O'Hara's Irish Stout | Carlow Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Carlow Brewing Company
Ireland
carlowbrewing.com
Style: Irish Dry Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.30%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
The flagship of the O’Hara’s brand, this uniquely Irish stout brings one back to how Irish stouts used to taste. First brewed in 1999, it has since been awarded prestigious honours for its quality and authenticity.
O’Hara’s Irish Stout has a robust roast flavour complemented by a full-bodied and smooth mouth feel. The generous addition of Fuggle hops lends a tart bitterness to the dry espresso-like finish. This sessionable stout beer is filled with rich complex coffee aroma mingled with light liquorice notes. The combination of traditional stout hops with an extra pinch of roast barley allows us to stay true to Irish tradition, recreating a taste so often yearned for by stout drinkers.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 12-27-2001
Ratings: 947 | Reviews: 490
3.87/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
3.15/5 rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
Look - Pours a thin black color with lighter highlights, a finger of tan head, whispy lacing.
Aroma - Charred grains, mild coffee, slightly tangy.
Taste - Dry and tannic up front, sweet but light toffee, burnt malts, slightly ashy, a little earthy. Finishes pretty quick with notes of burnt grains.
Feel - Light-Medium bodied, has a grit to it, aggressive carbonation.
Overall - Easy drinking stout. A little thin on taste and feel but enjoyable enough.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
Look - Pours a thin black color with lighter highlights, a finger of tan head, whispy lacing.
Aroma - Charred grains, mild coffee, slightly tangy.
Taste - Dry and tannic up front, sweet but light toffee, burnt malts, slightly ashy, a little earthy. Finishes pretty quick with notes of burnt grains.
Feel - Light-Medium bodied, has a grit to it, aggressive carbonation.
Overall - Easy drinking stout. A little thin on taste and feel but enjoyable enough.
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4.06/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle to a pint
A - Black with brown reflections and no head
S - Roasty malts smelling of toffee and coffee
T - Bitter
M - Low carbonation but pretty fluid
O - A very good stout!
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle to a pint
A - Black with brown reflections and no head
S - Roasty malts smelling of toffee and coffee
T - Bitter
M - Low carbonation but pretty fluid
O - A very good stout!
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3.84/5 rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
2.5/5 rDev -35.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2.25
3.93/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From the bottle, it pours a very dark brown with a nice fluffy head. Scent is roasted malts. Taste is similar, well balanced roasted flavor with a nice finish. Yum!
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From the bottle, it pours a very dark brown with a nice fluffy head. Scent is roasted malts. Taste is similar, well balanced roasted flavor with a nice finish. Yum!
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3.5/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.02/5 rDev -22.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
On Tap at the Bier Baron Tavern in Washington DC, pours opaque black with a khaki one-finger tan head. Aroma is of sweet malts. Taste is fully malt-forward with a smooth body. But flavors disappear quickly to give a watery finish.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
On Tap at the Bier Baron Tavern in Washington DC, pours opaque black with a khaki one-finger tan head. Aroma is of sweet malts. Taste is fully malt-forward with a smooth body. But flavors disappear quickly to give a watery finish.
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3.41/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
I often bag on Irish Stout as being the lamest stout style, but in reality, I think I enjoy it more than a lot of Russian Imperial Stouts out there.
Anyways, a black pour, some brown in it, brown head, 3/5" deep. Aroma of small roasted barley, nothing adjunct going on.
Taste, good and dry burnt malts and really not much else, as style intends. Mild charred coffee notes. Very minimal. Relatively smooth, not overly bitter, acrid or ashy. Carbonation good for style. Even just the slightest hint at smoke in the mouth feel. I definitely think this is one of if not the best examples of style here from outside the US. Some might say the body is thin but that is because it is made to style, this isn't Dark Lord bruh.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
I often bag on Irish Stout as being the lamest stout style, but in reality, I think I enjoy it more than a lot of Russian Imperial Stouts out there.
Anyways, a black pour, some brown in it, brown head, 3/5" deep. Aroma of small roasted barley, nothing adjunct going on.
Taste, good and dry burnt malts and really not much else, as style intends. Mild charred coffee notes. Very minimal. Relatively smooth, not overly bitter, acrid or ashy. Carbonation good for style. Even just the slightest hint at smoke in the mouth feel. I definitely think this is one of if not the best examples of style here from outside the US. Some might say the body is thin but that is because it is made to style, this isn't Dark Lord bruh.
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4.5/5 rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
S: Chocolate leads and then more grain comes forward finishing with coffee and mild roast in the background.
L: It pours bright dark brown to black under a 1" light cream colored foam cap that leaves good lace.
T: The flavors start with black coffee moderated by chocolate and finishes smooth with a nice drying, lingering roast. Reminds me a little of Guinness before they went nitro. The roast is not harsh, burnt or over powering but it comes through nicely. There is a hint of initial malt sweetness that leads to a dry finish with a faint hint of fruit. there is a slight tart tang in the background. Chocolate and coffee flavors linger.
F: O'Hara's is creamy with a medium to medium full body, medium carbonation.
O: This is a surprisingly good, full flavored, satiating dry stout.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
S: Chocolate leads and then more grain comes forward finishing with coffee and mild roast in the background.
L: It pours bright dark brown to black under a 1" light cream colored foam cap that leaves good lace.
T: The flavors start with black coffee moderated by chocolate and finishes smooth with a nice drying, lingering roast. Reminds me a little of Guinness before they went nitro. The roast is not harsh, burnt or over powering but it comes through nicely. There is a hint of initial malt sweetness that leads to a dry finish with a faint hint of fruit. there is a slight tart tang in the background. Chocolate and coffee flavors linger.
F: O'Hara's is creamy with a medium to medium full body, medium carbonation.
O: This is a surprisingly good, full flavored, satiating dry stout.
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4.12/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
4.17/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured a dark chocolate/black with a ruby tint at the bottom of the glass. Two finger tan fizzy head with low retention. Heavy lacing. Light aroma of dark chocolate, malt and coffee. Taste is the same as the aroma but heavier and with a hint of black licorice on the end. Medium light body unlike other stouts that are heavy and sometimes oily. Mild carbonation. Crisp and dry at the end. Overall, an outstanding Irish Dry Stout!
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured a dark chocolate/black with a ruby tint at the bottom of the glass. Two finger tan fizzy head with low retention. Heavy lacing. Light aroma of dark chocolate, malt and coffee. Taste is the same as the aroma but heavier and with a hint of black licorice on the end. Medium light body unlike other stouts that are heavy and sometimes oily. Mild carbonation. Crisp and dry at the end. Overall, an outstanding Irish Dry Stout!
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4.25/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
3.81/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.38/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
3.8/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours dark ruby red, not as dark as guinness though. Nice caramel head that fades quicker than one would want. Great smell. Not as creamy as most stouts, more refreshing like a lager. Different body, but nice. Nice coffee notes, subtle on much else. Nice bitter pull behind the beer, however.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours dark ruby red, not as dark as guinness though. Nice caramel head that fades quicker than one would want. Great smell. Not as creamy as most stouts, more refreshing like a lager. Different body, but nice. Nice coffee notes, subtle on much else. Nice bitter pull behind the beer, however.
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O'Hara's Irish Stout from Carlow Brewing Company
3.88
out of 5
based on 947 ratings.
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Draft Carlow O'Hara Irish Stout on draft at Long Island, NY, gastropub in June, 2017. This is a stout with moderate alcohol (just above 4%), but an intense, lasting roasted barley/malt flavor. It's comparable to Guinness, but better.
(I read the review by one of the brothers before writing this. He said this gives Guinness a run for the money. I think O'Hara is preferable for the depth of flavor.)
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