Brewery: Guinness
Country: Ireland
Size: 50cl
ABV: 6%
Price: 26kr
Systembolaget: 88924
I knew I wanted to have a dark Guinness beer in the tasting due to the brands impact on the stout genre. I thought it would be a bit boring to have the regular stout though as literally everyone has tried that at some stage in their life. I was happy to see this West Indies porter was available in Systembolaget and at a reasonable price too so I snapped up a few bottles.
This was a very lively porter, with a massive hazelnut bubble bath head forming on the somewhat overly carbonated liquid. Very thick ruby-red to almost black in colour, this porter was medium in body as well. Dark chocolate, plums and roasted nuts in the aroma sprang forth from the glass to create an interesting blend on the nose. Upon the first sip, it became evident that this was indeed a lively beer, almost filling the mouth with foam after a single sip. Roasted hazelnuts notes hit the tongue first before moving into a distinct sour lingon bitter note. This levelled out into a mild coffee roast note on the back of the palate after swallowing. A light nutty tone settled on the after taste along with some bitter coffee grounds.
This is just a bit all over the place if I’m honest. I liked the aroma yet the sour hits in the taste were not pleasant. The appearance of the beer was pleasant but the over carbonation was not nice, and extremely detrimental to the mouthfeel of the beer. Excess carbonation, especially in porters and stouts, is one of my pet hates in beer. Did this look good? Absolutely. Did it taste good though? Meh. I wouldn’t bother. Next!