Guinness question?

Question

Just returned from Ireland, where you can get "Extra stout" in bottles even this is better than the UK "Draught" Guinness, whats the story? anyone know why there are so many variaties of Guinness? I loved the hand drawn stuff exceptional pint in every single pub or cafe but as soon as I got home it just aint the same...........puzzled & disappointed

I live in the UK, I am a real ale drinker and sample many local micro brewery ales I particularly like the dark ones.

Guinness "extra stout" is readily available in Ireland in cans too, "Foreign Export" I have yet to sample. The UK version of Guinness is obviously a different brew.

Answer 1

hey srry but i dont know about how to make guinness or anything but im from ireland and comparred to different places guinness ireland came out on top ;)
just have to get used to the fact that ireland make guinness in a different way to the rest of the world
srry

Answer 2

Extra Stout is "soured" Guinness. I kid you not, they put a delicious bacterial culture in it. If you're in the USA, the Extra Stout can be found in the brown glass bottles. The different varieties are due to two things: Marketing research and what they're able to ship while maintaining the flavor. However, even the best shipping changes the flavor of beer, which is why the best beers are always, without exception, the ones brewed locally. The farther you are from the Guinness brewery, the lower the quality of Guinness will be. It's just a sad fact of nature. On the positive side, consider it an incentive to sample locally-made beers. And by "locally made", I do not mean megabrewery ("Bud-Mill-Oors") weak swill.

Answer 3

In the US you can get Extra Stout only in the bottle. Its about 5.6 percent alcohol and is meant to be drunk out of a glass. Not as creamy as draught but until recently the only type available.

In the last few years, Pub Draught has been added. It is lower in alcohol, about 4.2 percent. This is available in the can (containing the now semi-famous widget) and is also best if poured into a pint glass.
Recently added is the draught bottle. It also contains a widget that every time you tip the bottle to take a drink, it spins around which agitates the beer, creating head in the bottle, thus trying to recreate the taste of drinking real draught beer.
Since the average American consumer likes to drink their beer at slightly above freezing (which thankfully can mask the taste), its somewhat difficult to consume authentic Guinness. I would suggest finding a nice Irish bar in your town.

Answer 4

Trust me - it gets worse in the USA. Had a great pint of Newcastle drawn at Heathrow, some pub in duty free. Came to the US, went into a bar claiming Newcastle draught - it was like freaking soapy water. It was awful!

You guys have the best freaking beer in the world in the UK.

Answer 5

does that mean VB will be better in Vicotria?

i'm in Australia, no wonder i've been disapointed. worse than the travel i once think i caught a bar maid water it down, yitch. Tasted very worng. She got a standard can, poured it into a pint glass then disappeared to "fix the head" and came back with it full??? never going to that pub ever again.

you got it good, just be grateful for that.

Answer 6

Guinness doesn't travel very well, If u have a pint in the USA it just tastes wrong.

Answer 7

Its very simple really the Irish water table is positively pollutant free in comparison to most of the rest of the uk, Good water=good beer

Answer 8

who cares, try it with a shot of Martel. three of these and i start to howl at the moon