Guinness Draft (cans) - should I be underwhelmed?

[Ash]

it's my first guinness, first stout full stop actually.

I thought these things were supposed to be strong on flavor? seriously it's mild as a mild machine - just black beer & with the widget gas thing going on - toohey's old smashes it for flavor!

Did I get a dud?

I suppose I should just go to the local Irish tavern & have one on tap, Kilkenny is better on tap of course so why should this be different I suppose.

Just underwhelmed - every single brew I've made so far I would rate more highly & I'm only a n00b.

Should have got a Coopers Extra Stout.

thoughts? Am I being harsh?

[Goatee]

Love my Guinness, and drink it 'till the cows have not only come home, but are getting angry at me for not cleaning up their social area.

The cans i have found to be hit and miss, sometimes they are ok, others just water with food die. However if you're going to be buying so you can take it home, get it in the bottle. Decant into glass, and mmmmm god that's good. On tap is nicer, but only marginaly then the bottles in my opinion.

If you can though brew your own Guinness, smaller production more love and care, can't go wrong.

Salute herr Guinness!!

And if you still think it's piss weak in flavour department, can i suggest trying something like Youngs Double Chocolate Stout?
http://internationalbeershop.com.au/pro ... uct_id=116

[MrDave]

I suppose I should just go to the local Irish tavern & have one on tap, Kilkenny is better on tap of course so why should this be different I suppose.

Yeah, do that. It'll remind you of the one in the can, but slightly more pleasant.
Then go find it in a bottle and spot the difference.

The one in the widget can or off tap is Guinness Draught - 4.4% or so and creamy.
The one in the bottle is "Guinness Original" or Guinness Extra Stout - 6% or so and a lot more like Aussie stouts (Swan/Coopers/Cascade) with a brown head and bitterness that's lacking in the Draught variety..

I enjoy it off tap or out of the bottle, but don't have much time for the widget cans.

[Cortez The Killer]

my uni had guiness on tap

lets just say it's hard to sit through a tut or lecture after visiting the unibar

[NTRabbit]

I'm told by those with greater age than myself that Guinness just isn't what it used to be.

[rwh]

They changed the Australian recipe a year or so ago to reduce the alcohol content (when the gov. hiked the alcohol tax). So yes, the recipe has changed and yes, we have a different recipe to what the use in Ireland. CUB brews ours under license.

[Boonie]

it's my first guinness, first stout full stop actually.

I thought these things were supposed to be strong on flavor? seriously it's mild as a mild machine - just black beer & with the widget gas thing going on - toohey's old smashes it for flavor!

Did I get a dud?

I suppose I should just go to the local Irish tavern & have one on tap, Kilkenny is better on tap of course so why should this be different I suppose.

Just underwhelmed - every single brew I've made so far I would rate more highly & I'm only a n00b.

Should have got a Coopers Extra Stout.

thoughts? Am I being harsh?

I don't rate the cans. The tap is better and a bottle much better.

Only my opinion, but tooheys old on tap (Not bottle) has much more flavour and burnt aftertaste, which i love.

[AlcoMoo]

I was in Ireland a few years ago and the Guiness there is COMPLETLY different to ours. Even off the tap. Ours has a creamy coloured head, the Irish version is quite white. Lovely stuff. Love it myself (hence why I'm brewing a stout as my very first home brew)

I also don't care much for the widgits in the can and I tend to think that the can variety is rather watery and lacks body.

I also adore Cafferys too..but again, off the tap.

[MagooMan]

Ok guys, have to educate you...
In Australia two varieties of Guiness are available: Guiness Draught , available in either a stubbie or can...fully imported with a widget to aid head retention ... tastes like SHEEE-IT or the Guiness Extra Stout brewed locally under license which is the bomb...lovely stouty vegemite taste, a true "extra" stout. Draught is about 4.4 alc/vol, Stout is about 6.5.....I guess Guinness on tap qualifies as a third variety....think that would be the stout not the draught ( yes i know tap beer is what is meant by "draught") Guinness Extra Stout can be hard to find...Dan Murphy's is a good place to start...

[ACTbrewer]

I went to Ireland many years ago, got addicted to Guinness. When I came back, the cans you could buy then ( 1997) were very similar to the Irish tap stuff.

Now, I think they taste a bit watery and bland (the cans).

[Cat]

Someone once told me that they thought Guiness tasted like soy sauce.

Ever since then, everytime I try some Guiness, all I taste is soy sauce - damn him! I'll take a Mountain Goat Surefoot stout over Guiness any day.

(I wonder if the soy sauce sickness will infect anyone else who reads this message?)

[lethaldog]

Ahhhh i was looking forward to having a guiness ( homebrew of course)
DAMN YOU SOY SAUCE, DAMMMMNNNN YOOUUU
Ill still drink it but, a stout that tastes (in your mind) like soy is still a beer isnt it

[Ash]

glad to see I'm not nuts then

was a stupid whim - should have got the tallie of original then

[Chris]

Remember, the secret ingredient to Guiness is...

[Boonie]

Remember, the secret ingredient to Guiness is...

Soy Sauce?
NFI

[Chris]

Yeah! Soy sauce.

I want to see if anyone else knows.

[Sathias]

Someone once told me that they thought Guiness tasted like soy sauce.

Ever since then, everytime I try some Guiness, all I taste is soy sauce - damn him! I'll take a Mountain Goat Surefoot stout over Guiness any day.

(I wonder if the soy sauce sickness will infect anyone else who reads this message?)

I've often thought it tasted a bit like Vegemite, Soy Sauce is a new one to me

[damonpeyo]

Least it tastes better than that "just drinkable" Cascade Export Stout ... or even that Castlemate (sp?) that Queensland made Stout with a racing horse on the label

Used to live in Queensland for nearly 6 years, for some reason since I moved to cooler climate, I find Stouts taste better than the ones I drank while living in Queensland's tropics.

There's a new "limited release" Casade Stout... it's only just slightly smoother than Cascade's Export Sout.

Seriously I prefer Cooper's Extra Stout over these guniness crap in cans.

[Pale_Ale]

Without question the cans have deteriorated.

I find the same thing with Kilkenny - the cans used to be very drinkable but for the last year or so every can I have had has been flat and watery.

[Oliver]

I can feel a shouting-down coming on, but I actually don't rate Guinness that highly.

If I had the choice between a Cooper's Best Extra Stout and any type of Guinness, I'd choose the Cooper's every time.

And I'd choose the non-widget bottled Guinness every time over a widget can or bottle, or it on tap.

Heresy, I know, but I just think that Guinness is a victory of marketing over substance.

Oliver