Quilter's Irish Death - An Amateurish Beer Review

Dark color. Slightly sweet, mild bitterness without a hoppy bite, smooth texture, thick mouth feel, and a hint of coffee and chocolate.

Source: www.ironhorsebrewery.com

From the Iron Horse webpage:

Created by the brewery’s founder, Quilter’s Irish Death is what we call a dark, smooth, ale. Any attempt at classifying it just ends up sending beer geeks into a style guidelines diatribe. So forget style guidelines. Is your pursuit of micro beer about tasting copies of a style that fit guidelines or about finding shit that tastes good? We lovingly refer to Irish Death as beer candy. While tempting to session this beer, the name is a necessary reminder that despite the surprising approachability, this beer weighs in at a hefty 7.8% ABV.

My Take

I still don't speak "Beer Snob." I check reviews on BeerAdvocate and RateBeer to see what the snobs say, and then try to see through their pretentious analysis in the comments to see whether there's any substance. Unlike most such comments, this beer has substance, and plenty of it. This is not a beer for chugging. One 12-oz can or one pint glass is enough. Two is a bit much. Three is overkill. Like a rich cake, this is something best consumed in moderation.

If you like IPAs, this may not be for you. There's not really any hop flavor. If you like porters and stouts though, this might be worth a try if you want something a bit sweeter. If you like mass-market lager, then you really need to try something like this to see what else beer has to offer, but be aware that a 6-pack packs more punch than you might expect. This is a beer to buy for special occasions, not to be chugged during a football game.