I had the pleasure of trying a new beer tonight that I am kind of surprised I had yet to try. After tonight’s Murphy’s Irish Stout, I can now say I’ve had all the major Irish stouts — Guinness, Beamish, and Murphy’s.
Murphy’s was dark and very creamy with a thick tan head and hugely thick layers of lacing (can you even call it that when it looks more like glue?) sticking to the sides of the glass. The smells were of the normal Irish stout smells — roasted malts and coffee. The taste was interesting. At first sip, it’s kind of blah with a slight roasted malt flavor, but a strong, yet nicely understated (if that makes any sense) coffee flavor comes out after you swallow and lingers for a little bit. There’s a nice coffee flavor to it. It doesn’t feel at all watered down and is very creamy. It’s a very easy drinking beer and I’d definitely order another.
So here’s how I would rate the three… Beamish comes out on top because it just has the most flavor of the 3. Murphy’s comes in second because it’s got a great creamy mouthfeel and the understated flavors are nice. Guinness, unfortunately, has gone downhill over the past few years and I just can’t get myself to order another. It comes in last because while the flavor is similar to that of Murphy’s, it feels and tastes a bit watered down.