Guinness Special Export (Belgian version)

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

330cl bottle. Dated 12.07.09. A creamy lactose sweetness initially dominates the aroma. Dry bakers chocolate and sweeter malted milk balls. Cinnamon and nutmeg with a decent dose of wed cardboard. Watered down coffee and lightly charred malt. Pours a near opaque black with a good sized thick and creamy khaki head. Dry chocolate malt at first on the palate followed by a good dose of lactose. Toasted, but not quite charred malt. Thicker cold press. A good dose of slightly funky yeast as well. Medium bodied with a sweeter lacto finish. Odd, but thanks for the rare treat Dan!

Bottled. Aroma has coffee, roast, malts. Black coloured with a medium, beige head. Taste is sweet with a lingering coffee bitterness. taste has roast, malts, coffee and a hint of butter.

Black colour, small tan head. Aroma has roasted malts and coffee. Flavour has sweet and roasted malts, with some bitter coffee.

Bottle. Aroma of roast malted barely, coffee, chocolate, and a little yeasty bread. Black in the glass with a large foamy tan head that left fantastic lace and lasted. Flavor is roasted malts and coffee with a little yeasty bread. Palate is medium bodied and soft. Not bad and definitely better than the US extra stout.

The second of three beers that my friend Gary picked up for me while over in France- many thanks!!! 330 mL bottle poured into tulip- poured non transparent black, one finger airy off tan head formed and stayed around for a few smokes. Aroma of baker’s chocolate, coffee, and roasted barley (?)- very appealing. Hits the mouth with high-medium body, malt comes through very nicely just like the aroma advertises, some noteable cream and sweetness in the middle, finish leaves you wanting more. This beats the pants off of the Guinness sold here in the States by MILES!!!

330. Thanks, Thewolf! Pours black with a towering thick creamy tan head. Chocolatey cocoa-y nose. Creamy medium body. Chocolate, cocoa, and dark fruity sugars on the mid-palate. Nicely complex and drinkable. Mildly sweet finish.

Bottle purchased in Brussel Zuid train station supermarket, enjoyed in our hotel room in a plastic cup after chilling near our bathroom window (well below cellar temp). Pours with a large rocky head, not the heavy creamy head as is usual with Guinness; dissipates like a root beer float. Roasy sour bread smell with malty sugars all over the place and some doughy yeast. Plum syrup at first in the flavor on a medium-full palate, slightly roasty bitter in the finish. Some foamy malt sugars ride the carbonation as is fizzes at the beginning of the sip. Occasionally, this gets funky and yeasty in the finish. Definitely different, but I don’t know if it’s better than regular Guinness; at least that is unique and easily identifiable. This felt like anyone could have made it. Still tasty.

0.33 l bottle from belgianshop.com. Poured dark reddish brown, almost black body with creamy, long living brown head. Pretty hopped aroma, some lemon, grass, nice with notes of sour apples, roasted malt and slight caramel. Bitter, bit sour coffee and roasted sugar flavor, fuller in body than original and other Guinnesses I’ve tried. Very well hidden alcohol. Finish is quite short, but pleasant bittersweet. Very nice, although I liked Nigerian version a bit more.