St. James’s Gate (Diageo) Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale Cream Ale at 4.3% ABV (C$2.91 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, packaging date 22-Sep-2015, reviewed 8-Jan-2016)
Appearance: clear pale to medium amber with one finger of dense ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: muted, caramel, grassy, light earthy hops. (5/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate-low bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium nitro creamy body, moderate-low carbonation, short duration bitter finish. (4/5)
Well, nobody ever accused Diageo of being unable to make a pretty beer, that’s for sure – with a bit better definition in the lacing, I’d have given it full marks for appearance, especially with the characteristic nitrogen cascade. The body is similarly well done, with a pleasantly creamy texture and decent bitter finish. Unfortunately, though, structure is far and away the highlight of this story. The aromas are muted, presumably at least somewhat by the dense head, and are limited to slightly weedy grassy and earthy hops on a plain caramel base, and the taste is similarly uninspiring. Neither are bad, but they’re certainly a bit of a letdown by comparison to the appearance. (12/20)
6/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
