Guinness Foreign Extra Stout - Guinness Ltd.

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a mocha colored head - good retention and some lacing.

Smells of banana, rum, raisin, creme brulee.

Sweet banana, bitter coffee, rum, Burnt sweetness of creme brulee in the back. Finishes dry with raisin notes and slight oaky wine taste. This is an excellent beer full of flavor and none of them are artificial.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 22:46:45 | More by Chickenhawk9932

putnam

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

"6.5% Alcohol. Brewed in Kingston Jamaica. Best By Mar 2007" (oops)

Gorgeous. Like herbal single orgin chocolate. Complete, complex and alluring. On the palate it is quite tart up front, like sinewy vine sap (from hops, I gather). Then this releases its grip to reveal toasty fine bitterness. Throughout there is an effusive display of sweet herbs, pomegranate, black grapes, vanilla and coffee. Winey. Food beer. Perfectly weightless. Unexpectedly refreshing and complex. This is not milquetoast, childish beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2007 19:40:01 | More by putnam

SWMeyer4141

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a Budweiser Pint Glass, don't jugde me...

Appearance-Black body with a 3 finger frothy mocha head. Head slowly dissipates into a thin creamy head and leaves some amazing soapy sticky lacing. Not sure how much better a beer can look.

Smell-Roasted malts. Smells sweet with some dark fruits. Get some light hop aroma as well. Light chocolate and vanilla notes.

Taste-Shockingly complex and absolutely delicous. Huge sweet toffee up front. Followed by some chocolate, vanilla and dark fruits. Then suprisingly I got some citrusy hops at the backend ends with a smooth velvety sweet malty finish.

Mouthfeel-Creamy, Smooth, coats the tongue completely. Medium to Full bodied with perfect carbonation.

Overall-This beer is outstanding. To think that I've had so many Guinness' in my lifetime and never had the foreign extra that's available to me. This is a top notch Stout. Drinkable, Tasty, Complex, and smooth. It's just an outstanding beer, and my biggest suprise of 2011 thus far.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 01:39:20 | More by SWMeyer4141

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Okay, the wait was worth it. I remember inquiring about this at the Foodery in Philly more than 5 years ago and was disappointed to find out that the US didn't get this.

Had the more ubiquitous export stouts: Lion, Dragon, etc. Anyway, this has been the best of the style I've experienced so far.

Nearly flawless pour - coal black, a voluminous mocha-shaded head - lasting, creamy, dimpled - that leaves handsome drapes of lacing - as much as one associates a thick, creamy, dense head with Guinness (Draught) - this may be why I hesitate to give perfect marks to the look (but it's damn close). Moving on, the aroma is surprisingly not as rich the flavor - just lightly bitter/roasty and sweet, yet naturally appealing. My oh my, does this taste and drink wonderfully! The bitterness kicks up a couple notches, though never coming off biting or feeling astringent. There is a light, smooth acidity that lingers from a moderate-strength roasty foundation - but just a soft touch. Instead of chocolate flavors (which I was half expecting), I found subtle vanilla notes, starting in the tail of the middle through the finish. Delightful. Add to all of this some molasses flavors and light viscosity and an almost perfect mid-range degree of body, and this is a thoroughly well-balanced, highly enjoyable export stout - and one of the best no-frills, stronger stouts I've had. Says a lot. Again, worth it.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 19:32:12 | More by Bouleboubier

ckollias

Maryland

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a dark pitch-black hue with a thick, dark brown, 4-finger head that slowly dissipates, leaving a great trail down the glass, and ending in a solid persistent lace.

S: Toasted malt aromas with a chocolate and coffee overtones and a hoppy background.

T: Equally sweet and bitter with toasted malt flavor. Chocolate and coffee background with an alcoholic zip and a hoppy finish.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Awesome stout – what every stout should strive to be. Soo smooth and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 01:34:57 | More by ckollias

KeefD

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I drank several of these over the course of the day in Nassau, The Bahamas. I had it both in bottles and cans, but this review is from notes I took at the Hard Rock Cafe from a bottle. Pours a solid black color with very dark brown highlights on the edge of the glass developing no noticeable head or lacing in the frozen pint into which it was poured. Aroma of toffee, roasted coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruit and red grapes. Flavor is pretty on par with the nose. A noticeable red grape skin flavor, raisins, dates, dark brown sugar, light coffee and chocolate flavor and a nice hop bitterness on the finish. Very complex and tasty. Creamy on the tongue with a nice bite at the end. While I did manage to put back quite a few of these over the course of the day (they were only $2.40 for single cans and bottles) the 7.5% alcohol can catch up to you. Very delicious and the best Guinness beer I've had to date.

Best beer in the Bahamas, hands down.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2008 01:03:12 | More by KeefD

OttoPeeWee

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow, I'm embarrased to say I had no idea how good Guinness could be. I have never really liked the swill they sell in the US market after having it countless times on tap and in the can and it would be rare that I would actually order it outside St. Patrick's Day. Guinness should really catch up with the beer craze in the US and send us some more of the "good stuff" and make a clear distiction of what your drinking.

Well about the beer, smells of raisin and slight charcol. The taste is very similar to dark (bitter) chocolate and has a satisfing thickness. There is actually some alcohol in this one-the perfect amount of warming alcohol. This brew makes me proud to be Irish.

P.S. I edited this review after having a few more of these and bump up the points. Guinness, "Make's you strong!"

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 01:13:12 | More by OttoPeeWee

ckcanady

California

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Exceptionally good stout!

A-Pitch black pour with a tan head.

S-Very heavy malt aroma as well as coffee. Also and earthy aroma alongside a woodsy background.

T-The taste wonderfully mirrors the aroma. Starts off with the roasted malts with turns into a coffee. Wood and smoke notes can also be detected.

M-Full and smooth.

D-Extremely well balanced. Has 7.5% alcohol hidden well. This is Guinness at it's best!

Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 22:12:12 | More by ckcanady

MadCat

New Jersey

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours black with a big creamy brown head that lasts, tons of lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt, coffee, pumpernickel bread, hints of sweetness and anise.

Taste: Roasted malt, coffee, toffee, hints of pumpernickel, sweetness, and anise. There's a flavor in there that I can't quite identify, but seems to be common in Irish and English stouts and porters. Rather complex.

Mouthfeel: Full body, medium carbonation, slightly dry finish.

Overall: Leaves me wanting more! I love this beer, glad it is easily available in the US now. Probably one of my favorite stouts, but I might be a bit biased since Guinness Draught is what got me into beer. But it still is great too.

Also, this is my first review with the "Overall" category, so I slightly changed my format, combining my "drinkability" and "overall" parts.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 00:18:32 | More by MadCat

Seekerpilgrim

Washington

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pouring a muddy brown, sweet notes of burnt brown sugar and coffee waft off the very dirty head, backed by an almost meaty undertone. On the tongue, a surprisingly complex balance is maintained: the extra hops attack up front, receding quickly as the brown sugar kicks in, a bit cream...followed by the coffee, earthy and gritty, and completed with a slightly dry finish reminiscent of Guinness Draught...all delivered with a full mouthfeel that satisfies like the act of chewing jerky.

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much with this one, but I'm very pleasantly surprised as it's rapidly risen of the ranks of my favorite beers. Not really a session beer, as it's quite complex and demands you attention, but perfect now and again, either on it's own (perhaps a third beer to wake up a numbing tongue), or with a heavy, meaty dish (including jerky). Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 02:41:30 | More by Seekerpilgrim

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.68/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: Almost as good as Guinness Draught. Cascading bubbles swirl in the glass. Several inches of brown foam float at the top and excellent lacing remains in the glass. Color is pitch black, no questions asked.

Smell: Faint mineral water smell. Some coffee as well. It really isn't A+ amazing, but I give it a 4 due to the rustic feel overall, otherwise I'd say 3.5.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Exceptional flavor. Strong pine hops, something lacking in most stouts I've tried. Definitely coffee and chocolate malts. Nothing too fancy, but this beer gets the job done. Also very rustic feel, but still smooth like coffee with the carbonation.

Drinkability: There really is no better. A great sipper, but also something you can't stop drinking.

Overall: Just released in the U.S. for the first time in 90 years. Definitely make this your next beer. No question that it is the best Guinness out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 01:15:31 | More by tjsdomer2

jpkoch1962

Indiana

4.68/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is a stout that is close to perfection. A dark opague ebony dominates the appearance, with a dirty long lasting nitro head. A mixture of deep roasted coffee and vinegar mixed with hops give this ale a intimidating aroma. The chewy, full malty body offsets the addition of lactic acid and bittering hops. The result is a full body, roasted coffee, very bitter yet satisfying stout. One of the best on the market. A stout lover's paradise.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 01:31:38 | More by jpkoch1962

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

It's really great when you can take a classic and make some improvements on it (except for the butterscotch thing which I just can't abide). Poured with a mammoth, thick, foamy, frothy, fluffy, billowy, light tan head that lasts forever and lots of clingy lace. Color is an opaque black brown. Aroma is a complex array of roast, malt, acid, butterscotch, masculine scents. Flavor is similar to nose with very little sweetness; bitterness and tang dominate with some butterscotch, malt, roast, barest hint of toffee and sweetness. Man, this is dry irish stout! Body is perfect and so is carbonation for the style. Finish is like flavor and some coffee and cocoa show up - fairly long. An alternate to a world classic for the far flungs markets of Diageo.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 19:23:28 | More by drpimento

Lupe

New York

4.65/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

When my mom took her most recent trip to Aruba, this beer was the souvenir I requested she bring back for me. And boy was it worth it. Bottle has a best before of 280205, but this beer is even better aged then when I first tried it in 2005.

Pitch black in color with mahogany hues at the bottom of the glass. Head pours thick and rocky, slowly dissipating to a beige sheet and leaving behind some sporadic lace.

Aroma of toasted malts, toffee, and rum along with some dark fruit.

Starts with some bitterness from the roasted malts and hops, which dries the tounge. Next malt flavors of bitter chocolate, dark roast coffee, and caramel come in and juice things up - making the mouth water. Hop bitterness combines nicely with the roasted malt flavors. Leaves you with some lingering dark fruit/raisin flavors, nuttiness, and a dry palate.

Full-bodied, and smooth ... very smooth. Kind of chewy. I've seen beers called chewy before and thought "How can that be?", but alas - I have found myself a chewy beer.

Very easy to drink, especially for a heavier stout. But watch out, unless you live in the tropics you will go through your stash way too quickly. Still have 2 more stashed away, but I think it is time to go and find a friend going to the Caribbean. Or book a trip myself. Such a shame this is not more easily available.
.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2007 00:05:41 | More by Lupe

shand

Florida

4.65/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 11.2oz bottle into a mug.

This brew is striking. It pours black with three fingers of nice, cappuccino coloured head. The aroma is mostly of some dark (think 60%) chocolate and coffee imparted by the roastiness of the brew. The taste? Excellent. This is what I thought Guinness was supposed to taste like from what I'd heard about it from casual beer drinkers. This is an outstanding, smooth stout that's just a joy to drink. The coffee and chocolate work together in perfect harmony, striking the perfect balance between sweet and bitter.Towards the end a surprising amount of hops come through, working together with the roastiness to create a wonderfully refreshing, bitter aftertaste.

Both the mouthfeel and drinkability are absolutely off the charts. The mouthfeel is smooth and silky in the mouth, and leaves a wonderful spiky aftertaste on the tongue and the roof of my mouth that's surely imparted by the nice dose of hops. The drinkability? This is 7.5% alcohol and I downed this mug in about 15 minutes flat, which is crazy fast for someone who'll nurse a pale ale for two hours. This is honestly a superb beer, and I'm glad after trying all the lesser varieties of Guinness, I've finally found one that I can love whole-heartedly. The fact that my workplace has just started carrying this is a dangerous prospect, I see the 8.99 four-packs coming home with me far too often.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 07:45:01 | More by shand

GabrielM

New Mexico

4.63/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

My first GFES, so I'm pretty excited. Poured into a snifter.

A - picture perfect! To quote Chris Farley, this brew is blacker "than the inside of a coffin on a moonless night." The best part, though, is the awesome 1-inch thick off-white creamy head that sits atop. Looks absolutely beautiful!

S - slight chocolate first in, then coffee, some vanilla, roasted malts and a bit of hops in the back.

T - bitter-sweet chocolate and espresso right away, then a surprising hop bitterness. This is mellowed out by some semi-sweet malty goodness, then goes down smooth.

M - creamy, smooth, and lite with fantastic carbonation. Very well balanced and delicious.

D - the dryness and bitterness of the hops of this brew threw me for a loop at first (keep in mind that I've only had Guinness Draught Extra from bottles and tap up to this point, so I was expecting something a bit sweeter). However, I'm chalking that up to a very cold bottle when first poured. Now that its warmed up a little it's going down amazingly smooth! The 7.5% ABV is practically unnoticeable and I know I could easily put back a few of these on any given night.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2010 23:57:59 | More by GabrielM

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

(Served in a snifter) Best before L0232GF002 05:37
A- This beer pours a jet black body with a big chocolate tan head that separates a bit like the nitro poured Guinness. The body is to dark for any signs of carbonation and the head makes thick sand dunes with each sip until finally resting in the bottom of the glass after the beer is gone.
S- There are some rich black roasted malt with a slightly sweet almost tootsie roll quality behind it. There is an aroma that is not really sweaty and not really smoky or tart but has a lot of those qualities in there. The finish has a graham aroma and a chocolate malt richness.
T- The black roasted malt flavor is rich but mellow with a hop bitterness in the finish that blends with the black malt support. There is a faint smoky bacon quality to it as the beer warms. The roasted malt flavor has a slight green hop quality to it and a soft chocolate flavor and the roasted black malt finish is slightly dry.
M- This beer has a full creamy texture and no alcohol heat. D- There is not a great deal of depth but there are great flavors with a great about of hop support. The flavors and aromas are well blended and each sip makes me want to take another sip. When I think of classic stouts that are rich full and I could drink all day this is one of them.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 19:04:19 | More by rhoadsrage

danielplainview

Kentucky

4.63/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- a dark black color as you would expect from these guys.

S- Nice roasted malt and chocolate grips you right away. Has a bit of hop aroma integrated that is a preview of coming attractions

T- Roasted malts in the front of the beer with some bitterness. not what I expected but still a great combo of flavors.

M- full mouthfeel. Big rich mocha coffee notes on the palate.

D- Loved it. Can't wait to try it on draft.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2010 02:43:23 | More by danielplainview

grittybrews

Washington

4.63/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured an inky blackish-brown into a pint glass with two fingers of creamy, long-lasting mocha head. Smooth, pleasantly roasty aroma of coffee, dark chocolate, and a hint of dark fruit.

Moderate carbonation and a full, exceptionally creamy mouthfeel. Surprising hint of caramel sweetness, vanilla, and biscuity malt up front, followed by roasted coffee, chocolate, and slightly smoky notes before a nicely roasty/bitter finish.

For all its full, well-executed flavors, this Guinness remains really easy-drinking (ABV is completely masked). Glad this one is now more widely available--I like it exponentially more than the other Guinness beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 05:12:53 | More by grittybrews

Loveyourbeer

Virginia

4.63/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

A: poured extremely dark, thin mocha colored head.

S: strong enough to overcome my cold! Some coffee, slightly burnt smell but very pleasant.

T: full, complex taste. Follows the smell nicely. A bit of bitterness but very nice. I really enjoy this beer!

M: smooth on the palate. May need to let this warm up a bit.

O: fantastic! I will definitely drink this again!

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 19:39:42 | More by Loveyourbeer

BeerFink

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Much thanks to my roommate for bringing this back from his trip to Ireland for me. He picked it up at the Guinness brewery in Dublin, bottle says "brewed in Ireland."

Decanting this 330 mL bottle reveals a midnight black brew dominated by a light brown head. As the head dies down slightly, some heavy lacing coats my snifter. The aroma was much sweeter than I was expecting a Guinness to be. Some dark fruits coupled with caramel and possibly some molasses. Plenty of malt in the nose, with a really fantastic nuttiness. An extraordinary nose for an export stout. The flavor is very full, slightly reminescent of Guinness' Extra Stout, but with more depth. Up front, the taste is very robust - a nice presence of roasted barley and black malts, coffee is also apparent. Underneath this malty facade lies some nice bitter chocolate and caramel flavors. The robust malts eventually give way to a definite creaminess along with a hint of dark fruit sweetness. That creamy flavor leads into some spicy hops that help finish things off. Aftertaste is slightly hoppy, but mainly roasted dry. Mouthfeel is very full and almost chewy. Definitely the best offering from Guinness I've experienced.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2006 02:04:54 | More by BeerFink

norwichboy

Australia

4.6/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I’ve never found Guinness very accessible, and it has been the only beer I can remember trying that I have really struggled to drink, even the supposedly perfect pint poured in the Dublin Guinness Factory. I’d long given up on it, but perhaps I can have more luck with the Foreign Extra incarnation of it.

Pours with a large frothy light brown head, long lasting and plenty of lacing. Pitch black hue, completely opaque. Malty aromas are dominant with dark bitter chocolate, coffee and all round roastiness.
Seemed subdued on tasting though: more maltiness and some pleasant bitter flavours, but somewhat lacking in the intensity you would expect from the smell. Medium-to-full body with creamy texture. Lovely finish with malt giving way to a lovely lingering bitter flavour. The length of this is exceptional. Incredibly drinkable: certainly none of the iron filing flavour I'd associate with Guinness Draught, but surprisingly drinkable for the alcohol content as well.

Overall, sorry to reach the end of it, and happily converted.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2006 08:33:08 | More by norwichboy

BeerRun13

California

4.6/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Very excited to try this one. Thanks Riggsy for including this in my Secret Santa package.

Pours super dark, almost pitch black. Only a slight burgundy can be seen through the thin portions of the glass next to a light. A dense and very stable head rests on top and doesn't want to go away. Very uniform, filmy lacing is left behind.
Roasty notes accompanied by a slight hint of black liccorice. Slight caramel notes as well.
Nice dark malt and crystal flavors. Mild hop presence. Slight hints of fruit. The best tasting Guinness I've had.
Medium bodied and nicely carbonated. A slight pleasant bittering lingers in the upper palate and on the back of the tounge. Overall, extremely well balanced.
I've been a fan of Guinness for sometime now. The Draught is a good beer that is fairly easy to find in many restraunts that don't have a great beer selection... The Extra Stout has often been a saple for me at home... This one takes things to a new level. What a wonderfull offering!

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2008 05:26:27 | More by BeerRun13

medic25

Connecticut

4.6/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a 4-pack in the Milford Whole Foods. Served in a Guinness pint glass.
First impression is impressive; incredibly dark, essentially opaque to light. Good-sized brown head that laces quite well as the drink goes down. The smell is fantastic; much more forward than the standard nitro Guinness we now get. The aroma brought be back to Ireland; the pub is where the family often got together back home and this is the smell I remember from my childhood!
The taste is highly enjoyable, with a strong burnt/roasted malt flavor that is well complimented by the taste of hops. Mouthfeel is a satisfying full one, with a fairly clean finish. Very drinkable for a fairly hight ABV; this is one of the best beers I've had in quite a while!

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 02:50:00 | More by medic25

bboelens

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a tuliped pint glass

A-Deep deep ruby boarding on black, with a large creamy khaki head that lasts the entire experience

S- Roast malts, coffee, toffee, alcohol

T-Without a doubt the best thing Guinness produces, an explosion of flavor involving, malt, toffee, spice, hops, chocolate, slight nut and earth flavoring

M-Big body, slight carbonation, just fantastic

D-At a hefty ABV and a hefty price, it's not easy to put down too many of these, that being said, this is one of the greatest beers I've ever had the privilege of drinking

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 08:37:47 | More by bboelens