Guinness Draught - Guinness Ltd.

mmmbirra

Italy

3.29/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass from a 50 cl can. Yes, a full pint. Not that 14.9 oz bs you get stateside.
Looks fantastic. Black, and when held up to a light shows a few red streaks. The classic tan head lingers forever.
The aroma is light, and smells faintly of chocolate. Maybe a hint of coffee, maybe.
The flavor is equally lacking, and again you can pick up a slight bit of chocolate in the background. If you look really hard you can find something resembling roasted barley. The flavors are really nice and pleasant, but they're unfortunately quite muted.
Very creamy, very nice mouthfeel, and for a moment makes you think that this beer isn't as light as it is.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-26-2013 17:41:14 | More by mmmbirra

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an Elysian snifter. Pours pitch black with a very fine, two finger light tan head from the nitro can. Aroma of mild toasted malt and nuts, mildly sweet. Attenuated flavor of light toasted malt, milk chocolate, nuts. Finishes very mild hops and residual malt. Light body without any creaminess I'd expect from the nice head. I enjoy an occasional actual draught Guinness, although it is mild by comparison to the stouts I usually drink, but this tastes like that Guinness slightly watered down. A pleasant Irish dry stout, but very attenuated in flavor. It was a reasonable accompaniment to dinner.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-17-2013 01:05:46 | More by LiquidAmber

drmystery

North Carolina

3.39/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25

poured into my big ol glass.

the appearance looks absolutely gorgeous, a nice change from the orangey cooper IPAs and pale ales ive been having, looks deep black with a ruby hue if held up to the light. amazing thick and creamy head that went from about 2 fingers immediately after pouring to about a quarter inch head that lasted the entire beer. gorgeous looking beer.

not a lot of smell, but i do get hints of roasted malts and a "burnt" smell, like ground coffee beans. its faint, but its there.

the taste is basically the same as the smell-not alot there but its pleasant when you do get a taste. obviously not very hoppy-especially since i do like IPAs and that sort of thing. it tastes like burnt and roasted malts, which is kind of pleasant.

mouthfeel-what a let down. i was expecting it to be more creamy and thicker, but it ended up being thin and watery, hopefully guinness on tap is more creamier and thick. however, it is smooth-its not fizzy or anything. if only it were smooth AND creamy!

overall, its a good beer for a mass produced stout. i think this beer is overhyped, but its still good and drinkable; its underwhelming. it looks good but the taste just cant match the looks. its slightly above average for me-but i would drink it again, especially on tap at the irish pub near my house.

oh well. its still miles ahead of that yellow fizzy stuff.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-13-2013 04:14:48 | More by drmystery

PaleZombie

Arizona

3.38/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 15 oz nitro can into a pint glass.

A - I love the nitro beers and what happens with them in the pour. Volcanic type reaction till the carbonation all reaches the top of the glass. Anyways, Ruby like color, dark but still see through. Nice 2 fingers of extremely creamy head. Excellent lacing on the glass.

S - Mild toasty malts, slight coffee hints. Very mild hint of bittersweet chocolate.

T - Toasty malts hit you up front with some bitter coffee notes and a tad bit of the bittersweet chocolate in the back end. Not to intense on the flavors.

M - Extremely creamy, smooth, fairly light with decent carbonation. Extremely nice feel to this. Almost a velvety feel.

O - I like this but I would usually take something else if it were available. However, is very smooth and easy drinking. Good session beer given the ABV and drink-ability. For the price there are some far better stouts out there. If you want to try this one make sure you get the nitro version or on tap.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-11-2013 21:30:43 | More by PaleZombie

Mojave_Ted

California

4.48/5  rDev +29.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is best from a keg. However, the cans are nearly as good. The bottles are no longer good because they do not have the ~*widget*~, which means the nitrogen infusion process is different.

The nitrogen is really what makes this beer unique. I believe the 'ratio' is 30% nitrogen, 70% carbon dioxide. The nitrogen is why the bubbles are tiny and the beer is so smooth.

The smoothness means the beer can be easily pounded. Compared to "light" beers, such as Miller Light or Coors Light, it has ~10 more calories per 12 oz serving. And 5 more carbohydrates (carbs). It actually has less alcohol (4.0% vs 4.2% in Coors Light). In other words, this is pretty near a 'light beer'.

The flavor is mild as well. This is not a heavy, rich or thick beer.

As far as beers go, this is a good beer to have with a meal as it settles well in the stomach. It does not bloat (think Stone IPA).

I absolutely love this beer. I bought the book on Guinness beer. They've been doing this for something like 250 years (can't find my book!). And they got this draught model stout down. There is no other stout like this, even within Guinness' portfolio. And it is very unique overall in the beer world.

One thing I always tell people who ask about Guinness is that when I am in the mood for 'beer', I don't drink Guinness. It has none of the flavors of what I think of in beer, whether that be wheat, hops, bitter, etc. It's something smooth and wonderful to drink.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-29-2013 23:06:33 | More by Mojave_Ted

machalel

Australia

2.81/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Pours very dark reddish-brown, almost black, but has a creamy pale tan head. The head is thick and lasts a long time due to the nitrogen bubbles. Reasonably good lacing down the glass, but not as much as I was expecting.

Aroma: Faint 'stout' smell of dark malts with a little roast. Also a hint of apricots.

Taste: Roast barley (although it doesn't stand out), malt (although it doesn't stand out), a slight mineral taste (although it doesn't stand out), and a touch of sourness (although it doesn't stand out).

Mouthfeel: A much lighter body than to be expected, but thickened slightly due to the soft nitrogen carbonation.

Overall: I can't shake the feeling that this world-famous beer (probably the most famous of the stouts?) relies on a combination of marketing and its nitrogen widget for its success. Attempting to disregard the aspects that the nitrogen lends to the beer, it is actually very simple and unimpressive. It's not bad, but it just isn't good.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-27-2013 02:36:42 | More by machalel

justinkirby

New York

4.9/5  rDev +41.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I just tried this. Heard so many bad things. I'll just say I really liked it. Very flavorful almost nutty. Intense feel. Nice head. Very good. Would definitely drink again. I loved it. Tried twice. Liked better cold. More flavor. Bitter but still good.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-13-2013 23:43:51 | More by justinkirby

MikeAAL

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A lot of people love this beer, but I can't just hop on the Guinness bandwagon.

It's a beautiful beer. It pours a dark, black color. The carbonation takes about 5 seconds to come to the top to form a beautiful creamy tan head.

It doesn't have much of a smell. Like alcohol.

It's doesn't have much flavor to speak of. Maybe a little bit of malts and a bit of bready flavor.

It's very watery and carbonated. Despite the high carbonation, it's still very creamy.

Pretty average. Not a lot of flavor. I prefer Murphy's to Guinness.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-05-2013 23:35:56 | More by MikeAAL

delta490

Virginia

3.24/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured a 14.9 oz. can into an Imperial Pint glass. Deep, deep brown (not quite black) with a thick cappuccino-colored head that last throughout and leaves big lacing on the glass. Aroma has hints of roasted malt (some coffee, but not much) and a little nondescript sweetness. Taste is about the same and the nitro can provides a velvety-smooth mouthfeel. I'll say this is not the best way to have Guinness and that the best I've ever had was in Dublin, both at the brewery and the numerous pubs throughout the town.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-02-2013 09:41:40 | More by delta490

His_Royal_Hoppiness

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

A: Can a beer look better than this? Surging brown carbonation that seperates perfectly into a deep black body and off-white head.

S: Slight scent of toasted barley.

T: Smokey, mildly bitter coffee taste - to me that base guinness flavour is what I look for in every stout - sadly though in the draught version it's rather dilluted.

M: Smooth, but also rather watery - not much carbonation.

Still the best fallback beer in the average British pub - almost every pub has it and it's reliably tasty. Unfortunately the draught version is much too watered-down to qualify as a really great beer.

Serving type: nitro-can

01-27-2013 18:21:35 | More by His_Royal_Hoppiness

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.85/5  rDev +39.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: poured from a 14.9 oz nitro can into a nonic pint glass, pours a dark orange yellow brown almost black with a thick creamy light tan head that lingers through the entire glass, bubbles cascade down the sides of the glass

S: heavily roasted burnt malt smells, cocoa, pumpernickel, charcoal

T: dry roasted malt, subtle flavors of dark caramel, coffee, little sweetness, subtle hop bitterness

M: creamy mouth feel from the nitro widget

O: if I had to pick one beer to drink for the rest of my life this would be it, it has a nourishing yet refreshing quality, it's lower in calories than most "light" beers yet is packed with flavor, it's low alcohol content means you can have a couple without getting swimmy, it is the perfect representation of a dry Irish stout

Serving type: nitro-can

12-31-2012 18:06:59 | More by M_C_Hampton

MattSweatshirt

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pouring this into the glass is the best thing about this beer.
Comes out with a soapy bubbly off-white head that settles into a better looking tight bubbled head. The body looks dark until put in the light it is a clear amber.
Light roasted coffee and dark fruit aroma.
A little roasty. A little bit of chocolate. A little bit of dark fruit as well. It’s got the stout components but holy hell the flavor is lacking.
Pretty much feels like drinking water that dries out your mouth.

Serving type: nitro-can

12-08-2012 20:42:27 | More by MattSweatshirt

ErikSkidmore

3.9/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

This beer seems to be slammed by craft drinkers way too much. I think it is a pretty solid stout.

A - The beer pours a dark brown color, but because of the nitro widget the brown rises and turns into a very creamy nice 1 1/2 finger of head and the beer turns black with tinges of dark red on the edges. Great looking stout.

S - A lot of people say it is hard to get a nose on this but right away I get hints of chocolate and roasty coffee in the first smell.

T - Roasted malts, once again chocolate, and robust coffee. Good taste.

M - I have had a few stouts and this one is quite light-bodied, but smooth.

O - Very solid stout, not my favorite but an easy drinking decent beer.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-27-2012 01:12:06 | More by ErikSkidmore

Thepumpkinpiper

4.8/5  rDev +38.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the beer in my opinion - nothing else I have ever had has ever compared to it, nor, I doubt, will ever. It is brewed in heaven with the tears of angels, proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

A - Pure black unless held up to light, where it takes on a dark blood red hue. Perfect foamy head, cascades melting along the sides of the glass as it settles.

S - Faint actually - not too much there but barley malt.

T - Unforgettable. Malty, bitter without being bitter, full flavored, a perfectly balanced stout.

M - Milky, luxuriant, and yet this drink goes down like water for me. Less carbonation equals better drink.

O - This, for me, is the beer by which all others are judged. I know lots of beer snobs go off on other drinks, but this is the holy grail of beers. Pure malt deliciousness, but not overpowering - truly a gift.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-26-2012 22:51:37 | More by Thepumpkinpiper

JamesHenjum

Florida

3.9/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Black beer with a small light creamy head that stays for a long time. The can with the nitrogen make this beer cool. You see a waterfall of cream on the sides. The head is like a dessert.

S: Roasted coffee

T: Roasted malts with coffee. Hints of chocolate.

M: No carbonation. Creamy but very wet.

O: Watered down enough that you can drink this without wanting to rip your tongue out, yet strong enough to make you want more. A good beer, but pricey.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-23-2012 02:24:54 | More by JamesHenjum

ngeunit1

California

4.1/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark black color with a touch of brown around the edges and a finger of creamy khaki-chocolate colored head. The head fades down slowly leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of chocolate and roasted barley with a touch of coffee and sweetness.

T - Starts off with a mix of roasted chocolate flavors with some light sweetness. Through the middle the roasted barley comes through a bit more with a touch of bitter coffee flavor. The finish is a mix of roasted barley and chocolate with a hint of sweetness.

M - Medium bodied with mild carbonation. Smooth and very creamy with dry and roasted finish.

D - Very drinkable. The nitro really gives this beer a fantastic mouthfeel and the flavors are nicely balanced to support that.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-20-2012 04:45:43 | More by ngeunit1

Celtics76

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Nitro-can poured into a Sam Adams pint glass. It's always fun watching this beer "brew up" in the glass. It's a nice dark black with about a half inch of head once settled.

I can't believe I used to think of this as a "heavy" beer back in my college days. This is light as can be with an almost watery mouthfeel. Extremely easy to drink a few in one sitting. Has a decent mild coffee flavor with a roasty finish. Not a profound taste, but pleasant nontheless.

This is a great session beer. Also good as a "nightcap" after an evening of heavy craft beer drinking due to it's smooth feel and low ABV. Last night I had this right after a Stone 10th Anniversary Ruination, and I slept very well. Recommended as an entry-level stout.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-18-2012 17:23:36 | More by Celtics76

chinchill

South Carolina

3.18/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

14.9 oz can poured into a large glass stein.

Pours near black but with ample carbonation mixed in leaving most of the pour an airy tan until the bubbles rise to form a fine creamy tan head. The dark liquid can then be seen to be clear and a deep mahogany.

The aroma is quite faint, even given the relatively weak flavor one finds upon tasting.

M: smooth, but surprisingly thin and watery. The thinness prevents this version from attaining the creamy feel expected in a proper Guinness stout.

O: this fine looking and well-respected beer struggles to rise above average; and as an Irish stout, it doesn't even reach average.

Serving type: nitro-can

06-26-2012 01:21:55 | More by chinchill

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Guinness "Draught" @ 4.2% served cold from a 4pack a 440ml nitro-can
A-the pour is pure magic , almost black , with some red hues when held up to the light , a tan head with great retention leaving large lacing along the pint glass
S-chocolate malt , roasted barley
T-creamyness almost like chocolate milk
MF-so creamy and smooth , full bodied
Ov-one Guinness will lead to another Guinness...
almost to easy to drink , with that said time to crack another one...

Cheers LampertLand

Serving type: nitro-can

06-22-2012 23:36:44 | More by LampertLand

JoLight

Georgia

4.8/5  rDev +38.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a virtually black color, but some amber/brown coloring is detected in certain lighting.

The sandy, creamy, milky, slightly tan head maintains a finger width all the way down the glass, with lots of nice lacing.

As far as aroma goes, it's pretty faint. There's a typical stout sweetness to it, and then some dark-roasted malts.

There is a milky, vivd creaminess at the beginning, with dark, roasted malts. And then you get black coffee, and maybe - just maybe - some dark chocolate.

The mouthfeel is on the heavy side of medium.

Overall, this is one of my favorite beers. It's smooth, easy-drinking, flavorful, and overall a damn good beer. I don't think you can ever go wrong with any Guinness product.

Serving type: nitro-can

05-29-2012 20:36:24 | More by JoLight

BostonHops

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

nitro-can served in a standard pint glass.

pours a dark brown with a creamy white head, decent retention and lacing with some cascading going on. the aroma is fairly muted, sort of hard to pick out / distinguish too much of anything distinct; grainy, maybe a touch of roasted malt. taste follows the nose, unfortunately. not a whole lot going on - grains, roastiness and a hint of coffee. mouthfeel has a creamy yet watery characteristic to it. as noted by others, i remember enjoying this beer a lot more years ago... not sure whether guinness changed or my palate did (or both). i'm guessing the latter. overall? palatable but nothing special.

original review on: 08-19-2010

Serving type: nitro-can

05-10-2012 14:57:52 | More by BostonHops

Douberd

Netherlands

3.95/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

My first nitro-can. Beer is totally black, with one finger of creamy, very light brownish head. Leaves a nice thick lacing as I drink it.
Aroma is of coffee (not so strong) and roasted malts.
Taste is also of coffee and some bitter-sweet chocolate aftertaste.
Quite light on the body,with light carbonation. Very highly drinkability.
Overall, worths every penny.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-28-2012 15:24:19 | More by Douberd

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a light brown, which transforms into a dark black/brown with a finger width of creamy, dense ivory head. Coats the glass with dense lace as you drink.

Smell - Grains, malts, very light roasted notes.

Taste - Cream and very light coffee roasted flavours, as well as some grains. Sort of watered down.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied with minimal to no carbonation. Creamy, but also has a thin, watery feel.

Overall - A decent, classic Irish stout by Guinness. I like to pick up one of these once in a while, but not my first pick. Incredibly beautiful appearance as it pours. Not a fan of the wateriness in flavour and mouthfeel, but otherwise a good go-to.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-21-2012 05:04:39 | More by leaddog

intensify

Colorado

2.5/5  rDev -28%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

**Re-Review ( i'm giving this beer a 2nd chance)
Poured a dark color with a creamy head which looks like a big cinnamon colored marshmellow.. Not much going on in terms of smell. Microscopic hints of chocolate. A small hint of malts and thats about it.. Taste was very blan. Some malts and a weak hint of chocolate and coffee. Mouthfeel was the closest beer there is compared to water. Its very smooth and easy to drink. This beer. Oily mouthfeel afterwards. For some reason I believe this beer is definately made more for the average drinker so in that perspective it is not a bad beer. I am not a fan, but I was not let down. Will I buy this in a 4 pack, or even single? Naa. Will I drink it if a buddy offers it? Definately.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-14-2012 06:49:27 | More by intensify

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The appearance is probably the most appealing aspect of the nitro-can version of this beer. The color is flat black, the head is big and tan and hangs around forever, and there's the cascading waves of bubbles that move about hypnotically underneath. The lacing is also above average.

The aroma is pretty mild and balances lightly roasted notes with chocolate malt. The taste follows suit; it isn't non-existent, but it is somewhat bland and has obviously bored many of the more adventurous drinkers of craft and bigger beers such as those that populate this site. The nitro obviously doesn't help the overall muted character of the flavor and aroma.

The mouthfeel is decent enough from the can and simulates the tap version well. Its very smooth; the body is thin and a bit watery, while the carbonation is very soft and restrained. Very easy to drink.

Guinness is the benchmark for the Irish dry stout style and shouldn't be compared to a Russian imperial...that should be obvious enough but some of the reviews here give me pause. I don't love this beer but it is what it is and the style as a whole isn't particularly full-flavored or exciting.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-09-2012 06:23:22 | More by tobelerone