Smithwick's Irish Ale (by Guinness)

A- / 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4
Bottle (pint glass)
Cold but not frigid

Appearance: Smithwick's has a very smooth pour and begins to develop a nice head that builds as you pour, the head was very white and built to about an inch or so, it faded about half way before my first sip but held through the drink finishing with a layer over the brew as I finished, it gave a nice lace but didn't cover the entire glass. The brew is a dark amber color, that looked to me like a cola drink that had been watered down, or a very dark iced tea, it has a great clarity with no murkiness at all. I saw light carbonation bubbles coming from the bottom of the glass. I liked the head on the brew, but the coloring seemed like it was trying to be two things amber and black so that left me questioning what was coming.

Smell: I smelled immediately after popping the cap and was hit with the spice of hops. After pouring, the smell dissipated a bit but the hops were still very noticeable. It smelled very much like a lighter ale with a bright smell, and what I would guess is a floral scent but not overly sweet. I think I detected a hint of citrus as well though if present it was hidden fairly well. Over all the scent was pleasant but not overbearing. The abundance of the spice was very noticeable but not unpleasant at all.

Taste: The first thing I noticed was the hoppy spice taste on my tongue, the more I drank the more I noticed the malts. If I gave an order I would say it started with a stronger hops taste then shifted to a more mild malt, then finished with the spice of hops again. When lightly swirling the brew in my mouth I could taste and feel the spice of the hops on the back and the sides of my tongue. When exhaling through my nose under the spice I could smell the malts. The taste seemed much lighter than the coloring might have indicated, but it was still robust and not watered down in the least. There also was no discernable alcohol taste or smell.

Mouthfeel: One of the first things I noticed was that the brew felt as smooth as it poured, and left a buttery feel in my mouth. This was certainly thicker than a Pale Ale or a summer ale, and rolled nicely in my mouth, almost creamy. The carbonation was a bit surprising as it fizzed a bit in my mouth even as I didn't notice that much in the pour or while looking at it in the glass. When sliding the brew in my mouth I could really feel the thickness which seemed to create a bit of foam in my mouth with very little effort, the effect was a very creamy texture that was quite pleasant.

Drinkability: This seemed very drinkable, and even with the fizziness I did not feel bloated at all. I cannot imagine downing these quickly but over the course of an evening I don't think it would be unpleasant to have a couple of these. I would definitely recommend Smithwick's to someone wanting a bolder take on an ale, and I will be adding this brew to my repeat business list.