Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

4 out of 5 Hops


Extra is right, Arthur Guinness. This is one bad mamajama, and its a hefty 7.5% ABV. This stout is in your face out the gate with roasted barley and coffee aroma. The taste is initially malty and sweet, but soon turns to a dry, roasted bitterness going down. Looking at some clone recipes for this one I believe the roasted barley and Challenger hops combined comprise the bitterness instead of just hops in other beers. This one is not for everyone. The flavor is darker and bolder than the widget draught bottles or the on-tap beer. Its what I always imagined a Guinness would taste like when I saw it in a glass. The draught version is lighter and creamier with a chocolate hint versus coffee in the FES. This version only recently hit the shores of the US in September 2010. Long overdue, since it has been enjoyed in other parts of the world for many a year. Hopefully the market here supports this one. I like this and I highly recommend picking up a four pack if you like stouts since we don't know if it will stick around. Sláinte!

"Half and Half" Harps Lager and Guiness Stout

3 out of 5 Hops


I only gave this combo a 3 out of 5 due to the Guinness bottle. Its really hard to get the right flavor at home without the nitrous pour. I only recently tried a Black and Tan at a pub, but it had Bass Ale versus Harp Lager. I don't know if this is just an American drink or if the Lucky Irish enjoy this as well. My guess is they laugh at this sort of thing. This is also my first taste of Harp Lager. It is a German Pilsener style beer that is light and refreshing. ABV is 5.0% and IBU is at 23.5. Not a bad lager at all. The Guiness is another story. Try as they may, the widgets are just not giving me the draught body and flavor. Oh well. Guinness itself is a great dry stout and calorie count is a low 125, for you dieters. ABV is a meager 4.3 and the taste is decent...just not the same as a bar. To pour a Black and Tan, pour the pale or lager first halfway. Next, pour the Guinness or a large, flat spoon slowly and let it run off the sides. The taste is good. Ale and lager together give this an interesting flavor. Its a nice pour for around the house or to show off for friends. Obviously, the first half is mainly stout and the second half is the lager. Sláinte!

Browar Amber "Grand Imperial Porter"

3 out of 5 Hops





Unique Baltic Porter from Poland. I think this is my first Polish Beer. Its a dark brown with a sweet fruitlike smell. At first sniff, I thought it smelled like a flat Pepsi. Funny how we all have our own unique smell-abilities. The taste at first is sweet Port Wine with a slight hop bitterness at the finish. Mouthfeel is thin which seems odd for a Porter until you learn that this brew is bottom fermented according to the Brewery. A bottom fermenting beer is made with lager yeast. There is not much of a "lager" taste; much the way a New Belgium 1554 (also lager yeast) is not lager-y either. Maybe the dark and chocolate roast grains offset the taste. I like the dry, light aftertaste This beer is 8% and very drinkable; albeit unique to my palate. I cannot find the hop info for this one but I would guess they are mostly early boil since I don't detect much aroma.