Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (Jamaica/Kenya)

Brewed by Desnoes and Geddes (Diageo PLC)
Style: Foreign Stout
Kingston, Jamaica

This is a 6.5% Foreign Extra Stout brewed under licence by Kenya Breweries Ltd in Nairobi. I’m rating it here because the 6.5% abv is the same as the Jamaican version. Very roasty, coffee-ish aroma, maybe some diacytel, too. Big coffee and burnt toast flavors, some very understated fruity notes. Very dry, almost harsh finish. All in all, it seems a bit rough arond the edges.

The brown body is dark enough to seem black under most lighting. Despite an aggressive pour, the head was half a finger at best, then diminished into a halo circling a tiny bubbled film. The aroma’s roasted malt & barley, some bitter-sweet chocolate, molasses, a couple of raisins, and a touch of sourness. It has a big (almost too) roasted malt flavor with burnt nuts, chocolate, and that nagging lactic sourness. It finishes on a bitter roasty nost. More interesting than enjoyable.

<font size=-4>Thanks to <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=1 for letting me double-digit in the style.<font size=-1>

Thick, rich, malty, molasses, dates and pastry dough in the aroma with a light floral component and a pleasant dark roasty undercurrent. Jet black body with some mahogany highlights at the edges crowned by a fluffy pillow of fine bubbled tan head that lasts throughout and laces beautifully. Thick rich chocolate, doughy malts, some raisins, and dark pit fruit lead through to a very assertive roastiness with a slight sourness in the after taste. Medium full body is quite luscious, creamy and smooth without being thick or syrupy. Moderate carbonation and a dry lasting finish. Pint glass. Cellar temperature. Bottle (Sep-05).

Just a good old Guinness. Must say though. You have to drink it fast in Jamaica because it’s not good when it gets warm, which it does quickly at the Ultimate Jerk Center in Discovery Bay, JA (outdoor bar). Lots of Jamaicans really like this brew. Good friend of mine there drinks 6 of these a day from ~4:00pm to ~11:30pm.

Bottle from Goldtwins. Deep brown, near black in color with a decent beige head. Some lacing. Rather fruity in aroma, at least when compared to the normal stuff found in the US. Medium bodied. Roasted grains and light fruitiness in flavor with just a touch of tart acidity. Decent, a touch better than the US marketed Guinness.

Brought some home from Montego Bay where this is everywhere. Still have another bottle if anyone wants it. Not for me. Pours black with a large dark brown head, resembling chocolate milk when you blow bubbles in it with a straw. Malts up front and then the bitter finish. Not as thick and heavy as expected, but slimey and sticky on my tongue. Had to choke down the last few sips of it. Just not my style. Give me something lighter and easier to drink any day.

Poured with a slow-to-form, tan & spongy head over a deep mahognay/brown body. Strong esters in the aroma that is chocolate and roasts. An almost vinous flavor made me think this had oxidized, but I see other reviewers mentioning sourness. Otherwise, malty & tart with roasts showing through and a finish that lingers like coffee that’s been sitting on the hot plate all day.

<font size=-4>Bottle from Ocean’s 11, Ocho Rios, Jamaica (no link, sorry)<font size=-1>

Bottle from Goldtwins. I’ve had this before, gave some away and never rated it myself. Thick, tan creamy head over an opaque black body. Light toasted malt aroma. Light to medium bodied with lots of burnt roast malt flavor. Long lingering bitter finish. Bitter and rather one-dimensional. Kenyan version from Suttree. I’ll rate this the same as the Jamaican.