Smithwick's Irish Ale (2010)

Recently (due to a certain marathon of Guy Ritchie films I was hosting) I found myself with an overwhelming desire for a beer from the British Isles, and so I picked up a six-pack of Smithwick's Irish Ale (an import that claimed to be Ireland's favourite beer). Now, not to be only to put too much stock into what labels say about their product, I did some quick research, and apparently, Smithwick's is Ireland's local favourite draft, at according to the Internet. It also is listed as one of the top beers in Ireland according to the McHale beer rating club of Ireland and has won a number of awards.

With all this knowledge going in, I had some pretty high expectations for the beer, but they unfortunately didn't pan out. It poured a very clear dark amber-brown colour with a very tall head of off white foam that was fairly thick and long-lasting (it nicely coated the entire inside of the glass as I polished it off). The aroma was also faintly hoppy and not unpleasantly beer-y. As for the taste, it was incredibly smooth, even within the categories of red ales, with only had a trace of bitterness to it. The alcohol precentage was nominal (4.5%) but there was no real wateriness to the beer, it drank like a beer with a solid body.

Unfortunately, that is pretty much all there is about this beer. Everything is not bad, it is an average beer in all respects and as such I found it underwhelming. Sure nothing is necessarily bad (though I did feel the taste was a bit thin) but there was also nothing special about it either, nothing really stood out.

If I was to hazard a guess as to why this beer is so popular, I would probably place the blame it on nostalgia. This is the beer that is served in the pubs of Ireland so for many, it is what the first started drinking, which for better or for worse, holds some weight. For me that first beer Heineken and even though I don't really drink it anymore, it will always have a special place in my heart for this reason.

Verdict: If you're Irish, you care about it regardless of what I say, but for everyone else, a decent, drinkable beer.