Guinness

[damienair]

In Ireland we always say that Guinness doesn’t travel well. I’ve had Guinness in the UK and a couple of places in Europe and they were awful. There is a quality team which travel around Pubs in Ireland ensuring that the staff are well trained and the quality of the Guinness is as good as it can be. Pubs which sell a lot of Guinness will always have a great pint. I’m not a big Guinness drinker, I prefer an IPA but on occasion I will have a couple of pints of the black stuff. A colleague of mine in Newcastle used to love Guinness in his local. After a work trip to Dublin where he had many a pint he declared that he would save his Guinness drinking for trips to Ireland as the stuff at home was *****.

 

[alfajerry]

Guinness isn't even my favourite Irish stout.
I've drunk it all the way down the west coast of Ireland and it tasted the same to me. (This was thirty years ago though).
The West Indies Porter is far better.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The West Indies Porter is far better.

I will be sticking to that from now on.

 

[Clint]

If you like Chippy_Tea I'll send you one of my stouts to see if you like it?

 

[Sadfield]

To me it tastes the same in the bar at the top of the brewery, in the Lobster in Waterville or at locals around here. I bit of a dissapointing revelation having hoped the myths were true.

Mass market brands have variance designed out of them. Proper English Carling doesn't travel well, said no one ever.

 

[Brew_DD2]

To me it tastes the same in the bar at the top of the brewery, in the Lobster in Waterville or at locals around here. I bit of a dissapointing revelation having hoped the myths were true.

Mass market brands have variance designed out of them. Proper English Carling doesn't travel well, said no one ever.

It's a complete myth. A triumph of marketing. Once upon a time it may have been true, but as you say, variance is designed out. Pasteurised and kegged. You're going to have to really go some to **** it up.

 

[prog99]

It's a complete myth. A triumph of marketing. Once upon a time it may have been true, but as you say, variance is designed out. Pasteurised and kegged. You're going to have to really go some to **** it up.

The worst pint of Guinness I've ever had was in Ireland!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The worst pint of Guinness I've ever had was in Ireland!

 

[foxy]

The worst pint of Guinness I've ever had was in Ireland!

Try the Malaysian Guinness, that is rank. Australian Guinness is not too bad, Nigerian and Kenyan are on par and not bad. But the Malaysian is just about undrinkable but to be fair to the Malays I think it is made in Indonesia.

 

[The Baron]

Ma

To me it tastes the same in the bar at the top of the brewery, in the Lobster in Waterville or at locals around here. I bit of a dissapointing revelation having hoped the myths were true.

Mass market brands have variance designed out of them. Proper English Carling doesn't travel well, said no one ever.

Marketing Sh!t and unfortunately some people believe it. It's all down to the landlord and how he keeps the beer, packaged the same and I am sure ageing can be discounted as some Irish pubs will have a cask sat in reserve so aging all the time but drinkers will still swear it is brilliant in Ireland and sh!t in Manchester

 

[foxy]

Ma

Marketing Sh!t and unfortunately some people believe it. It's all down to the landlord and how he keeps the beer, packaged the same and I am sure ageing can be discounted as some Irish pubs will have a cask sat in reserve so aging all the time but drinkers will still swear it is brilliant in Ireland and sh!t in Manchester

Funny thing that, Guinness was made with a percentage of stale beer, returns from pubs back in the day. It was this that gave Guinness its complexity. So for a quick turnaround after fermentation has finished are they adding lactic acid as some suggest? I may try that by splitting my next batch. 3-4 ml per 19 litres, so I will try 2ml for 10 litres

 

[Bosch]

Pretty good twitter account of awful london guinness

 

[Bosch]

Probably a cultural difference. Same way German bakeries can't make decent croisants

 

[Bosch]

Guinness may be a marketing behemoth, but the reputation of Guinness being rubbish outside is an old one, spread by word of mouth, personal experiences and reputation

 

[Sadfield]

Guinness may be a marketing behemoth, but the reputation of Guinness being rubbish outside is an old one, spread by word of mouth, personal experiences and reputation

View attachment 95718

The whole of that twitter feed is of pictures of untouched pints being complained about. Size of head being the issue, with very little observation or concern with flavour, aroma, clarity, etc. Very suggestive of people looking for the first opportunity to further perpetuate the myth that Guinness is better in Ireland.

It's probably all tied to the marketing theatrics of pouring Guinness 'correctly'.

https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/guinness-defies-laws-of-physics

 

[Bosch]

The whole of that twitter feed is of pictures of untouched pints being complained about. Size of head being the issue, with very little observation or concern with flavour, aroma, clarity, etc. Very suggestive of people looking for the first opportunity to further perpetuate the myth that Guinness is better in Ireland.

Undoubtable, I would say a number of stories are apocryphal. These stories are not spread by the marketing dept but by word of mouth.
If you read the Reddit comments there is complaints about the taste

 

[Sadfield]

None of it is evidence that Guinness doesn't travel. It is evidence that Guinness can be served badly, as can any other beer. The reddit thread even references examples and threads dedicated to good London Guinness. All things being equal, Guinness is the same anywhere.

 

[The Baron]

Funny thing that, Guinness was made with a percentage of stale beer, returns from pubs back in the day. It was this that gave Guinness its complexity. So for a quick turnaround after fermentation has finished are they adding lactic acid as some suggest? I may try that by splitting my next batch. 3-4 ml per 19 litres, so I will try 2ml for 10 litres

Do you think that is the modern day way of getting that slight sour tang?
Let us know how it goes if you do it Foxy

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Maybe take the pH meter to the pub to stir your pint would be a plan.
In years past Guinness must have been such a different drink served from cask and blended by the publican from new and old via a beer engine.
Guinness must have evolved it's recipe and taste with keg, nitro and multiple breweries knocking the stuff out.

 

[prog99]

Ron blogged about Guinness in the 70s today. Got me thinking he might have a thing to say about the current product?
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2024/02/guinness-in-1970s.html?m=1