O'Hara's Celebration Stout
Carlow Brewing Company

O'Hara's Celebration StoutO'Hara's Celebration Stout
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From:
Carlow Brewing Company
 
Ireland
Style:
Irish Dry Stout
ABV:
6%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.15 | pDev: 8.67%
Reviews:
52
Ratings:
59
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 31, 2017
Added:
Feb 20, 2008
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by montageman:
Photo of montageman
Reviewed by montageman from Michigan

4.92/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Poured into an imperial pint glass.

Deep, dark, but thin pour makes way for a nice tan head. Smell is heavy on coffee and a bit of chocolate. Taste is great - chocolate, coffee, caramel - bitter, sweet, and creamy. Mouthfeel is moderately rich with a nice creaminess with a slight carbonation. I could drink this stuff all of the time - a really solid stout. Highly recommended.
Mar 14, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.74 by VictoriaTyagunova from Ireland

May 31, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Hellpop65 from Kansas

Sep 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by jaydoc from Kansas

Nov 03, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by beast464 from Maryland

Apr 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by ejimhof from Pennsylvania

Feb 03, 2013
 
Rated: 5 by bonbini26 from New Jersey

Jan 12, 2012
 
Rated: 5 by deapokid from Pennsylvania

Nov 27, 2011
Photo of BeerAdvocate
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Review from BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #26:

Brewed to celebrate 10 years of brewing--1998-2008.
Pitch black with a big, creamy, dark tan head. Mocha nose with brown bread, raisiny edge and a hint of metallic. Super creamy on the palate with some tight carbonation. As the beer warms, the flavors begin to peel back and expose layers of complexities. Charcoal right up front, with notes of wood. Acrid roastiness, but not too sharp. Bone dry throughout. Minimal sweetness. More brown bread. Residual molasses. Burnt toffee. Some minerality, and a steely twang in the back. Ashy, smoky, char-like and earthy in the finish, with some raw leafiness. Palate is left parched and craving more.

This is an awesome beer. Dry, robust, roasty, complex and interesting. Though it's not something you could drink all day long, we thoroughly enjoyed sipping it and letting our minds wander off to Ireland.
Sep 20, 2010
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: Pours a mysterious midnight brown color with a massive head of creamy beige; sheets of lace curtain down the side of the pint glass

Smell: Dark fruit (prune, primarily), coffee and baker's chocolate with hints of charcoal

Taste: The brown bread and prune fruit flavors hit the tastebuds first but by mid-palate, the flavor profile adds a very dry, roasty, charcoal-influenced chocolate and coffee element; after the swallow, the chocolate and coffee continue to dominate but the finish is woody and as dry as the Sahara Desert

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body and creamy, with moderate carbonation; just a touch thin on the finish

Drinkability: So here we are, well over a year past the "best by" date and we have the finest example of this style that I have encountered; just extraordinary and should be an example to American craft brewers that you don't have to go crazy with the hops to create an extraordinary brew

Thanks, Bitterbill, for the opportunity - I thought I would not have a chance to try this one
Aug 21, 2010
Photo of donniecuffs
Reviewed by donniecuffs from New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Into a Stone tulip, poured black with two fingers of beige head and excellent lacing. Smelled of dark bittersweet chocolate, espresso, and molasses. Tasted like ice coffee initially, dissolving to a dark chocolate capuccino, and then finishing on a very thin and very dry coffee note, which lasted well afterwards. More thin and carbonated than expected; very interesting given the flavor profile. Overall, very ice coffee'ish, and the mouthfeel makes it more suitable for sessioning than sipping.
Jul 21, 2010
Photo of corby112
Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
750m bottle

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with only the slight hint of dark mahogany edges when held to a light source and a massive three finger frothy tan/coffee colored head. Excellent retention, only slowly fading into a lasting cap. Sporadic splotches of lacing left behind.

Depp, rich roasted malty aroma with hints of chocolate, coffee bean, toffee, oatmeal, hazelnut, caramel and subtle hops.

Slightly viscous medium body with a lot of roasted malt up front followed by a smooth, creamy lactic presence along with some sweet milk chocolate notes. Hints of roasted coffee bean, toffee, oatmeal, hazelnut, caramel and subtle earthy hops. Sweet with a very dry hoppy finish. Extremely quaffable.
May 19, 2010
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

3.86/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Got this 750ml swing-top at Discount Liquor a while ago. Best before May 28th, 2009(?). I think I bought it before that day, so it can't be a bottled on date.

A - Grommet comes out with a big pop. Pours with a big two-plus fingers of ecru foam. Head settles to a thin cap and leaves fingers of lacing. Near-black body that reveals some lighter browns and transparency at the fringes.

S - It has an aged quality to it, but it's quite pleasant. Light caramel, dry roast coffee, a touch of cocoa powder, and some earthiness.

T - Taste has a lot of bitter dry roast, which is style-appropriate. Some light cocoa and char in there as well. Finishes quite bitter, with some earthy flavors as well.

M - Light-medium body, tingly carbonation, dry finish with light residual stickiness. Style-appropriate and quite satisfying.

D - My wife and I killed the 750ml pretty quick. No hint of the 6% ABV, and minimal carbonation bloat either. The bitter aftertaste dissipates relatively quickly too. Would be a good session option if it were on-tap somewhere, but since this is a 10th Anniversary beer I'm guessing it will never be made again.
Mar 21, 2010
Photo of SykDoc
Reviewed by SykDoc from Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured from a bottle into a snifter. It pours a fairly black color with an auburn color at the edges. A tan 1 inch head forms and quickly reduces, leaving a nice swirly lacing.

The aroma is a great blend of roasted malts including some coffee and dark chocolate. There is a cream component as well.

The taste is again a roasted malt blend of semi-sweet chocolate and coffee. A mild tartness comes through towards the end.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a somewhat unusual level of carbonation that starts out fizzy and quickly disappears. A dryness comes through at the end.

Every component of this beer was solid and none stands are in particular but this also allows for it to be easily drinkable without overwhelming any single sense. Very good.
Mar 21, 2010
Photo of msubulldog25
Reviewed by msubulldog25 from Oregon

3.96/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
A 750ml swingtop bottle, courtesy of BA travlnlt. Poured to a pint glass. The 10th Anniversary 'Celebration' brew from O'Hara's - hope it's stilll good as the best before date is 28 05 09.

A: Charcoal darkness, a thin showing of auburn at the edges. A fine, thick dollop of 2-finger-high mocha head atop. Long-lived for about 5 minutes, dwindling to a thicker cream, leaving tightly-knit cobwebs in sheets.

S: Smells of mild coffee and powdery chocolate malt (Ovaltine?). Sweet but with a tickling mineral dryness. Had to sneeze.

T: Acridness of coffee beans, sweetness of semi-dark chocolate, roastedness of pecan shells. Nice char and a harsher mineral/chalk finish with a liberal touch of tartness. Tannic grape skins, earthy berries, ever so slightly woody. Nice profile overall.

M: Plenty of lively carbonation, a fine roil of fizziness which mellows to a pleasing creaminess. Medium body, nothing out of line with a good Dry Irish, ending spicy and exceedingly dry.

D: Plenty of flavor and extremely easy to drink. At 6%, it's on the higher end, style-wise, but still has so much allure that it's a version I'd be drawn back to. As a limited 'anniversary' brew (one several months past its recommended drinking date), it's doubtful I'll get another try. Too bad; it's a very good one.
Dec 13, 2009
Photo of tpd975
Reviewed by tpd975 from Florida

3.88/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Big thanks to SeaBass for this one.

A: Pours a nice deep black hue. Nice creamy head with okay retention. Nice spotty lace.

S: Loads of roasted malt, coffee, light cream.

T: Malty goodness, very roasty, Yum. Strong coffee notes, with some bakers chocolate, and a tinge of dark fruit.

M: Smooth, excellent carbonation, nice dry finish.

D: Very good. One of the better Irish Stouts to make its way into the states.
Nov 26, 2009
Photo of stoutfiend27
Reviewed by stoutfiend27 from North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
swingtop sent as extra by nittanybeerfan thanks dan

a-black...fluffy two finger head...nice lacing

s-roasted malt and coffee

t-coffee and roasty...little chocolate and molasses..finishes dry and roasty

m-medium bodied but good...nice level of carbonation...fizziness on par...

d-the 750 will be no prob to put down...

overall a great beer..not a big fan of irish stouts but this is a nice surprise glad i got to try it..
Oct 31, 2009
Photo of eyeamthewind
Reviewed by eyeamthewind from Massachusetts

4.32/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
What a great beer! Really nice dry stout, quite perfect. I drank this all last april. My local store had a sale on cases of these 750 ml bottles. Six 750 ml swing top bottles for 14 dollars!! I bought two of these cases and drank a bottle almost every night unless I craved hops. I brewed some beer and bottled it in the same bottles and they really hold in the flavor and age well.

I'm a little hazy on the details of this beers taste but I know it had some rich head but not super lacy. it was a good dark stout with some serious mouthfeel. It was just so damn balanced and a little dry and so drinkable.

Please drink this!!
Sep 01, 2009
Photo of biggred1
Reviewed by biggred1 from Indiana

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark coffee brown with a big fluffy head of nougat like foam that leaves tons of spiderweb lacing on the glass as it slowly settles. The nose is a nice mix of semi-sweet chocolate and fresh roasted coffee. This is one Irish stout that delivers the big flavors and decent carbonation that are sorely lacking in most. Charred dark malts,chicory and a tea-like bitterness with a slight metallic edge in the finish. Medium light bodied and well carbonated. A nice IDS.
Aug 26, 2009
Photo of Wegbier
Reviewed by Wegbier from Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Finally had my 750 today of the 10th anniversary stout. the sign at the store outright says this is what an irish stout used to be.

great appearance of deep black beer with a mocha head that spider laces, the head is fluffy and thick and stubborn

smells of adventurous deep happy places; pillows of molasses or honey sweet malts and some hops with a little coffee.

taste follows suit with smell with a lot of toast and roasted coffee medium bitter chocolate and a lighter chocolate cream

the mouthfeel is ideal medium carbonation playing on the tongue with a medium body, between grainy and smooth

it lets you know what a stout demands to be, this is "what a real irish stout was before cheap mass marketing, and it fills you up and gives you your nutrition. I have not yet smelled a stout of only 6abv that had all these qualities that reminded me of RIS. Good work! When taste rather than price and marketing to the masses decides, this is one example
Jul 20, 2009
O'Hara's Celebration Stout from Carlow Brewing Company
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 59 ratings