Today I am visiting Dublin, Ireland for a dark offering from Guinness Ltd. known as Guinness Foreign Extra Stout.  This has been a long anticipated brew to reach the states.  Most people know Guinness for their draught and extra stout.  They are fine but not the best dark beer for someone to try who is just beginning to get into dark beers.  They are bitter and harsh and do not highlight the delightful coffee and chocolate notes a lot of other full-bodied stouts impart.  Now we come to the coveted Foreign Extra Stout, the epitome of a well-balanced and flavorful stout.

Appearance – It pours the inky midnight color expected from a strong stout.  I am enjoying it barely chilled in my Guinness tumbler.  A delicate pour still yields a hefty, bubbly head.

Aroma – sweet, roasted malts waft with a hint of sherry.  Though I mentioned before that coffee and chocolate are big in stouts, it is American stouts that emphasize these fragrances.  A good dry Irish stout is more medium bodied and easily drinkable.  It is also the Irish stout that goes well in a nitrogen can with a widget (refer to my old post on the widget) giving it that silky feel on the palate.

Taste – smooth, roasty, with a hint of currants and some firm citrus hops to back it up.  It is certainly the big brother of the classic Extra Stout.  The astringency shines through and stays true to the Irish style--no need for Kona coffee or Dutch chocolate here. 

This is what people should sample when they want to try a good, well-rounded stout.   If you are a black coffee or bitter sweet cacao lover then by all means, try Dogfish Head “Chicory Stout” or Rogue “Chocolate Stout,” which are two very fine examples of American stouts, but you won’t get the real dry stout experience.  Other dry Irish stouts include Beamish and Murphy’s, which can be found at a few ABCs. 

Beer blogger Adam Shugan manages our Silver Spring Blvd store in Ocala.