What do you think of Guinness Beer?

Question

I have heard around that this is a good tasting beer and it is a "Dark Lager." I would like to know what makes this beer different from the rest and what are everyone else's opinions on this beer.
Is it worth buying?

Answer 1

Your question has a number of accurate answers, but for the purpose of this discussion, I will presumne you mean Draught Guinness. First, when discussing Guinness Stout (And it IS a Stout, not a true ale and certainly not a lager), you need to agree what we are talking about. To my mind, Guinness Stout is what is available-on tap-in Ireland. If you ever have the chance to taste it, you will taste a little slice of HEAVEN! After touring Ireland in one of my bands back in the 90's, I no longer have a taste for Guinness here in the states because the Guinness available here, whether canned Draught, Bottled or Tap Draught are as different from REAL Guinness Stout as a Porche is from a Pontiac.

The Guinness Stout we get here in the states is pretty dreadful in comparison to the REAL thing. It is flat, watery, lacks the depth of flavor of "real" Guinness and it is just not enjoyable in my humble opinion. Even in Ireland, the Irish will tell you the further you get from Dublin, the lower the quality of the Guinness! In my experience, that is absolutely true. And even though the Guinness we get here is brewed in Canada, in an attempt to get a fresher product to the States, it is a poor imitation-kind of like Real Coke vs. Sam's Choice, understand?

Bottom line is: If you like a very strongly favored black beer and you can have it in Ireland, there is no doubt Guinness is the gold standard for serious beer tasters. If not, I advise you to steer clear of US Guinness and try one of the great American microbrews like Highland Oatmeal Porter, or Sam Adams Black Lager or Rogue Chocolate Stout if you want a great black beer. Cheers!

Answer 2

People either love it or hate it. I belong into the first category.

It is different due to it's taste and the drinking method involved. The taste is quite bitter.
It absolutely HAS to be draught with nitrogen - this is the only way to get this creamy layer of foam on top of it. You drink it by sipping the beer through the foam.
There is one exception, though: You CAN buy Guinness Draught in cans. These include a small nitrogen capsule which opens along with the can. Those cans have to be served chilled to the right temperature.

Some other rules: NEVER drink a Guinness from the tap in London - they just can't do it.... ;-)
If you can't drink it in Ireland, at least find yourself a good irish pub which uses nitrogen.

There is another stout which is not quite as bitter as Guinness, but harder to come by: Murphy's. Excellent stuff, too.

Hope that helps.

P.S.: And not to forget, this is irish stuff, so it definetely also depends on the spirit you're in, your mood. Having a Guinness at O'Donaghue's (one of the most famous pubs, the Dubliners used to play there) in Dublin or Joe Watty's in Kilronan on Inishmore is simply priceless. Slantje!

Answer 3

Guinness is not lager, it is a type of beer called "stout". It is black in colour, but when poured properly has a creamy white head on top which should be about a centimetre thick. The black stuff is very bitter, but is nice when drunk through the creamy head. Guinness feels very "solid" so it is a good drink when you are cold, but is not generally liked as a cooling drink in the summer, even though it can be just as cold as any other beer.

Guinness is a difficult drink to pour. You have to fill the glass, then leave it to stand for about 2-3 minutes, then top it up. Some pubs couldn't be bothered and serve you a pint with the froth mixed with the black.

Other good stouts are Murphy and Beamish.

Answer 4

Guiness is a very strong tasting beer (stout) with a deep bitter finish. If you want to ease up on that, try a black and tan first. The Harps will usually add a lighter taste to the Guinness to make it easier to drink. If you really like the B&T, then you can move to the straight Guinness. However, Guinness in Ireland tastes much, much, much better than in the States.

Answer 5

Guinness, like other stouts has a distinctive taste and is completely different from the more inexpensive swills that most people buy. You will probably have to acquire a taste for it, but once you learn to enjoy it rather than compare it, you will love it! It's a heavier beer too, so you need to learn to savor the taste. Guinness is also full of antioxidants, so its actually good for you!

Cheers mate!

Answer 6

Guinness is a stout, not a lager. Stout has a different composition than lager.
Most Americans don't appreciate stout because they are used to p**s water which has to be ice cold to drink and it's only barely palatable then.
Stout is best chilled like a blush wine. It is also better on tap than bottled or canned.
It is only worth buying if you really want to appreciate how good a brew CAN be.

Answer 7

Guinness is definitely an acquired taste. don't get me wrong it taste great but you really have to like dark lager. Some people even describe it as a little bitter. It is worth buying because it is a great tasting dark lager.

Answer 8

I like Guinness, although it is not for light beer drinkers. I suspect they use Nitrous Oxide in addition to carbon dioxide to provide some of the carbonation and give it the unique foamy head. I brew beer and once filled a whipped cream dispenser with fermented out beer. The head was very similar to Guinness.

Answer 9

It's a dark ale, rather than a dark lager.

Guinness is very distinctive tasting, and not to everybody's liking. It's really rich, tastes pretty savoury and a pint is about as filling as eating a small chocolate bar.

I like it, but have heard that it doesn't taste quite as good in the US as it does in Ireland / UK / Europe. I believe it has something to do with the water used to brew it - logically, you'd expect it to taste best in Ireland, but I've never been there so can't offer an answer on that!

try it.

Answer 10

Its an acquired taste,they used to give hospital patients in Britain a nip of Guinnes.I prefer Lager type beers.