I saw this at a Winn/Dixie today and just had to pick it up. So what that it was $10.49 for a 6 pack of 11.2 fl oz bottles, it's a new Guinness! Here's what it says on the side of the 6 pack:
During 2009, Guinness is celebrating the 250 year anniversary of the signing of the lease on St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland by Author Guinness. To mark this momentous event, Guinness introduces a special commemorative stout. This premium recipe takes the flavor of Author's distinctive stout and balances it with an underlying taste of refreshment, delivering a unique Guinness experience.
This beer was introduced in the U.S. on April 24th, 2009 and will be available for about 6 months. It is 5% abv compared to the usual Guinness Draught at 4.2% abv. The packaging says Limited Edition and Beeradvocate.com defines this limited as being only brewed once. Some more information on the release of this beer can be found here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30093096/
I will definitely be keeping one of these bottles for the collection... Now, on to the review.
It goes without saying that I poured this beer into one of my Guinness tulip glasses. It is a solid black color but shows a reddish tinge around the edges when held up to the light. The head is tipical of non-nitro Guinness- thick, light-tan colored and easily reaches 3-4 fingers if poured sloppily. It leaves very nice lacing, as it should.
The smell is bitter. It's really hard to say more than that. There is another smell in there but I can't call it. It's just a bitter smell, with subdued traces of coffee and chocolate malts and hints of hop. In a weird way it reminds me of the Draught Guinness in that the nose is very underpowered.
The taste is all chocolate malts, with hints of espresso, that are bitter and acidic, but not in a bad way. There are more malts and some hops in there but they are hidden behind the somewhat heavy carbonation and overall bitterness. The finish is dry and kind of powdery, like some 80% cacao, with a slight touch of hops.
Now, as far as mothfeel and drinkability, this brew is the bastard child of Guinness Draught and Guinness Extra Stout. It is much thinner than the Extra Stout but not as much so as the Draught. It is way more carbonated than either and is definitely more bitter but, because of the carbonation and it's thinness, it is remarkably drinkable. These guys go down quick and easy.
This brew , in my opinion, is exactly what it should be for a limited run, celebratory brew. Consider it, 'an experimental change of pace'. As such, I call this beer a solid glass 1/2 FULL and hope that all the Guinness lovers out there pick it up to see for themselves what this beer is all about. It's not better than the pre-existing Guinnesses but it's a rare attempt to spice things up from the people that gave us the timeless classic. Check it out, it won't be here for long. Cheers!
The Beer of the Day
No comments:
Post a Comment