A Stout
Brewed by St James Gate (Diageo) 5% ABV. Systembolaget Article Number 1561. Price 16.50. (330ml bottle)
Is there a more instantly recognisable beer pour in the world than this one? Guinness is iconic because of its colour and the 'cascade' effect when it is poured that causes it to shape-shift from creamy vanilla to caramel brown before slowly (after 119.53 seconds to be exact) settling down into its familiar inky black look. On closer inspection Guinness isn't black at all but rather dark ruby red. The chocolate coloured head is thick, stubborn and sticky.
Fruity, roasted aromas with a touch of classroom blackboard, some liquorice and mild coffee and chocolate tones. Compared to modern stouts Guinness just isn't keeping up and lacks both power and complexity.
Medium sweet front end with a taste of muscovado sugar and from then on it's all burnt malts, expresso coffee and tar. I also get some fireside flavours too. Imagine sucking on a small lump of charcoal and you're getting close. Mild bitter finish but it's the acrid burnt malt flavours that you'll remember most. Overall I had a sense of drinking a brand more than a beer.
One of the classic beer and food pairings is Guinness and oysters and who am I to argue! Don't stop there though as Guinness adds a delicious contrast to nearly all shellfish, including crab, lobster and crayfish. A hearty Irish stew is also a great companion, as is beef and game.
Nerd note
For me Guinness is like one of those nice aunts you only ever see once every few years. You never think about it until you see it, you enjoy each others company for a brief while and then you go on to completely forget about it again. Guinness is one of the most instantly recognisable brand names in history (probably....) and is synonymous with the Irish stout style. It gets much of its distinctive 'burnt' flavours from roasted unmalted barley. For me Guinness is best enjoyed either on draft or in bottle as Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, a deliciously rich 7.5% ABV version.
Rating
2.5 of 5
I can’t imagine drinking Guinness from a can, and am probably biased against the bottles since the 330ml with a squirter to get a froth on the beer in the 90s. Also, I don’t think the draught beer abroad is quite as good as in Ireland (this is compounded by the fact that most bar tenders throw it out over the counter without doing the settle-and-refill that the beer craves).
For me, Guinness is to be drunk, standing up by a peat fire, surrounded by people who all smell slightly damp from the rain pouring outside. A good bartender, and a tulip glass are needed, as well as a bit of friendly abuse from the others in the bar.
I’m nearly homesick now…
Paul – although I’m not Irish I feel strangely homesick too now!