Background – From Guinness themselves “The best selling premium Irish import lager in the world today. This rich, golden pilsner style lager, with a smooth, refreshing hoppy taste, is brewed the Irish way, using only the finest barley and pure spring water from the Cooley Mountains of Dundalk, Ireland.”

Appearance – The bottle design is simple with a nice color scheme, with blue and silver being the dominant tones. Looking at this bottle nothing sticks out that this is a an Irish lager and I wish that Guinness would have made more of an effort. The beer itself pours a golden clear with a typical white foamy head. Lacing

Aroma – Like most pale lagers the aroma is quite weak. The only thing I notice is a bit of the malt and some caramel, but I cannot stress how faint it is.

Taste – The taste is similar to the aroma, not a lot here. Harp is more flavorful than Budweiser or Miller as the malts are a bit more present and you can notice a touch of the sugars leaves a nice flavor.

Drinkability – This is an Irishman’s dream when it comes to drinkability. You can drink this beer fast and in great quantities. When you let it settle there is a clean dry mouthfeel with a bit of sugar left on your lips. Next time you are having a party you should try playing some beer pong with Harp.

Overall – While I feel that Harp is a better lager than most of the American macro lagers it still suffers from the same issues. There is not a ton of aroma or flavor but holy hell is it drinkable. I would recommend trying this next time you need a beer for a party.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I decided to pick Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the Xbox. This game may not compare to the original arcade game or Turtles in Time but it is a solid beat em up and is great for a quick pick up and play game. So grab a six pack (or a case) and kick some foot solider ass! Sláinte

Background – From Guinness themselves “In 300 years of triumph, adversity and above all, brewing, you learn a thing or two about ale. This, our original Red Ale, is a blend of mild hops, sweet malt and roasted barley. Like the castle at the heart of our Kilkenny home, it’s stood the test of time throughout Irish history, and earned its rightful place as Ireland’s most loved ale. Smithwick’s Red Ale is the ruby red session ale with a gentle hop bitterness, sweet malty notes and a refreshingly balanced taste.”

Appearance – The bottle design stands out with the distinct red label and the photo of the Castle from Kilkenny. This beer screams Ireland and still manages to keep it very simple. With a nice description on the label this is what a standard beer label should be. When you pour the beer into a glass you will notice a dark amber/ruby color that is clear but quite dark. The head produces a ton of lacing that sticks around the glass throughout the remainder of the drink.

Aroma – Unless you are an Irish Blood Hound you will not get much of a scent from this beer. What you will get tends to be strictly malts, I would love to be clever enough to keep describing this beer but to be honest there’s little here.

Taste – The flavor is a typical for Irish Red Ales, malt heavy that tends to be a bit bready and notes of the hops finish off your sips. It may not be the most flavorful beer but there is nothing I dislike while drinking.

Drinkability – The Smithwicks Red Ale goes down real easy but man does it have a bitter upfront bite to it. The mouthfeel is both dry and bitter but doesn’t last long. After 2-3 of these beers it may begin to wear on you but make no mistake this is a solid session beer that is great to drink throughout the day.

Overall – Overall this is one of Jim’s favorite beers but strictly for nostalgia. The Smithwicks red ale is one of the most well known Irish red ales and is typically consider the “other” Irish beer aside from the Guinness Stout. I would recommend trying it but do not expect to be blown away, this is a drinking mans beer.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I decided to go with Maximum Carnage on the Sega Genesis. I used to love this game as a kid, and like Jim’s nostalgia for this beer,  neither ages as good as we thought. Still the beer is solid and the game is fun, although hard as hell, so suit up as Spiderman and Venom grab a few of these Irish Red Ales and get fighting, Sláinte

Background – From Coors/George Killians themselves “The original George brewed the first batch of Enniscorthy Ruby Ale, the inspiration for George Killian’s Irish Red. He just wanted a better beer to share with his friends. He then founded Mill Park Brewery in Enniscorthy, Ireland, so he could share his ruby-colored ale with all of Ireland.

George Killian’s Irish Red is an authentic Irish lager based on an original family recipe that dates to 1864 in Enniscorthy, Ireland. Using only pure spring water and the finest caramel malts, roasted longer and slower, give the brew a rich red color and distinctive taste. The beer is well known for its rich amber color and thick, creamy head.”

Appearance – The bottle design definitely stands out with the blood red label and the horse head design. While it may be brewed by Coors today there is no doubt that this is a beer that represents an Irish recipe. The beer itself pours a clear amber brown with little head and almost no lacing, a very clean looking beer.

Aroma – Amber lagers, Amber ales they are similar in many ways, primarily in the fact that neither produces much of an aroma. The only thing you will notice are the bready malts, which get stronger as the beer warms.

Taste – The flavor is quite simple for this beer. Imagine a typical American lager but with a lot more malts and a little more of a bready flavor.

Drinkability – I love how easy this beer is to drink. There is almost no bitterness and a surprising creamy mouthfeel as you finish each sip. For such a low ABV beer it manages to sit quite heavy, so its not perfect.

Overall – Overall many people will hate on this beer because it is associated with Coors. The true origin of this beer may be from Ireland and the original family may still be involved but that doesn’t matter to beer snobs. The George Killian Irish Red is a great option if you are looking for a solid amber lager.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I decided to go with Resistance for the PS3. Commonly overlooked because it had some steep competition between Call of Duty and Halo, however this is a fun game. Game snobs may look down on this one, much like beer snobs looking down on Killian’s Irish Red. So pair these two underrated gems and enjoy yourself, Sláinte

Background – From Guinness themselves “Irish tradition meets American spirit in Guinness Blonde American lager. Complex and flavorful. Light, floral and alive with citrus. This beer is perfectly balanced with a lingering malt and biscuit finish. It’s the coming together of vibrant flavors, of character drawn from both sides of the pond. And it’s come a long way to get here. Ireland and America go way back. Ours are histories that have crossed paths countless times. Our cultures may be totally different but we’ve still got a lot in common. One thing we can definitely agree upon is what makes a good beer. Whether it’s stout or lager, we demand the same things: quality, distinctiveness, character.

The first fusion beer in the Guinness Discovery Series, Guinness Blonde combines the best European brewing techniques – as well as our famous strain of Guinness yeast – with the finest American hops and malts. A collaboration between the Guinness brewers in Dublin and their counterparts at the legendary Latrobe Brewery in Pennsylvania, the result is an American pale lager akin to that of the 1930s: a crisp, light beer that’s big on flavor.”

Appearance – I really enjoy to style of the bottle as well as the design on the label. Using the traditional Guinness Toucan with some beautiful gold accents this bottle is an eye catcher. The beer pours a clear golden color with minimal white head and virtually no lacing which leaves you with a clean glass.

Aroma – The aroma is surprisingly strong for an American Pale Lager. With the bready malts being the strongest scents I also noticed a bit of banana.

Taste – Similar to the aroma there is a decent amount of flavor. Once again I primarily notice the malts and get an aftertaste of banana. Somewhere in between I notice a bit of the hops.

Drinkability – This is an odd beer to drink because you get the clean smooth drinking of a pale lager and yet you walk away with a dry mouthfeel and a bit of bitterness. Somehow when I first take a sip it seems to be a creamy sensation and will lay quire heavy for a 5% beer. Similar to most Guinness beers this is an overall easy beer to drink.

Overall – Overall I enjoy this beer. The Guinness Blonde manages to create a better American Pale Lager than most American breweries. With the bready malts and a touch of banana there is a lot to like about this Irish/American fusion.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I decided to go with Rage a unique game that is quite underrated. Its like Doom in the world of Mad Max so it manages to combine the best from both racing and FPS’s. Similar to the Guinness Blonde these two together yield a complex product that is very enjoyable. So grab a couple bottles and get playing, Sláinte

Background – From Guinness themselves “A direct descendant of our archival recipes, Guinness Extra Stout is based on a beer first brewed in 1821, when Arthur Guinness II set down precise instructions for brewing his Superior Porter. This beer has since become the precursor to every Guinness innovation you’ve ever enjoyed. Brewed at our St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin, Guinness Extra Stout is crafted from finest quality malt, hops and Irish barley. Sharp and crisp to the taste, it’s an entirely different experience from the smooth, creamy Guinness Draught and punchier Foreign Extra Stout, but the trademark Guinness flavors preside. We’ve come a long way since this beer was first dreamt up in the 1800s, but we’ve stuck to our values. We’re blessed with over 250 years of brewing experience, and, as Guinness moves forward, history accompanies us in the bottle still enjoyed by people all over the world.”

Appearance – Starting with the bottle I have to say I love the overall look, simple and retro looking the dark brown bottle mixed with the tan label is a classic. With the iconic Guinness harp it helps make the label stand out. Once poured you will see the distinctive black body with a tan head that produces a ton of lacing.

Aroma – The aroma is similar to the Draught Stout being fairly strong with roasted malts, coffee and a general smokiness. You can detect a faint hint of fruits by the end of the glass.

Taste – The flavor is evenly balanced between the roasted flavor and the malts. You will notice a decent amount of chocolate and coffee and as the beer warms you notice a small hint of dark fruits.

Drinkability – Compared to the draught the extra stout is much more bitter. It is still quite smooth overall but just has a dryer finish with less of a creamy mouthfeel.

Overall – Overall, this is quite different from the draught, but it is still damn good. If you have only had the draught in the past I would recommend giving the Extra stout a try. The additional alcohol and sharp bite adds a new dimension to the Irish Dry Stout, without sacrificing the flavors.

Game Pairing: When it comes to game pairing I chose Bioshock. Something makes me feel that this would have been a popular beer in Rapture. An excellent game that manages to be both an inventive FPS with plenty of horror elements. Mix these two and keep an eye out for Big Daddy, Sláinte