Review: Guinness, An Old Favorite

File this one under:

Beer!

Okay, so this won't really be much of a review... I'm sure you've all had a Guinness or two or two hundred in your lifetime. If not, you should. Guinness isn't a particularly bold beer, but it's a classic. It's considered an Irish Dry Stout and that's spot on... dark, creamy, chocolaty, but definitely dry. It might be hard to comprehend how a liquid could really be 'dry' but as far as the flavor goes, it fits.

Anyway, while watching the Saints kick some ass on Monday Night Football and seeing the Phillies force a game 6 (they obviously knew I called Yankees in 6, not 5) I met up with Brent and Nunee at Ivar's, one of my favorite local watering holes. Sure, that's in large part because it's about 11 feet from my back door, but it also helps that they have decent bar food, they don't allow smoking, and of course, they have Guinness on tap.

Guinness has been one of my favorites ever since I really got into beer, and even more so after a few trips to Ireland. Everyone says it tastes better over there, and I tend to agree. Not sure if it's the ambience of a nice Irish pub, the quality control, the relative freshness, or a combination of it all, but it really does just taste a little better.

But if you can't make it to Ireland, no worries, just order up a pint the next time you can get some Guinness on tap, and raise your glass to Arthur!

Taste: B

Value: B

Three fun facts: Guinness uses nitrogen to give it the famous bubbly effect upon pouring; Guinness has relatively few calories compared to most darker beers; and apparently Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease for the St. James Gate Brewery for only 45 pounds per year.  (That's about $137 in real money.)