Guinness Extra Stout - what's the diff?

They're different beers. The "regular" Guinness stout is a lighter beer more suited to drinking on draught, and the widget stuff lets them sell that session-type beer in a more mixed- gas draught-like form. The Extra Stout is a stronger beer more suited to bottles, or at least standard CO2 dispense and presentation. Incidentally, Guinness has been experimenting with the tight creamy headed draught presentation in bottles/can in various forms since at least around 1985-- I have a bottle and a black syringe doohickey a friend brought me back from Ireland around that time. The syringe method for getting a tight creamy head works even on other beers, FWIW.

It's really just marketing. Guinness have decided that, worldwide, what the average drinker expects from Guinness is a tight creamy head (even though this only arrived in 1967 when keg draught Guinness replaced the cask conditioned version in Ireland).

Guinness Extra Stout (or, in some markets, Guinness Export Stout) is a specialist beer that even the cynical Guinness marketing people wouldn't expect to be served with a big nitro head.

Guinness is just Irish Bud! Drink your local stout/porter brews from whatever your local microbrewery is.

Best regards, Paul

-- Paul Sherwin Consulting

Perhaps. But travelling around I've drank many a local beers from microbreweries and brewpubs that left me yawning (and not from having had too many!) That has yet to happen with Guinness Extra Stout. And what do you do when there is no local micro? The only other dark thing on the beer aisle is AB Black&Tan.

Cheers!

If the best you've got locally is Guiness Extra you owe yourself a visit to this web site.

OBDisclaimer: I'm just a satisfied customer.

Have the Labbat-brewed Guinness Extra sold in the States.

Although, that still may not have you yawning. Spitting and cursing, that's another story.

-Steve

Tastes fine to me. But I guess I could stick to AB B&T instead, or their attempt at a Bock? And no, I can't get beer by mail.

It's a poor, poor shadow of its former self.

Bah. Neither's any good, and there are thousands of other dark beers out there, if dark beer is your thing.

Shouldn't need to, depending on where you live. Which is where? There might be some suggestions to generate based on that.

-Steve

I had been very disappointed with the thin Labbatt-brewed version, but every once in a while I give some a try in the hope of a change for the better. Yesterday I had one that was noticeably better: bigger/cleaner roast barley and malt flavors and not terribly sour, somewhat like the Irish version just before the switch to Labbatt (IIRC, others on this ng had noted a change in the flavor of the Irish version around that time). Taste buds failing me? Wishful thinking? A true change for the better? Will have to do further research. :)

Rural deep south. Nearest major metro areas are over 100 and 200 miles away respectively. Not convenient when you need real beer! I guess I _could_ buy 3 or 4 months worth at a time...hmmm.

Or learn to brew your own.

That does make it tougher, living in a rural area like that. You may not have much for microbreweries around, but it would be interesting to see what other sorts of imports come in. And, nothing at all wrong with stocking up for a few months at a time.

-Steve

Wow! I can't imagine a more intense brew than regular Guinness. a darker more intense brew with an even stronger bitter after taste would be almost undrinkable to the average drinker.

After Malvern Hill Pres. Lincoln visited with Gens. Mc Clellen & Sumner as well as Col. Nugent (Commander of the Irish Brigade.)` A Lt. James. M. Birmingham, Adjutant of the 88th N. Y. came from a swim in the James R. & with his underwear drying on his body saw them talking. He ducked behind some cover to eavesdrop in time to see & hear Pres. Lincoln (overcome with emotion at the bravery & sacrifice of the Irish Brigade.) as he lifted a corner of the 69th N. Y.'s flag, kissed it & said "God bless this Irish flag" From Joseph Bilby's book "Remember Fontenoy" on the Irish Brigade Lancaster Civil War Round Table Website

Hey, man, take that crap to rec.crafts.brewing, okay? Wow, if only this NG was, like, moderated.

Try a Victory Storm King or better yet, a North Coast Old Rasputin. Makes Guinness taste like a milk shake. They're both (imperial) stouts BTW...

PERFECT! More for me!!!!

Garry

Really? I drink Guinness quite regularly and I don't think it's as intense or bitter as some people make it out to be. I find it to be a very smooth and drinkable beer. It's one of my favorites, actually.

I suppose it could be considered "intense" and "bitter" when compared with something like Miller Lite or Coors Light...but then, those aren't *really* beer, are they? ;-)

nope. ive really offended people when i wouldnt let them bring shit like that into the house :>

if they want to drink horse piss they can do it somewhere else.

-- Saerah

TANSTAAFL

"We're all one thing, Lieutenant. That's what I've come to realize. Like cells in a body. 'Cept we can't see the body. The way fish can't see the ocean. And so we envy each other. Hurt each other. Hate each other. How silly is that? A heart cell hating a lung cell." - Cassie from THE THREE

Guiness is one of the smoothest beers out there. Not "bitter" at all...