Guinness Special Export (Belgian version)

Brewed by St. James’s Gate (Diageo)
Style: Foreign Stout
Dublin, Ireland

Huge thanks to oh6gdx for getting me this long coveted brew. Thanks, Pat. Aroma is huge with alcohol and fruit along with black licorice and mild woodsmoke. Interesting aroma. Much more intense than I expected. Quite concentrated. The body is ever so lightly garnet-tinted black and holds a massive (three fingers) mocha head that is lasting and leaves ample lacing. Very burnt/bitter fore is followed by mild black coffee and faint liquid smoke notes. Raisins and licorice notes throught the middle and a dark cocoa and underripe cherry finish. Very nice! Seems underrated even at a 91 to me.

12 oz bottle VIA Saarlander (thanks man!). Pours black with a very large tan head. Nose is full of fruity easters, smells like a Baltic Porter. The taste though is another story. The fruity esters are buried underneath strong roasted burnt malts. Also some licorice (NOT anise) flavor. Some bitter coffee in the finish. This is not what i expected at all. Body is medium, carbonation moderate, mouthfeel silky.

Dark with a big head. which took a long time to diissipate. Rosted dry finish with a complex taste. Ligering strong and pleasant mouthfeel.Sheer class.i

bottle, ordered a while ago from belgianshop. Black with a thick khaki head. Sweet roasted malt and coffee aroma. Fairly big roasted malt flavor, some bitter chocolare in the finish. very tasty; easy to drink. As soon as i popped the cap, i realized that i should have sampled this side-by-side with the North American version. Maybe next time...

Black in colour with a thick dark beige head. Aroma is dominated by the strong roasted malt. The malty flavour is complemented by the bitterness of coffee, dark chocolate and dark treacle. Texture is smooth and velvety and makes me think of cold frappe coffees.

Re-rate 3/18/08: Bottle at Schiphol airport. Black color with a big brown head that stays throughout the glass. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate and a bit of coffee. Sweet roasted malt flavor with some chocolate, some light coffee notes and some dark bread. Medium to full-bodied. Very pleasant. 8/4/7/4/15=3.8

Bottle. Beautiful appearance - black with a big brown head. Roasty aroma with chocolate and hints of coffee. Rich sweet dark chocolatey flavor with some bitterness and a bit of alcohol in the finish. Medium bodied. Very good. 7/5/8/3/16=3.9

Much more interesting than what is available in the United States. The aroma is heavy with roasted malt. Flavor also has a roasted character with more malt. Surprisingly full malt flavor. Palate like a thick red wine.

Bottle. Pitch black colour with a big creamy sticky long lasting light brown head leaving a very nice lacing. Aroma of roasted malts and coffee, sweetness, roasty chocolate and alcohol. Flavour is soft with a very roasty maltiness, bitter chocolate, liquorice, bit harsd. Bitter and hoppy roasty finish. I do prefer and normal Guinness draught but this one is good indeed.