To Drink Or Not To Drink Guinness

Lately quite a few of my friends have been resorting to Guinness while at the bar. These are seasoned beer drinkers, who are in the know. Although many people are intimidated by Guinness due to its extremely dark color, thick, creamy head, and seemingly filling nature, nothing could be farther from the truth. Guinness is very light in many ways, even similar to light beer in a few categories. Guinness draught rates 4.2% ABV, 0 fat grams, 126g of calories, 9.9g carbs per 12 fl. oz. Guinness Extra Stout, that style in the bottle with the off yellow label, checks in with 6.0% ABV, and has slightly more calories and carbs than its draught cousin.
Of the available options, Guinness Draught on-tap should offer the best flavor compared with the can and bottle variety from the grocery store. However, I urge caution before choosing this path. There is a science to pouring a perfect pint of the black stuff, and a mistake can ruin the experience. Patience is a virtue. A proper pint is a two-step process that should take two minutes or more. First, your bartender should fill a pint glass three-quarter full. Then the glass should be set aside to let the beer settle. The cascading effect created during pouring and a separation of beer and the frothy white head result from the use of nitrogen as carbonation. Finally, the pint should be topped off, bringing the beer to the top of the pint glass with a two-finger head. A well-poured pint is a thing of beauty.
A comparison of Guinness Draught in pub can, Guinness Draught in the bottle, and a Guinness Extra Stout is of interest for home consumption. Right off the bat, it is noted that Guinness in a bottle is supposed to be drank that way, straight from the bottle. One sip lets you know that this watery concoction will not suffice. So, the bottle version of the Dublin stout is tossed out of the discussion.
With a pop and a crack of the pub can tab, a rush of nitrogen is released and bubbles begin to emit from the opening. Slowly poured into a pint glass, the beer, at first, looks like a glass of moving sand. As the beer begins to settle and the cascading effect kicks in, a beautiful scene in a glass takes place. Soon, a white, creamy lace head stands atop an almost black body of beer, with ruby/brown trim. When in a glass, Extra Stout offers a very dark brown body, with a fluffy tan head of thick foam. Both beers show sheets of lace down the glass.
Draught smells faintly of dark chocolate and coffee, while Extra Stout offers sweet fruit aromas, is somewhat sharper and has more zing. Guinness Draught tastes malty and bready with sharp hints of coffee/cocoa accents. A burnt malt and tangy hop aftertaste is noticeable after each sip. There is also a very slight metallic tang. The beer mellows as it warms. Extra Stout’s taste is not very ‘stout-like’ but more porter-esque. This beer is sweeter, and has less bitterness than its nitrogen infused compatriot. A floral, fruity hop presence is also detected in the back of the mouth.
Draught is creamy, smooth, and has no carbonation. It offers a thin mouthfeel, and glides away very quickly, effortless to drink. Extra Stout has moderate carbonation, with a nice tingle all over the mouth, not as creamy or smooth as Draught, with a medium mouthfeel. Draught is an extremely easy to drink stout, low in alcohol, low in calories, and actually not that filling. It’s smooth as silk. Extra Stout is not as easy going as the nitro can beer, but it proves the better overall version of Guinness, in my opinion. So here’s to you and your next pint – Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Enjoy the brews … Sláinte.
Gene’s Haufbrau has at more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. While they don’t have every beer the Beer Snob writes about, they probably have most. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.