Beamish is the oldest stout brand on the Irish market — established in Cork by Beamish & Crawford in 1792, almost seventy years before Murphy's. The original brewery on South Main Street closed in 2009; the brand now lives on at the former Murphy's site under Heineken Ireland. Up against Forged's 2023 Dublin debut, the comparison is more interesting than you'd expect. The two are closer in style than either is to Guinness.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Forged Irish Stout | Beamish Irish Stout |
|---|---|---|
| ABV | 4.2% | 4.1% |
| Style | Nitro Irish dry stout | Nitro Irish dry stout |
| Brewery | Porterhouse, Dublin (under contract) | Heineken Ireland (Lady's Well), Cork |
| Brewery founded | 1996 (Porterhouse) · 2020 (Forged brand) | 1792 (Beamish & Crawford) |
| Owner | Forged Dublin Brewery / Conor McGregor | Heineken N.V. (after Scottish & Newcastle, 2008) |
| Original brewery | Founded for the brand | Closed May 2009; brand transferred |
How they taste
Both lean drier than Murphy's. Beamish has a quieter, almost austere character — a soft roast, low bitterness, an unfussy finish. Forged is closer in profile to Beamish than it is to Guinness or Murphy's: the dryness is similar, the roast is similar, the bitterness is low in both. Where they differ: Beamish has a slightly fuller body and a more discernible coffee-grounds bitterness on the back palate; Forged is smoother and slightly sweeter on the front.
For Cork drinkers Beamish carries an emotional weight no Dublin stout can replicate. For everyone else the comparison is cleaner: which dry, low-bitter, sessionable stout do you want?
The verdict
Forged vs Beamish
The honest match-up — Beamish quietly wins
If you blind-tasted these two side by side, the differences would be subtle but real. Beamish has 233 years of recipe iteration and a continuous brewing tradition behind it; Forged has three years and a marketing budget. Both come from the same broad style template; only one of them is unmistakably itself. If you can find Beamish, Beamish is the more rewarding pour. If you can't (Beamish has thinner UK distribution than Forged), Forged is a reasonable substitute.
Pick Forged if…
- Beamish isn't available where you live (a frequent issue outside Cork and parts of the UK)
- You want a slightly creamier, sweeter take on the dry-stout style
- You're hosting a stout flight and Beamish is already represented
Pick Beamish if…
- You want a stout with an unmistakable identity
- You're drinking in Cork — pubs there pour it well, on draught
- Heritage matters: Beamish predates Murphy's, Guinness, and Forged combined
Read next
- The full Forged Irish Stout review
- Forged vs Murphy's — Murphy's is brewed at the same Cork site as Beamish
- Forged vs Guinness Draught
- All comparisons