KillKenny Beer – A Delicious Drink From the Makers of Guinness

Kilkenny beer is a beverage you must try out if you are a fan of European ales or simply love to try out different beers.

This Irish red ale comes from Diageo, the makers of Guinness, and gradually, this beer has started gaining popularity in the U.S. as well.

If you are trying to learn about Kilkenny beer to decide if it is worth a try, you have come to the right place. Let us dive deeper into the details about this popular Irish ale and explore the best beers of this type.

What Is Kilkenny Beer?

Kilkenny beer is an Irish cream ale that shares the same maker as the world-famous Guinness. It derives its name from Kilkenny, the place where it originated. Depending on where you are buying it from in the U.S, you may get this beer in the form of cans, bottles, draughts, or even from taps.

Kilkenny Beer Review

Here is a quick overview of how the Kilkenny beer looks and what it tastes like:

– Appearance

The Kilkenny beer is generally mahogany brown in color. Like Guinness, this one is served in a fully risen manner with a head of about one inch.

– Taste and Flavor

This Irish ale carries the flavor of burnt malt, adding a rich aroma, which is one of its biggest perks. You may also find the drink slightly nutty, with the smell of resin and pinecones. Overall, the Kilkenny beer tastes quite good despite being a little dry.

– Aroma

While enjoying a pint of Kilkenny beer, you may smell dry roasted peanuts and malt. The ale also contains the aroma of slight sourdough, dry malt, and malt chocolate. The drink contains a small amount of carbonation, which is noticeable in its smell.

– Mouthfeel

The body of the Kilkenny beer has a slightly fizzy texture. The finish is relatively dry and leaves an aftertaste of peanuts and barley and may be slightly charring.

– Carbonation

This beer does contain light carbonation, which adds to its fizzy texture. Although the carbonation isn’t very strong, you should still be able to notice it in the taste and the aroma of the Kilkenny beer.

Ingredients

Kilkelly beer typically has an ABV below 5 percent, making it a good choice for individuals who prefer beers with low alcohol content.

The key ingredients of this Irish red ale beer are:

• Water
• Hops
• Malted barley
• Roasted malted barley
• Yeast (Premium English Ale yeast)

However, Kilkenny beer contains gluten. Thus, if you are on a gluten-free diet, this may not be the best beer for you.

Where To Buy Kilkenny Beer in the USA

If you are going to try out Kilkenny beer for the first time, we highly recommend buying it from one of the best pubs or breweries that offer the drink.

After all, your first pint of Kilkenny beer is what’s going to give you an idea of how good the beer is.

You certainly wouldn’t want to ruin the experience by getting the beer from the wrong place.

Here are some of the best places in the US for individuals looking for Kilkenny beer:

1. The Tipperary Inn

Established in 1968, this pub lies in Chicago. Considering the city had a strong historical relationship with the Irish community, it comes as no surprise that Chicago would house at least one of the best places to get Kilkenny beer in the USA.

Over the decades, the Tipperary Inn has earned its place among Chicago’s most popular Irish pubs. This pub offers traditional Kilkenny Irish beer, along with various delicious dishes and other Irish beverages.

2. Patrick’s Pub

Yet another place that has grown to be known as one of the best Irish pubs in the U.S, Patrick’s Pub has a good reputation when it comes to its Kilkenny Irish Cream.

Located in the Union Square part of New York City, this pub has become a popular place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Besides Kilkenny Irish beer, you can also enjoy Guinness and great food at this pub.

3. O’Brien’s

If Miami, Florida, is more easily accessible for you, visit O’Brien’s Irish Pub for your Kilkenny beer. They definitely offer one of the best Kilkenny beers in the USA and are one of the top Irish pubs in the country. The beer is available from the barroom tap here. You simply need to put a big ‘K’ on the Guinness glass to order a Kilkenny beer.

Kilkenny Beer vs. Smithwick’s Draught

The main difference between these beers is that Kilkenny beer’s cream head has a nitrogenated nature while Smithwick’s Draught has a more hoppy finish. Aside from this factor, Kilkenny beer is very similar to Smithwick’s Draught.

In fact, the Kilkenny beer earned its name only a few decades back, in the 1980s and 1990s. As breweries tried to introduce a stronger version of Smithwick’s Draught in the US and Canada, they discovered that people had trouble pronouncing Smithwick’s. This is how the Kilkenny beer emerged as a specific beer type in the U.S. and eventually gained more popularity.

Smithwick’s Brewery happens to be the oldest brewery in Ireland and has been around since 1710.

Here is a quick comparison between the two ales:

• ABV Rating: Kilkenny beer has a higher alcohol content than Smithwick’s Draught. While the former has an ABV rating of 3.8 percent, the former usually contains 4.5 percent alcohol.
• Taste: The Kilkenny red ale and Smithwick’s Draught are very similar in taste. However, Kilkenny beer has fewer hops than the other beverage.
• Nitro: Both are nitrogenated drinks and carry a fizzy mouthfeel.
• Color: While Smithwick’s Draught is amber red, Kilkenny’s beer has a bright reddish-brown hue.
• Texture: One of the distinct features of the Kilkenny beer that set it apart from Smithwick’s Draught is its creamier texture.

Kilkenny Beer vs. Guinness

Guinness is hands-down the best-selling beer in Ireland. This drink has already spread to more than 100 countries worldwide, earning great fame. Guinness comes into the limelight, especially during St. Patrick’s Day when people enjoy Irish beers in particular.

However, individuals who do not like Guinness or want to try something different often go for Kilkenny beer instead.

Both the beers come from the same maker, i.e. Diageo.

Let us take quickly compare the two to check for similarities and differences:

• Color: Kilkenny beer looks much lighter in color compared to Guinness. The latter is usually almost black or very dark red.
• Head: Both the Kilkenny beer and the Guinness have a thick and white creamy head that looks particularly inviting.
• Texture: Kilkenny beer is very similar to Guinness in terms of texture and mouthfeel.
• Availability: Due to the widespread popularity of Guinness, it is naturally more readily available than Kilkenny beer. If you are looking for the best Kilkenny beer in the U.S, you have only a few breweries or pubs to choose from.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about Kilkenny Beer:

– What Does Killkenny Taste Like?

The Kilkenny beer has a subtle and mild taste of caramel malt. Its malt has a slightly burnt flavor profile, which leaves the beer with an extra richness that is a favorite among beer lovers. It also has light taste notes of pinecone, nuts, raisin and malt chocolate. All these flavors are very subtle and do not overpower the dry and crisp finish of the caramel malt flavor of the beer.

Coming from the makers of Guinness, the Kilkenny beer carries a noticeable amount of carbonation which gives it a fizzy taste and mouthfeel.

– Is Kilkenny Beer Still Available?

Yes, as of this writing, there are several places in the U.S. where you can enjoy the beverage. Although Kilkenny beer is traditionally Irish and used to be popular only in a couple of other countries outside Ireland, it has slowly started spreading in the U.S. The first place in the country to offer Kilkenny beer was a small Irish pub in Washington DC, from where the beer began to gain popularity among the Americans.

Endnote

Here is a quick overview of all you need to know about this Irish cream ale. This will help you decide whether or not the drink will suit your tastes.

• Kilkenny beer shares various similarities with two other popular Irish beers — Smithwick’s Draught and Guinness — due to the touch of sourdough.
• Only a handful of breweries in the US offer great Kilkenny beer as the drink is relatively new in the country.
• If you love dry and malty beers with creamy heads, this beer is worth trying.
• This is a carbonated drink with a low ABV of under 5 percent, making it ideal for light alcohol drinkers.
• Kilkenny red ale is very similar to Smithwick’s Draught and gained popularity due to breweries trying to promote the latter.

The Kilkenny beer is an excellent alternative to Guinness, so if you are exploring different Irish beers, consider trying out this beverage at least once. Find the nearest pub in the U.S. with an established legacy for their Kilkenny beer.