guinness.... I can't be the only one

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robin623

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ever since my first experience with guinness i thought it was way to watered down.
The appearance and aroma were both great, but the taste was like if it was watered down. Keep in mind at this point the darkest beer I'd consumed was Michelob Amber Bock.
Now with much experience in porters and stouts I stand ever so firmly by my statement that guinness tastes watery haha.

sidenote- guinness extra stout is great :drunk:
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I think people are intimidated by the appearance of a Guinness the first time they have a chance to taste one, much-less see one up close. They are expecting it to taste almost like a combination of roofing tar and black coffee that's been sitting out for a few days, but that's simply not the case. For me, Guinness has a certain "x-factor". No other beer looks or tastes like it, and no other beer can satisfy like it does when I'm in the mood for one. It has an incredible amount of smoothness and roastyness that keeps me wanting to go back for more, and I'm able to because it doesn't have a high ABV. To create something that drinkable with that perfect amount of flavor (not to mention it's appearance) is incredibly hard to do in my book. Just a great "go to" beer for me.
 
Guinness isn't bad but your right to me it tastes like a watered down stout. There just isn't much there. But what do you expect for a beer listed by diet programs as a low calorie alternative to Budweiser
 
I love Guiness.
I agree, visual perceptions can mislead the new taster.

If you enjoy Extra.... go out and find the Guiness Foreign Extra Stout. It comes in a four pack and has a yellow label to it. It is a higher alcohol content, so you'll feel a kick much sooner. The flavors though are much more intense than standard stout. Perhaps a bit more bitter, less sweet, dry type flavor. It may not be for everyone, especially your standard lager drinker, but it can be quite tasty. Anyone else enjoy this?

I tinker with the Guiness Black Lager as well. It has a crisp flavor that isn't expected from the visual. Nice, not sure if I love this though.


If you like a bit more carbonation feel, there are many porters which add that feel. They are a good stepping stone to someone who might not really have experience with darker brews. A fantastic one that is generally available, if you request it or shop around is, Anchor Porter. Many of us know how great Anchor is, and their porter is right up there. Many beer shops have those single bottle (mix n match) sections... often there you can grab a few UK based porters that can be nice. Yuengling makes a porter, but.... well... try something a bit more... craft oriented. Theirs will likely give you the watery idea, you mentioned earlier.

You're on the right path to explore.
If more people would explore the options of beer, I would get more choices when I go out to bars and restaurants!
 
I had a Guiness for the first time the other night since I've gotten into craft beer. I can tell you that it used to be my favorite... now it doesn't do anything for me. I guess my tastes have changed after all of the pale ales and IPA's.
 
I had my first...and last...Guinness just after Christmas. I, too, found the appearance and aroma to be wonderful, but it seemed that the taste was only about half there. I prefer my own stouts to Guinness, but if someone offered me one or three, I'd probably drink them. The Guinness just wasn't quite what I expected...widget and all.

glenn514:mug:
 
You're not the only one, it IS a watered-down tasting brew; though I'll have to say it DOES make a great black & tan (with Bass). The extra stout is much better.
Regards, GF.
 
True - but it is one of the few stouts you can sit around and drink 8 of:) It is a pretty darn good "session" beer. When I visited ireland, I think I drank about 10 a day and never got tired of it - smooth, tasty, and much lighter than its appearance suggests.
 
I've been drinking Guiness for a long time but only recently had the Extra Stout. Although they are both fine beers I think I agree that the Extra Stout is nicer. That being said, keeping and serving Guiness at room temp provides a much more robust flavor profile that would otherwise be missed when served cold. Thus the watery taste.
 
Beamish FTW

+a billion, love me some beamish.

Although Guinness gets so much unnecessary flack. Whether it is a beer snob criticizing Guinness for not being 'whatever' enough or the general misconception from BMC drinkers about it being too heavy. That one i'll never understand. It's far from a perfect beer or best in the world, but i have no problem throwing back pint after pint. It's a great session beer.

The issue I find with most places is that it's often just served too cold. I'll never turn down a proper poured pint, and having a Guinness in Ireland is on my bucket list.
 
I spent a few weeks over in Ireland a couple years ago and have to give kudos to Guiness. They are like the pipeline Nazi's, making sure all the pubs keep their lines clean so their product is top notch for customers. Much better quality other there in my opinion. With that said, I have not had a Guiness since I came back and don't plan to ever again.

To be honest I could hardly tell the difference between Guiness, Murphys and Beamish... But to be fair pubs only carried one or the other and Guiness has a strangle hold on that country.

PS. If you are ever in Galway, try the Galway Hooker Pale Ale. Fantastic!
 
Guinness does serve a purpose in introducing people to other styles though. Ask anyone what kinds of beer they like, if they are not in the craft scene, they often reply that they like or dislike Guiness, Blue Moon, and traditional BMC. It's the mainstream stout. So when someone likes Guinness you get to suggest some more flavorful stouts. It's really pretty good until you try something more robust, then the Guinness experience is not ever the same. Unless of course, like another post said, you crave it for the moment.
 
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