Inspired in-part by a recent video on Tree House Brewing’s YouTube channel, I decided to do my own Irish Stout tasting. That and finding a bunch of singles at my local Total Wine.
I intended to make an Instagram reel or maybe even a TikTok video of the tasting. I ended up talking about each beer for 3-4 minutes which was way too long for either platform, so I posted the full video to my Facebook page and to YouTube.
Off camera I jotted down some quick thoughts in a BJCP format like I do with my commercial beer and homebrew side-by-sides. The difference here is since I wanted to choose a favorite is I actually scored the beers using the BJCP 0-50 scale. Since these were all commercial beers, my scoring was probably harder than it would be for a homebrew competition.
Sullivan’s Black Marble Stout
Aroma: Lots of chocolate, estery fermentation (10/12)
Appearance: Dark Brown, thick off white head (3/3)
Flavor: Chocolate but also quite roasty. Hop bitterness feels high. Medium hop flavor becomes more present as the beer warms. (13/20)
Mouthfeel: Med light body but very creamy- enhanced by nitro. Finish should be smoother. (4/5)
Overall: Feels like a “craft stout” the way they tell you the malts and hops in the beer to appeal to craft beer drinkers. Also the firm bitterness and assertive hop flavor for the style could appeal to IPA drinkers. I give Sullivan’s full credit for making a unique example. Maybe not the balance I personally look for in an Irish Stout. I hate the term "malt backbone", so I will say that if I brewed this beer I would add more malt flavor or body if I were to tweak this recipe. (7/10)
Score: 38
Forged Irish Stout
Aroma: Very fruity/estery. Not much roasted malt. No hops. Almost like a mild. (7/12)
Appearance: Brown, thick creamy off white head with nice lacing. (3/3)
Flavor: Moderate generic roasted flavor, muted and not intense. Hop bitterness is sufficient. Flavor is almost as estery as the aroma. (12/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium full body and quite creamy. Very smooth with a neutral finish. (5/5)
Overall: As a “Dublin” stout, this is closer to Guinness than Sullivan's. The roasted flavors are more restrained than Guinness Draught. This tastes like some or all of the roasted malt is de-bittered like Carafa Special or Blackprinz. Maybe a roasted wheat malt (the can said the beer contains wheat), or even a roasted malt extract was used to add color without astringency. Very, very smooth but I like more roast in my stouts. (7/10)
Overall: 34
McAteer’s Dry Irish Stout
Aroma: Roasty and chocolate, becomes more toasty as beer warms. Low esters, no hop aroma. (9/12)
Appearance: Black with foamy and creamy tan head. Head retention a little disappointing, but not enough to knock off a point. (3/3)
Flavor: Moderate roasted flavor, like a Full City+ roast coffee. Moderate esters add a little in the background. Little to now hop flavor, not a fault. Middle of the road in terms of the balance between rich malt and roasted malt flavors. (15/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium to medium-high carb. Maybe the carbonation feels higher than it is after drinking a couple of nitro stouts. Finish is clean and neutral. (5/5)
Overall: This beer tastes like the brewer designed a recipe to be smooth and not harsh without nitrogen to fall back on, which was smart. Even though it may not be a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, I’d be curious to taste this beer and Guinness Extra stout in a side-by-side as neither beer is nitrogenated. (8/10)
Score: 40
Murphy’s Irish Stout
Aroma: Toasty and estery. Not very intense. (7/12)
Appearance: Looks dark brown with backlighting, jet black without. Thick, creamy tan head with beautiful retention and lacing. (3/3)
Flavor: Lots of milk chocolate. Underlying base malt feels the richest so far. Low hop flavor. Moderate esters add a nice complexity. (17/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and quite creamy. Very smooth. Finish is ever-so-slightly dry. (5/5)
Overall: I love the chocolate notes in this beer. There is just enough roast to make this feel like a stout. This beer is approachable without being boring. (9/10)
Score: 41
Guinness Draught
Aroma: Very light roasted malt aroma. Not a ton else. (7/10)
Appearance: Jet black. Thick creamy tan head. (3/3)
Flavor: Medium roasted malt flavor - no harshness or astringency at all. A light fruitiness adds complexity the other beers lack. No real hop flavor, but sufficient bitterness. (18/20)
Mouthfeel: Medium light body, but fuller than Forged. Super creamy. Just dry enough in the finish to cleanse the palate. (5/5)
Overall: Five beers in and fighting against confirmation bias… The flavor is just rich and complex enough that I’m not bored drinking it. Guinness is as drinkable as any beer in this flight. It’s smooth without being sweet. Crushable without being boring. (10/10)
Score: 43
The tasting was not blind. Confirmation bias is a powerful thing that I tried to be mindful of as I went. Did I rank Guinness the highest because I saw the can and I love the beer? A more nuanced way to look at it is that maybe I love Guinness so much it is what I measure every other Irish stout against.
Another reason I did this exercise was to look for a little inspiration. I recently re-brewed Spring Training Stout. I was so excited to brew that beer again, and just as happy with how it came out. The commercial brew for my side-by-side will be Guinness Extra Stout. I feel like my beer is pretty damn close. If the goal is to make a clone, that's great. But is that what I want? Do I want to make something a little more my own?
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