Todays beer name also includes it's no 1 characteristic: extra stout. Oh yeah. I have to admit, as a more the sweet or light and refreshing beer tastes, I was a bit nervous about having that one. The anxiously expected strong and bitter notes definitely appeared, but not in the negative way I was nervous about. But first things first about todays tatsting object:
Guinnes EXTRA STOUT
Well prepared with a proper amount of #icecubes
Appearance
Of course with a Guinness I expected a darker version of a beer, but this one almost can be described as "Chocolaty". A dark brown suggests to be strong and masculine (I don't know why I use this word to describe the color, but thats what came to my mind first!).
The foam was building up fast and dense, took a few more seconds to disappear. Actually while I am writing this text, there i still a bit of it left. Nice!
Taste
Yes - strong. Yes - bitter, or better: tangy. No sweetness at all, no malty or other aromas. Just beer made of hops at its purest. And thats why I did't have a problem with the bitterness at all! Yeah, I have to admit that I liked it, although I usually want a beer to have a certain "soul", it's own recognizeable character, something I often describe when drinking a bock beer for example. But why not: This beer is just strong, pure, honest. Period!
Facts and figures
The very traditional and famous irish beer is based on a recipe from 1821. Extra stout doesn't mean much alcohol: it's only 4.1 % Vol!
I Highly recommend a hearty, savory meal like the german winter specialty kale with pork cheek, sausage and smoked pork loin