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. 

Bent Brewstillery Nicked Export Double Stout

Bent Brewstillery Nicked Export Double Stout. 7.7% ABV, 77 IBU. Bent Brewstillery, Roseville, MN.

Utter blackness, slim brown head. Fine looking stout.

In the nose: Some cocoa, traces of coffee, slightly sweet, but more dry. Promising.

In the mouth: Earthy. Hearty. Rich, chocolatey, with a shot of espresso. Nicely balanced. Soft, slightly sweet, full-bodied, adequately down able. Some spice popping in, a touch of cinnamon. (It's not in there, it's something I'm picking up.) Little bit of hoppiness board the palate.

I't's a good stout and you can drink it, but it lacks the warmth and charm that would draw me back for another.

A mid-war historic stout that was the precursor to today’s big, stronger stouts. Flavors and aromas of Italian espresso, toasty, husky bread, dark chocolate, rummy cherries, and roasted figs, swimming in a pool of citrus and pine needles.

Oliphant Ancient Bone Saber of Zumakalis Port Barrel Aged Foreign Export Stout

Oliphant Ancient Bone Saber of Zumakalis Port Barrel Aged Foreign Export Stout, 8% ABV. 1/2 quart bottle. Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI.

Dark brown color, nearly black, with a full, robust, creamy tan head of lasting foam floating above.

Aroma: creamy-sweet, deep and lovely. Toffee malt with oak-y delights. Extra-sweet port characteristics start to seep in. Getting richer and redder. Wider and winier.

In the mouth: Slides into the senses sweetly, assuredly, and with with full aplomb. Charges in with all the confidence of a rich robust export stout and all the savoire faire of a spy that snuck in through a port barrel. It's got the sweet, and the slightly tart & fruity wine character, and it's just about nice as can be. Then comes the chocolate and a little bit of coffee, too, to go with the toffee. Sweet, sour, dry and fruity, all at once, and going round in circles. The stout comes rolling back, too, full of richness and dark, deep malts. Mmmm. Also, mmm-hmmm.

Part of my wishes I'd aged this mini-growler longer. The rest of me is happy I had it tonight.

Oliphant Ancient Bone Saber of Zumakalis Foreign Export Stout

Oliphant Brewing Ancient Bone Saber of Zumakalis. Has something to do with some video game or comic book or anime, or something. I forgot. Foreign Export Stout. I love an
FES. 8.5% ABV.

Fully dark brown, nearly black coloring, some crimson highlights at the edges, under a rich, but short lived cocoa-tinted head.

Aroma is redolent of dark fruits, raisins and figs, plus coffee, cocoa, some molasses, a little spice.

In the mouth: smoothness, full-bodied, altogether malt-tastic. Perfect balance. Moderate hopping keeps time with the sweet malt. Succulent. Low carbonation, but that's what I'm liking about it. Tasty. The remains of this crowler went down nice and smooth, I'll tell you that much. A big beer that goes down easy.

Ballast Point Indra Kunindra India-style Export Stout

Ballast Point Indra Kunindra limited release India-style Export Stout. Stout with Madras curry, Cumin, Cayenne, Coconut & Kaffir Lime.

Utter blackness, rich, large roasted tan head, leaving lace. Looking great.

Aroma: sweet and lovely. beautiful. hard to describe. honestly. unheard of. A little caramel, some toffee, but never too sweet, always balanced, always matched with plenty of hops.

Now to drink: There it is, again, the undescribable! It comes off as a sweetness, but never sweet. Candyish, but never candy-like. There’s coconut in this, and vanilla, and caramel, too. It’s not what I’d expect from an export stout, but it’s damned delicious. Toasted cocoanut…vanilla…wait, I said that… what else? Caramel…oh, I said that, too….Big time cocoanut in this big, big stout. And I love it.
It’s getting a little hot, though…peppers?

If anything proves that I don't read about these beers before I drink them, that above paragraph does. I reached for the bottle after reading that and sighed to myself. Aha, an Indian-style of Export Stout. Now, I get it.

Delicious, and wholly unique. Go get this. Worth every penny.

Let’s read some gobbledygook: “Indra Kunindra is a burst of Madras Curry, Cumin, Cayenne, Coconut, and Kaffir Lime, Enjoy! Our India-style Export Stout is a unique collaboration with award-winning home brewer Alex Tweet. Released in limited quantities, this explosion of South Asian flavors is reason enough to kneel down and thank the heavens. And further proof of San Diego’s status as a brewer’s playground and a beer lover’s utopia.”

Went a little overboard at the end there.