With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, I decided to try George Killian’s Irish Red. I have tried the Miller Coors product in the past but recently Miller Coors has tweaked the recipe. The new recipe is more representative of the original recipe created at Lett’s Brewery in Enniscorthy, Ireland, in 1864.
The beer pours a deep amber with red tones as you would expect from the name of the beer. There is a quickly disappearing light brown head that leave very nice lacing. The aroma is wonderful with lots of toasted malt and caramel on the nose, with very little hop presence.
This beer is super smooth on the pallet with very pleasing malt creaminess. The finish surprisingly is not overly sweet. There is a roasted dryness in the finish. George Killian’s Irish Red is an incredibly drinkable beer a must have for this St. Partick’s Day.
Killian’s is introducing bolder, modernized packaging that more prominently calls out its Irish heritage. The brand’s subtle transformation continues right down to the beer itself. The recipe update results in a rich, roasted, full-bodied, well-balanced lager that maintains the beer’s deep ruby red color, but links it more closely to the beer George first brewed back in Enniscorthy.
“George Lett brewed a beer for his friends, and it’s our friends we have in mind as we reintroduce the new look and taste of George Killian’s Irish Red,” said Katie Cowan, Killian’s brand manager. “This is a more robust, more complex lager, but still balanced and easy to drink with friends. It goes great with a wide variety of popular pub food, like wings, burgers and fish and chips.”
The drinkability of this beer makes it a great session beer. The lightness of the beer’s body will not weigh you down. George Killian’s Irish Red will also pair up nicely with your corned beef and cabbage or a sidecar of Jamison’s if that is your pleasure.
I honestly cannot recall how George Killian’s Irish Red tasted before the Miller Coors overhaul. Whatever Miller Coors did worked because they have an outstanding Irish Red on their hands.
