Guinness Special Export (Belgian version)

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

Poured in a half pint Guinness glass. Black colour and the usual big brownish Guinness head that last until the last sip. Complex aroma of coffee, licorice, cream, butter, prunes, raisins, rum, rosted notes, spicy, nutmeg... the lot. Taste is coffee, licorice, rum, figs, rosted, nutmeg, raisins... the lot again. Alcoholic coffee flavor. Great.

Deep dark brown cola-like hue and an off white/tan head. Aroma is rich, roasted malt and coffee beans with a subtle hints of chocolate and caramel. Flavor is full of roasted coffee bean and bittersweet chocolate malt. Its spicy and hoppy with roasty caramel and chocolate and huge coffee. There are also hints of prunes and raisins. High alcohol content is hardly present. Palate is full bodied and viscous with a long lasting coating on the throat. This stuff is really good.

hey micky your so fine, your so fine you blow my mind, hey micky.

Darkly pitched in black with periodic flashes of brown tinting. Lofty huge dark tan top of smoothed over foam. Stays at the helm forever and a day and never leaves its seat, fanning out eventually to leave enormous amounts of thick lacing. Well rounded aroma of dark cocoa and milk chocolate with a light roasted quality and even lighter fruity notions of cherries and figs. Flavor is quite full of action from front to back. Slender and dark fruity front, sweetly sided undertones at first, then, bold and creamy, big roasted chocolate cake center, dry and bittering finish with burnt crusty edges of roasted malts and grains. Turns to smoke, charcoal, tar, coffee grounds, and dry licorice spice as it cinders off into the finish. Wonderfully complex and layered with fun roasty flavors. A great whirlwind at the finish totally knocks it out of the park. Feel is rich, thick, and velvety with a unique sweet under carriage that keeps a very nice balance. The roast never really completely takes over but makes great efforts to do so. The body of this stout continues to grow in texture as it warms, becoming creamier and warmer in cocoa returns towards the finish as does the coffee grade. A fantastic beer. The true Guinness! So truly sad that many here in the states don’t realize what they think and drink as the "Original" - isn’t actually what it should and could be. Oh well...

Tasted 30/10/2008. 330ml bottle all to myself, after sharing one with Steve and Sam last week. Beautiful looking beer: black, with an inviting tan foam and clinging lace. Awesome aroma: sweet malts, toast, fresh berry fruit. Fabulous flavour: toasty malt dominates but is perfectly balanced with fruit and herb notes, and just enough sweetness. Lovely lingering liquorice note and subtle fruit esters in the roasty palate. Great bottle and great label. It’s just a shame that when you turn the bottle around there is another label full of EU junk. The frontside tell me all I want to know, and all that anyone should need to. Needless regulations aside, a splendid beer.

Bottled鶊ml). -the best guinness beer

solid ebon hue, saves ruby tinges around the bottom, enormous, volcanic, creamy tan head, with honeycombed appearance, leaving lace, a delight to watch dwindle down, gracefully... the nose is a blast of dark, yet bright fruit, mingled well with molasses and mocha, delicious, a shiny sensation, bold and beautiful, trickling hints of anise and pepper, with sweetness heavier than the spice...notes of vanilla, a bit of butterscotch...staggeringly complex, and right up my alley, aroma-wise... Thick and sweet in the mouth, with forceful, yet pleasing presence on the palate, slying slinks on the tongue, dripping flavor throughout...same complexity of flavor found in the aroma occurs again in the taste, a rich mix of cocoa and coffee, sweet caramelly tones, dark molasses, tar, licorice, pepper, and a fresh feeling, though I have no idea how long it’s been since this beer was bottled. Full bodied, long, strong, sweet finish, excellent balance...tons of dark malt, not much hops, but still, a wonderful interplay and a unique flavor combination. This is an astonishing stout...the alcohol is well hidden, and sneaks up on you, and delivers one into a comfortable lull. A relaxing brew, luxurious, and immensely rewarding. It goes without saying that I wish this were as easily available as the Extra Stout found here, let along the "Draught" version. If I found a genie in a bottle, that’s where one wish would go!

Amazing stout, lots of roasted coffee and dark chocolate biterness, some caramel and liqueur like sweetness, some dark belgian ales characteristics, full bodied smooth and creamy mouthfill, the alcohol is well hidden, a great version of guinness.