Brewery: Guinness, Ltd., Dublin, Ireland
Beer: Guinness Extra Stout
Serving: 12 oz bottle
Glassware: Guinness imperial pint.
Information: 6% ABV, L1259NE2 on shoulder in black.
Style: Irish Dry Stout
Price: n/a
Availability: Year-round
Cellaring: Not recommended for extended aging.
Pairings: Barbecue or Latin American cuisine, chocolate, smoked or grilled meat.
Appearance
Dark black, Guinness Extra Stout shows a sliver of tawny mahogany at the bottom while at the top, a dense tan head rises. Thick lace coats the glass following the foam’s fast departure.
Smell
Dense bakers chocolate maltiness carries smoothly into a deeper roast character but the beer still feels like it’s thin and one-dimensional. Metallic hints to the finish.
Taste
Heavily roasted malt presents itself as acrid bitterness at first, slowly shifting to bittersweet chocolate with a light coffee hint on the finish. Harshly grainy, the flavor falls right into place for an Irish Dry Stout.
Mouthfeel
A smooth entry finds itself amid both acrid bitter and dry roasted malt as well as a bite of graininess on the finish. The lingering finish continues to draw me back though.
Overall
While it certainly isn’t the greatest beer the world’s seen, Guinness Extra Stout adheres very closely to style guidelines to produces a rich, full-bodied beer that has heavy roasted malt character. Enjoyable!
Score: 79 / 100 - Good
Cheers,
-Andy
