Trafalgar Paddy's Irish Red Lager
All or Nothing Brewhouse

Trafalgar Paddy's Irish Red LagerTrafalgar Paddy's Irish Red Lager
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From:
All or Nothing Brewhouse
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
European Dark Lager
ABV:
5%
Score:
70
Avg:
2.79 | pDev: 18.64%
Reviews:
28
Ratings:
39
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 22, 2014
Added:
Feb 16, 2003
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  2
Irish red was created in the 1800′s by master brewer George Henry Lett. Trafalgar has recreated the extraordinary nutty taste and unique amber colour with crystal malts and roasted barley. Tettenanger and saaz hops round out the bouquet of this fine dark lager. Paddy’s compliments such pub fare as stews, cheeses and meat pies.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by CAMRAhardliner:
Photo of CAMRAhardliner
Reviewed by CAMRAhardliner from Canada (ON)

2.69/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
This is too sweet.

This pours a reddish chestnut color with a scummy off white head that dissappears with laughable speed. No lacing here. The aroma is sweetish with a little caramel and nut flavor. The taste is similar to the other Trafalgar beers Ive had, very sweet with a synthetic malt flavor. Theres some caramel, hay, grains and herbal flavors that develop as it warms. The sweet flavor is just too dominant. The mouthfeel is undercarbonated and cloying. The finish is not bitter at all, very sweet. Where are the hops?

This was another lackluster beer from this brewery. I get the impression that they are an all extract brewery, and that they have an irrational fear of hops. I agree with everyone else, stay away.
Mar 12, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by patre_tim from Thailand

Jul 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by BigGruntyThirst from Canada (ON)

Jan 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by MJ63 from Canada (ON)

Oct 26, 2013
 
Rated: 2 by TheBeeraholic from Canada (ON)

Jun 16, 2013
 
Rated: 2.75 by GoHabsGo from Canada (ON)

Feb 15, 2013
 
Rated: 2.5 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

Feb 13, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by cfalovo97 from Canada (ON)

Nov 06, 2012
Photo of ericj551
Reviewed by ericj551 from Canada (AB)

3.67/5  rDev +31.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Paddy's Irish Red pours a slightly hazy orange amber with a thin, bubbly head. The aroma is malty, with hints of caramel and nome nice herbal hops. The flavor is really nice, a well balanced blend of mildly sweet malt and a nice firm but not overpower hop character. There is a nice toffee undertone, with a hint of nutty chocolate.
Aug 23, 2012
Photo of andrenaline
Reviewed by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

2.75/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
A single included in the LCBO spring mixer pack.

A - Pours a clear golden colour, finger of head with little retention and some sporadic lacing.

S - Scent is mild, touch metallic, some bready malts, hints of butter and caramel.

T - Again, rather mild, the metallic notes come through alongside the buttered bread and the finish is dominated by grassy and bitter leafy green hop notes.

M - A tad thin and finishes too dry for my liking.

O - Based on the style, it actually is quite fitting offering up tea-like hop notes and a super dry finish. That being said, the metallic notes were a bit of a turn-off, and the mouthfeel made for a less than pleasurable experience.
Jun 23, 2012
 
Rated: 2 by mspang from Canada (ON)

Jun 18, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by ChrisKuhns from Texas

May 24, 2012
Photo of SebD
Reviewed by SebD from Canada (ON)

2.56/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Appearance: It has a deep golden yellow color to it. It has a nice white head that dies down moderately and leaves some nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of grainy malts, light floral and grassy hops and light caramel.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a grainy malt character with some grassy notes, light floral presence and light caramel.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a thin and watery overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with bland flavors and aromas.
May 24, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by WeissBoy from Canada (ON)

May 18, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by RedAleMan from Canada (ON)

Mar 17, 2012
Photo of thehyperduck
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

3.15/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
473 mL can from the LCBO; BB date Nov. 2011. Pours a clear, pale orangey-amber colour, topped with a finger of creamy, off-white head that dissipates to a thin collar and lacing within a minute. I seriously did a double-take while pouring this - it's supposed to be an Irish red but it looks more like an amber or blonde ale. The head is nicer than many Trafalgar brews so I cut it some slack in this category. The aroma is mostly pleasant, but nothing to write home about and not exactly what I'd expect from the style - sweet, bready malts with a touch of honey. A weird sour odour that I can't really put my finger on is blended in with this. Not real impressed so far.

Taste is of sweet, grainy malts, lightly roasted, with some bitter, earthy hop character drying it out in the finish. Normally when I use the term 'earthy' in reviews I don't intend to literally compare the beer to dirt... normally. Dirty hops are better than no hops, I suppose. This bitterness lingers for a bit after the sip. Light to medium-light bodied, with surprisingly little carbonation.

It's drinkable, but a very underwhelming example of the style and I can't envision myself ever recommending this to someone, or buying it again. If you must drink one of Trafalgar's IRAs, their Elora Irish Ale is closer to the style and at least marginally better. Honestly though, I like Smithwick's more than either of them... and that should tell you all you need to know.
Sep 04, 2011
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

3.07/5  rDev +10%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
It's difficult to take this beer seriously when the brewery calls it a "red" ale and it is, in fact, golden. Even the highest paid attorneys would have a hard time arguing this as even amber, let alone red. That obvious blunder notwithstanding, the beer still looks humdrum. Its tone is tarnished and carbonation lifeless.

Given the appearance I can't say I'm surprised to find that the aroma is boring, or that it lacks all the typical caramelly, biscuity, lightly toasty maltiness that characterizes the best examples of the style. It's far from foul though. The faint scent of grain husks, honeyed oats and delicate florals is actually fairly pleasant, if anything too understated.

Say what you will about Trafalgar's poor quality control, and about how even their more approachable brands are still painfully, pointlessly underwhelming, but truth be told the commercial Irish reds are no better. In fact, Paddy's emulates them well. It has only minimal grainy maltiness, a muted sweetness, a dash of hard minerals and faint impression of adjunct. It's without much character and sure to be quaffable to the average palate.

Not all the style's charm is lost, a great deal of it is there, albeit partial and understated. A light floral quality can be traced from sip to swallow. It imparts a delicate bitterness and refreshing, spring-time tone. The sweetness of the malts, although awfully stunted, has a very loose caramel quality. And the finish is dry and with a halfway roastiness.

Trafalgar's slogan is: "We only sell what we can't drink ourselves!". There's a reason you can find so much of their brands on the shelves here in Ontario - obviously even they don't want to drink the stuff themselves. Certainly no one else will want to take it. While Paddy's may be one of their more agreeable offerings - in that it's not infected and reasonably drinkable - it's still strives to be nothing more than an average beer.
Mar 18, 2011
Photo of bryehn
Reviewed by bryehn from Canada (ON)

2.71/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Doesn't look red by any stretch of the imagination to me. More like a murky golden color. Champ of a head though, left lots of lacing and it's still around after almost an hour.

Smells like dirt and honey. Rather gross really from start to finish.

The taste is still dirty, but in a toasted cheap malt kind of way, rather than actual soil. Also has a fruity tone, a bit of light flower and a sweet taste on the back end.

The mouthfeel is thin-bodied, but thanks to the long-lasting head also smooth and creamy too.

Too dirty smelling and tasting to have more than one or two (ever) unless it was all that I had.
Mar 11, 2011
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

2.98/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Can: Poured a clear medium amber color ale with a medium foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of dry unrefined grain is somewhat bland. Taste is also dominated by dry unrefined cereal taste with no discernible hops and not that great of a drinkability factor. Very bland average for style and though there is no brewing flaws there is nothing too spectacular to speak of.
Apr 29, 2010
Photo of seand
Reviewed by seand from California

3.06/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A: Pours a very slightly red amber with a foamy eggshell white head. A reasonable layer retains, enough to leave quite a bit of lacing.

S: Hoppy, with a somewhat earthy bitterness.

T: Quite bitter, with a mild slightly nutty sweetness. Not much body to the flavor.

M: Medium to high carbonation, medium to light body.

D: Drinks reasonably easy I suppose, if you don't mind the bitterness.
Apr 28, 2010
Trafalgar Paddy's Irish Red Lager from All or Nothing Brewhouse
Beer rating: 70 out of 100 with 39 ratings