Island’s Edge Irish Stout
Brewed by Heineken Ireland
Style: Irish Stout
Cork, County Cork, Ireland
Typical! I go drink a beer intending to do a cool and interesting review, leave my write up for a bit, and after a year or two the beer has only gone and got pulled from the market! HA! So this is more a requiem!
Island’s Edge Irish Stout was Heineken‘s Cork based new effort of a stout, one to rival Guinness, or even Murphy’s or Beamish. A tall order in a land where stout drinkers take their tipple VERY, VERY seriously. Brave for sure to take on the big boys in a very selective and notoriously difficult market to crack.
Anyway back in 2022 there was massive advertising of this stout on the TV with millions poured into their marketing campaign and a really big push, a new beer with an exciting “new Edge“, hence the name, and so I went and bought a few cans of it what with all the hype and all.
Apparently they said their stout was “aimed at people who don’t drink stout” which was a little worrying……. and so they “created a stout that’s less bitter”, less bitter than a Guinness for example, and for the 18-35 age range, the young ones who might be converted to give it a try…..and not the old fellas like myself! All a little bit disconcerting, and I definitely was not the intended market here. Basically a training drink for non stout drinkers, a watered down stout for the shandy and lager drinkers! And they thought this would work……in Ireland! Ha.
They were looking to hit 10% share of the stout market, a very ambitious plan and with it several million spent on advertising, but after it just two years it was pulled. I can be happy in the knowledge that at least I was one of the very few that gave it a go!
Review: 500ml can of Island’s Edge Irish Stout 4.0% vol.
Was to be found throughout the country in supermarkets, off – licenses, and in bars and pubs, where it could also be got on draught.
Now as I am writing this, I did manage to find some Island Edge Irish Stout in my local supermarket store, so I am guessing there is a bit of old stock still floating about, I guess, so don’t be surprised to still find this out there, for the time being at least.
Nice logo and can. Colourful and different. “Edgy” I think is what the cool cats call it! Clever.
The brewers added tea and basil to it which was to dilute the strong taste of a regular stout, as apparently tea kills the bitterness of the hops! They still don’t know why exactly this happens but there you go!
Smells good, like a Guinness aroma, a nice roasty coffee and chocolate smell and dark malts, a good start.
Onto the pour, I get a very nice and creamy tanned head with the expected pitch black colour. Like the smell, its pretty similar to a Guinness. Head is decent, all is well, looks good.
Head maintains well enough. There are a few bubbles and holes appearing amongst the lacing which is a little ominous, but when it all settles down it is not too bad at all, and the thick creamy wholesome appearance is still there to the end.
The taste is very creamy on the tongue, a good full bodied taste for sure, its not bad and is similar to a Guinness, at least initially, but on the long stretch it doesn’t have the kick of a Guinness and perhaps that’s what they were looking for…… a light, smoother version of a heavy stout. if that’s what they were going for then they have achieved that, but for me, a man who does like his stouts, then its not so good.
Getting the dark roasted malts and the milky chocolate, and, like all stouts, it is creamy, very creamy in fact. What I didn’t find was the tea, affirming what the brewers had said that the tea’s sole purpose was to hid the bitterness of the stout without affecting the general taste.
It is very manageable, very smooth and easy to drink and its not bad, and it is very creamy, but its a cheap imitation without the sparkle. Ok but no kick and without that kick the taste is just blah, like a watered down Guinness! A bit boring truth be told, a bit like the young ones today so…..ha….
Lidl’s, the German Discount store, has partnered with Rye River Brewing Company to bring a range of craft beers to consumers under the brand of “The Crafty Brewing Co”. They have an offer a Lager, an Irish Stout and a Red Ale to be sold in 4-packs nationwide. 
A craft stout they say, whatever the fuck that is, does that mean its a wanky effort at a real stout? Anyway apparently this stout has won a big award, or at least Silver in the world beer awards for stout. Might be impressive but I wasn’t invited so……..and it won gold in The Irish Food Awards in 2021, as best Irish stout in the country, not bad, well lets see how it goes with me!
The taste follows the nose, similar. Roasted dark malts, chocolate, coffee and nut taste, Not bad, initially anyway! Nice bitter coffee aftertaste, just right for a stout…..although might be a tad bit too sweet, but overall this is good.
Launched in 1995, Dutch Gold is a low-cost, imported, pilsner lager beer sold exclusively to Ireland. Its damn popular, ranked as the third best selling beer in the country in canned form, after Budweiser and Heineken. Mainly due to its very cheap asking price, about a Euro a can, or traditionally “4 for 5” in a pack. Popular amongst students, the lower classes, and layabouts. Not a slight, I drink it myself, lol! 
The packaging on the cans have changed since the old days where it was pretty simple, now its all jazzed up but they kept the Iconic image of a Dutch man carrying a barrel on a blue can, mostly a bigger picture now and less gold. “Old Duchie”, what a beast of a man! 
Golden coloured beer, not a bad head, nice, white and frothy. For a cheap lager it looks pretty damn good. Some small carbonation on the go. Good lacing. Looks fine. 
Established in 2012, The 5 lamps Brewery is the brainchild of Brian Fagan along with William Harvey, the master brewer and a former Guinness Brewer with over 27 years of experience in the beer industry. 
A nice black bottle all the same, with the iconic 5 lamps imagery of Victorian Dublin. Lovely. 
It proved popular, having two thirsty markets on its doorstep, Dublin and the rest of Ireland one side, and Britain the other, lucky for Arthur both nations like a tipple or two. So it comes as no surprise that by the 1930’s, Guinness was to become the seventh largest company in the world. (according to Wiki!). The Germans have their BMW’s, the French their wines, the Dutch their Cheeses, we will leave the banks to the Swiss, but us Irish we have the Guinness!
It is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available mostly everywhere that you can find bars, especially Irish bars! In Ireland it is still the most drank beer, making about €2 billion worth annually. But it is not the Irish that drink the most Guinness worldwide! That honour goes to neighbours The UK, Ireland is second, and Nigeria third, with the USA coming in 4th! Africa is a major market for Guinness, with about 40% of Guinness’ worldwide sales selling on the continent. Three of the five Guinness-owned breweries worldwide are located in Africa (the other in Dublin and in London). The next major market for the brewery is to break into mainland China, a nation that is just recently discovering the beauty and nuances of European beers.
But generally Guinness are the masters of advertisements. When they bring out an ad on the box people generally take note such is the effect of a Guinness promotion. The harp itself is such an iconic symbol must people know that it represents Guinness when they see it in a bar or pub. In terms of early advertising and imagery, the artist John Gilroy‘s work, from the 1930s and 1940s, still stands the test of time. He created posters that included phrases such as “Guinness for Strength”, “Lovely Day for a Guinness”, “Guinness Makes You Strong”, “My Goodness My Guinness”, and most famously, “Guinness is Good For You“. The posters featured Gilroy’s distinctive artwork and more often than not featured animals such as a kangaroo, ostrich, seal, lion and notably a toucan, which has become as much a symbol of Guinness as the harp. These posters and drawings can still be regularly seen in Irish pubs all around the world, and the originals fetch a high price when they come up at auctions. 
Bottle conditioned and carbonate with C02, so no ball or nitro here……
When I bought a few of these cans, my sister immediately laughed saying I bought into the gimmick. It’s not like Guinness to bring out a million different versions of essentially the same thing, their famous draught stout. She thought it was a slightly more “expensive version” of the same thing. To be fair I was half expecting that too! But no, I can state there is a CLEAR difference with this to the draught. It is softer on the palate, very well balanced, has more flavouring, is tastier, and one doesn’t get that bloated feeling you get when you drink a lot of the regular Guinness. 
“Great tasting pale ale” is written on the bottle, and a pretty cool logo of a red haired lady, with old style lettering, 1950s style layout, all easy on the eye and attractive enough to grab attention. Very good. 
Onto the taste, its ok, hoppy but also a bit dry in the mouth.
Drumcondra is one of Dublin’s oldest inner residential suburbs, and you can still get to see some of the old terraced style houses on show. Also the Royal Canal hugs this side of the city, and it can be nice on a hot day to walk along the towpaths and get a feel for the Northside. Griffith Park, near the well to do Griffith Avenue, is a lovely escape, and the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin is only a short walk away.
Getting to the area is very easy, with the area even having its own national rail and DART (Light rail) stop at Drumcondra railway station, on the main Drumcondra road, only one stop from Connolly station (Ireland’s main train station). Also a host of Dublin Bus routes serve the Drumcondra area, such as the 1, 11, 16, 33, or 41 amongst others (usually can be taken in and around O’Connell Street). You could also walk it from the city centre, taking about 30 minutes or so brisk walk.
Straight off the Drumcondra train stop and with lightning speed we went right into the nearest and handiest pub for thirsty souls, and that was to be Quinns. I have reviewed this pub before when I did my 
Second pint of the day was a short walk away in Mcgraths, an ordinary decent boozer as they would say. Pretty dull frontage, all brown, but inside it was nice and comfy, wooden interior and had some decent beers on tap. I sat down at the busy enough bar for that time of the day, and went for a pint of Galway Hooker Pale Ale, something I have heard raved about online, it has won awards dont you know! Served fast enough by the friendly bar man, pint was great, lovely and cool, and enjoyed my short time here having a nice quiet chat with the brother. The bar has a bit of a local feel to the place which adds to its cozy atmosphere. 
Next pub of the day was to be the Red Parrot, a smallish pub that was very empty when we arrived, just one other customer! Ordered a pint of stout from the friendly barman. 
As we were walking along we noticed a sign for The Hideout Pub, we followed, intrigued, down an alley into a square with a block of flats and at the corner there was a bar. No need to guess too hard why the bar then is called the Hideout!
Next up was a pint of Guinness in The Hogan Stand, a popular pub this side of Dublin. The Hogan Stand is a well known stand in Croke Park Stadium, the GAA ground nearby. 
Next pub certainly stood out from the crowd, what with a big fuck off murial of Dublin GAA on the frontage, eye catching and definitely worth a closer look!
We headed into Lowrys on the corner. Place had a very good crowd inside, interior was nothing special, old style decor that looked like it hasn’t changed since the 80s. Ordered a Smithwicks, pulled fast from the friendly bar man.
Luke Kelly, with his very distinctive singing style, was a quintessential Dublin singer, folk musician, and social activist, and a hero and all round Irish legend to many. Luke, of course, was a prominent member of The Dubliners, the Irish trad specialists, whose versions of Irish classics like “The Rocky Road to Dublin”, “Seven Drunken Nights”, “The Town I Loved So Well”, “On Raglan Road” enthralled millions of people not just in Ireland but all across the world, a folk singer that will forever be remembered. 
But wait a minute, the statue was apparently vandalized with graffiti just a few weeks after its unveiling! No one knows why but I was thinking perhaps it might be that the statue is really not in the heart of Sheriff Street but just across the bridge on the edge of the area he was from, and nearer to the nicer part of the town? Walking straight across the bridge to the statue one can be in no doubt that you are walking across a social divide, at least that was the impression I got, and not so much a gift to the local people but something for the tourists to gawk at and then promptly turn right around least they venture too close to the centre of Sheriff Street. Or maybe I am putting too much into that…………. Anyway, thankfully the graffiti was removed and the statue was restored in all its glory by the time we had a look. 
The club have played out of Tolka Park, in the heart of Drumcondra, since the 1950’s but only as official tenants since 1989. Tolka Park is a famous ground steeped in Irish sporting folklore but it has seen better days. Now the ground is pretty derelict looking and not all the stands are open to the public owing to safety concerns, and unkept terraces. Of course it must be said that Shels were not the first team to play here, that honour goes to Drumcondra F.C. who played here from 1928-1972 along the way winning 5 championships, but now sadly are not involved in LOI top tier football.
Under the direction of the club’s majority shareholder and Chief Executive, the fairly flamboyant Oliver Byrne, the club ran up a huge debt pile chasing European glory, attempting to reach the Champions League but not quite getting there, all leading to a near break up of the club, resulting in the derelict ground and loss of a decent team. In the 2004/5 season they were one game off the Champions League proper, after knocking out KR Reykjavík of Iceland and then Croatian League Champions HNK Hajduk Split in a very memorable 2-0 home victory, they then proceeded to play a very good Deportivo La Coruna team from Spain, going out a very respectable 3-0 on aggregate. In 2006 the club got into serious debt, so Ollie Byrne sold the ground to property developer Ossie Kilkenny to help repay the club’s debts. Pat Fenlon resigned as their manager, and most of the team left. All this leaving them with demotion to the second division by the FAI where they have languished for the last few seasons, with the one exception of a brief appearance back in the top division in 2011 after promotion, but relegation two years after! (They also made the Cup final in 2011, losing to Sligo on penos!).
Right from the off Shelbourne were all guns ablazing, nearly scoring with a header from one of their defenders. But Cabinteely were also livewires, getting a shot off the crossbar, unlucky not to score first. 
McGuinness, the Cabinteely netminder, was alert to everything, saving well from a Shels break, a one on one, he did well to keep out.
Conan Byrne, ex Pats legend, was introduced just after the hour mark and made a huge difference to the team, bringing more impetus to the attack, nearly scoring as well making McGuinness pull off another one of his saves. 
The result meant that Shels are still out front at the top of the First Division while Cabinteely further strengthened their chances of getting a play off position. Both teams played some good football at times and it was refreshing to see the ball played around the park a sight not too often seen in this division!
Built on the site of a former Franciscan monastery and well dating back to the year 1219, in Cork City, the brewery was founded in 1998 by publican Shane Long.
Have had this on draught which I loved, very crisp and so easy to drink. 
Also get a decent amount in the glass from the can, considering how tiny they are, not bad.
Located in Bagenalstown, County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, the Carlow Brewing Company, founded by the O’Hara family in 1996, is one of the largest and most successful craft breweries in Ireland. It is more popularly known as O’Hara’s Brewing Company after the family name that still runs the business today.
Incase you are confused, the O’Shea brand is made by the Carlow Brewing company for the Aldi cheap discount store, think of it as the ugly sister to the O’Hara’s beers!
In addition, I got a very strong taste of coffee and dark chocolate. too strong, also a bit too creamy. It has all the characteristics you need for a good stout, but its seems they overdid it a little with them. 
Founded in 2010 in Kill, a small town in Kildare. Trouble Brewing have introduced some new and exciting craft brews into the Irish market and beyond. 
Can be found on tap at certain selected places around the country but I got it in the bottle from Lidl, the German supermarket discount chain. 
Has all the typical IPA style characteristics checked and mastered. Citrus and tropical fruits, caramel and sweet malts all easy to find.