Guinness Generous Ale - Guinness Ltd.

chinchill

South Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

330ml bottle, code but not date stamped, poured into a snifter. From a variety pack including regular Guinness, Black Lager, and Foreign Extra Stout. Pours a clear dark reddish-brown with a moderate tan head. Has weak retention but leaves rather nice lacing.
Aroma: lots of baked bread and caramel malt. very typical of a dark mild. A little bit of dark fruit too.
Mouthfeel: medium-light body, perhaps a tad thin; well-chosen carbonation level. and rather sticky.
The taste largely follows the aroma, but is less sweet and more hoppy than expected. There is a good amount of dark malt flavor with a lasting roasted malt flavor in the aftertaste.

O: pleasantly surprised by the quality of this macro-brewery offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 01:23:01 | More by chinchill

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Guinness Generous Ale
11.2 oz. bottle; no real freshness code

First the review, then the rant...
Appearance: Excellent appearance. Clear deep russet/mahogany body. Frothy then foamy khaki head. Holds quite well. Excellent lacing.

Smell: Aroma is floral/wet grass with a bit of yeasty mineral character. A hint of roast malt appears when it's swirled, along and a touch of light fruit.

Mouthfeel: In the mouth it's medium-light in body and smooth across the palate with just a gentle bristle.

Taste: The flavor suggests a standard amber ale with a soft fruitiness (apples, pear, a touch of dark fruit) and some chalkiness, but there's also something different here - rather than just caramelish malt, it lends a bit of dark malt acidity. Across the palate it becomes nutty and gently toasty, but then even more so in the finish. Dry. Bitter, spicy, and quite lingering as such in the finish with little left to balance it except for a bit of apple and pear-like fruitiness amidst light toast and delicate, swirling notes of floral, leafy, and grassy hops. The mineral character (crushed granite) remains, helping to dry it even more. Long finish. Bitter at the back of the throat.

Now the rant: Generous ale? To whom? To flavor and the drinker, OK, I can live with that (even if it is a stretch) BUT the label reads "...Generous Ale celebrates Arthur's legacy... and his commitment to the welfare of his employees & the community". Perhaps that was true during Arthur's tenure, but it was certainly not true of his children's rule!

Is it not well known that the Guinness family (of English origin) fought against the repeal of the Act of Union, and thus against Irish independence from England? That Arthur's eldest son was a member of the orange order! That they were not exactly kind to the Irish Catholics that made up the majority of their work force? In fact, during the 1930's Guinness employed over 12,000 men at St. James Gate (close to 10 percent of the entire male population of Dublin), and it wasn't until the 1960's that a Catholic worker was allowed to enter management. Things may have changed, but to note Arthur's "commitment to the welfare of his employees & the community" certainly raises some questions in my mind. On the other hand, being an open-minded person who looks at all aspects of a situation I do have to acknowledge that at least until the 1960's, political and religious hierarchies existed throughout Ireland, England, and the rest of Europe (lest we not forget Nazi Germany).

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 04:38:19 | More by NeroFiddled

dacrza1

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Situation: Celebrating a three-day week...
Glassware: Kisatsky pint...
Appearance: three-finger head completely fills the pint...dark cloudy lacing; strong dark brown body...
Aroma: malty, lactic base that is signature Guinness stout; a small hop trail, but malty as a Brit should be...
Palate: medium-bodied, mildly effervescent; a bit buttery....
Taste: malt tickles the teeth and tongue; mellow and smooth; an enjoyable session ale; do not really see the winter aspect of this beer....
Overall: a red in the vein of Newcastle's Werewolf, but a bit more substantial and more agreeable

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:08:15 | More by dacrza1

JMad

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a reddish brown color with an off white filmy head. Smell has a lot of roasted malt with chocolate and coffee and a sweet candy like background. The taste is a little metallic and has dark bitter coffee flavor with an earthy hop flavor. It's light with moderate carbonation and a nice dry finish. This is a nice beer from Guinness I kind of expected something gimicky like their black lager but this is way better.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 03:41:23 | More by JMad

mckenziac

3.95/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.2 oz. bottle into a Samuel Adams Boston Lager glass. Taken from a Guinness seasonal variety pack.

Appearance: Pours a rich, tawny brown color. Has a large, frothy, tan head that dissipates quickly and leaves some spotty lacing.

Smell: Smells nutty and toasty with a bit of caramel. Smells very much like your typical mild English beer.

Taste: Moderately hoppy at the start. It finishes toasty and a bit spicy. Surprisingly smooth and tasty.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied with a nice carbonation.

Overall: I actually like this beer very much. It is definitely a winter-style beer, but isn't overwhelmingly dark, heavy, or spicy. It seems to be easily sessionable with just enough hoppiness and spiciness to give it a little kick. Definitely wouldn't mind having it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 23:02:20 | More by mckenziac

irishstoutlvr

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was very impressed with this beer. It has a nice hop flavor, not too strong. Also, a good roast flavor. Guinness did a good job on this beer.

I wish they would offer this in a four pack, or a 6 pack. I don't mind getting the variety pack, but often want to get other beers, too.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 00:03:19 | More by irishstoutlvr

ChrisPratz

4.23/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours to a very nice deep dark brown, with a good inch and a half of head that dissipates slowly to a nice pillow of foam.

S: Nice roasted malt flavorings with some sweet malt aroma coming thru.

T: Light toasted malt flavorings coming thru with just the slightest hop flavor at the end. Very nice.

M: Light carbonation, no dry feeling. No creamy feeling either like other Guinness brews.

O: Very nice brew here. Lighter in body then Guinness Draught but without the creamyness makes for a light and flavorful brew that i def enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 06:28:33 | More by ChrisPratz

CaptJackHarkness

New York

4.38/5  rDev +30%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a Guinness Winter Selection sampler case.

Pours a dark but translucent brown with short beige head.Aroma is sweet and bready. Taste is a bit fruity and a touch of bitters.Not what I was expecting for a "Holiday" brew. It is nevertheless very enjoyable and reminiscent of their Smithwicks labeled ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 01:10:11 | More by CaptJackHarkness

JoshuaB

4.53/5  rDev +34.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A gorgeous amber with a large head that dissipates over a few minutes. Color is not nearly as dark as most Guinness beers, but the rest makes up for that. Smell is on the sweet side, definitely a bit of honey on the nose.

Flavor is a well balanced holiday ale for easy drinking, sweet on the tongue with a mildly hoppy aftertaste to cleanse the palate that fades quickly, leaving the taste of barley on the tongue. Alcohol level is higher than it tastes, the roasted barley covering most of it up. It's not as complex as many Christmas ales, but it's currently my favorite of the entire Guinness lineup.

I only wish it wasn't so easy drinking, because I have so few of them!

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 13:23:27 | More by JoshuaB