Have you ever lost something you really liked? For me, one of the things that I lost was Guinness Draught Bottles. I remember when they first came out, and my brother called me to express the joy he felt drinking one. He said, "I just had the best Guinness I've ever had outside of a bar that had it on tap." I tried it, and I agreed with him wholeheartedly. Then, Guinness decided to change the way they manufacture the beer, and the new ones just aren't as good - at all. I had an email argument with Guinness representatives about this, and they were of no help. I decided to see if the metallic taste of the cans really does change the flavor. That's what I remember when I first had one, but that was a long while ago.
The color is a deep molasses black with a thick, solid head with a firm line of demarcation between the midnight black beverage and the frothy white foam. It is a beauty to behold, but Guinness always is. The aroma is of lightly roasted malt - not burned or even all that smoky. My experience with Guinness makes this simple smell stir up memories and feelings that have no business coming out in what is supposed to be a relatively impartial review.
First sip confirms my memory of the cans. The metallic taste overwhelms the malt and the caramel and everything else I wanted to taste. I don't know why I didn't get the same perversion of Murphy's when I had it, but I just didn't. Here, however, it is clearly negatively impacted by the can that it came in. I'm really disappointed that this hasn't worked out better so far, but I'm not giving up hope. I know what it should taste like when imbibed like an Irishman.
Tip-in is watery and metallic. Lightly smoked malt is hidden behind everything else. The middle is milky smooth with a hint of the metal. Honestly, the middle is the meat of this beer, and it is coming through very well. As the finish begins, there is a tart and coffee flavor that rolls out. The metal lingers behind as the sweetness of the malt covers up inconsistencies in the rest of the brew to round out a very good, if flawed, beer.
Bottom Line: Better than the "new and improved" bottle, but certainly not as good as the bottles Guinness decided were not good enough to continue to produce.
3.5/5