Murphy's Irish Stout - 4.0% ABV

Brewer's Notes

"Murphy's Irish Stout (often simply Murphy's), is a stout brewed at the Murphy's Brewery in Cork, Ireland. It is owned and distributed by the Dutch brewer Heineken International.

Local Irish history pits the Guinness drinkers of Dublin squarely against the Murphy's drinkers of Cork. There has long been a lively rivalry between the two, with Murphy's viewed as the more "craft" stout, and Guinness being the more mainstream. After years as a solely local stout, the acquisition of the brewery by Heineken in 1983, with a consequent expansion in distribution and international television advertising, exposed Murphy's to the international drinking community.

Murphy's has a limited presence in Ireland outside of Cork. In 2011, 60,000 hectolitres of Murphy's were sold in Ireland and according to Euromonitor, Murphy's sold 25,000 hl in the UK.

Murphy's is a dry stout. The brewers describe Murphys Irish Stout as "smooth and creamy, with a subtle bitterness," and it is a competitor of Guinness.

It is brewed to be less heavy and less bitter than its chief competitor Guinness. Its flavour is evocative of caramel and malt, and is described as "a distant relative of chocolate milk".The resemblance to milk extends beyond flavour to texture: Murphy's is free from any hint of carbonation, and is delivered "black as strong cappuccino" with an inch of foam – the head – on top. The water of the River Lee in Cork allegedly gave Murphy's its quality.

Ingredients: Pale and chocolate malts; roasted barley; Target hops."