Guinness Extra Stout (Original)
Guinness Ltd.

gooddaydiablo from New Jersey

4.19/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

look: clear black with white foamy head

smell: toasted malt

taste: toasty, malty, hearty

feel: creamy and smooth, a little light

overall: not bad option for a stout if you can't find anything good

Oct 22, 2020

realJohnnyHobo from Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Time to examine the original. The goat, the one until the nitrowidget came along and changed the brand, was the receipe that took the brand off. I know plenty about Guinness and have had their draught condition too many times to count and quickly noticing this is bottle conditioned cO2 rather than the n2O I am accustomed to.

Probed the beer and I am at 9.2˚C, a bit too cold to probably get all the notes I will find later as I let the six pack warm up. Intense action on the head, had well over 3 fingers with an aggressive pour. Typical Guinness with more of a soapy head than creamy, still a delightful appearance. There is a lot of character in the smell. A bit of rich toffee, roasted, and chocolate maltiness that can be only one thing, Guinness.

First taste is very overwhelmingly rich, carbonated, and a lot to think on. The dry finish accompanied by the hoppy nature of the finish makes this a pleasurable experience, I am guessing 18 IBU's? The signature malt roasting is intensely right in your face. It would be as if you're biting a spoonful of roasted barely. A bit of a chewy mouthfeel, moreish and keeps you wanting more.

Liking the nitro-draught based on the mouthfeel I believe this is still exciting, but bottle conditioned is a bit overwhelming in carbonation and is a quick draw back. With the foreign I know it to have a more neutral carbonation. On the plus side the chalkiness typically found in the finish is more hoppy and has an exciting bite (as I mentioned above). I could see why this is brewed.

Oct 07, 2020

bigdeuce from Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +12%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This is one outstanding brew. I shied away from Guinness for long periods of time because Guinness draft sucks and is the most popular in the US.
Extra stout pours a completely black body with a craggy tan head that stays with you on every sip. Scents of chocolate and toffee on the nose. The taste is thick and creamy. Medium bodied. Roasted hazelnut flavor with some dark roasted malts on the palate with some great balancing hops to round this beer out. It’s a tough one to put down and an excellent session beer and very underrated.

Sep 29, 2020

jmbrill81 from Virginia

4.48/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This is the Guinness to drink. Why isn't this one on draft. I'm like regular guinness, and if a bar goes pours a lot of guinness and keeps its taps clean, it can be sublime (especially if you're already drunk - why is that?), but Guinness Extra Stout is a million times better.

Sep 23, 2020

hamptonbrandon from Wales

4.53/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Really good stuff! This is a great choice if you want to get drunk relatively quick, but without sacrificing flavour like with many cheap, watered down high alcohol content brews. It pours like a typical Guinness, that black look with red at the bottom-- black cherry if you will. Has a big cream-coloured head and the carbonation flows downward beautifully. The smell is of fresh coffee beans in the bag and a little bit of hops. The flavour is initially bitter, but well rounded and that of coffee and a little bit of dark chocolate as an aftertaste. Definitely would recommend, as well as the regular Guinness we all know and love. Get this in ya.

Sep 13, 2020

imnodoctorbut from Texas

3.77/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

dark as night body pours a bubbly tan head with low retention that settles to halo and leaves limited lacing

smells of chocolate malt, coffee, and faint hops.

tastes like a standard guinness with hop bittersweet dryness, roasted coffee, and deeper chocolate notes.

light carbonation, medium body, dry finish

overall:
a good benchmark for the style; like a guinness with bonus features. solid.

Sep 09, 2020

jesthu from Georgia

3.23/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Look - Somewhere in the 30+ SRM range(opaque black), nice tan head. Head retention's alright.

Smell - Very slight. Was kind of disappointed. Bit of the roasted coffee you expect.

Taste/Mouthfeel - Yeah it's roasty. Slight acidity on the palette, and a nice silky mouthfeel. Aftertaste lingers with some warmth giving the feeling of a fresh cup of coffee.

Overall - Better than the draft, but not oustanding by any means. A good standard Irish stout you can trust, but there's also better out there. Nothing amazing, but fine the way it is.

Jul 12, 2020

HopHippie from Wisconsin

4.51/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

L: Fully pitch black with a creamy white head.
S: Like regular Guinness but with more hops, more intense chocolate malt.
T: An incredible blend of bitter and sweet, chocolate, coffee, hops and sweet malt all blend beautifully.
F: Silky smooth with mild carbonation.
O: A surprisingly refreshing stout, pretty much just a 10x better Guinness with its one issue I had with it fixed; that being it felt toned down. But this full flavored, bold stout is a real keeper.

Jul 09, 2020

HappyGuy12345 from New Jersey

4.73/5  rDev +25.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from 20 ounce can into a stout glass
Look: Black with a thick tan head (3 fingers) with awesome retention. Just like Guinness Draught, seeing this beer being poured into a glass is a thing of beauty and deserves nothing less than a perfect score.
Smell: Subtle hints of chocolate and malt
Taste: Mildly sweet + very mildly bitter + notes of chocolate and coffee: This is an extremely flavorful and drinkable beer that goes down very easily.
Mouthfeel: Silky smooth and full-bodied. Very mild carbonation
Overall: This is a great Irish Stout. The fact that Guinness is relative ubiquitous makes this beer pretty easy to find in most liquor/beer stores, so if I am in the mood for a stout and not sure of what to get, this is my "go-to" stout. It definitely does not disappoint.

Jun 19, 2020

Scoopdogg_ from Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Guinness has been my favorite brewery for several years. That is until I tried Focal Banger from Alchemist brewery. It took me years to determine if I liked the Extra Stout or the Draught more but as I have had both countless times. I like the Draught for its creaminess and lack of carbonation (I believe) which gives me less heartburn than the Extra Stout but at the end of the day, the Extra Stout packs way more flavor and I have to give the nod to the Extra Stout as the better beer. With that being said, my favorite Guinness is the Antwerpern and I highly recommend that for any Guinness connoisseur! Cheers!

Jun 16, 2020

SierraNevallagash from Maine

3.71/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle - poured into a nonic pint at 38°F.

Pours a thin chestnut brown colour, sitting nearly black in the glad with the faintest highlights of brown at the edges. Two fingers of dark tan head form, and recede quickly, minimal lacing. Some slow, visible effervescence.

Nose: Notes of semi-sweet chocolate, a hint of roast, a whisper of toffee, and a touch of earthy European hops. There's a hint of fruity yeast as well. Simple, straightforward Irish dry stout aroma.

Palate: Some milk chocolate and caramel greet the palate, lending just a hint if sweetness which is quickly faded and gives way to the gentle roasted malt. There are some nutty notes in the mix, as well as some malty barley. Just a hint of that signature tinny dry Irish stout thing, and some hop character which provides some faint spicy, earthy notes. No hop bitterness. The finish is clean and slightly roasty with just a glimmer bitterness. Some malty, nutty barley notes, chocolate, and a hint of hops linger.

Mouthfeel/Body: At 5.6% ABV, the beer is quite light and crisp, with just an ounce of malty roundness. Medium-light in body, lively effervescence, and very crisp, clean, and dry.

Overall: This is a perfectly enjoyable dry Irish stout. It isn't nearly as great as the 200th Anniversary release, which was amazing, but it's significantly better than Guinness Draught, which I find to be malt flavoured water This is still on the thinner side, and I could even go as far to call it slightly watery. It certainly can't compare to some craft offerings, or even other offerings from the same brand, but for what it is, the price, availability, and expectations, when you want a simple, clean, light dry Irish stout, this will certainly do the trick.

Jun 15, 2020

Brook82 from Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Typical cola color w/ a well rounded head and some fairly impressive lacing. Mellow aroma with taste that followed aroma. Mild bitter flavor, easy drinking for style.

Jun 13, 2020

drdiesel9483 from Ohio

3.96/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Look - blackish brown color with a nice slight sticky tan head
Smell - roasted malts and slight chocolate caramel scent
Taste - roasty toasty slight dark fruit slight cocoa, bitter sweet
Feel - full body light medium carbonation slightly smooth
Overall - really good standard stout, better than draught!

Jun 12, 2020

vinicole from England

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bottle. 4.2% ABV. Brewed at St James's Gate. Pours almost black with a thick somewhat artificial looking frothy head. Persistent lacing.
Rich malty aroma. Creosote and burnt toast. Peaty.
Tastes similar to smell. Sweet with a mild yet long charred bitterness.
Low carbonation. Moderate body which thins at the finish.
A classic which is unable to compete with other better crafted dry stouts.

May 16, 2020

just1cho from California

3.7/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

*Poured into a Teku glass from a 22oz bottle.*

Looks a nice coffee brown with a nice looking finger thick khaki colored head. Also had a nice retention to it too. Not really much to say about here, but also nothing to complain about.

Had a decent aroma to it, but there wasn't much depth or complexity to it. I primarily got cocoa powder from the aroma, with a good balance between it and the roasted barley. There was also a slight nutty character to it, more specifically, it reminded me of toasted almonds.

I felt as though the aroma really doesn't represent what this beer taste like. I primarily tasted the subtle sweetness of the roasted malts with a unexpected olive oil taste and earthiness. The flavors developed into a bit of a burnt character and left a slight char bitterness in the aftertaste.

Of course, the feel of this was dry with a medium to high carbonation. It was smooth and satisfying and didn't leave an aftertaste which lingered.

Overall, I would say this was very average. Very quaff-able and smooth, but lacks in any depth or complexity. I wouldn't mind drinking this again, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again.

May 08, 2020

MrOH from Maryland

4.34/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Black, thin tan head that sticks around for a bit, spotty lace.
Black coffee, dark fruit, char and smoke in the nose.
Dark fruit , smoke and char in flavor. Very surprising to know that this beer has no smoked malt in the grist! Had quite a few back in the day, but never drank it critically.
Full. Carbonation is fairly light, where it should be for this beer.
I like it. When I want a stout, this is pretty much what I want.

May 02, 2020

SoCalNative from California

5/5  rDev +33%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a beer that I buy for fancy occasions & holidays. Served at room temperature (preferred) or chilled in the fridge (it's HOT here in the desert), it's an overall legendary adult beverage.

Look: Pours dark (DARK) brown like strong coffee. Nice head with a nice tan color. Lacing on glass evident after every drink & lasts until beer is finished.

Smell: Smells like an herb-y chocolate with notes of coffee & a sweet under tone. A very unique aroma compared to other dark brews.

Taste: I suspect if we could bottle a good dream, this would be the flavor. A slightly sweet, mainly bitter dark chocolate/coffee-esque flavor. Very mild hop flavor compared to the West Coast s**t that we have out here in Cali. Resembles a Scotch Ale without the banana bread scent.

Feel: Smooth. Smooth as silk. Wonderful mouth feel complemented by the fine bubbles & slight carbonation.

Overall: If you haven't tried this beer...go buy a 6 pack. I like this better than Guinness original. It packs a punch (5.6%) even for a seasoned beer drinker like myself. It's probably my FAVORITE supermarket purchased beer.

Apr 28, 2020

joebrazil3 from Illinois

4.87/5  rDev +29.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Do not drink this chilled! Chilled, it might remind you of cold black coffee. At room (or cellar) temperature you get nuttiness and warmth and it never goes away, it could get slightly warm (in temperature) and you wouldn't mind. Yes it's bitter at first but don't chug it it, let it go down slow. A perfect brew if you want to sip while your mates chug, and this was my favorite college beer for exactly that reason. Flash forward to the military life--again, my buddies would drink to get drunk. (YOU try the monotony of the peacetime US Army; good luck with that.) Someone had to help out if there were fights or conflicts. That was me, most of the time, because I was enjoying one or two Guinness as they were drinking for volume. It's a one-of-a-kind taste and far too good to drink only in March.

Apr 26, 2020

LongIslandBrews from New York

4.45/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I personally believe this is a better beer than standard Guinness draught.
Dark brown/black appearance and dark brown head. Thick but not overly so.
Robust flavor of chocolate, malt, and biscuit. Not too flavorful - just the right amount.
Slightly more of an alcohol punch compared to original Guinness which is good- adds to the robust profile of this beer.
Overall an excellent stout and the best you can get at a supermarket in the US!

Apr 24, 2020

mooseisloose from Florida

3.93/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours to a deep opaque brown with a stiff tan head. Smell is a nice waft of roasted malts and bitter chocolate. Taste is silky smooth nice roasted malt and a battle between cocoa and bitters. About the best beer you can find most anywhere.

Apr 12, 2020

Pope_of_Beers from Tennessee

5/5  rDev +33%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I'm not giving this 5 stars lightly, I really mean it. Poured from an 11.2 oz bottle into a pint glass. Very dark and rich with a two finger brown head. Very malty aroma. Tastes of bitter chocolate with a touch of sweetness. Goes down very easily and is surprisingly not heavy on the stomach. Definitely one of my faves to be enjoyed on a beautiful evening.

Apr 09, 2020

jgido759 from New Jersey

4.04/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Deep reddish brown color with a thick, pillowy tan head. Nice lacing. Taste is roasty with a hint of chocolate. Aroma is similar. Finish is dry. An easy drinking beer. . .

Mar 27, 2020

Foyle from North Carolina

5/5  rDev +33%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from 11.2 oz bottle into English pint glass. A thick pillowy beige head drops slowly with abundant lacing. Color is dark reddish-brown. Aroma of rich roasted malt, molasses, chocolate, and coffee. Mouthfeel is medium leaning toward heavy and slightly powdery. Flavor follows the nose with rich malt, molasses, coffee, chocolate, dark fruit. There is a tangy hop presence throughout the taste. Finish is drying with a bit of lingering warmth. Overall: this is a worldwide classic.

Mar 22, 2020

CouchBeer

4.14/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Really big head. Chocolate color, very sweet aromatic scents. Taste is malt focused, extremely sweet and nutty. Very enjoyable stout, even for those in unfamiliar territory.

Mar 17, 2020

KRug from Massachusetts

4.11/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Happy St Paddy's MFs!! Starting off my day with this Irish treat

Pours pitch black with 2+ fingers of tan head, super creamy and tons of lacing

Roasty and nutty in the aroma, this is not a wildly over the top stout, but bold regardless. I pick up some milk chocolate in the nose as well just like standard Guinness

The taste here is really similar to the nose, big nuttiness washes over the palate with mild yeast and flavorful malt

A nice carbonation lends this an awesome feel. The roasted barley leads to a super dry finish making a very easy drinking stout

Incredible stout here, happy to have tried this classic. Definitely one that I'll be coming back to!

Mar 17, 2020