Beamish Irish Stout

Brewed by Beamish & Crawford (S&N, Heineken)
Style: Dry Stout
Cork, Ireland

Thanks to the Scotsman for the gift. Dark pour with thick 2 finger head. Aroma of roasted, chocolate malt. Dry finish. It was ok.

From what I understand there are three big names in traditional Irish dry stouts: Guinness, Murphy’s and Beamish. While the first two are indeed dry and fairly bitter, Beamish is quite sweet and smooth in comparison. Why isn’t this Ireland’s flagship beer?

POUR, COLOR AND AROMA

Beamish comes in 14.9oz cans with a nitrogen widget so it pours a little rough (they should widen the mouth on the can). It then forms a nearly opaque brown body with a creamy dark tan head which lasts longer than the beer itself does (and is quite tasty, too). The aroma is standard for a stout of this type with a mild, malty scent. No distinct ingredients were noticeable.

TASTE

People who criticize Guinness and/or Murphy’s for their perceived dry, bitter flavor would do well to try Beamish. As soon as this beer hit my palate a noticeable sweet flavor was evident, followed by a thin, watery composition.

While I prefer my stouts to be the “3 R’s” (rich, robust and roasty), Beamish was still pleasing with a palate that is much less dry than traditional Irish stouts of the sort. A subtle almond-like flavor was detected, as was a hint of roastiness, but there was also a distinct sweet creaminess to the flavor. The only caveat to Beamish (aside from its overall mild palate) is its dry aftertaste, which I found surprising considering its ultra-smooth finish and thin body.

FINISH

To call Beamish “smooth” is an understatement. This might be one of the easiest-to-drink stouts on the planet. This isn’t surprising considering its body and creamy characteristics.

BODY

At only 4.1% ABV, this stout is lighter than most light lagers, but obviously much more appealing. I wasn’t able to get a confirmation on the calories and carbs, but I can tell this is a very light-bodied beer. Stouts of this type lend themselves to sessions, and Beamish would make a perfect choice for such.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Although I would’ve preferred a more intense beer, Beamish Irish Stout is still a delectable, appealing, easy-to-drink brew that could very likely be enjoyed by anyone.

NOTE: watch the video version of this review at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcF1U44ff7M

On tap in West Cork. I agree with Rstump on this one- once you’ve had Beamish (or Murphy’s), you’ll be ordering it instead of Guinness. Enjoyed many pints at the local in Bantry this past summer. It’s more creamy than Guinness in my mouth and won’t dissappoint any fan of Irish stout. I just wish I could fly to Ireland every month because I’m too spoiled by the real thing and won’t bother buying it overseas. BTW- I intended to visit the brewery in Cork City, but it’s been closed by the new owners at Heineken. Word is that they’ll donate the property to the university and it will reopen as a museum.

I had the opportunity to travel Ireland for ten days with a couple buddies. And we began out tour downing plenty of Guinness. When we reached Cork we got our hands on some Beamish. We never looked back. Wherever we could get the stuff (which even in its home country is suprisingly limited) we drank it. I find myself craving it regularly, with its thirst quenching quality and malted goodness. I only wish that it was readily available.

Can. Black pour, creamy head. Roasted malt nose, smooth creamy mouthfeel, dry roasted taste but not a lot of depth to the taste.

Like Murphy’s, a good Irish stout for quaffing. Typical creamy coffee chocolate notes, great mouthfeel, and thirst-quenching drinkability.

From a nitro can poured black with a fair amount of thick head. Nice toasted malty flavor with a quick finish.

(bk-can rd-txt, 4 pack)
black, rich, flavorful, malty, slight bitterness/astringency up front.