... Therefore I admit that I cannot be objective in my opinion of Guinness. Even though I believe Guinness to be one of the finest stouts in the world and perhaps the best overall alcoholic beverage to grace the earth, I concede that there are those that cannot palate the drink of the Gods (well ... Read review
Advantages: A very enjoyable and sometimes healthy drink Disadvantages: Like all alcoholic beverages, can be dangerous if too much is drunk
...Guinness. Even though I believe Guinness to be one of the finest stouts in the world and perhaps the best overall alcoholic beverage to grace the earth, I concede that there are those that cannot palate the drink of the Gods (well in my theology the Gods drink Guinness with Fish and Chips being the choice of food.)
<The Drink>
Guinness is a stout brewed in Ireland. It is one of the most recognizable alcoholic beverages ... ...and a pint of Guinness. Guinness are renowned for their mysterious and strange adverts, this perhaps explain the enigma that is Guinness. The drink is just as strange and mysterious, with even the bubbles moving in strangely unique ways.
Guinness is an acquired taste. It is a full-bodied brew that is very bitter. It is a heavy drink that is full of taste. Not many people will be able to drink more than two or three pints as it is very ... more
Writing about ales or beers has to be one of the most difficult tasks. We all have our own tastes, and each of us will taste something totally different in the drink. Therefore I admit that I cannot be objective in my opinion of Guinness. Even though I believe Guinness to be one of the finest stouts in the world and perhaps the best overall alcoholic beverage to grace the earth, I concede that there are those that cannot palate the drink of the Gods (well in my theology the Gods drink Guinness with Fish and Chips being the choice of food.)
<The Drink>
Guinness is a stout brewed in Ireland. It is one of the most recognizable alcoholic beverages all over the world. Wherever there is an Irishman, you will undoubtedly find an Irish Pub and a pint of Guinness. Guinness are renowned for their mysterious and strange adverts, this perhaps explain the enigma that is Guinness. The drink is just as strange and mysterious, with even the bubbles moving in strangely unique ways.
Guinness is an acquired taste. It is a full-bodied brew that is very bitter. It is a heavy drink that is full of taste. Not many people will be able to drink more than two or three pints as it is very heavy. To those that are used to it, the drink does slip down the throat easily, like a velvet stream of pleasure. The after taste lingers on the palate leaving a pleasant bitter after taste, leaving the drinker wanting more. To an Irishman it is ‘Pure Genius’, to many Ale or Bitter drinkers it is too thick and perhaps has a little too much bitterness.
To me it is a luxury that I can’t get enough of. Being currently based in America I am stuck with draft Guinness in a can, or a weak draft Guinness in the bar. Still, albeit poor in comparison to the Guinness available in Ireland and England, it is still head and shoulders above most domestic beers in the USA. (The only problem I have now is that I am on a low carbohydrate diet, and I cannot drink my dreamy pint of Guinness!!!)
A proper pint of Guinness will take several minutes to pour. This allows the stout to settle properly and a creamy head develop. The head should allow a shamrock to be drawn, which should stay visible until the end of the pint. As you drink the beverage, the head should coat the outside of the glass with an almost cloud like film of the white creamy head.
The taste to me is very refreshing bringing back memories of Wales and Ireland, strangely reminding me of Rutger Hauer, and giving me a warm feeling. Guinness is a drink to be savored and not rushed; it is a drink that teases and tempts the palate, and is not specifically a drink to get drunk with (Although it is fairly potent).
Guinness generally is a man’s drink, although I am proud to say that my wife also drinks Guinness. I do note that more and more American’s are turning to the blessed drink, including many women who cannot abide the lack of taste in a ‘Bud’
<Mixing Guinness>
I advise real Guinness drinkers to ignore the next few lines, I only include these to provide a full unbiased opinion on Guinness (but you will never find me drinking one of these!!!):-
Guinness can be mixed with other drinks to produce different tastes.
Black and Tan – Mix Harp and Guinness produce a less bitter less heavy drink that is pleasant. This is a compromise for ale drinkers who cannot handle the weight of Guinness.
Half and Half – Mix Bass and Guinness to produce a less bitter less heavy drink that is also pleasant. This is a compromise for ale drinkers who cannot handle the weight of Guinness.
(In some parts of the world, the ingredients for these two drinks are switched).
Guinness and Cider – this adds sweetness to the Guinness making it more drinkable for some people – I often say that the whole point of Guinness is that it is a ‘bitter’ tasting drink, why add sweetness?
Guinness and Blackcurrant – ughhhhh – adds a lot of sweetness – kills the taste for me. A lot of women drink this as it disguises the taste of the Guinness (Why bother drinking it?)
Pink Panther – Guinness Cider and Blackcurrant – OK so this looks cool, and I am sure someone will love the sweetness and lightness, but again it is spoiling a decent pint of Guinness.
<The Health Benefits>
Many years ago, Richard Harris went home to Ireland. He was very sick. His mother told him to drink a pint of Guinness every day. It worked, he soon was very healthy!
Many doctors will tell pregnant ladies to have half a pint of Guinness a day. It contains many great nutrients.
Guinness is supposedly full of Iron, so there are definite health benefits when drunk in moderation. Like most alcoholic beverages, moderate drinking will reduce stress.
I would advice anyone thinking of using Guinness for their health to always seek the advice of a doctor first!
<Eating Guinness>
Guinness is great for cooking with. Beef and Guinness is an excellent meal. The Guinness is added to beef stock and beef cubes are added to produce a great stew (I am unsure of the exact recipe but it is great tasting, it doesn’t particularly taste of Guinness but gives a very rich and tasty gravy.
There is also Guinness ice-cream out there, although I have not tried it!
Advantages: Very nice taste, with health Benefits Disadvantages: May be a bit too thick for some people
Guinness is one of those drinks you look at every time you walk into a pub but never dare to actually buy a pint of until one day you finally decide to take the plunge and try a pint of the black stuff. Strangely enough my first pint of Guinness coincided with my first Rugby game at London Irish on St Patrick's day last year.
Since that day I can often be found with a pint of Guinness in my hand when I'm out with mates on a Friday night. So on with ... ...The creator of Guinness was Arthur Guinness and he founded the first Guinness brewery was founded in 1759 by Arthur in James Street, Dublin. Guinness was known as Porter in Ireland and was a new type of beer to be released on the Irish public. It is brewed by roasting the Barley to give it the unique colour and taste.
Serving & Drinking
******************
For the best results from a pint of Guinness pour three quarters of the pint and let it sit ...
Andy.mack 16.02.2003 (29.07.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Guinness Draught Stout
Advantages: Wonderful Taste Disadvantages: Can ruin your bowels
...be because my mother drank Guinness when she was pregnant (Guinness has an incredibly high iron content) and I developed a taste for it by osmosis? Or is my taste for lager just an aberration I am growing out of? I honestly do not know what is wrong with me but each month I go through enough Guinness to sink a battleship and pay for it the next day (It is the hangover drink from hell! So don’t drink too much of it! (unlike me groan)).
Guinness, ... ...95% chance of having a Guinness pump ready and waiting when you walk in. The phenomenon was incredibly freaky for me in Paris! Seeing that distinctive pump sitting there happily waiting for you when you walked into a bar was quite disturbing to say the least. You cannot avoid Guinness no matter how hard you try.
After all the stuff has been sold all over the world for the last 200 years! But the question that I have always wondered is why is it ...
mortimus 09.12.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Guinness Draught Stout
Advantages: looks great, tastes great, did I mention it looks great? Disadvantages: rip-off pubs charge more for it than most other beers.
...a perfectly poured pint of Guinness is how beautiful it looks. Assuming that your bar person has selected a clean glass and has poured the pint correctly, they will place on the bar in front of you a pint of dark liquid with an indistinct creaminess as your Guinness goes thru its final settle. Look closer at the liquid in the glass, and marvel at the ethereal beauty of the head seemingly flowing DOWN the inside of your glass whilst simultaneously ... ...great effect in some superb Guinness advertising campaigns over the years. This contrast of white on top of black. Which makes it all the more ironic that the liquid is not black, but is in fact a dark dark ruby red. You can check this out by taking a sip from your pint, holding it up to light and tipping it slightly . Look at the bottom of the glass, you should see a dark ruby glow. This is the true colour of Guinness. Now that your eyes have fully ...
daveking 26.11.2001 (02.02.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Guinness Draught Stout
Advantages: I can *finally* drink the stuff! Disadvantages: It's still stout...
...strange thing I found about Guinness is how incredibly filling it is - I can't manage more than one pint in a night.
Some random facts I've noted about the black stuff:
The old Guinness posters claim that "Guinness is good for you" - this isn't really all that accurate. You see, they made this claim because Guinness is richer in iron than most other drinks. Unfortunately, a pint of Guinness won't provide anywhere near your RDA of iron, and will ... ...true what they say - Guinness does taste better in Ireland! When I was in Dublin, the Guinness was much creamier and less bitter tasting - much easier to drink than the stuff over here. From my extensive research, (ie some random Irish barman I was chatting up told me) I've discovered that this is something to do with the exportation process - apparently the Irish believe the journey across the Irish sea "knocks some of the air out of the Guinness" ...
louiseypees 29.11.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Guinness Draught Stout
Advantages: Great taste Disadvantages: None if taken in moderation
Nothing is more Irish than Guinness stout but this was not always the case in fact Guinness is a copy of a traditional type of English ale!
MY OWN EXPERIENCE WITH GUINNESS
Ever since going to University in the south of England I have been a confirmed real ale drinker. The south has some great local breweries making some great beers, Gales, Fullers, Harveys, Ringwood. One drawback of drinking ale is that it can be difficult to find a good pint, ... ...choice in pubs. Guinness is a very complex beer known as 'Stout' (see below), which has a very distinctive taste. It is almost sweet with a slight bitter aftertaste. If kept and served correctly it is very creamy but not too gassy. It makes a perfect sipping drink, and since it has relatively low alcohol content it won't get you too drunk too soon. A word of warning though there are danger to drinking it. A few years back I was fortunate enough to ...
Mauri 30.01.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Guinness Draught Stout
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sheet) so now every day at tea time with my evening meal, I have a bottle as it is straight from the fridge nice and cold. And it works my blood count is on the up, so if you are like me and cant stand iron tablets give Guinness a go.
The taste may take a bit of getting used to but with your meal it will be fine. Although if you pour it into a glass just the look may be off putting because it does resemble tar as my teenage daughter says. I think of it more as a cappuccino with no milk just the froth on top.
Guinness comes in a few different forms. We have Guinness original which I have been telling you a little about, there is Guinnessdraught and Guinness foreign Extra stout, but all come from same place. It started in Ireland almost 200 years ago by a man called Arthur Guinness, which to this day still use the same recipe ...
-bodied beverage that is very bitter in taste. It is a heavy drink with a heavy flavour, that at first reminded me of dirty dishwater, but has now grown on me immensely.
It's definitely not a drink to be necked, with most people unlikely to drink more than two or three pints at once, purely due to the heaviness and richness of it. However, Contemporary GuinnessDraught and Extra Stout are weaker than they were in the 19th century, when they had an original gravity of over 1070. Foreign Extra Stout and Special Export Stout, with ABV over 7%, are perhaps closest to the original in character.
The drink seems to glide down your throat like silk, in a very pleasurable way, leaving a rich bitter aftertaste that leaves me wanting another sip.
Labelled as 'Pure Genius', I think it's a great beverage, although I certainly would recommend anyone trying ...
Thehonesttruth 28.02.2005 (21.03.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Guinness Bitter
Advantages: Rich, full flavor Disadvantages: There are disadvantages?
school chums could see me now.
****Practical Matters****
(With thanks to thecatsmother for reminding me that a few commercial details were in order.)
Until recently, Guinness was rarely available in the States in anything but bottles. We were lucky to find it among foreign beers in larger liquor stores. In those local jurisdictions where beer could be sold in grocery stores, we might occasionally find it among a select representation of foreign beers. It was always expensive when compared with standard doemestic brews, running 2-3 times the price of Budweiser, for example.
Nowadays many bars, pubs, taverns, and restaurants offer Guinness on tap--though one must ask to ensure that the original stout (and not the new and milder draught version) is being served. In public places as well as at retail establishments, the price ...
