Got a 4 pack of this on Friday. Apparently, this beer has not been available in the American market for 80 years. Reminds me of an RIS, nice roasted characters at 7.5% abv.
I read in the latest issue of Zymurgy that they were releasing this to the US. I last had it at the brewery’s Public House in Dublin. It is excellent and by far my favorite stout. Can’t wait to find it here and try it out!
I had some a few weeks back, I really like it.
Picked up a four pack a couple weeks ago myself…
I was definitely not disappointed with this beer! It reminded me of Guinness on steroids, if you will. It has a hint of that typical Guinness flavor, but was bigger, roastier, and a little more hoppy (IIRC). Definitely hope it sticks around!
Of course, at 7.5%ABV, I am starting to wonder what it would be like after 6 months aging…
I was fortunate enough to drink a few of these in Jamaica 6 years ago only to realize that it ruined me for most lower abv stouts. I honestly have had only a couple of regular Guinness since. Needless to say I was stoked to find out they were releasing it here in the States. The article I read said it was going to hit in October so I figured it would 2011 before it got here to the beer wasteland. To my surprised my local store had it the 1st week of Oct.
-J.K.L.
I’ll have to put this one on my list. Thanks for the heads up.
To add just a little more, I drank the last of the 4-pack last night.
I noticed a little of the “tropical” side of it while sipping it last night…of course, this was after a glass of my American Stout so that may have jacked up my sense of taste a little. Still a darn good beer, which I thought was even more intriguing after noticing that tropical aspect.
When I say tropical, I mean a perceived sweetness, sort of. It was not like a milk stout, but it had a richness to it that was most enjoyable. Definitely picking up some more of this the next time I hit the beer shop!
Don’t they use sorghum in this recipe? I thought I read that somewhere about the foreign extra stout. that might account for the perceived sweetness as not all the sugars in molasses are fermentable
Hadn’t read that, but I am sure it is possible. Regardless…TASTY! ;D
Really?!? I bought some in upstate New York last winter…
I’m confused - they use sorghum and molasses? Because it reads to me like you’re saying sorghum is molasses . . . except it’s not. :-\
It’s always been in the markets here in southern Oregon.
I think you guys are thinking of Guinness Extra Stout and not the Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, which is different - 4pks vs. 6pks, 11.2oz bottles vs. 12oz, and about 3% abv or so.
Actually there are two versions of this beer. The U.S. version came in at about 6.5% and Foreign Extra at 7.5%. The stronger one has never been available in the U.S. as far as I know. I have a bottle from the Cayman Islands that says “Guinness is good for you” right on the label. You won’t see that in the states.
The draught Guinness in the 11.2 ounce bottles with the widget is an entirely different animal.
sorry Jeffy - you’re wrong ;) :D. what we are talking about is the one that is 7.5% that just became available in the US - I bought some last week at Total Wine.
I’d be surprised that we have it before Tampa, so its probably out there if you want it.
For inquiring minds.
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
Guinness Extra Stout
No, I’m actually not wrong. There are two slightly different versions. The 6.5% has been available here for a long time, but not the 7.5%. I’ll have to pick some up. I’ll also check to see if the slightly less strong version is still at the store.
both versions are both still available. that’s what I’m saying - you’re wrong in saying that its not available in the States - it was just released in the states (which is what generated this thread and hence why I said it in my best “McLaughlin Group” w/ smiley statement since an article referenced the new release- damn interwebs).
there’s now 3 versions of packaged Guinness available on the market - Draught w/ widget, Extra Stout, and Foreign Extra Stout - (4 if cans are still out there)?
sorry to be unclear. I was refering to sorghum which is sometimes refered to as molasses. When you make sugar from sugar cane you get molasses left over but if you back sorghum syrup by pressing the sorghum stalks it is often refered to interchangably. I meant sorghum.
I thought you were saying that there was only the one strong Guinness in the heavier, 12 ounce bottles, so I went to my local store and bought a six-pack of imported Guinness Extra Stout. This one was brewed in Canada and doesn’t have the alc% on the bottle, but as I recall it’s about 6.5%. It’s been on the shelf of that store for a long, long time. I’ll have to go look for the newly released Foreign Extra at a real beer store.