Guinness Extra Stout

B- / 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 2.5
Room temp
Bottle to pint glass

Appearance: As I poured the brew came out very smoothly allowing for a nice soft pour, even still once I began pouring down the middle of the glass the almond colored medium density head began to build immediately so much that I had to slow my pour lest I overflow the glass, when I was finished the head was nearly 2 fingers, but faded to about ¼ inch leaving a medium lace that clings to the side.

Smell: I smelled a very strong dark or chocolate malts, there was some caramel sweetness but it was hidden, what I noticed the most was the heavy spice of the hops. The hops was fairly strong but not completely overbearing, I noticed what seemed like another spice in there as well but it might have been just a very heavy hop. I did not smell any alcohol in the brew.

Taste: I really didn't notice much of the sweetness that I smelled initially, there was a very robust malt taste that competed with the bitterness of the hops. The level of bitterness was not offensive in fact it seemed well balanced, but the bitterness held throughout and seems the one constant in this brew, even as I write this almost 15 minutes after finishing I can still feel and taste some of the bitterness in my mouth. There seemed to be some very rich licorice taste which was probably a mixture between the malts and the hops. This is certainly a full bodied brew, but there is a spice in the taste that I simply cannot put my finger on. I also did not notice any alcohol taste.

Mouthfeel: This stout has a thick feel to it but certainly not tarish. The carbonation is about medium as it fizzes on my lips and tongue. There is also a thin layer of diacetyl that is left at finish, but once gone the Extra Stout leaves the mouth dry.

Drinkability: This is where I think this brew suffers, the complexity of this brew means that it is really in my opinion an acquired taste. I cannot honestly say that this stout went down easy, and with the residual bitterness in my mouth now 20 minutes later I don't know if I would want that on a regular basis.

Impressions: This is a robust brew, very dark and bitter, I am sure that this fits the style very well, and I think I just added another brew to my "no drink" list. It is not a skunked beer, or a bad brew its harder than something I'm looking for in a brew.

Guinness Draught (Nitro bottle)

B / 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | drink: 3.5
Nitro-bottle
Glass

Appearance: Average pour, noticeable bubbles due to the nitro. I very much like the cascade effect with the nitro-bottle as it also produces a very nice head that builds quickly, but settles to about ¼ inch with a very dense light khaki foam. The brew appears black, but when held to the light you can see the bulb dimly through the glass, with a very dark amber glow. The lacing was thick and held to the glass through the drink and even lasted after I finished.



Smell: The first thing I noticed was the abundant malts and the lighter spicyness, there was some toffee sweetness and hints of an espresso. The aroma was pleasant without being too strong.

Taste: First taste is the dark malts with a nice level of flavor, followed by some mild hop spices and ends with a bite of bitterness on the back and sides of my tongue. There are not a lot of heavy flavors other than the malts followed by the hops. I like the light sweetness on the tip of my tongue and the espresso aroma it leaves in my nose. The after-taste is mostly mild bitterness in the back of my mouth with the lingering malt flavor. Nowhere in my tasting did I notice any taste of alcohol in this brew.

Mouthfeel: The head was very smooth on my lips and tongue, the liquid was thicker than a pale ale, but not as thick as the Smithwick's Irish Ale. There was some light carbonation that set on my tongue but nothing too heavy or over-bearing. It also had a very nice clean finish without any noticeable diacetyl taste or feeling.

Drinkability: This is an easy drinking brew, with good flavor and nice simple complexity without trying to do too much. This is not an afternoon BBQ beer, but a nice steak dinner brew for those looking for a change.

Smithwick's Irish Ale (by Guinness)

A- / 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4
Bottle (pint glass)
Cold but not frigid

Appearance: Smithwick's has a very smooth pour and begins to develop a nice head that builds as you pour, the head was very white and built to about an inch or so, it faded about half way before my first sip but held through the drink finishing with a layer over the brew as I finished, it gave a nice lace but didn't cover the entire glass. The brew is a dark amber color, that looked to me like a cola drink that had been watered down, or a very dark iced tea, it has a great clarity with no murkiness at all. I saw light carbonation bubbles coming from the bottom of the glass. I liked the head on the brew, but the coloring seemed like it was trying to be two things amber and black so that left me questioning what was coming.

Smell: I smelled immediately after popping the cap and was hit with the spice of hops. After pouring, the smell dissipated a bit but the hops were still very noticeable. It smelled very much like a lighter ale with a bright smell, and what I would guess is a floral scent but not overly sweet. I think I detected a hint of citrus as well though if present it was hidden fairly well. Over all the scent was pleasant but not overbearing. The abundance of the spice was very noticeable but not unpleasant at all.

Taste: The first thing I noticed was the hoppy spice taste on my tongue, the more I drank the more I noticed the malts. If I gave an order I would say it started with a stronger hops taste then shifted to a more mild malt, then finished with the spice of hops again. When lightly swirling the brew in my mouth I could taste and feel the spice of the hops on the back and the sides of my tongue. When exhaling through my nose under the spice I could smell the malts. The taste seemed much lighter than the coloring might have indicated, but it was still robust and not watered down in the least. There also was no discernable alcohol taste or smell.

Mouthfeel: One of the first things I noticed was that the brew felt as smooth as it poured, and left a buttery feel in my mouth. This was certainly thicker than a Pale Ale or a summer ale, and rolled nicely in my mouth, almost creamy. The carbonation was a bit surprising as it fizzed a bit in my mouth even as I didn't notice that much in the pour or while looking at it in the glass. When sliding the brew in my mouth I could really feel the thickness which seemed to create a bit of foam in my mouth with very little effort, the effect was a very creamy texture that was quite pleasant.

Drinkability: This seemed very drinkable, and even with the fizziness I did not feel bloated at all. I cannot imagine downing these quickly but over the course of an evening I don't think it would be unpleasant to have a couple of these. I would definitely recommend Smithwick's to someone wanting a bolder take on an ale, and I will be adding this brew to my repeat business list.