout from the first batch they ever brewed and that was a fair dinkum little beauty of a beer. unfortunately it did not reach those heights for another 12 months, and remains to this day a little inconsistent.

at the moment tho, it is back to its best. its a classic irish style stout. dark dark brown color with no transparency, and the thick creamy tan colored head which works its way to the top. we all know this sight in itself is a thing of beauty. and it stays till the last drop, exactly what you want from this style.

if you like coffee youd love this beer. the nose smells of fresh roasted beans, and the taste is like an expresso with hints of chocolate, and just a little smidgeon of buttered toast. the texture/mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, and a very robust finish that is bitter without being overpowering.

they have struggled to get this balance right over time, often the coffee tones are overpowering, and can lack a bit of body. other times it has finished far far too dry, and the head just has not been thick enuff. it had disappointed me for some time so i had turned my attention to their other wonderful brews. on my last visit i noticed the gent sitting next to me polish of a couple of these and i could see the improvement. i tried one pint and ended up having a couple more. im hoping that on that tasting, the beer will remain at the level it is now, a marvellous irish stout that sits alongside the guinness we get on tap here.

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2003 14:55:58 | More by diablo14

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

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

Unbeleivably well balanced. Rich chocolate start, with a bitter roasty coffee finish. Sweet and bitter balanced to perfection. If only i could get this beer in Sydney (only available on tap at the Portland Hotel in Melbourne). An enjoyable little brew, everything i like in a Irish style dry stout.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2003 01:52:00 | More by rastaman