O'Hara's Irish Red - Carlow Brewing Company

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint.

A: Dark red, almost to the point of being brown. Big foamy tan head. Great retention and sticky lacing.

S: Big malty smells. Rich caramel, some toffee, and lots of coffee. Grassy and slightly citric hop smells.

T: Huge tastes of roasted coffee give way briefly to some sweeter caramel flavors. Citric hops add a quick bite before being overwhelmed again by the malt. Coffee flavors re-emerge and are accompanied by toffee and even some chocolatey roasted malt tastes. Long, slightly dry finish showcases coffee and roasted malt flavors.

M: Thick for the style, but smooth. Plenty of carbonation.

D: Good. Goes down easily despite the thickness.

Notes: This is not your average Irish red. A bit of a malt bomb, but I like what they've done with it. There are almost some stout-like qualities. Flavor and body are more robust than most examples of the style, but it still retains its sessionability. A nice change of pace from all the watery, bland reds that saturate the market.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 19:05:22 | More by ryan1788a5

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500mL bottle poured into pint glass

Pours a deep mahogany brown with burnt orange hues. A thinner head fades to a nicely retained off-white film, leaving plenty of lacy rings.

Toasted grain, biscuit, a touch of caramel, and some grassy hops in the nose.

Fairly standard red ale with some mild roasted malts in the beginning, giving way to some breadyness. A light hoppiness springs up, along with some sweet character from the darker malt. Finishes quick and clean with some slightly citrus hops and little lingering flavor.

Medium body, chewy, lower carbonation. Smooth, quick drinking, although the flavor profile isn't exactly anything spectacular. Still alright for the style though.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 23:59:00 | More by xnicknj

zeff80

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, copper/red color with a small, white head of foam. Not much in the way of lacing.

S - It smelled malty and sweet with some mild grassy notes.

T - Nice bready malt flavor with a good caramel taste. Mild grassy bitterness.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light bodied beer with a dry finish.

D - This is an okay red ale. Not fabulous but tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 02:23:33 | More by zeff80

MBPChead

Maryland

3.4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Trying this one for the first time, a good friend gave a bottle so here goes.

Look: Deep ruby in color with amber hues with a thick creamy colored and textured head. Exquisite

Smell: Scents of caramel, lite cheddar cheese, rice cakes, cherries, and honey. Very pleasant as well as interesting.

Taste: Mild hop flavor as well as pines, lime and cherries, and cheddar upfront, followed by a toasted malt charachter with toasted wheat and buttered popcorn on the backend. Quite peculiar but at the same time nothing to special.

Feel: Smooth and easily goes down pretty well, medium thickness and a bit prickly on the tongue. Good feel overall

Drinkability: Not bad overall, taste and body are a tad offputting. But, its not hard to swallow.

All in all not a bad beer, but its not not my particular taste, and I can honestly say I don't think I'm going to be buying this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 03:25:39 | More by MBPChead

confer

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Dark brown with a tan head that fades to a rim of foam. I though it was an Irish Red?
S- Sweet and sugary with a small roasted malt smell.
T- Taste gets better as it warms. Sweet and malty. Watery finish.
MD- Light and dry feel. This is a beer that goes down real easy. It is pretty pricey for just an okay beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 01:21:33 | More by confer

froghop

Washington

3.08/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

pours a semi-hazy brick red with a medium size light beige head, and good lacing.

smell of spice, a little sour malt, and brown sugar.

taste is a little watery, spice, malt, and caramel, ends a little bitter.

overall a below average red ale, bit on the watery side, but nice flavor.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2010 02:18:32 | More by froghop

dolzan

Slovenia

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

The appearance is indeed red as it should be in an Irish Red Ale.

The taste is slightly burnt and smoky (caramel?), but in a good way, the overall feel is very balanced, and it is one of the best Irish Ales I had the pleasure to drink. Very little bitter taste can be felt, which is true to the style. However, maybe there is a slight lack of complexity in the taste for this to be a world class brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2010 19:09:31 | More by dolzan

stcules

Italy

3.38/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Red color, with a light beige foam, not too compact.
In the smell a strong maltiness, biscuit, and caramel, and after a while, also some hop.
Well balanced in the mouth, with malt and caramel, but also some hop.
Maybe some dusty note. Anyway, pleasant, with a good hop, easily drinkable.
Interesting.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2010 17:19:58 | More by stcules

mdfb79

New York

3.25/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my Sn 30th Anniversary tulip.

a - Pours a dark brown with one finger of off white head and moderate carbonation.

s - Smells of roasted and toasted malts, caramel malts, and chocolate.

t - Tastes of bitter chocolate, hops, nuts, and roasted malts.

m - Light to medium body and high carbonation.

d - Ok but not that great of a beer. Wouldn't seek out again,.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 01:00:03 | More by mdfb79

tim9887

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark ruby-brown from the bottle into a pint glass. 1/2" of white foamy head. Aroma is sweet and malty. Caramel and nuttiness from the aroma are slightly less present in the flavor. This well-rounded ale has just a slight hop bitterness to balance out the very sweet malty character to it. Nice carbonation. A good beer - though I certainly prefer their Celebration Stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 23:59:50 | More by tim9887

drabmuh

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at the liquor store because it was less than a dollar a bottle. This should have set off an alarm in my mind.

Beer is dark red to brown and mostly clear. Forms a big head of medium off white bubbles that falls away leaving some lacing on the glass. Carbonation is minimal.

Aroma is mildly malty.

Medium body with an unfortuante late bitterness and slight aftertaste. Some sweetness up front, slight roast in the back. I wonder how they got the black colour to this beer (U added intentionally). Eh, its relatively easy drinking. Not too impressed in general. Sorry.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2010 02:18:00 | More by drabmuh

aval89

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep ruby color with a nice head that quickly disappeared.. Noticed some good lacing...

Smelled bready.. Hints of caramel, slight malt roast, sugar, slight hop presence..

Taste was of sugar cane, caramel, apple, slight hop bitterness lingers.. Maybe some licorice in there?

Overall a decent brew.. Not too heavy not too light.. Easy drinking.. Nothing too special here but not bland..

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2010 03:20:45 | More by aval89

metter98

New York

3.4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: It poured deep amber red into a pint glass with a creamy, off-white head. A moderate level of carbonation is visible; there is a good amount of head retention.
S: The nose is relatively sweet and there are hints of caramel malts.
T: There wasn't a whole lot of overall taste, although the few flavors there were shared similarities with the aroma and were malty and sweet. The taste also had some hints of black tea, burnt malts, and other grains and there is some bitterness in the finish.
M: It feels light-bodied and smooth on the palate.
D: It was relatively easy to drink this beer but nothing really stood out about the taste so I'm not sure if I would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2010 23:31:53 | More by metter98

ocmpoma

California

3.43/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

After browsing around to see what the highest rated Irish stouts were on the site, I was quite surprised to see this Irish red from County Carlow at the Whole Foods in Hillcrest.

It pours out a wonderfully dark but unmistakably amber into the old Duvel tulip, with a nice, fluffy head that's just slightly tan in color. Good lacing as the head dissipates.

The nose is quite spicy up front, with a strong malt backbone. Little to no bitter notes. On the palate it's very malty with just some hints of spice and a little tiny bit of funkiness... I get a little bit of pine resin and the hops are there, barely, at the end.

Mouthfeel is pretty good; it's a tad thin but not off-balance. It's drinkable: smooth and if anything a bit too sweet, but overall a nice showing.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2010 21:59:19 | More by ocmpoma

mynie

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at 9 Irish Brothers in West Lafayette.

Pours clear crystalline red. Really sparkly but not much of a head.

Smelled quite fruity. Not quite like fruit-flavored cereal, not as ersatz, but damn close. That was folded into some toasted cereal malt and really it was like if someone had mixed up a bowl of 80% Life and 20% Fruity Pebbles.

Tastes like it smells, only with a wee bitty dose of dry european hops near the back end. The whole thing is nitrogen smooth, which makes it feel nice in your mouth but also taste a little weird. I have a feeling that maybe this one is a little bit better fresh.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2010 03:28:28 | More by mynie

farrago

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Solid two fingers of light tan foam, somewhat delicate micro-bubbles, steady dissolve with much lacing, like froth lapping at the beach. Clean amber color with a little more brown than orange, excellent clarity and vividness. Bready nose with caramel, chocolate fudge, sugar cane and a hint of golden raisin and date alongside the pear, apple scents, the hops come across as mixed drink bitters with a pinch of green field grasses. Medium-bodied, the carbonation has an aggressiveness which comes out of left field, churns things up and favors the bitter, grassy element as well as sour grapefruit, lemon citrus. The maltiness more of a powdery texture here, hence less sweetness in the cocoa, milk chocolate, hard toffee flavors. Some raisin left, more green apple, bosc pear, apricot pit. Flash of cloves. Astringency and overall dryness builds through the finish. Curiously, the breadiness more or less absent. Interesting beer, throws a fair amount of curveballs.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2010 01:51:18 | More by farrago

SShelly

California

3.78/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark red amber with almost no head.

Aroma is pure bread with some sweet malt.

Light sweet malt plays with toast and bread upfront. Leaves a light sweetness in the mouth. Med light mouth leaves this feeling a little thin.

Tried it for st pattys day, not particularly interested nice and drinkable, not horrible.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2010 00:38:41 | More by SShelly

sitarist

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber, ruby red. The head is tan and big. The head last awhile with lots of lacing.

The smell is fruity and sweet with apples and grapes leading the way, caramel following.

The fruity sweet goodness from the nose come right into the taste. There is a slight tea like flavor, and it has a slight red wine like aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is a little thin, the carbonation is nice though, and dry.

Very drinkable. This beer is refreshing and begs you to drink it. By far the best Irish Beer Ive had so far.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 00:31:46 | More by sitarist

StJamesGate

New York

3.93/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On cask at the Bull & Castle, Dublin.

Pours glowing ruby with surprisingly long-lived off white head that rings. Big floral hops nose along with some roastiness. Red apples, chocolate and toasted hazelnuts for malts, dry roasty middle and bitter orange rind hops to end. Roast squash sweetness at the end with a tight linger. Medium, creamy and round, getting stickier over time.

Fresh and lively, hops forward makes a nice change for an Irish red. Unfortunately, the hops die down as it warms and it starts to cloy a bit.

Serving type: cask

02-26-2010 11:28:10 | More by StJamesGate

Halcyondays

California

4.25/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz. bottle, along with the stout, this showed up at Hi-Times, so I've got to try it,

A: Pours red (I'm Shocked... Shocked), with a full creamy white head, great lace.

S: Real nice caramel malt, sugar.

T: Sweet malt, pastry flour, red malt with a light hop presence. Very good flavour.

M: Soft carbonation, creamy, medium-bodied.

D: One of the best Irish Red's I've had, good beer, very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2010 05:17:04 | More by Halcyondays

clayrock81

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a red body with two finger head that dies quickly. A mix of bready, yeasty malt smells along with hints of sour hops. A lowkey blend of hops and yeasty, bready malt lead to a dryer beer but still contains some caramel malt sweetness for an easy to drink, balanced red. Great to sip on during dinner and a very enjoyable mellow red ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2010 12:21:58 | More by clayrock81

EPseja

New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Time to review the undisputed champion of my blind Irish Red tasting... http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/2095926

Served from a 12oz. bottle in an O'Hara's pint glass at between fridge and cellar temperature.

A - More of an auburn than a red really, but vibrant when viewed against the light. Pushes up a nice, fluffy off-tan inch-thick head. Lacing is sporadic, but comes in full rings. Head retention is respectable.

S - Wonderfully biscuity malts with a hint of honey and a wisp of perfumey peat. Quite heady.

T - Sweet and malty up front, with a porter-like richness that's quite surprising for this style. Quickly moving to the back of the tongue and the throat with a satisfying cocoa-powdery dryness that gets you all ready for the next sip. Simple, yet delicious.

M - Substantial body on the way in, with perfect expansion and carbonation tingliness. Swallow is slick and voluminous without being gassy. No shortness of sensation here.

D - I've never come across an under 5% ABV beer that has as much flavor and substance as this one does. This is a true session beer by any definition, and puts most peers I've had in its category to shame. I could drink it all day, and I think I plan to this St. Patrick's Day.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 20:44:35 | More by EPseja

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 02-06-10
Reviewed cold from a bottle to a glass

A - Dark chocolate, 2 fingers of reddish/dark brown foam, good head retention, and lacing ring present for entire review. Lots of carbonation present also throughout review

S - Dark chocolate malts. Hints of caramel but not to strong

T - Smooth medium bodied brew. Taste the dark chocolate and a touch of caramel sweetness and a little hop bitterness at the end but nothing to shy me away from

M/D - Pretty good tasting Import out of Ireland. First time having this and was pretty impressed. Very smooth tasting. I very good session brew indeed. I would recommend picking up some and I will for sure purchase again

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2010 15:46:26 | More by FreshmanPour77

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear amber/red color with 2 fingers of white slightly tanned head. Fair retension and a sticky amount of lace clings to the glass. Slight aroma of hops hidden behind an abundance of grain in the nose. Taste is malty with slight hop bitterness and a crisp finish. It is light bodied and moderately carbed. Overall a fairly decent red but nothing I would be excited about trying again.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 02:04:41 | More by stakem

joshstevens87

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-pours a dark ruby brown with a solid white white head
S-sweet malt with notes of chocolate and caramel yet with a spicy hints to it
T-sweet malt with notes of caramel this still has a refrshing straw like profile to it in the background
M-medium body with a fair amount of carbonation nice refreshing profile to it
D-very drinkable this beer has a good taste and a low abv and is perfectly suited to drink throughout the night

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2010 22:56:39 | More by joshstevens87