Brewery: Coors Brewing Co., Golden, Colorado
Beer: Killian’s Irish Red
Serving: 12 oz twist-off bottle
Glassware: Sierra Nevada imperial pint
Information: May0712 printed on the shoulder in yellow, 4.9% ABV
Style: Irish Red Ale (though it’s a lager)
Price: $8.99 / 6-pack
Availability: Year-round
Cellaring: Not recommended for extended aging.
Pairings: Corned beef and cabbage.
Appearance
The gorgeous vibrant amber red color that shines with clarity makes up for the short-lived off-white head. Little lace remains on the glass.
Smell
The light buttery aroma of Killian’s is within range as the low caramel malt aroma sweeps in with a lingering dryness. No hop presences comes through at all leaving Killian’s to finish out with a metallic hint.
Taste
Interestingly, that buttered toast character continues to emerge even though this is a lager. Killian’s exhibits nice balance of a light toffee, touch of sweet caramel malt flavor, and finishes pretty clean.
Mouthfeel
Crisp opening, a decent level of carbonation trails through the light-bodied beer to a lightly roasted-malt-induced dry finish.
Overall
A lot of people remember Killian’s as an iconic beer; the gateway beer that got them into craft beer, something offering more than the yellow fizzy stuff. A recent reformulation brings this beer back to me. An easy drinking pint, Killian’s isn’t anything spectacular to behold but, it sticks closely to the style and will flow like water on St. Patty’s Day!
Score: 74 / 100 - Decent
Cheers,
-Andy
