O'Hara's Irish Red - Carlow Brewing Company

Cozzatoad

Italy

3.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle

A- Light brown colour with bright reddish hints if seen through light, lots of very small bubbles visible among the beer's body. A couple fingers of a quite dense-looking white head, nice amounts of lacing too. Very nice

S- Sweet caramel notes among a soft, quite stout-like, bready malts feel. Maybe a slight roasted hint

T- Pretty much what the smell suggested. Very much on the malty side with a bit of a bready feel. Malts have notes of caramel, chocolate also shows up along with a bit of a roasted feel. Light, delicate tea-like bitterness in the finish. Overall not so distant from an irish dry stout

M- Medium body, minimal carbonation. Super soft and smooth on the palate, carbonation is to be felt only the tongue, where it brings a bit of life

O- Not the most complex beer out there, but sure one that stays totally true to its style by bringing great balance and drinkabilty. Definitely worth as a regular beer if you can find it for a cheap price

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 08:38:41 | More by Cozzatoad

Matak3

Serbia

4.25/5  rDev +19%

05-16-2013 23:49:15 | More by Matak3

AmandaSchaefer

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -16%

05-13-2013 23:13:50 | More by AmandaSchaefer

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

3/5  rDev -16%

05-05-2013 03:08:41 | More by SmellsofMahagony

Pegasus

Texas

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

Appearance: Deep mahogany body, crowned by a moderate, fine-beaded tan head, which fades to a thin layer rather quickly. Thick lacing coats the glass walls.

Aroma: Moderate toasted malt and caramel notes dominate the aroma. A faint herbal hop presence is notable as well.

Taste: Begins with moderate caramel and toasted malt. As the taste progresses, a slight herbal hop presence makes itself known. Late in the taste, a mild herbal bitterness appears. The finish is somewhat dry.

Mouth feel: Smooth and full, with soft carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: Pleasant and drinkable, although whenever drinking an Irish beer, I wish for a Guinness.

Presentation: Packaged in a standard twelve-ounce brown glass long-neck bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 02:42:28 | More by Pegasus

shand

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +5%

04-04-2013 02:31:38 | More by shand

harpus

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev -2%

03-28-2013 15:54:33 | More by harpus

Rohkey

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -9%

03-25-2013 04:04:28 | More by Rohkey

BGsWo22

New York

2.25/5  rDev -37%

03-20-2013 22:54:43 | More by BGsWo22

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.75/5  rDev +5%

03-17-2013 15:50:16 | More by Bitterbill

IrishRacer

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -2%

03-14-2013 00:42:26 | More by IrishRacer

rickyleepotts

Arizona

2.76/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3.25

I see this beer all the time at Total Wine & More, but I never buy it. I am not a huge fan of this style, but from what I have been reading, this is one of the best red ales available. It has to be good… it's an Irish red ale from Ireland. If it's not good, then I will have to order a Guinness when I visit.

We were going to review an IPA today, but since St. Patrick's day is this weekend, I wanted to make sure we had time to review this bottle. Oh, and we got another trade in the mail today. I actually got one yesterday AND today. Yesterday included Mad Elf, a beer on the list, and several beers from the east I had never heard of. Today we got two bottles of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, which is also on the list. I asked for two bottles because I love the beer, and want to toss one in the cellar for a few years.

The beer trading stuff is an addiction… we are new to it, but I can see why people enjoy it. I love it when the UPS man knocks on the door! Anyway, let's get to the O'Hara's. That is a really low ABV, and while that scares me, I have faith in the flavor. Speaking of a low ABV, I heard William, beer manager at Total Wine in Scottsdale, talking about low ABV beers being a new trend in craft beer. I haven't seen much of that, but I hope he's wrong. I like stronger beers… the higher the ABV the better!

In the Glass: This looks like a traditional red ale. It had a nice thick white head to start, but that quickly became a thin layer of foam on top of the beer. I wonder how big of a difference the temperature makes on this beer. With such a low ABV, I wouldn't think it would get better as it heats up. Maybe. I will let it warm up a bit before I finish it. The beer doesn't have much lace to speak of. This makes me think of George Killian's Irish Red. I hope it's better than that!

Nose: I will warn you, my nose has been stopped up for the last few days. I thought I was getting sick, but I think I am just suffering from allergies. I never had allergies until I moved to Arizona, where I was told allergies didn't exist. Oh well, I can still smell and taste, and that is all that matters. This smells like an Irish red. I haven't had a Killian's in a while, but I remember that smelling better than this. Surely not… let's see what the O'Hara's tastes like.

Flavor: There is a lot more flavor here than in a bottle of Killian's, but the flavor is consistent with the red ale style. Like I said, we are drinking this ice cold… so I am going to let it sit before I take a second or third drink, but I am not impressed with the initial flavor profile here. I AM impressed with the finish and the aftertaste. But we will get to that in a moment.

Mouthfeel: There are a lot of bubbles up front, and as you swallow, the beer really mellows out. It has a nice smooth finish, and leaves a lingering sugary sweet aftertaste. It almost tastes like burnt sugars with a hint of caramel. In regards to the mouthfeel, this is boring and way too carbonated for my liking.

Aftertaste: This is my favorite part of the beer. As soon as you swallow, the aftertaste becomes somewhat drying with a nice sugary sweet finish. Not barleywine sweet, but a nice dark caramel flavor. It lingers, but dries out as you continue to swallow. I would never expect a beer that has such a low ABV to have such a powerful finish.

I am glad that we could drink an Irish beer this week, but I wouldn't order this one again. If this was on draft and I was sitting in a pub in Ireland… maybe. But only because it is a true Irish beer and I would be drinking this IN Ireland. Jeremy and Petulia were recently in Ireland. I wonder if they had any of this while they were there.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 22:55:24 | More by rickyleepotts

Nizzle913

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -2%

03-08-2013 21:43:02 | More by Nizzle913

Monoke

Ireland

4/5  rDev +12%

03-06-2013 22:16:16 | More by Monoke

DmanGTR

New York

4/5  rDev +12%

02-10-2013 16:04:31 | More by DmanGTR

dan027

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -16%

01-31-2013 01:38:36 | More by dan027

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

3.54/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

O’Hara’s Irish Red has a very thin, off-white head, a brilliant brick-red appearance, lots of bubble streams, and a little bit of lacing left behind. The aroma is of medium-roasted barley malt, molasses, brown bread crust, and candied fruit. Taste is of tannin, bread crust, and mild bitterness. Mouthfeel is light and watery, and O’Hara’s Irish Red finishes crisp, dry, refreshing, and easy drinking. Overall, this is a simple, yet good beer. It's worth trying out.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 14:55:27 | More by RonaldTheriot

KarlMcGowan

Ireland

3.5/5  rDev -2%

01-26-2013 00:48:04 | More by KarlMcGowan

UCLABrewN84

California

3.3/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Best before 12/28/12.

Pours a clear super dark reddish-brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thin streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, caramel, and a slight alcohol aroma. There is also a distinct soy sauce aroma that comes out as the beer warms up. Taste is much the same with toasted bread and herbal hop flavors on the finish. There is a medium 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 slightly above average beer that is drinkable but not something I would go after again.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 01:48:36 | More by UCLABrewN84

BILF

Israel

4/5  rDev +12%

01-14-2013 16:56:23 | More by BILF

TSJ4000

Iowa

4.7/5  rDev +31.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Ok, Irish Red's are not my preferred style except for the Session Holiday that is, St. Patrick's Day. I get pretty sick of Guinness and having a nice session red available makes things a little more exciting.

This beer is orangy-brown, not really all that red. It has the perfect carbonation for throwing a couple liters down the hatch and it isn't too high in alcohol.

I wish this beer came on Nitro, then it would be awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2013 17:14:43 | More by TSJ4000

cliff1066

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -2%

12-16-2012 20:16:17 | More by cliff1066

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

3.85/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle served in a Thumbler glass.

A: Pours a dark amber copper color. Clear. Forms a small beige to gray head with low retention. A very think layer remains on the top forever and some lacings are formed and left in the glass

S: Toffee, caramel malts, wood and hops. Some notes of bready yeasts. Light lactic notes in the very end

T: Slightly sweet grains upfront. Strong notes of wood. Notes of roasted malts, caramel malts, English style grassy hops. BTW, an smooth but very pleasant hoppy bitterness. In overall, a dry beer in the mouth. Very reach in flavors

M: Light body. Medium to low carbonation. A little bit molasses. Excellent woody and bit bitter aftertaste

O: Great drinkability. Very well done beer. Recommended

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 15:56:43 | More by eduardolinhalis

BigGingDrinker

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +12%

11-26-2012 00:27:17 | More by BigGingDrinker

nico_freespirit

3.5/5  rDev -2%

11-19-2012 22:02:50 | More by nico_freespirit