Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. 7.5 % ABV. 65 IBU.

Genuine Quality Stout. St. James Gate, Dublin, Ireland. 

And now, part three. This bottle I will now consume is one I am reviewing for the first time. Why, I interrogate of myself, why? If you read part two and my 2003 notes on the Extra Stout, I was desperately in search of the African Foreign Extra Stout. I was hoping one of my African customers at the bar I ran, The Blue Nile, would bring one back for me after a trip back home, from Nigeria, or Ghana, or Cameroon, even Kenya, but that never happened. The closest I came was a friend who was returning from seeing family in Tanzania, but she couldn't do it, although she did bring me a Safari lager from that country. Not the same. 

In 2005, I finally managed to get a bottle of the stuff through a trade-chain, something called Beer It Forward, but this was a bottle from Barbados, closest I could get. It was imported to the U.S., though, but never came to our local market. I will share those notes at the end. A few years later, the Dublin brewery finally began making this beer for the African customers in the U.K., and then started to import it to the U.S. I began to stock it at the Blue Nile, but it wasn't as easy to market it to those who used to drink it back in the Caribbean and Africa, for reasons I'll never figure out. They thought it was the nitro draught stuff, that they hated? I never took notes on those bottles, because I figured that I'd already done it. 

But is Dublin different from Barbados? What a silly question. Off we go to pry off the crown and indulge in this stout that I haven't tried in many a year. 

Solid ebony appearance, complete opacity, with a full, rich, tanned head, all poured into a Lion Stout glass, because apparently I broke the Guinness Foreign Extra Stout glass that I've held onto all these years. No Guinness glasses in my house, but when was the last time I had Guiness at home? Other than last night, or the night before. 

Bottle was set out to reach room temperature. 

In the nose: Cocoa, cola, nuts, a bit of molasses, dark fruits. Moderate bitterness. Intriguing and inviting. 

In the mouth: Lightly bitter, mostly malty, full flavor. Medium to full body. Chocolate and caramel malts are king. Slightly bitter, very dry. Cocoa flavors stay on top. Smooth and flavorful. Pretty well delicious. 

This one was so good, I immediately followed it with another (an unusual occurrence in my household).

(the below ripped from Untappd): PLEASE NOTE: This is the UK and Ireland version only. This version is brewed with pale malt, flaked barley and roasted barley. This differs to the international and Nigerian variants that are brewed under license.

Foreign Extra Stout is a beer like no other. The most full-flavoured of all. Singular and striking. Uniquely satisfying.

Brewed with extra hops and roasted barley for a natural bite. Bitter and sweet. Refreshingly crisp taste. Always rewarding.

Pure beauty. Pure GUINNESS®.

And now, my notes from that Barbados bottle, from 2005: 

A bottle from Barbados, courtesy of Ninjaworm and BiF20 (thanks, Oak!)

thick, opaque, thoroughly black appearance, big, rocky, rumbling, cocoa/ tan head, leaving lace, most impressive look for a stout.

Aroma is sweetness, molasses and brown sugar, and that's about it, but rather full with those flavors...

Taste: big, and brimming with thick, viscous, luscious, sweet dark flavors...thick, and slick on the tongue, sleek, silky, dances on the palate with a light, tangy tango...wow, I'm actually feeling the difference, though...it has a little something in the malt, in the yeast,...maybe I need a bottle of the Extra Stout to compare, but it definitely stands above it. 

Sweet, but a bit complex, and a rich, delicious thing. 

Still on the hunt for the Lagos stuff, but ready to be disillusioned, or at least, understand that it's probably just as good, if not so terribly much better, than this one.

So, 16 years later, I'm still searching for Nigerian, or any African Guinness. If you can help, please call out. It would be nice to close the circle on this particular quest.