Paddy's Irish Red
This one is the fourth of six in my OCB mix pack #3. I can't say I'm looking forward to this, as I have yet to encounter even a respectable beer from Trafalgar but every beer deserves a shot. Appearance: Well, this one scores some serious points for the head of this beer. Solid thumb and a half of head that laces and retains like crazy. However, usually I would expect a red beer, to be...well red. This is more of an orange, leaning closer to Lager yellow then red. Good clarity though. Smell: Sweet malt, with a rougher roasted grain smell, but something is off about the whole experience. I think I'm getting a touch of malt vinegar from the beer. It's not too strong though. It did take some warming to come out. Taste: Starts out with an almost watery cardboard taste, which then turns to a be of sweeter toffee and honey flavored malt, which then gets destroyed by a taste, best described as malted dirt with the barest touch of earthy hops. There is some nice points in the middle of the beer, but it's not enough to save this offering. Mouthfeel: Well the carbonation does make it's presence known throughout the beer, but the aftertaste is that awful soil like taste and it lingers on the back of your tongue. Transitioning could be done a bit better too, as the pleasant middle doesn't last as long as you'd like. Drinkability: The aftertaste really kills me desire to put this one back. It's not especially refreshing, and is surprisingly medium bodied, which in this case isn't a good thing. It's downable but I wouldn't want to be stuck with a six pack of this stuff. Final Thoughts: After having this beer, my thoughts suddenly turn to the Simpsons and that episode where Homer has Red Tick Beer, not sure why but I think the Red Dog on the can might have done it. Anyways, I will give this to Trafalgar, they are consistent. When I need to tell someone a brewery to stay away from, they are at the top of my list. I know they sell mead, in addition to beer and maybe it's a bit better, however this offering was disappointing, which sadly seems par for the course for this brewery. I can't also help but ask, why they brew this? Their Elora Irish Red is quite a bit better then this, so why brew this stuff?