Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (Nigeria)

Brewed by Guinness Nigeria
Style: Foreign Stout
Lagos, Nigeria

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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Smells a bit musty and old, like old books or a dusty library. Thick, slightly syrupy. Flavors of licorice and chocolate.

A black beer with no head. The aroma is sweet with notes of roasted malt. The flavor is sweet, malty with strong roasted notes. An OK beer, but too sweet for my liking.

Bottle conditioned. Jet black, off white head that quickly drops and good condition. Aroma is more chocolaty than the Irish version, and quite sweet. Slight lactic sweetness in the mouth with some roastiness becoming apparent. Finish is roasty dry with a mouthfull of earthiness. Interesting to try the Nigerian and the Irish versions side by side just to see the way that different ingredients can alter the flavour. Think I prefer the Dublin version.

Really chocolateey roast aroma as i guess i was expecting, some licorice and charcoal. Found it wierd to smell flower petals (don't no which flowers though, i'm not a flower expert), some garden aromas aswell, with some berries. not as thick and oily as the regular Guinness Foreign Extra stout, much different. Nice mouthfeel, not too heavy, tart at the start, with roasty bitterness in the finish, nice chocolate, berry, salt and roasted malt flavours, really unique, a surprise that a beer this good could come from Nigeria.

I had this side-by-side with a Foreign Extra Stout brewed in Dublin (both bottles purchased in London). The difference was stark. The Dublin bottle produced a thick head (though no cascade) and was mild, slightly roasty, and "fluffy" in palate. The Nigerian Guinness produced virtually no head and quickly settled into a chocolate-wine like looking beer. Deeply roasted, vinous aroma, but also a lactose edge, mild sour. The flavors had some layers of complexity that made it seem like a poor-man's Imperial Stout, being vinous, fruity, roasted, and chocolatey. Unfortunately, I also got a milk-like quality that put a bad edge on the flavor. Silky smooth palate. There's a lot to like in this, but it didn't sit especially well either.

I tried this in Kenya. The only similarity to its Irish relatives is in the design on the bottle. Pours thick and doesn't give much head, somewhat unlike the potential for this from a number of the 'ladies' frequenting the establishment. The taste is a combination of silky smoothness and burnt chocolate malt. The beer I had really had an obviously high ABV. The bitterness seemed to be more fom the malt than hops

Very intense alcohol, liquorice and choc aroma. Taste is quite intense like a really rummy christmas pudding, caramel syrupiness intense burnt sugar bitterness and oily finish.

UPDATED: MAY 2, 2003 This was the only beer that they served at a Nigerian bar I visited. I drank 2L of it. The ABV is a lot stronger in this version than the one you can get in the States.

Thank you, Silktork! Pours rich and black, as expected from a Guinness. Surprised, however, to see the yeast floaties … and very happy. Tons of plum in the aroma accompanied by a strange (but nice) sour-sweetness which I can only assume is derived from the sorghum. The flavor is dynamic on the tongue, I could feel the taste buds switching on one-by-one. Nice roastedness, a little acidic, some nice sweet flavors towards the back of the mouth. More complex than traditional Guinness styles, I would love more of these!

UPDATED: MAR 23, 2005 March, 2003.Good yeasty nose like a Belgium beer. The initial impression is the deep smooth creaminess, then the fruits come through - very wet and juicy, packing a good raspberry punch. The salty bitterness follows - intensely tangy. This is nothing like the standard Guinness. I can see why the Nigerians in London don’t drink the London brewed Guinness. This is intense! [4.3]
Christmas Day, 2004: I bought a bottle for my son, and we shared it on Christmas Day. I have grown to love this beer. I have compared it to other versions of Guinness, and this always comes out on top. [4.4]
March, 2005 I don’t know if it is because of the sorghum or because the beer is unfiltered - so, effectively bottle-conditioned - but the Nigerian Guinness realy is one of the world’s most splendid beers. Dark bitter chocolate and bitter herbs in a soft sweet chocolate base. Refreshing red wine acidity. Everything and more. [4.8]