O'Hara's Irish Pale Ale - Carlow Brewing Company

oberon

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a standard pint glass a dull light golden color with sticky 1/2 finger bone white head that took quite awhile to settle.Aromas are lightly floral with a smattering of citric hops,the lightly toasted grainy element is bigger though.Light and faintly citric on the palate,again the toasted cereal grains seem to be the biggest flavor note.It's not bad but it's a very light tasting lighter hopped pale ale,would be good for outdoor grilling wich Iam anxiously awaiting.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 20:34:19 | More by oberon

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: White creamy head about 1". Lasting head with low lacing. Colour is a nice copper

S: Zesty, citrus notes

T: Medium butter taste, soft pine and floral bitterness with citrus after taste.

M: Carb is great, very clean. Finish is long and dry

O: This is a great beer that is well balanced. The critus notes cut in very well but does not overshadow the malt. This is a great go to beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 23:51:26 | More by Kremlock

rarbring

Sweden

3.33/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A clear amber brew with a white high head, very good lacing and good curtains.

A fruity smell, lemon and pears.

Tasting of brown bread, oranges, red apples, and bitter orange peel.

Medium carbonation, a refreshing texture with a light dry finish.

A nice straight aromatic pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2012 13:40:02 | More by rarbring

Everydayoff

Thailand

3.53/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle poured into a mug by freshness date.

Hazy body from the use of wheat, dark coppery in color with an amber hue, thick white creamy head forms up with good retention. It slowly recedes and leaves exceptional amount of sticky lacing patches and spots all over before falling to everlasting foamy layer cover on top.

Floral and citrus hop predominate in nose along with bitter hop, hint of honey and biscuity malt.

Delicate and persistent bitterness is derived from good hop quality. Malt is in the back line to support the bitterness portion. Hop tries to balance the bitterness itself by a zesty citrus that explores the way to sense a floral and spicy note same time in the bitter end.

The body is medium, rather smooth mouthfeel with right amount of carbonation to carry its body and taste. Overall, quite hoppy ale, it’s good to cut with the sweet one in your drink session.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 15:02:58 | More by Everydayoff

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

500 mL bottle brought back from Ireland, thanks Alex! Pours a clear, light gold color with a fluffy white head. Lots of lace. Nice looking brew.

Nose is pretty bright and hoppy. Toasted bread maltiness, maybe even a little biscuity. Floral for sure and some light toffee as it warms.

Taste is a not-so-good combo of chalk, resin, light fruit and toasted malt. I can see some others liking this, but I dont really like the English Ale profile with a hoppy tilt. Not bad by any means, just not really my style.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 02:53:45 | More by twiggamortis420

taleofale

Ireland

4.38/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have had this beer on Cask, Keg and bottle.

I have to say I love them all but for the purpose of this review I will stick with the bottle.

There is nothing I do not like about this beer. The aroma and taste are just lovely.

It may be an American inspired IPA but it is unlike any American IPA I have ever had. There is a lot more caramel and body to it. It borders on chewy but at only 5.20% it is a beer you can drink a number of.
To me it feels like a bigger beer than it is.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 13:04:25 | More by taleofale

kojevergas

California

3.18/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on draught at the Bull & Castle, Dublin, where they also have it available in the bottle.

A: Two finger head of poor cream but decent thickness. Clear blonde colour.

Sm: Smells like a pale ale. Wheat barley, bittering hops. The usual.

T: Clean barley taste with a bit of cream on the open and a clean bittered finish. Avoids being overbittered. Built very simply, but balanced well.

Mf: As coarse as the style can be without taking a turn for the worse. Very carefully constructed. Buttery, actually.

Dr: I'd have another. It's quite nice off draught, but might not work out of the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2011 16:28:43 | More by kojevergas

JohnfromDublin

Ireland

3.9/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I tasted this bottle in August 2010. I have had this before (as a taster at a small beer festival), and was not all that impressed with it. With this bottle however, I am converted. To me, this is the best bottled beer I have tasted from the Carlow Brewing Company.

I poured the 500ml bottle into a Korenwolf pint glass. Nice clear amber body with a white head that thinned, but easily returned with a swirl of the glass. Smelled floral with a touch of citrus (?). The taste was really satisfying; well hopped (dry hopped says the label) with an unusual blend of bitterness and yet sweetness in the finish. Overall a very solid brew; I will definitely make this one a regular for my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 14:05:45 | More by JohnfromDublin

StJamesGate

New York

4.23/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On cask at the Bull & Castle.

Pours strawberry blonder with a frothy pure white head that leaves trailers. Huge sticky flowers and sap hop nose. Papaya and honey malts, followed by a stinging hop bitterness, then a burst of citrus and cedar chips. Long aspirin linger. Medium, chewy and oily.

Cask lets all the dry hopping come out, and suddenly this beer is Californian. Bitterness is a bit hard to take, which is funny to say about an American-inspired Irish beer. Cloys over time, but still the best serving type for flavor.

Third review for the sweep! Unless Carlow start canning or the B&C does growlers, my last review of this beer; promise...

bottle
(3.5; 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.50)
15/08/2010
Now added to the O'Hara's bottle range.
Pours pale amber with a puffy pure white head that doesn't hang around. Nose is pale malt, a bit of caramel and faint orange hops. Toast and autumn leaves up front with tea leaves and earthy spice hops. Metallic finish. Light to medium, fizzy, no cling.
Not a patch on the draught version. I don't know where the American hopping went. Suddenly a very average pint of bitter.
EDIT: There seem to have been some questionable early batches. Floral hops coming out much more now, so +.5 to taste.

on-tap
(3.9; 4.00 3.50 4.00 4.00 4.00)
21/03/2010
On tap at Bull & Castle, Dublin.

Pours pale red-gold with a cratered dense white head that rings. Fresh flowers and a hint of sour grain on the nose. Nutty, toasted bread malts with hops that show branch, hints of mint and orange rind, backed by a pure chalky bitterness. Nettle linger, tight finish, medium bodied and fizzy.

Not Goods Store, but a new ""IPA"" from Carlow. Compares favorably with Galway Hooker, which I suspect is the whole idea."

Serving type: cask

08-20-2010 09:50:17 | More by StJamesGate