Even though I’m lucky enough to be able to get my hands on most everything Three Floyds distributes, I have yet to give this beer a try. Today’s the day I guess.
From the website, 3floyds.com, I found this description of the Brian Boru.
Ireland’s first and last Ard Ri (high king) of the whole Gaelic race, Brian Boru was born in Munster, Ireland around 940. Brian Boru’s mother was killed by Vikings when he was a child. He spent his life uniting the Irish tribes to become the first king of Ireland only to be killed at Clontarf on Good Friday 1014 putting down a rebellion by the king of the province of Leinster. Brian Boru Irish Brand Red Ale is a very rich ale with toffee, caramel, citrus and pineapple notes. Brian Boru is brewed with several malts and Amarillo hops. February release.
Ok. Let’s give it a taste.
This beer comes in a 22 oz. bottle with an ABV of 5.5%.
It poured a predominately clear, deep red to caramel color with an off white head of good size. The texture was soft, creamy and somewhat frothy. The retention time was excellent and the lacing looked very nice.
The nose began with a very pungent spiced bread and biscuit fragrance. Quickly followed by plenty of sweet caramel and toffee malt. Nice stabs of grapefruit citrus and pine fell just beneath the malt to add that ever present Three Floyds hop characteristic. Some “earthiness” contributed a touch more complexity and helped put the final touches on the bouquet.
The taste brought forth more of the caramel and toffee sweetness. The spiced bready/biscuit savors were easily identified again along with the grapefruit citrus. Small samplings of pineapple were discovered as well. Again, bits of pine and earth completed the medium strength bitterness and flavor.
The mouthfeel was medium to medium/thin bodied. It was very smooth, slick and a touch crisp. Not nearly as dry as I thought it might be. A tad watery actually. The carbonation seemed ok and a decent amount of flavor was left behind on the palate after the swallow.
Well, Three Floyds has created another pretty tasty beer here. However, it doesn’t quite have the “power” or “oomph” that I’m accustomed to finding in their beers. While I found nothing at all wrong with the brew, the overall enjoyment was not as great as I thought it might be. It might stem from the fact that I’m not a huge proponent of this style. Anyway, the ease of drinkability was very good and it still contained plenty of intricacies to ponder throughout the drink. I would definitely say pick it up if you get a chance. I would never turn it down if offered and I’ll probably give it another shot at some point for sure. So, when you get the opportunity to try the Three Floyds Brian Boru be sure to let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading and commenting on the reviews everyone. I really appreciate all of the support.
Until next time. Cheers.
Score: 3.75 out of 5
Grade: B
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