Warbird Shanty Irish

Formerly brewed at Warbird Brewing Company
Style: Irish Ale
Fort Wayne, Indiana USA

Serve in English pint

Bottle. Pours a hazy red amber with a near white heat that is thin and dissipates quickly to edge. Aroma was strong grain and cereal note with an underlying grass note. Flavor was sweet with grain and cereal with a bit of grass.

A very pretty copper colored beer with decent off-white head. Smelled of plastic hose or industrial solvents, I’m not sure which. Tasted like it smelled, had to spit in the sink. Worst beer I’ve tasted. Judging by other Ratebeerians’ opinions of this beer, it’s likely I just got ahold of a bad batch. Maybe I’ll re-rate someday...

Sampled December 2009. Bottle. Poured copper with fluffy off-white head. Light butterscotch aroma. Similar butterscotch flavor. Eh! Warbird brewery went out of business summer of 2009. Probably not a tragedy that there won’t be any more of this beer.

Sampled February 2010
A soft pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces a finger and a half of pale-amber tinged, tan colored froth. The beer is a deep red / concentrated amber hue that shows an almost brilliantly clear, bright amber color when held up to the light. Richly malty smelling with lots of caramelized malt character; notes of brown sugar, toasted grain, spicy rye, sweet tea, dried red-currants and other berry notes are all found here in the nose. The aroma ends up quite fruity smelling, but does have a sort of peppery spiciness to it that adds some intrigue.

This is medium bodied, though not as sweet as the aroma might have suggested. It does have lots of caramelized malt character to it as well as a hint of grain husk toastiness in the finish that makes it seem like a touch of roast malt was added to this recipe. A touch of spiciness in the finish, as well as a light bitterness show the kiss of hops here; though it can get a touch green and astringent depending on the particular sip. While there is definitely a malt heft to this beer, it is still they type of brew one would drink a couple pints of.

This is a beer that the malt lovers out there will definitely like. This beer is richly malty with lots of flavor, but still quite drinkable. I am definitely enjoying this more than I expected.

Date: January 26, 2010
Mode: Bottle
Source: Trade
Appearance: dark red, wispy off white head, sudsy lace
Aroma: sweet malt aroma, drying earthyness, light breadyness
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, light balancing hops, bready, touch of caramel sweetness, light chocolate
Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ** /4

A malt based beer, few hops here. Very high carbonation. Some salt. Rocky head, and a thin palate. Light brown color. There just isn’t much here.

Malty barnyard smell with some yeast in the background. Nice dark brown color, the way beer should look like. Flavor consists of some good malty notes with come crusty bread. Overall it ’s a good brew.

Bottle sample. Hazy amber pour, tons of carbonation and a decent aroma of hops and lemon zest. Flavor left more to be desired, tons of sugar, caramel and finished slightly off. Not terrible, just not that good.