Guinness Beers: Exploring The Diverse Range Of Stouts

Guinness is one of the most successful alcohol brands in the world, brewed in almost 50 countries and available in over 120. The company has over 250 years of brewing history and has been producing numerous beers since it was founded in 1759. While Guinness is best known for its Irish stout, there are several other types of Guinness beers available, including the Extra Stout, the Foreign Extra Stout, the Antwerpen, and the Blonde. In addition, the company has created many limited-edition and experimental beers over the years, such as the West Indies Porter, the Nitro IPA, and the Zero ABV. With its distinct dark colour, creamy texture, and roasted scent, Guinness has become synonymous with Irish culture and is enjoyed by people all over the world.

Guinness Extra Stout

The beer is dark ruby red with a frothy head and has a sharp and crisp taste with the trademark Guinness flavours at its core. It is subtly fruity with warming, roasted notes of coffee and dark chocolate. It has a rich, creamy mouthfeel without being too heavy. The hops provide a nice balance to the malts, allowing a slight sweetness to show on the finish.

The Extra Stout is teetering into the porter category. As stouts and porters share a number of similarities, there is a little bit of leeway in terms of branding. The beer itself is based on an earlier Guinness recipe (pre-dating the popular Guinness Irish Stout recipe) that was first whipped up back in 1821 and, at the time, went by the name Superior Porter.

The Extra Stout is available in the USA and Canada, and is especially beloved in West Indian, West African, and Caribbean communities.

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

Foreign Extra Stout was originally known as West India Porter. It was first brewed in 1801 for export to Irish expats in the Caribbean. The addition of extra hops ensured the stout would survive the long journey from Dublin to the Caribbean. The beer was renamed Foreign Extra Stout in the late 1840s and its export and production footprint continued to grow. It is now a staple beer across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.

The Foreign Extra Stout has a higher alcohol content than regular Guinness, at 7.5% ABV. It has a heavy mouthfeel and a dry and nutty finish. It is described as having better carbonation than many stouts.

Foreign Extra Stout is a popular beer, enjoyed by millions around the world. It has received positive reviews, with some describing it as the best Guinness beer and one of the best stouts available.

Guinness Draught

The iconic pint was not the first beer brewed by Guinness, which was founded by Arthur Guinness. In fact, Guinness Draught was first brewed in 1959 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Arthur Guinness signing a 9,000-year lease on St. James's Gate Brewery.

The draught can also be purchased in cans, and the perfect pour can be achieved at home. For the classic pour, a clean pint glass should be held at a 45-degree angle, and the draught should be slowly poured off the side of the glass. As the glass fills, it is slowly tilted upwards until it is vertical. For the hard pour, the can is opened and quickly turned 180 degrees upside down, pouring vertically into a clean pint glass. The can is slowly removed from the glass, and the draught is allowed to settle.

Guinness West Indies Porter

The West Indies Porter is ruby red with a frothy head and has a complex yet smooth and mellow flavour profile. It has a sweet, chocolate taste with a hint of toffee and slight notes of chocolate. The beer has an alcohol content of 6°.

The West Indies Porter has received positive reviews from beer enthusiasts, who describe it as a "great old school porter" and "a magnificent stout." Some highlight the complex flavours, while others praise the crisp feel and the low bitterness. A few reviewers mention that it is a nice change from the creaminess usually associated with the Guinness brand.

The West Indies Porter is a testament to the innovation and dedication of the Guinness brewers, who, even in the early 1800s, were determined to create a beer that could travel and be enjoyed by drinkers around the world.

Guinness Nitro IPA

Guinness has a wide range of beers, including stouts, porters, and IPAs. One of their IPAs is the Guinness Nitro IPA. This beer is made in Dublin, Ireland, at St. James's Gate and has a unique and complex blend of ingredients.

The Nitro IPA is brewed with Irish barley malt and a touch of roasted barley, giving it a sharp citrus aroma and a smooth, creamy texture. The blend of CO2 and nitrogen in the beer helps to balance out the profusion of hop flavors, creating a signature surge and settle that Guinness is known for. The use of nitrogen in their beers is what gives Guinness its iconic creamy, smooth taste and head.

The Guinness Nitro IPA features five different hop varieties: Admiral, Celeia, Topaz, Challenger, and Cascade. The Challenger, Cascade, and Topaz hops are dry-hopped to enhance the citrus aroma and create a unique flavor profile. The blend of hops gives the beer a strong body with citrus and pine notes, resulting in a perfectly balanced flavor and aroma.

The Nitro IPA has an ABV of 5.8% and approximately 210 calories. It pours a golden, honey color and has a long-lasting head of dense bubbles. The taste is smooth, creamy, and rich, with a pleasant bitter hoppy finish. While some people enjoy the unique combination of nitrogen and IPA, others find that it falls flat, especially when compared to the traditional British IPA.

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