The Greatness Of Guinness?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Brianhophead, Dec 27, 2012.

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  1. sommersb

    sommersb Initiate (0) May 25, 2010 Tennessee

    Can't say that I'm very fond of any Irish dry stouts, so no, I don't hold Guinness in high regard.
     
  2. decimator

    decimator Initiate (0) Jun 1, 2009 Canada (ON)

    I've had it a few times before and after getting into craft beer. I always found Guinness to be kind of bleh. It's not horrible but it's nothing amazing either.

    I think a lot of people have good memories of Guinness since it was the first non macro pale lager they got into.
     
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  3. Brianhophead

    Brianhophead Initiate (0) May 16, 2007 Canada (AB)

    Okay I just tried the Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout and it's official. This stuff blows Guinness away and leaves it lying in the dust. Proof that you can have a stout miles better than Guinness without having to go imperial.
     
  4. SammyJaxxxx

    SammyJaxxxx Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2012 New Jersey

    Which Guinness are you drinking?
     
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  5. Brenden

    Brenden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,412) Feb 25, 2008 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I see a lot of comparisons to Imperials and RIS's, which isn't exactly fair or accurate. To match it up with others of its kind would not be to pit it against huge stouts, but against other Irish dry stouts. I'm not a Guinness advocate, and I think it's about average at best and tailored for the American macro drinker. It's only right to compare a beer against others of its kind, and I'm sure you'll find plenty of superior Irish dries out there.
     
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  6. decimator

    decimator Initiate (0) Jun 1, 2009 Canada (ON)

    Guinness Draught. I've had it on tap and nitro cans. (It seems to only come in nitro cans around here.)
     
  7. Treyliff

    Treyliff Grand Pooh-Bah (4,711) Aug 10, 2010 West Virginia
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I probably shouldn't have said 'compare,' I was implying that when I'm in the mood for a stout, I typically go with a RIS because I prefer the bolder flavors.
     
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  8. tectactoe

    tectactoe Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2012 Michigan
    Trader

    Murphy's > Guinness as far as widely available dry Irish stouts go, IMO.
     
  9. Jugs_McGhee

    Jugs_McGhee Grand Pooh-Bah (5,956) Aug 15, 2010 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Here come the bastards saying Guinness is a bland crappy stout and tastes the same in the U.S. as it does in Ireland. Ask them: have they lived in Ireland? As in, a month or more of residency in Ireland? I bet not. It tastes better in the auld country, and I'm tired of these yanks saying it doesn't. Some of us know, and just because you had a week long holiday in Dublin doesn't mean you know what the hell you're talking about. Yes, Guinness is excellent in the auld country and shite in America. Deal with it. Your knowledge of Diageo's business dealings doesn't make you an expert on quality.
     
  10. Brianhophead

    Brianhophead Initiate (0) May 16, 2007 Canada (AB)

    You make an excellent point, one that I was thinking of making myself. You can't compare an irish stout to an imperial any more than you can compare Budweiser to an Anchor porter. I recently found a stout from Mill Street brewing that is at least comparable to Guinness, if not marginally better.
     
  11. alk3kenny

    alk3kenny Pundit (776) Oct 21, 2004 Georgia

    Guinness is all about what you are looking for in a beer... if you are looking for an easy drinking stout something that makes you feel more refined in your local bar, but you still want to be able to drink a few without a problem it is a great beer... If you are looking for a new experience and the strongest, most flavorful stout around then obviously you are not getting a RIS... I think we have to look at it as how is the beer for the exact style and how is the beer for what you want to do with it.
     
  12. SammyJaxxxx

    SammyJaxxxx Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2012 New Jersey

    And what you are drinking is a "macro pale lager"?
     
  13. Pecan

    Pecan Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2012 Arizona

    Draft Guinness only for this guy. It isn't stellar, but every once in a while I'll throw one into a session. It *is* pretty amazing at the 360 bar though. They recently (not sure how recently, just between this year and 5 years ago) put in a pouring bar where you can pour your own. Picture embedded for some substance to my post!
    [​IMG]
     
  14. decimator

    decimator Initiate (0) Jun 1, 2009 Canada (ON)

    I wasn't talking about myself. I know many folks who love their Guinness but their only point of comparison is lagers like Molson Canadian and Labatt Blue. For those beer drinkers Guinness is something very exotic. For myself, it's just a bland stout.
     
  15. Relik

    Relik Zealot (579) Apr 20, 2011 Canada (NS)

    From Best to Worst imo:
    Ireland/UK Guinness on tap>North American Guinness on tap>Guinness in can> Guinness in bottle.

    Guinness is often a "gateway beer" to a slightly higher level of what the beer world offers. And sometimes its the best offering on a bad beer list.
     
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  16. pieman25

    pieman25 Initiate (0) Oct 16, 2010 Canada (ON)

    Guinness, it's good but IMO not all that great. I like the style, but I've found a replacement for it that is available where I am. That being said though, when in bars that don't seem to think that beer comes in flavours other than pale and fizzy or guinness it's generally one of the nicer options.
     
  17. raczkowski

    raczkowski Initiate (0) May 16, 2011 Florida
    Trader

    its okay for what it is...its almost at every bar in town, so if i want some kind of stout it will do the trick...i typically drink guiness in an Irish carbomb....then i tend to not remember the rest of the night lol.
     
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  18. danedelman

    danedelman Initiate (0) Apr 3, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Foreign Export is pretty tasty though. I still will get Guiness when just pee colored beer is left.
     
  19. Brunite

    Brunite Initiate (0) Sep 21, 2009 Illinois

    A non-imperial:

    [​IMG]
     
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  20. foobula

    foobula Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2009 Illinois

    Guinness was my favorite beer for many years and I'll still enjoy it on occasion, though it needs to warm up before it becomes remotely tasty. But that nitro head is great and the cascading bubbles on the side of the glass are pretty cool.
     
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