Guinness is a dry stout beer that originated in Dublin in 1759. It’s most popular in the UK, Nigeria, and the US. While it’s probably best known for its draught, Guinness has had other types of beer produced over the years.
Draught Guinness is a dark beer that is fairly malty and hoppy. It’s both sweet and bitter with notes of coffee and chocolate. It also has a roasted flavor and a smooth and creamy feel in the mouth.
Often, the first taste people experience when they sip Guinness is a sweet flavor. After that, a finish of malt comes next.
Types of Guinness
While the draught is the most common Guinness type, there are others that have different tastes as well as textures.
Guinness Extra Stout
This beer is fairly heavy on the barely, which gives it a sweet, nutty flavor. It’s somewhat similar to caramel and coffee. The sweet flavors are blended with hops for a bitter bite.
Extra stout is smooth and creamy with a dry finish.
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
The foreign extra stout is similar to the extra stout, but overall, more intense.
It’s darker in color and has heavier notes of chocolate, caramel, and coffee. It’s also richer and creamier. Unlike the extra stout, foreign extra stout has a somewhat sweeter finish.
Guinness Nitro IPA
Unlike a draught Guinness, the Nitro IPA highlights the citrus flavors, as well as the bitterness. The sweetness is much more subtle and has a somewhat berry taste, as opposed to chocolate or malt.
It does, however, have a somewhat creamy richness to its texture. It’s smooth with a fairly hoppy finish.
Guinness Nitro Cold Brew Coffee
This Guinness beer tastes exactly as it sounds. It has flavors of espresso, chocolate, and caramel with an overall taste of roasted coffee.
Like most of the other types of Guinness, this beer is also rich, creamy, and smooth.
Just remember, whether you taste it or not, there is alcohol in this beer.
Guinness Baltimore Blonde
This beer is a blonde, and it is much lighter, crisper, and refreshing than a stout. It relies heavily on citrus flavors and has some hints of bread as well.
Guinness Over the Moon Milk Stout
This beer is somewhat of a blend of the cold brew coffee and several of the stouts.
Over the Moon mostly tastes like coffee, chocolate, and caramel. However, it also has fruity flavors as well.
It has a creamy, smooth texture with a sweet finish.
In Summary
Most Guinnesses are stouts giving them fairly sweet tastes that are rounded out by coffee, caramel, and chocolate. However, some are pale ales and other types of beer which will give them a somewhat more citrusy and bitter flavor.
If you are looking for a sweeter beer try either the Over the Moon Milk Stout or the Nitro Cold Brew. However, if you want something lighter and more refreshing give the Baltimore Blonde a try.
