Guinness Extra Stout (Original)
Guinness Ltd.

Korostishevski from Florida

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

Example of a good standard stout. This is the beer that I drink while eating food. Ipa and pilsner will taste different after I eat. But stouts will still taste great after a any meal.

Apr 17, 2021

backblast from Alaska

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours almost black, thick tan head that lingers and nice lacing.

Tastes of dark malts and malt/hop bitterness plus dark bittersweet chocolate and some coffee with nice bitter finish.

Apr 17, 2021

Thisdrinkinglife from Switzerland

4.77/5  rDev +26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This is considered the original, the one that started it all the way back over 200 years, in 1821. The one that was popular and mostly drank as late as the 1970s, the one your grandfather or great grand-father would have drank!

The can has a retro look about it, with the iconic harp logo and explaining that this beer will be “Dark and Lively”. Strength varies in where you are drinking it. In the UK and Ireland it is 4.2% but in Europe it is over 5%, jammy bastards.

Bottle conditioned and carbonate with C02, so no ball or nitro here……

Did a silly pour for the first pint, no care just straight in, which resulted in a massive head, which eventually settled down. All creamy and dark in the colour.

Second pour more considered and with care, but still made no difference, still got a massive amount of carbonation with a huge head that takes a while to settle. Much more lively than a regular Guinness. Big frothy tanned head, black is the colour. When settled its not bad on the eye. Good lacing remains on glass.

On the nose I get the typical Guinness aroma, stouty and peaty, chocolate and caramel. Actually I would go as far to say it is even more “peaty” than the regular Guinness. Does smell authentic, roasted barley, grainy, malty and smoked peat. Nice smell, with a lot of character…..

Onto the taste, well first off it has the expected Guinness feel in the mouth, very typical of the famous stout. Get the roasted barley and malts, the coffee and chocolate flavours, But there is more to it than that, there definitely is a nod to the old style with this brew, feels more porter in the taste, and the flavours are more to the fore, thanks to a higher ratio of hops than the regular Guinness.

Great to drink, has a real character to it, and I love the coffee flavours swirling around in the mouth, brilliant stuff.

When I bought a few of these cans, my sister immediately laughed saying I bought into the gimmick. It’s not like Guinness to bring out a million different versions of essentially the same thing, their famous draught stout. She thought it was a slightly more “expensive version” of the same thing. To be fair I was half expecting that too! But no, I can state there is a CLEAR difference with this to the draught. It is softer on the palate, very well balanced, has more flavouring, is tastier, and one doesn’t get that bloated feeling you get when you drink a lot of the regular Guinness.

Liked it a lot, very satisfying and easy to drink and I WILL return again for future inspection. Recommended.

I have started to think maybe the regular Guinness isn’t in fact the master, the number one, perhaps the original, the Extra Stout, should be my go to Stout in the future…….oh dear, what a dilemma. The draught is creamier, tastier, much smoother and fun to drink, while the Extra Stout just has that better flavour and more to pack and think about, and perhaps is the better beer of the two……..oh I don’t know!!!

Apr 13, 2021

Sayb from Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

L: Very dark , 1 finger head that slowly dissipates.
S: Malt and toasted caramel .
T: Roasted malt and caramel , a touch of hops and slightly bitter.
F: Smooth slightly heavy .
O: Relaxing brew to end the day with .

Apr 01, 2021

pianoguy from Washington

4.84/5  rDev +28.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22 Oz bottle. Stamped L0321GD002, (Haven't broken that code yet)
Poured into a nonic pint glass

Pours a solid black body with a fluffy light tan head. Great retention. Multiple layers of lacing. Guinness is always memorizing at the pour. The carbonation bubbles showing off a golden color as it forms a head.

Smell is plums, cherries, and a roasted scent

Taste follows with a very delicate hop bite on the finish

Smooth round feel with a subtle dryness (again on the finish)

Guinness has always been a favorite of mine and always will be. It introduced me to stouts back in the 70's. I love the little dance the bubbles make as the head forms. A classic.

Mar 26, 2021

Valdez_Mescalito from Michigan

4.06/5  rDev +8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Year-Round Release - 6 pack
11.2 oz. bottle dated 0323 (11/18/20) - 5.6% ABV
Poured into Bell's branded pub pint glass

Look - Beige-colored head with okay retention and lacing. Pitch black, zero see-through appearance.
Smell - Dark fruit and cocoa on the nose.
Taste - Dark sweet cherry and coffee notes in the taste, with a slight bitter hop aftertaste.
Feel - Medium bodied and drinkable. Mildly drying on the tail end.
Overall - Really enjoyed this one, but I think it's a tad too sweet for my liking.

Mar 17, 2021

Spikester from Oregon

4.17/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Black with three fingers of tan head. Swathes of lace appear as the levels drop.
Smell is toasted barley malt with a hint of molasses.
Taste is deep rich bitter toasted barley malt molasses and maybe a bit of cocoa nibs.
Mouthfeel is medium with proper carbonation. The finish is mildly dry and balanced.
Overall a fine Guinness Stout.

Mar 13, 2021

LeBron_James from Canada (ON)

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

Look is deep black with white creamy head. Leaves no lacing but stayed longer than draught head in my experience.
Smells like roasted malt with faint coffee notes in the background.
This one tastes better than draught. Nice roasted malt and the coffee is more prominent in the taste. Malt has some bready character as well. Actually quite pleasant taste.
Mouthfeel is nice and full bodied. Very drinkable with less carbonation than draught.
Overall this beer is surprisingly good. If you live in a place without access to craft beer then this one is a huge recommend.

Feb 24, 2021

dunkel_weizen from Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Unknown age poured into a pint out of the bottle. A creamy, low-bubble, sticky one usually expects from Guinness, solid opaque black as expected with a touch of brown transparency. The nose is all dry roast malt, a touch of peat, cracked nuts, and maybe a touch of earth. The taste is a classic dry Irish stout, following the nose with sweet dark chocolate, dry roasted coffee and subtle woodchips, and some mild spices. The mouthfeel is really great, rich and creamy but crisp and dry.

This is essentially American Guinness but SIGNIFICANTLY better and much more flavorful. If you see this next to the domestic stuff, buy this instead in my opinion. Can't go wrong!

Feb 15, 2021

teromous from Virginia

3.94/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I don't see a bottle or import date but it does have a code printed on the back: "LO316GD001 03:34"

Appearance: It has a black body and a very robust, large head that looks closer to a light cocoa brown than a tan or khaki head. The head kind of has a pale brown color. The head is very rocky and fluffy with large and small craters over the surface. It looks fantastic in a glass. Nice sheets of lacing.

Aroma: There is a light, slightly metallic, roasty note. It has a pleasant aroma of chocolate and a hint of coffee when drawn deeply into the nose.

Taste: Up front there is a burnt sugar taste. Towards the middle there is a light hint of pine but it has more of that charcoal or carbon character. It has a bitter root taste in the finish with more carbon. It has a nice full presence of flavor.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation feels great for the beer. It has a wonderful, strong, roasted bitterness. The body is medium.

Overall: It is a great tasting stout. The label states that this is "GUINNESS EXTRA STOUT" and that the beer is "5.6% ALC./VOL." The beer has a lot of flavor and it is satisfying to drink. It simply looks amazing in the glass as well. The beer tastes very fresh but I have no import information that I can readily see on the bottle. I would recommend it to stout lovers and it would be difficult to find one that wouldn't enjoy this given how much fresh flavor is packed into it. I would drink it again.

Feb 13, 2021

Dobbis420 from Ohio

4.46/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I'm still getting into the more complex beers like guinness but I still love it. It's somewhat strong in taste if you're not use to stouts but not to strong. It's definitely bittersweet with coffee and some chocolate flavor but it finishes up nice and smooth. A solid beer that's leagues above the average American budweiser coors or Miller. Still one of my favorites to get at my local gas station

Feb 03, 2021

spectru from Florida

3.69/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

January 17, 2021 - I had Guinness Stout several years ago and didn't think much of it. It was flat. Someone suggested that that was because of it having been shipped across the Atlantic, so I went to England and tried it there. It seemed the same there as here. So now I have tried a number of stouts and porters and a couple of them have become favorites. I thought I would try Guinness again, to see if my opinion would change.

Dark, opaque. The tan head recedes quickly to a cap; The smell is mild and pleasant; Flavor is rich and tasty; Mouthfeel is better than I recall for the regular Guinness stout I had tasted before; Overall, not bad, but a little on the weak side. Nice flavor, mediocre mouthfeel.

January 18, 2021 - Next day. Opened a bottle. having lunch with family. Drinking right out of the bottle, didn't even notice it until I was halfway through. This is a session stout. At ABV 5.6% its only a little higher than most session ales. Anyhow, no objections whatsoever, I'll finish the six with no regrets.

February 28, 2021 - I like its look: dark with a tan head. it recedes to a cap. The smell is good; the taste is good. I raised the points for look, smell, and taste by .25. The feel, and therefore the overall, is not awful, but somewhat mediocre.

Jan 18, 2021

RedStickPhil from New Mexico

4.23/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Maybe by quantitative stands this is not a truly great beer, but I love it. In the old days this was the most interesting beer that was readily available. Put that together with a wonderful anniversary trip to Ireland and tracking down the local Guinness (albeit a sugary mess) in Africa, and this will always have a sentimental place as a personal favorite. Thick, creamy head if you pour it right. The lingering lacing reveals every long drink. Smoky, malty, smooth, and delicious. The dry finish is key to the balance, staving off the sweetness that plagues some stouts.

Jan 10, 2021

TheBricenator from Oregon

3.94/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Look: Pitch black on the pour with a huge, billowing tan head that pillows up nicely, slowly pulling back to reveal great lacing
Aroma: Warm brown bread, a little smoked peat, roast, some earthy notes, and wafts of cocoa
Taste: Rich bready malt, cocoa, and roast strike first with earthiness and light smoked peat joining in soon after. Bread and roast hold down the bulk of the middle and closes with nice dark chocolate and earthiness
Mouthfeel: Full, medium-high carbonation, smooth on initial hit and finish, and very clean on the finish as well
Overall: This is delicious stuff. A true classic and though I drink it several times a year, hadn’t had it in a bit, and was drawn to the 19.2oz can I saw while grocery shopping so couldn’t resist. A well-made Irish Stout that checks all the right boxes per style and a tasty one at that. If for some reason you haven’t had it before or yet, do yourself a favor

Dec 26, 2020

TedHead from Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark brown with a creamy tan head that dissipates after about a minute. The smell has slightly dark coffee and honey with hints of toffee and chocolate on the finish. The taste is very smooth slightly dark chocolate, but not as dark and intense as I was expecting. The finish is perfectly bitter and goes down smoothly. I can understand why it would be easy to pound a bunch of these. Overall very very good.

Dec 24, 2020

jeffoert from Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I was looking for a less expensive beer with a little less alcohol than the somewhat expensive stouts I have been enjoying --and tried this by chance. And I tried it again and again. It has a really nice balance and character to suit me even though I prefer the rich, thick Imperial Stouts, but then I can save a few buck before and after the ones scoring 95. In relative terms, I think this is closer to a 90 score than an 85.

Nov 26, 2020

sjdevel from Utah

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

LOOK - - - super dark / black - decent khaki colored foam - head retention average - nice lacing
SMELL - - - subdued but there's charred wood, burnt grains, and burnt sugar/caramel
TASTE - - - a lot of bitterness upfront - heavily roasted dark grains - charred wood and scorched molasses - some caramel
FEEL - - - feels a bit thin / in the medium bodied range - expected a stout to be fuller
OVERALL - - - a tasty stout but there's a lot of 'over cooked / over roasted' flavors here - still enjoyable and wouldn't mind drinking once in awhile

Nov 01, 2020

marcbosch from Netherlands

3.15/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

L: A classic stout. Very dark reddish brown, almost pitch black. Soapy tan head, nothing compared to the towering pillows you get with the nitro or can version.
S: Pretty faint. Roasted yet bready malt, some coffee. Like a stout, just very faint.
T: As expected. Malty, a bit liquorice-y, hints of umami... Tastes a bit bigger than what it is. A bit less dry than the nitro version.
F: Medium body medium carbonation with a dry finish.
O: A good commercial stout. A wholly different beast than the Guinness from the can or from the nitro tap but still very good and enjoyable. You could definitely quaff it if you wanted to. I can't rate it higher because there are plenty of better stouts around but if a bar is carrying this and adjunct lager, I know what I'll be ordering, and worth getting a six-pack from the supermarket every other week. If it has a good thing is the low palate fatigue.

Oct 31, 2020

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