Guinness Extra Stout (North America)

Brewed by Labatt Breweries (InBev)
Style: Dry Stout
London, Canada

Beer fans might rave about Gunness Extra Stout (GES) but I can’t find a whole lot to like about it. This may be the Guinness that started it all, but it definitely is not the Guinness that many casual beer drinkers worldwide have come to love. GES is far too fizzy for my tastes. Without the nitrogenation, it does not have the smooth, creamy texture made popular by Guinness Draught (GD). There’s just far too much carbonation here. While GES tastes similar to Guinness Draught, that great chocolate-coffee-roasty flavor of GD is overpowered by the bitterness of the additional hops. Another interesting aspect is that GES is not suitable for making half and halfs or black and tans. As a beer newbie, I wasn’t expecting this. My attempts ended up producing a blackish mass of an odd flavor that was only drinkable because I don’t believe in wasting beer. The worst part of this beer is the harsh metallic aftertaste. While I can overlook all of its other shortcomings, the aftertaste is what turns an otherwise decent beer into something that makes me grimace. After a few sips, the aftertaste becomes less noticeable, but it keeps GES from being a beer I could love.

Really pleasantly surprised by this beer. I love Guinness, but at same time i hate stout beers due to majority being very sweet. This beer is nothing like that. It has a bit of a pine flavor to it. Its quite bitter for stout. It has a nice dark brown colour. Foam is light brown and it disappears quickly. That is the only disappointing thing about this beer. It has a light aftertaste and its very smooth going down.

(br-btl bk/cm-lbl)
thin head, med co2,
malty up front, slightly bitter on the swallow, slight charcoal aftertaste.
Better than the regular american Guinness, but nothing great.

Bottle. Pours black with brown highlights. The frothy tan head quickly dissipated. Burnt malt and vinegar aroma. A tangy acidic flavor was overpowering. Not much flavor beyond that, maybe a hint of burnt toast. I like Guinness Draught, but this stuff was almost undrinkable. Maybe I picked up a bad six-pack.

Smells bitter... tastes it, too. There’s a hint of pine... smokiness... could we just say, "Smells like a log cabin burning down?" Tastes... (very!) dark chocolate, old library book, burned coffee, or scorched black tea flavors... and bizarre in-betweens. Carbonation... bubbles hit the tip of the tongue hard. (Or I’ve bitten mine.) Liquid rests in glass a deep brown, between root beer and chocolate... head is a light brown.

12 oz bottle. I can’t believe this stuff is brewed by Moosehead. I *hate* Moosehead. This is unbelievable. I figured when I bought this that it was authentic, meaning brewed in Ireland. WTF? Okay, I haven’t even ranked it yet. I will give it a chance. Aroma is excellent. It reminds me of Samuel Smiths’ dark beers. Smells like dough. Pours nearly completely black with a medium head which dissipates into a thin layer of foam. Nice lacing. Taste is somewhat sweet at first but it leaves a bitter aftertaste, then some sourness even. Full-bodied, fully carbonated. Obviously a very well-made stout. Good job Moosehead! Now if you can only apply this level of quality to your flagship skunky lager.

Slightly roasted malty, toffee syrup and nutmeg nose. Deep black/brown with a subtle amber hue, massive frothy dark tan head. Roasted coffee candy sweetness, tart bitter bite for balance. Lively carbonation, medium body, finish is roasted malt with a lingering mouth of neutral smoke. Tart bitterness holds up nice with the big roasted flavors, beer never feels overwhelming

Bottle from Whole Foods Market, Charlottesville, VA. Pours an opaque black color with a large tan head that sneaks up on you. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma of dry grainy notes and slight nuttiness with a tart dark fruit note in the finish. Taste is roasted malts and dark fruits with just a hint of smoke. Fairly hoppy. Medium bodied.