Guinness Extra Stout (Original) - Guinness Ltd.

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: nitro-bottle from Joe Canal's, Bellmawr, NJ

Guinness gets better here.

Typical Guinness pour: opaque black cascades into your glass, light tan finger of head that recedes a bit more than you'd expect, and leaves good lacing, but probably not quite as much as the regular Draught. Smooth, heavily roasted malt aroma with some coffee and dark chocolate. Same in the taste: roasty, roasty malts, dark chocolate and cocoa bitterness, coffee, and little to no hops, though perhaps just a touch of a floral aspect. Super smooth and tasty; heavy-medium mouthfeel and nicely drinkable.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

05-09-2011 17:17:48 | More by Rifugium

beer256

Pennsylvania

2.05/5  rDev -44.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

i wasnt impressed with this beer at all.i think i had to high expectations because i never tried guinness before and this was the only one they had. i brought a cold six pack and just tried it and i think it wasnt at serving temps.the after taste was awful,the only way i could finish the six pack was to drink it ice cold.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

12-23-2009 04:57:27 | More by beer256

Haybeerman

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Murky black with some deep red tint. Poured a tight 1 finger head with good retention and was "fed" from underneath. Ample lacing tight to the glass.

S: Sweet bready, smokey, chocolatey, all kinds of malt and a hint of hop bitter.

T: Very sonsistent with smell; roasted and toasted malt flavors. Light bitter fininsh to balance.

M: Medium body. Low carbonation. Smooth and creamy. Not quite the full body I expected.

D: Very drinkable. Didn't find it filling or overbearing.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

01-27-2009 17:10:05 | More by Haybeerman

Vendetta

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Original Rating Date:
June 16, 2008

I'm not a very big fan of the original Guinness, but I really liked this one. Much thicker, creamier palate than standard Guinness draft. Tastes fuller as well. Again, there are better stouts out there, but this one was pretty damn good.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

12-07-2008 00:40:50 | More by Vendetta

bort11

Missouri

3.25/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

My friend from Ireland swears up and down by Guinness, and if you can't trust an Irishman, who can you trust.

A- Here is the real beauty of Guinness. Poured into a pint tumbler. The creamy roasted tan colored head starts at the bottom of the glass and slowly pulls itself up to the top, revealing the pure black beer beneath. For a while there is a triple layer effect with the tan head on top, brown head/beer mix in the middle, and the black beer on bottom. Real beauty.

S- It smells like what you would expect a stout to smell like, coffee, a little bit of chocolate and toffee. It is not a very strong smell. Maybe the creamy head is doing too good of a job of holding the smells in.

T- Bitter coffee and bittersweet chocolate. It's not a very strong flavor, I think the foam is also muting the flavor.

M- The head is nice and chewy, but when you get to the actual beer, it's very watery, which is very disappointing. Not a whole lot of carbonation on the tongue.

D- Guinness is a classic, but I think I've outgrown it. Not long ago I had a Guinness on tap with a steak dinner which was an excellent pairing. I think if I am going to drink Guinness again, it would have to be with a meal.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

05-07-2006 01:41:43 | More by bort11

Juggernaut

Missouri

2.78/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

I had this not long ago over st.pats, with a friend of mine. The dark color intrigued us, as it was not a normal American brew that can be seen through.

At first taste there was quite a lot of bitterness, but I attribute some of this to the fact that my palate is not fully developed as I have just turned 21 and am new to the wide world of beer. Though bitterness gave it a bit, it led into a nice roast/smoky flavor, with a good mouth feel.

Though not for the light hearted beer fan, I surely would like to try it again once I have some more brews under my belt.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

04-01-2004 08:31:35 | More by Juggernaut

arizcards

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The nitro bottle pours a fine sustained head. Black as night this brew hits your nose with a nice roasted malt. Taste starts with that malt and ends with a somewhat bitter finish. It holds well in the mouth with a fair heaviness. The bitter finish is not a good bitter in my book which lowers it just below the good range. I will definitely drink it if offered but will not go out of my way to buy it.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

01-31-2004 23:41:52 | More by arizcards

EyeBeeFameUs

Florida

1.66/5  rDev -55.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.25

I did not enjoy this brew at all. It looked decent as I poured it into my glass, but when I took the first sip I was instantly transported to China because it tasted exactly like soy sauce. It sat there dead on my tongue and eventually the aftertaste was like teriyaki sauce. I had to pour the rest out and drink a Shock Top to ease my pain.

I would not recommend this beer to anyone that doesn't like the taste of chinese food in their beer. The dark color looks like chocolate but does not taste like chocolate liquor or chocolate or coffee anything. I was excited to try something new but I was not satisfied with Guiness Extra Stout. I will try a regular Guiness although.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 22:30:05 | More by EyeBeeFameUs

tronester

Oklahoma

3.79/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very dark ruby in color, almost black. Thin eggshell colored head. Aromas of chocolate liqueur. Taste begins with a smoky, woody flavor, then a little brown sugar sweetness, finishing with a slightly sour, herbal, piney flavor. Mouthfeel is pretty good. Overall a nice stout, though I prefer the Foreign Extra better.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 22:29:02 | More by tronester

JesseMurdock

Hawaii

4.24/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I had very little experience with stouts before buying this beer. However it was St. Patrick's day and it seemed appropriate. The dark hue and thick, brown head make this beer looking creamy and inviting. However it is very bitter and full-bodied. This can be good or bad depending on your taste in beer. I didn't enjoy the first one, but by the end of the 6 pack, i thought it to be a very good beer. This is a great beer to pair with food. It stands up well against a stew or with steak.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 22:30:14 | More by JesseMurdock

scottfrie

California

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours black with a huge airy light tan head that slowly faded into a bubbly film leaving a ton of complex lace down the glass.
S: Roasted nose, light choc, honeycomb. Light but good.
T: Follows the nose, roasted malts, toasted grains, with a honeyesque sweetness and honeycomb. Maybe toffee. Straight forward. Slight bitter.
M: Medium body, smooth crisp mouth, drying, bubbly carbonation.
O: I prefer this to the draught. A simple very drinkable light stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 23:10:41 | More by scottfrie

fitzy84

Massachusetts

3.86/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a six pack recently. Appearance has some brown-black look with a frothy head and thick lacing on the side. There is a light roasted aroma of hazelnut, chocolate, raisin, and malt. Nice taste with a sweet malt mixed with hints of dark coffee. I liked the mouthfeel to this; it was a good, creamy drink, but it was not too heavy thanks to the carbonation. Overall, pretty darn good.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 04:04:33 | More by fitzy84

Lognar

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Couldn't quite make out the bottled on date, but I think it is about 4-7 months old.

Pour - Pours black brown with a rocky finger of khaki head. Not as creamy looking at Guinness Draught.

Nose - Surprisingly sweet. Sweet malts, dark fruit notes, and floral hops. Reminded a bit of a barleywine or a Belgian ale honestly. Quite shocked by the nose on this.

Taste - Earthly mild roastiness up front, along with a hint of those dark fruit notes. Earthly malt dryness and bitterness on the finish. Quite earthly all around.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full body and chewy. Good ole meal in a glass.

Overall - Picked this up for St. Pats. I first and last had this about 7 years ago when I started drinking Guinness and a friend bought me Extra Stout instead Draught. I couldn't stomach the Extra Stout, but now I enjoyed it a lot. I don't know why this doesn't get more love (probably because people consider it a macro). Guinness has been brewing this for a long time and it's a damn fine product. Definitely enjoy this more than Guinness Draught.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 02:37:44 | More by Lognar

Moose90

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A – Dark nearly opaque brown, nearly black. Head is pale brown in color, fluffy, lingering and leaves nice lacing.

S – Malty, though not real fresh malts. Almost a bit old, but the malts for the most part are sweet and chocolaty.

T – Bitter coffee and chocolate notes here. Nothing too complex, but does have a noticeable lingering bitterness.

M – Surprisingly thin, though it is nice, clean and crisp. Just a bit unexpected for the style. Maybe overcarbed.

O – This is a bit underwhelming out of the bottle. Though for such a widely distributed dark beer it is nice enough. No huge malt complexities, and it drinks quite light and crisp.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 21:10:32 | More by Moose90

rdilauro

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Got this one really to make an Irish Stew. Its been a while since I have had my last Guinness. Over the years, I've had it normally on Tap or in the Draught Cans.

Same old black coal pour with a semi-white creamy head. Not much of any bouquet. The taste is the same: big , round, no hop/yeast taste, good amount of malt.

I get a hint of pine tar right before taking another sip. Its bitter but not in the terms of high IBUs

Still, for St Patty's day, what better way to cook and drink something from Guinness.

March 15, 2013 - Getting ready for another St Patty's day - Cornbeef/Cabbage/Potato and Guinness.

Same coal black pour with its familiar slight brown head. Not very lasting long I may say. Not a lot of aromas going on here, if anything, I pick up malt.
The initial taste was nice, just as I have remembered it hundreds of times before. This does have a bit of carbonation, which to me, takes away from any Stout. I do not pick up any chocolate or coffee here. Its all malt and also (sounds crazy) as if I was walking out into the middle of a baseball field after a couple of innings of play.

The complete taste lacked something for me as well as the finish. Still very enjoyable. It was the first stout I ever had MANY MANY MANY years ago.

I know that I have a problem rating some stouts today. I've been drinking many of those large ABVs with loads of chocolate or/and coffee.. They are in a different category / style then this one, so I need to keep that in perspective.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 18:04:58 | More by rdilauro

MCain04

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

With St Patty's coming up, seemed appropriate to pick up one of these old standbys and review. 12 oz bottled poured into a standard pint glass at around 45 degrees.

A: Dark brown, almost black, big 2-3 finger kahki head with good retention and lacing.

S: The malts are there but smell stale. Hard to describe, but almost that BMC smell. Kind of skunky.

T: Bitter roasty malts, but the taste is kind of thin, bitterness lingers. Not a lot of other tastes ie coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, etc that are often found in stouts.

M: A nice smooth body on Nitro tap, but when out of the bottle, the body feels thin and the carbonation is overly present. Wet finish.

O: Wish I was reviewing this on Nitro tap. Feel like I'm a giving this a worse rating than it deserves, or that I've just been drinking high quality stuff recently, but just not impressed. Appreciate Guinness for a lot of things in my early beer drinking days, but probably won't drink this more than once a year. That said, I will drink a lot of it once a year. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 23:47:15 | More by MCain04

orcsinspace

Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +29.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Pour the 1 pint, 6 ounce bottle into your favorite beer mug, and instantly find out why Guinness is a legend. This is really the only Guinness product I will drink on a regular basis, and for good reason--it is by far the best.

Let's start with the head. You can chew on it! Talk about mouthfeel, this beer has a presence about it. The Extra Stout is thick and rich, and it has a texture about it. Lacing all the way down the glass in layered waves of foam. Excellent, and among the best physical characteristics of a beer I have ever seen.

The color is also amazing because it is black. You cannot see through this beer even if you shine a light through it. Many people say it is actually deep amber, but I call it black.

The taste of Extra Stout is surprisingly mellow and smooth for such a bold beer. However, it tastes exactly how it looks: roasted with a heavy, earthy taste to it. Not bitter at all. The flavor masks the alcohol flavor that many other heavy duty beers sometimes have.

I also tend to factor in price, and Extra Stout is among the cheaper 22 ounce selections. This is a fairly economical beer for what it is, and is definitely worth it. There is nothing worse than getting a 8 dollar draft of some obscure beer and struggling to finish it when you can spend less than 3 dollars at 7-11 for this.
This is an outstanding beer. Over the past few years I have drank a lot of dark beer, but Extra Stout is among the best. This beer is balanced and drinkable and has a quality to it that lots of commercial, industrial produced beer does not.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 16:51:40 | More by orcsinspace

Seekerpilgrim

Washington

3.83/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

To me, this is Guinness's perfect brew: not as dry as the Draught, nor as hoppy as the Foreign Extra, nor as thin as the Black Lager. Pouring a deep brown, there are strong yeasty notes on the dirty foam head, as well as sweet hints of molasses and burnt sugar. On the tongue, the sweetness diminishes as stronger tastes of coffee, bitter chocolate, and mild jerky dance around, carried to the taste buds in a heavy, chewy, satisfying mouthfeel that vanishes quite quickly, leaving a pleasantly soot and grit aftertaste.

By far my favorite Guinness offering and a great introduction to the world of Stouts and Porters, Extra Stout should be drunk with heavy meat dishes, thick hamburgers, or spicy chili. Not really a session beer, it nevertheless works as some great reward for a particularly rough day or a black celebration. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 00:50:31 | More by Seekerpilgrim

Kromes

Georgia

3.83/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours black with ruby edges and a thin tan colored head.

Roasted malt and coffee aromas with some faint dark cherry.

Roasted malt flavors up front with a more noticeable dark cherry flavor. There are also some mineral and peat and earthy hop touches to it. Finishes dry with a lingering roasted malt bitterness.

Medium body with good carbonation. Smooth feel to it.

A nice dry stout. Flavors are strong and blend well.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 20:48:37 | More by Kromes

PaterMorse

Indiana

3.64/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Today was a head-to-head between Guinness Extra Stout, G. Draught, and Murphy's Stout.

A: Pours dark; head disappears more quickly than Guinness Draught or Murphy's Stout. Golden raisin tint on edges. Nice lacing and sand-colored clusters remain.

S: Sharp. Grassy, meadow. Hops & barley. Not much more, other than a "white wine" scent that I'd never experienced with other stouts. Expect a bigger punch than Draught or Murphy's, just from the scent.

T: Starker than Draught, but also possessing some of the guts missing from Draught. Grainy, barley. Earthy. Roasted, burnt. Bitter but not too bad. Again, wine-like. Want to like it better than Draught (b/c Draught is so wimpy); but I honestly don't.

M: Medium to full body... Slightly skunky after-taste.

O: Nothing special, nothing bad. Although I hate the over-used saying, it applies: "It is what it is..."

Repeat? Oddly enough, though it's better than G-Draught or Murphy's, it's not nearly as good as other, more complex stouts; and it's not as quaffable (if you're looking for a pound-fest) as Draught or Murphy's. So while I'll always have some on offer for friends (given that it's a staple for many), it's unlikely I'd yearn to reach for another... Too many others out there that are better.

Two Words? Guinness. Period. (meaning it's a standard -- offering nothing special, no drawbacks)

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 17:13:19 | More by PaterMorse

Kerrie

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Guinness was one of the first beers I was able to drink, but I've never had the extra stout. Here goes!

A- Looks like the usual Guinness; pitch black with the iconic tan head. Minimal lacing.

S- I'm not sure how to describe the smell, though I'm not getting much. Smells like normal Guinness is the best I can come up with here.

T- Tastes better than Guinness Draught! It's a bit creamier and not as dry. Irish dry stouts aren't my favorite and this tastes better than the last few I've had.

M- Not too thick or watery, just right. Same as Guinness Draught, it seems.

Overall, if I'm ever limited to Guinness at a non-craft sort of place, I'd take this over the original draught.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 00:19:57 | More by Kerrie

sbxx

Illinois

3.16/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance - Pours almost identical to flat Coca Cola. 1/2 finger of head disappeared almost instantly.

Smell - Chocolately malt

Taste - Roasted malt, distant hints of dark chocolate and espresso, a little watery, medium carbonation, bitter finish.

Mouthfeel - Light, with a wet finish.

Overall - Not bad for a basic stout. Would drink again. Sure, there are better options out there, but for $7.99 a sixer, it's hard to go wrong with this one from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 23:51:41 | More by sbxx

TBoneJones

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured near black with a nice looking but thin fluffy tan head. This lacing will be good.
Scent is malty and there's a cherry/banana-like ester smell, some grain.
The taste picks up right from the smell, but then whoa the roasted finish. It's like the fruits are darker than the ester-like aspect of them in the smell, and they blend and lead-in to the dry finish in a nice way. I get "sweet dry roast" out of this brew, and somewhat astringent, puckering & earthy. I'd enjoy this beer more if it the grains didnt come off so astringent to me throughout this pint I drank. There was a lingering aspect of what is termed as "Acetaldehyde", although to me in a dark fruity kind of way (cherry) and not in the green apple-sense of the term's usual meaning/ description.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 19:33:38 | More by TBoneJones

mnrider

Connecticut

3.44/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. brown bottle. Brewed & Bottled in Canada.

S: Pours a deep black with a foamy tan head, about one finger.
Nice retention until the end. Lacing is good, not great. Overall
this stout looks enticing.

S: Sharp sweetness with roasted coffee and other grains. Mild
hops. This could be better.

T/M: Smooth, creamy with a semi-crisp feel. Sweet, flavorful
malts. Hops are present, but small. They do bring in a nice
bitterness. Roasted/burnt flavors. Sweet to dry finish.

O: A pretty basic stout, with good taste and a great look. Better
than Guinness Drought. Easy to drink. lets just say I would never
turn one of these down.

Cheers!!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 21:00:10 | More by mnrider

kylehay2004

Florida

3.91/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Single finger tan head with nice lacing on a deep brown body with a little light getting through. Aroma of vanilla, brown sugar, roasted malts. Flavor is fairly bitter due to roasted malts and espresso. Sweetness comes from vanilla and brown sugar. These flavors are very well balanced though. Medium to full body and moderate carbonation. Despite the bitterness this one is still pretty refreshing and clean. I think I like this one more than Guiness draught.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 02:30:47 | More by kylehay2004