Guinness Draught vs. Murphy's Irish Stout

Brewed By: Guinnes Brewing Company/St. James’s Gate (Diageo) in Dublin, Ireland   

Purchased: 14.9oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2015

Style/ABV: Dry Stout, 4.0% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Brewed By: Heineken International/Murphy's Brewery in Cork, Ireland   

Purchased: 14.9oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2015

Style/ABV: Dry Stout, 4.0% 

Reported IBUs: ?

It has occurred to me that I have never officially reviewed Guinness Draught on this blog. That doesn't matter though, because if you haven't tasted Guinness you can Google for hundreds of reviews or videos showing you the perfect pour. But let's get down to business. Which beer is better for car bombs or that once-a-year dry stout craving, because there is no other reason to buy a dry stout. Ever.

Appearance THE FUCKING SAME. Seriously, look at these two beers. Creamy, dark, mad Irish sex appeal (that's not a thing). The Murphy's might be a tad darker but I'm not pulling out my SRM ruler like some kind of beer reviewer.

Aroma The Guinness has that watery roasted aroma, with some barley, smoke, and faint roast. The Murphy's is slightly fatter, with more roast, more barely, more hints of smoke, and some faint chocolate. These are pretty evenly matched beer in the aroma department.

Guinness Draught vs. Murphy's Irish Stout 

Taste The Murphy's Irish Stout has a nice flavor profile with dark grains, smokey barley, and some faint chocolate/roast. It's a dry stout through and through and lets you know it. The Guinness is more watery, and compared to the Murphy's Irish Stout, is actually more fruity. Yeah, what the fuck? The Guinness seems to have more yeast character, along with the smokey grains and usual roasted barley notes. The Guinness veers into hints of plums and dates...candy sugar...???

Finish These are both light-bodied beers. At 4.0%, you'd expect and want that. Anyone that calls Guinness a "meal in a can" has no idea what they are talking about and should be promptly ignored. They might be from Europe too, so promptly open an American BA Adjunct Stout and chug it. And then call it a session beer. Neither of these beers are particularly complex, but they are smooth and creamy and work. The main difference aside from the light roasted barley notes is that the Guinness seems to have more fruity notes and yeast character, and the Murphy's is a bit more malt-thick and has some chocolate/coffee that the Guinness lacks. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on both of these beers. I really can't not recommend these two beers, but they aren't special or unique. They go great in a car bomb and taste good paired with certain foods in March. I don't really seek either of these beers out during the rest of the year. The Murphy's is definitely a bit thicker and leans towards chocolate and coffee; the Guinness is fruitier. I'd recommend getting the Murphy's over the Guinness based on the price alone. BUT, Guinness also has their Foreign Extra which is considerably more adventurous than the Draught. 

Random Thought: Time to shelve these away until next March. 

Guinness Red Harvest Stout

Brewed By: Guinness Brewing Company in St. James's Gate, Dublin 8, Ireland (imported by Diageo - Guinness USA, Norwalk, CT)

Purchased: 14.9oz CAN from a four-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Dry Stout, 4.1% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Guinness déjà vu

Have you ever had déjà vu or a momentary lapse in reason? I bought a 4-pack of the Red Harvest Stout on the night of the Bears vs. Giants game back in early October. I drank two of them, and could have sworn I set aside another two so I could complain about how boring and gimmicky this beer is on my shitty blog. A few weeks later, someone posted their own review of this beer, and I wanted to be like, "hey, I reviewed that!" I spent the better part of fifteen minutes scouring my phone, Untappd account, and blog trying to track down the review for the Red Harvest Stout that I was sure I wrote. But alas, there was no such thing. Frustrated, disappointed, and confused, I swung by my local Jewel on the way home to snag another 4-pack of this craptacular "Fall beer" so I could pen angry thoughts. I shoved the beer into the back of my fridge when, lo and behold, I stumbled upon the remaining two cans I had leftover from the previous 4-pack. Fuck. About Guinness:

Guinness began in 1759 when Arthur Guinness began brewing ales at St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin. On May 19, 1769, Guinness exported its first beer. You can read all about the history at Wikipedia, or try to navigate the fairly commercialized brewery page, loaded with scrolling flash menus and all that fancy stuff. Some interesting facts: Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease for the St. James Gate Brewery. Guinness as we know it today is a "Dry Stout." The term Stout came from "Stout Porter." Porters were dark beers originating in London, and strong variations were originally called "Stout Porter." Guinness Extra Stout was originally "Extra Superior Porter," and became Extra Stout in 1840. Arthur Guinness began selling dark beer in 1778; Guinness brewed their last "Porter" in 1973. Lastly, Guinness was at one time brewed with a blend of fresh beer and aged beer, to give the beer a lactic flavor. Guinness still has that "tang," but the company apparently refuses to confirm that this blending still occurs. There's more, but there are literally books on this brewery. Check them out, but come on, if you haven't heard of Guinness you just don't beer.

Guinness Red Harvest Stout

The Harvest Ale doesn't have a website that I know of, because it's OG like that. The back of the can states: "SAMHAIN (saw-wen), an ancient Celtic festival held every year on All Hallows' Eve, celebrates the end of the fall harvest and the coming of winter. On this night, the believers beckon restless spirits from the darkness with bonfires and sweet offerings from the bountiful harvest. GUINNESS RED HARVEST STOUT captures the spirit of that night with its alluring blend of lightly roasted barley and subtly sweet Irish malt." 

Promoted as a Fall/Autumn beer, this beer was casually advertised in the store next to all the Autumn Brown Ales and Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Ales. As a fan of the Guinness Draught and Guinness Extra Stout, I couldn't pass up on this at eight dollars a 4-pack. That comes down to about two dollars a pint. This comes in a nitro can, like the Draught, so you want to pour this bad boy HARD and watch that gas do its thing.

The best thing going for this beer is definitely its appearance. Pouring into a transparent, ruby red body, and kicking up the perfect finger of dense, off-white/cream/tan head, the beer just looks gorgeous in the glass. It's dumbass proof, just tilt the can and do a hard pour. Watching the nitrogen cascade is one of the sexiest you'll get out of a beer. There is ample lacing, and the head retention defies logic. Bright light confirms the amber/red body, and the head is so thick and creamy you could dance on it.

On the aroma...nothing unusual. It smells a lot like the Guinness Draught, with that watery barley/roast, hints of meaty/smoke/coffee, a sweet/tart barley note, sweet grains, and a touch of toast. The nose is very mild, and there is a dash of caramel/amber malt sweetness.

The taste is light and creamy. You get a lot of sweet malts, from the sweet roasted barley, hints of toast and a cereal-like sweet grain, the faintest hint of earth/coffee at the way end, and lots of watery sweetness. This beer drinks almost identical to the Guinness Draught, just perhaps a bit sweeter thanks to the addition of the sweet Irish malt.

The nitro pour/appearance/head is definitely the best part about this beer. So sexy.

At 4.1%, with the light-bodied mouthfeel, and watery sweet and creamy body, you can basically chug this beer. While the eight dollars per 4-pack seems like a bargain at first, it is also true that you could easily pound a 4-pack of this in one sitting without getting more than a buzz. It's like a Guinness wine cooler. I guess the Brits would call this a "session Ale," and they would then revel in its drinkability. As a Yank, I don't get it. Autumn in America is wet and cold, like your dead mum when I'm shagging her. I kid, I kid. Go back to blogging about cask ales and session beer, ya limey bastard! Ummm...complexity is low, palate depth is good...you get watery sweet malts up front; that rolls into big sweet malts, with a punch of toast; roast and coffee quickly drive by towards the very end, but they don't even stop to shoot. Meh.

Rating: Below-Average (2.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Light Below-Average. It's not so much that this is bad, because it's not. But I'm pretty sure the folks at Guinness fucked up when labeling this. My can should say, "Guinness Draught." If this is a Fall/Autumn beer, let alone a "Red Harvest Stout," then someone is fucking someone in the banger [Irish/British colloquial]. I'm just super disappointed that Guinness is pulling advertising gimmicks and putting this on shelves in the States. If you want to pull a fast one on me, at least massage my balls. This beer is on par with all the average Brown Ales that get re-branded for Autumn or Winter. It's not bad, and it does have that hint of sweet malt that may or may not be detectable in a blind tasting compared to Guinness Draught, but come on. I appreciate this beer for being sessionable, and I like that I can now make Irish Car Bombs in October. But as far as Autumn/Fall beers go (which this is being advertised as, and intent DOES matter), you can do a lot better just about everywhere else. Food pairings: fish and chips, a burger, a stew, country fried anything, biscuits and gravy, smoked cheeses. 

Random Thought: Sunday was crazy with the tornadoes. I haven't commented on the situation because I haven't penned a shitty review since then. As an Illinois native and current resident, I just wanted to say my heart goes out to everyone who lost their home, loved ones, and pets. The rescue efforts have been awesome, and hopefully someone can bring some beer to tap at the local rescue. I'd get behind a charity brew.

Guinness Extra Stout

Brewed By: Guinnes Brewing Company in New Brunswick, Canada 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a six-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in IL; 2012

Style/ABV: Dry Stout, 6.0% 

This is like a non-review, because hey, who hasn't had Guinness. This is Guinness Extra Stout, which has a little more umphhh. I suppose you might see a Guinness Draught and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout review on here at some point. This beer is "traditionally brewed at St. James Gate Dublin," and has been "Brewed since 1759 with natural ingredients, today GUINNESS is enjoyed in over 150 countries." The whole 150 country thing throws a wrench in brewing all of the world's supply of Guinness out of St. James Gate, so Guinness is brewed in over 50 countries.

Guinness began in 1759 when Arthur Guinness began brewing ales at St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin. On May 19, 1769, Guinness exported its first beer. You can read all about the history at Wikipedia, or try to navigate the fairly commercialized brewery page (just Google Guinnness). So I'll just drop some interesting facts. Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease for the St. James Gate Brewery. Guinness as we know it today is a Dry Stout. The term Stout came from "Stout Porter." Porters were dark beers originating in London, and strong variations were originally called "Stout Porter." Guinness Extra Stout was originally "Extra Superior Porter," and became Extra Stout in 1840. Arthur Guinness began selling dark beer in 1778; Guinness brewed their last "Porter" in 1973. Lastly, Guinness was at one time brewed with a blend of fresh beer and aged beer, to give the beer a lactic flavor. Guinness still has that "tang," but the company apparently refuses to confirm that this blending still occurs. 

Anyway...on with the review:

Guinness Extra Stout

Guinness has built a mythology around the pour. I mean cripes, this St. Paddy's day they are having some Guinness pouring contest thing. Guinness Draught is where you see the magic happen in terms of the pour. This beer...pours like a typical Stout or Porter. Fuck the proper pour and all the bullshit hype around it. "Tilt the glass at a 45 degree angle, and pour slowly 3/4s of the way blah blah blah." I gave this an aggressive pour, and wound up with 5-fingers worth of head. I've now poured the entire beer, and have 3-fingers of tan/khaki head. The head is super foamy, thick, and dense. This is a head that is made out of dreams. This head has the consistency of a nice root beer float. If you've poured a dark soda over ice cream, you know what the head of a Guinness beer looks like. This beer looks deceptively dark in low light: black almost. But in bright light this is a dark brown or ruby red beer. I can see decent carbonation on the side. Head sustainability is great, and there is some lacing from the pulling head.

The aroma is all about that slightly sour, slightly acidic, slightly tangy smokey note. This beer is all about those roasted malts, and that's all she wrote. They smell very smooth though, a hint of sweetness/caramel, and inviting. This almost smells like very dark coffee, with that extremely bitter-sweet note. The roasted malts really do impart a unique aroma and flavor to the Dry Stout style.

At this point it's hard to do a play-by-play review on the taste. I mean to me this tastes like "Guinness." You get that smooth, tangy, slightly sour roasty flavor up front. The middle is tangy and creamy. The back end finishes dry and very roasty, with hints of smoke. The smoke is never really meaty. Lots of roasted malts; some grainy notes; I taste acid, tang, and some bitterness with that tangy roasted finish.

This stuff goes down like water and is stupid drinkable. But you already knew that. And this shit isn't a "meal in a can" like MillerCoors frat boy #14 told you. Nope. Guinness Draught is around 155 calories per 12oz, and this clocks in around 175 calories per 12oz. In fact, the darkness of a beer has very little to do with the calorie count, the main thing is alcohol content; the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calorie content. Having said all that, the Dry Stout style is a great style to session. The style feature those roasted flavors, it has depth and flavor, but it still goes down easy. And Guinness is a great beer to drink 6 of in an evening.

This is medium-light, smooth, slightly sharp and acidic, and has moderate palate depth and moderate complexity. Guinness Extra Stout is really a step up from Guinness Draught in terms of flavor, so you do get some added complexity. Sharp, smooth, and slightly acidic up front, you get tang and sweet roasted malt; the middle is sweet, grainy, and even some berry notes; this rolls into a deep roasted finish with hints of smoke, some bitterness, and a drying, roasty, bitter finish.

Rating: Above-Average

Score: 84%

 

Guinness is the official sponsor of St. Patrick's Day. Did you know that? Did you? Because I sure hear it 400 times a day on the radio and TV. That's why I am here, the power of persuasion. And advertising. I mean if you like beer you've tried Guinness. And you either love this stuff, or hate it. BudMillerCoors guy hates this stuff because it is too heavy. Beer snobs hate this stuff because it isn't an Imperial Stout. Beer geeks love this stuff because its a good take on the Dry Stout style and it is available everywhere. I enjoy the drinkability of Guinness, the availability, and the reliability. I know what I am getting with Guinness, and sometimes I want that. For me, Guinness is a standard. A go-to beer. There isn't much else to add....I mean, this is just a penny in a bucket of Guinness reviews. Remember though: Guinness is hardly considered a "true Irish beer" these days.