”Guinness is doing better than us. And do you know what? That’s alright, people prefer them to us”
Consider me so not surprised
I don’t know anyone who drinks it.
It just doesn’t taste nice & doesn’t sit right for drinking several in a row.
Surprised they wasted as much cash as they did on it.
Because it’s shite. Completely bland nothingness in a glass.
And this company own Murphys and Beamish why not advertise those ya Feckin eejits.
Like the 3 Irish stouts Guinness, Murphys and Beamish are great and have 3 different taste profiles. Guinness is the most simple(not a criticism) and then Murphys and Beamish take you in different directions just advertise them on their strengths and you’ll take marketshare off Guinness. How are the people making these decisions so incompetent? You almost never see Murphys or Beamish outside Cork and Kerry but their popular there based on just availability I can’t remember seeing a Murphys or beamish ad as an adult and I’m in my 30s.
It’s terrible. Also the marketing was bollox too.
I never understood the “less bitter” tagline. All the other stouts are less bitter than it, so they must have been aiming at those who only drink ales and lagers.
We’ll see anyway how Denny’s foray into the Barvarian Bratwurst market goes.
Tastes like a bowl of soggy weetabix
Not surprised. Both the taste and the brand name is terrible
Don’t watch TV anymore so missed the ad campaign. Randomly ordered it during an after work drinks meetup, even though I don’t generally drink stouts. It just didn’t taste much of anything, from the name I was expecting something stronger.
# SPEAK UP THERE, GERRY
The company owns Murphys and Beamish yet decided to make and market this shite. Just start advertising those too and supplying it outside of Cork. It’s not hard.
The first ever advert for it I heard had a thick British accent and it was like little lord fauntleroy was telling the irish peasants what they should drink, they changed it within days and there’s no trace of the original but it’s stuck with me.
No interest in trying it
Because this utter shite , it’s tastes crap
Market and expand beamish and Murphy’s, they are way nicer and will sell better
Tried it once on a night out when they were giving it out for free hated the taste or lack thereof, sucking on a used tea bag is probably the best way I can describe it
Always advertising it and tastes shite, but never hear any advertment or saw a place that sells beamish or murphys but keep hearing they are nice
The advertising when it first launched was horrible. They used ads designed for social media on TV and it made no sense. The “less bitter” is a lot better but probably came too late.
I assumed it was solely a product meant to undercut Guinness at event venues. If they thought it had a hope beyond that, they were dreaming.
Poor stout, even marketing is just recycled Murphys add
I’m actually okay with the taste of it, but it’s not better than Guinness or Beamish. It tastes like something that was designed via focus groups to not be too divisive, so you end up with something with no character, something that nobody likes more than their current stout. Even the name is middle of the road shite.
Also, inexplicably, a pint of Island’s Edge can be 50c – €1.50 dearer than a Guinness or Beamish. You want to steal market share from Guinness but cost more, why on earth would I ever switch? The whole thing reeks of senior leadership who don’t have a fucking clue.
I like the ad though.
Much hyped? By who, their Marketing Dept?
This should be considered one of the biggest flops of all time. Specifically when they have Murphys and Beamish sitting there.
Though they’re trying to sabotage that somewhat too.
I was in a bar the week after it launched or thereabouts. They were giving out free pints of it…
…and people were sending them back 🤣
Murphys… its better, not bitter.
They’d done all the hard work and all! It’s RIGHT there like.
It tastes brutal and the head sits on it like cottage cheese. It’s not a patch on Guinness.
Beamish is pretty damn good. They should refresh the branding and shake off the “poor mans Guinness” image. Some aul lads in a bar I used to work would ask for a Beamish in a Guinness glass.
Ireland’s Edge is indeed bland and expensive, seems to be a big own goal, especially considering Heineken already owns the 2 next best contenders.
So what’s interesting to me as someone who worked for Guinness when Dublin Porter and West Indies Porter were being launched to open the door for Hop House 13, is getting a slice of the market. Guinness successfully launched Hop House 13 which has done very well, and taken a bit of the market away from Heineken. Then, not so successfully launching Rockshore, which made Heineken try and dip into the stout market with Island’s Edge. Also, so funny about the names being synonymous…Rockshore and Island’s Edge
“it’s actually nicer than Guinness” – people who never drink stout.
Those people got bored with it fair sharp too. It tastes weird.
Cant be that hyped as I havent heard of it in the north.
Marketed by people who don’t like stout.
For a company who own Beamish and Murphys youd think theyd have people they could call on to produce a decent stout. Hell, just give one of murphys or Beamish a marketing budget.
Facts are your not going to make a better stout for the mass market than Guiness, Beamish or Murphys so why try.
But they were all of them deceived. Behind the black gates on 53 James St. Dublin, The Dark Lord Arthur Guinness forged in secret , a master stout, to control all others.
One stout to rule them all…
It has a terrible name. I think that does affect the sales somewhat
If I go to a pub with Beamish and Guinness on tap, I will always go for Beamish. It is a superior stout (fight me irl)
The money Heineken pumped into islands edge must be substantial. Why not put that effort into one of the two fine stouts they already have in Beamish and Murphys?
Revamp it a touch, or re run some of the old ads with some modern scenes stitched in. People love to drink something with history to it. Islands edge always came off as a very corporate product. A terrible waste of money.
Having worked in a pub for 9 years, when Islands Edge came out one of the marketing guys told me when we got the tap installed that Guinness have gradually made their stout less bitter of 20 years, unbeknwonst to the consumer, and in that time the demographic of Guinness drinkers has crept younger. Heineken thought they’d skip that part and just make a marketed less bitter stout, with a name that just doesn’t roll off the tongue.
I long for the day Beamish is seen more regularly in Mayo than it currently is
I just want something like Kilkenny on tap here.
Loved it in Canada, can only get cans here
They should push Beamish. Nothing like a creamy Beamy
The name and marketing is almost as vapid as “Rockshore”.
Islands edge is unreal. Prefer it over Guinness tbh.
Tis shite
It’s hardly surprising that Island’s Edge failed to dent the stout market, it barely qualifies as a stout. It barely has any distinguishing qualities at all. If you asked me to describe the taste I would struggle to think of anything worth saying about it. Its the alcohol equivalent of rice cakes.
Can’t beat Guinness. Even though Murphy’s and beamish are clear of Irelands edge they still don’t touch Guinness
The whole thing felt like a grad marketing project from a non stout drinker that got traction.
“let’s market a stout with a cool outdoor vibe to people on their 20s”
Most of the pubs I drink in just don’t sell it. I’d love to try it (I rarely go out to be honest)
But with that in mind Murphys would take Ireland by storm if sold outside of Cork nationwide
Reminds me of when the IFA changed their mind and advised their members to vote yes in one of the EU referendums. It was pretty late in the campaign and they had previously said to vote No. Someone remarked that farmers changing their mind is like turning an oil tanker, long slow process, it was way too late to make an impact and No was passed.
Same with stout drinkers, you can’t expect to change centuries of habits with one flashy marketing campaign. The beer is fine, nothing wrong with it, any stout drinker who says they wouldn’t be happy to have a session on it is lying. Stay the course, Heineken!
I find Islands Edge very . . . Liquid. Like it doesn’t have the same kinda body a Guinness or a Murphys has.
46 comments
High on hype low on taste
[deleted]
Hope they go meta in their next ad
”Guinness is doing better than us. And do you know what? That’s alright, people prefer them to us”
Consider me so not surprised
I don’t know anyone who drinks it.
It just doesn’t taste nice & doesn’t sit right for drinking several in a row.
Surprised they wasted as much cash as they did on it.
Because it’s shite. Completely bland nothingness in a glass.
And this company own Murphys and Beamish why not advertise those ya Feckin eejits.
Like the 3 Irish stouts Guinness, Murphys and Beamish are great and have 3 different taste profiles. Guinness is the most simple(not a criticism) and then Murphys and Beamish take you in different directions just advertise them on their strengths and you’ll take marketshare off Guinness. How are the people making these decisions so incompetent? You almost never see Murphys or Beamish outside Cork and Kerry but their popular there based on just availability I can’t remember seeing a Murphys or beamish ad as an adult and I’m in my 30s.
It’s terrible. Also the marketing was bollox too.
I never understood the “less bitter” tagline. All the other stouts are less bitter than it, so they must have been aiming at those who only drink ales and lagers.
We’ll see anyway how Denny’s foray into the Barvarian Bratwurst market goes.
Tastes like a bowl of soggy weetabix
Not surprised. Both the taste and the brand name is terrible
Don’t watch TV anymore so missed the ad campaign. Randomly ordered it during an after work drinks meetup, even though I don’t generally drink stouts. It just didn’t taste much of anything, from the name I was expecting something stronger.
# SPEAK UP THERE, GERRY
The company owns Murphys and Beamish yet decided to make and market this shite. Just start advertising those too and supplying it outside of Cork. It’s not hard.
The first ever advert for it I heard had a thick British accent and it was like little lord fauntleroy was telling the irish peasants what they should drink, they changed it within days and there’s no trace of the original but it’s stuck with me.
No interest in trying it
Because this utter shite , it’s tastes crap
Market and expand beamish and Murphy’s, they are way nicer and will sell better
Tried it once on a night out when they were giving it out for free hated the taste or lack thereof, sucking on a used tea bag is probably the best way I can describe it
Always advertising it and tastes shite, but never hear any advertment or saw a place that sells beamish or murphys but keep hearing they are nice
The advertising when it first launched was horrible. They used ads designed for social media on TV and it made no sense. The “less bitter” is a lot better but probably came too late.
I assumed it was solely a product meant to undercut Guinness at event venues. If they thought it had a hope beyond that, they were dreaming.
Poor stout, even marketing is just recycled Murphys add
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jb5IPE3tzXQ
I’m actually okay with the taste of it, but it’s not better than Guinness or Beamish. It tastes like something that was designed via focus groups to not be too divisive, so you end up with something with no character, something that nobody likes more than their current stout. Even the name is middle of the road shite.
Also, inexplicably, a pint of Island’s Edge can be 50c – €1.50 dearer than a Guinness or Beamish. You want to steal market share from Guinness but cost more, why on earth would I ever switch? The whole thing reeks of senior leadership who don’t have a fucking clue.
I like the ad though.
Much hyped? By who, their Marketing Dept?
This should be considered one of the biggest flops of all time. Specifically when they have Murphys and Beamish sitting there.
Though they’re trying to sabotage that somewhat too.
I was in a bar the week after it launched or thereabouts. They were giving out free pints of it…
…and people were sending them back 🤣
Murphys… its better, not bitter.
They’d done all the hard work and all! It’s RIGHT there like.
It tastes brutal and the head sits on it like cottage cheese. It’s not a patch on Guinness.
Beamish is pretty damn good. They should refresh the branding and shake off the “poor mans Guinness” image. Some aul lads in a bar I used to work would ask for a Beamish in a Guinness glass.
Ireland’s Edge is indeed bland and expensive, seems to be a big own goal, especially considering Heineken already owns the 2 next best contenders.
So what’s interesting to me as someone who worked for Guinness when Dublin Porter and West Indies Porter were being launched to open the door for Hop House 13, is getting a slice of the market. Guinness successfully launched Hop House 13 which has done very well, and taken a bit of the market away from Heineken. Then, not so successfully launching Rockshore, which made Heineken try and dip into the stout market with Island’s Edge. Also, so funny about the names being synonymous…Rockshore and Island’s Edge
“it’s actually nicer than Guinness” – people who never drink stout.
Those people got bored with it fair sharp too. It tastes weird.
Cant be that hyped as I havent heard of it in the north.
Marketed by people who don’t like stout.
For a company who own Beamish and Murphys youd think theyd have people they could call on to produce a decent stout. Hell, just give one of murphys or Beamish a marketing budget.
Facts are your not going to make a better stout for the mass market than Guiness, Beamish or Murphys so why try.
But they were all of them deceived. Behind the black gates on 53 James St. Dublin, The Dark Lord Arthur Guinness forged in secret , a master stout, to control all others.
One stout to rule them all…
It has a terrible name. I think that does affect the sales somewhat
If I go to a pub with Beamish and Guinness on tap, I will always go for Beamish. It is a superior stout (fight me irl)
The money Heineken pumped into islands edge must be substantial. Why not put that effort into one of the two fine stouts they already have in Beamish and Murphys?
Revamp it a touch, or re run some of the old ads with some modern scenes stitched in. People love to drink something with history to it. Islands edge always came off as a very corporate product. A terrible waste of money.
Having worked in a pub for 9 years, when Islands Edge came out one of the marketing guys told me when we got the tap installed that Guinness have gradually made their stout less bitter of 20 years, unbeknwonst to the consumer, and in that time the demographic of Guinness drinkers has crept younger. Heineken thought they’d skip that part and just make a marketed less bitter stout, with a name that just doesn’t roll off the tongue.
I long for the day Beamish is seen more regularly in Mayo than it currently is
I just want something like Kilkenny on tap here.
Loved it in Canada, can only get cans here
They should push Beamish. Nothing like a creamy Beamy
The name and marketing is almost as vapid as “Rockshore”.
Islands edge is unreal. Prefer it over Guinness tbh.
Tis shite
It’s hardly surprising that Island’s Edge failed to dent the stout market, it barely qualifies as a stout. It barely has any distinguishing qualities at all. If you asked me to describe the taste I would struggle to think of anything worth saying about it. Its the alcohol equivalent of rice cakes.
Can’t beat Guinness. Even though Murphy’s and beamish are clear of Irelands edge they still don’t touch Guinness
The whole thing felt like a grad marketing project from a non stout drinker that got traction.
“let’s market a stout with a cool outdoor vibe to people on their 20s”
Most of the pubs I drink in just don’t sell it. I’d love to try it (I rarely go out to be honest)
But with that in mind Murphys would take Ireland by storm if sold outside of Cork nationwide
Reminds me of when the IFA changed their mind and advised their members to vote yes in one of the EU referendums. It was pretty late in the campaign and they had previously said to vote No. Someone remarked that farmers changing their mind is like turning an oil tanker, long slow process, it was way too late to make an impact and No was passed.
Same with stout drinkers, you can’t expect to change centuries of habits with one flashy marketing campaign. The beer is fine, nothing wrong with it, any stout drinker who says they wouldn’t be happy to have a session on it is lying. Stay the course, Heineken!
I find Islands Edge very . . . Liquid. Like it doesn’t have the same kinda body a Guinness or a Murphys has.