<P> Murphy's Irish Stout (often simply Murphy's), is a stout brewed at the Murphy's Brewery in Cork, Ireland . It is owned and distributed by the Dutch brewer Heineken International . </P> <P> Murphy's was heavily promoted worldwide by Heineken throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, but it ultimately failed to substantially dent Guinness' global stout market share, and Heineken have since directed their attentions to other brands . </P> <P> It is brewed to be less heavy and less bitter than its chief competitor Guinness . Its flavour is evocative of caramel and malt, and is described as "a distant relative of chocolate milk". The resemblance to milk extends beyond flavour to texture: Murphy's is free from any hint of carbonation, and is delivered "black as strong cappuccino" with an inch of foam--the head--on top . The water of the River Lee in Cork allegedly gave Murphy's its quality . </P> <P> Local Irish history pits the Guinness drinkers of Dublin squarely against the Murphy's drinkers of Cork . There has long been a lively rivalry between the two, with Murphy's viewed as the more "craft" stout, and Guinness being the more mainstream . After years as a solely local stout, the acquisition of the brewery by Heineken in 1983, with a consequent expansion in distribution and international television advertising, exposed Murphy's to the international drinking community . In 1988, Whitbread acquired the distribution and brewing rights for Murphy's in the UK, where it was brewed in the Magor brewery at Magor in Wales . In 2000, these rights went to Interbrew when they acquired Whitbread Brewing Company . </P>

Murphy's imported stout draught style alcohol content