Beer Review: Guinness Draught

St. James's Gate Brewery Guinness Draught

This is the most classic stout on the planet. It isn't the original but it's prevalence throughout the world is impressive to say the least. Thank you Diageo. Having the innovative widget in the can is awesome. Such a nice touch. The nitrogen head forms perfectly and laces all over the glass (does anyone really not know what a Guinness looks like?). I don't get very much in the aroma department.

The flavor is ridiculously smooth for a stout, I think due in a large part to the nitrogen used for nitrogenation (carbonation doesn't make sense). The majority of the flavor is all coffee with chocolate thrown in. The roasted malt does it's job but doesn't go overboard. Some hop bitterness in the aftertaste. This all goes down so easy, makes it seem like this is a watered down version of what a stout should be. Isn't a porter a lighter version of a stout? This really should be called a porter if you ask me.

It may not be very deep but it does provide a great introduction to the darker beer styles. This is a beer that everyone should try at least once. For me, this is a beer that I will get occasionally in bars but really won't seek out. It isn't bad at all, just doesn't stand out after having experienced a couple of very rich stouts.

Final Score: 73% (Classic and Drinkable. Not Very Complex.)