Guinness Extra Stout

July 7th, 2011 by in Walt Disney World Beer Reviews

Last week Brian wrote a fascinating article about Guinness and its history. Brian’s article mainly focused on the draught variety of Guinness, while I’ve just opened up what Guinness refers to as Extra Stout. It’s important to note that Extra Stout is brewed by the Guinness Brewing Company in New Brunswick, Canada. Yes, the labels on the front say “Imported” and “St. James’s Gate Dublin”, but the back label clearly gives away its Canadian origins.

Extra Stout is a bit confusing; Guinness calls it “the one that started it all”, and Extra Stout is called Original in Europe. However, the label on the back of this bottle only has generic Guinness marketing and makes it difficult to determine exactly what it is you’re supposed to be drinking. According to Wikipedia, it’s brewed a bit differently in different locations and has different alcohol contents. This bottle is 5% alcohol by volume.

Extra Stout certainly has a stronger taste than Guinness Draught. It has more roasted flavor and bite than the more popular variety. However, I’m not sure that makes it better than the draught variety. It’s harsher than Guinness Draught, probably because it’s carbonated with carbon dioxide rather than nitrogen. It also doesn’t have the widget that makes canned or bottled Guinness Draught extremely similar to Guinness from the tap. Instead, it’s similar in feeling to most beers out of a bottle.

Overall, Extra Stout is definitely not a bad beer, but I’d drink a Guinness Draught before I would drink an Extra Stout. The nitrogen used in the Draught produces a creamy beer that goes down easy. For the most up-to-date information on Extra Stout at Walt Disney World, visit the Guinness Extra Stout page on our beer list!


  • Bill

    I utterly disagree with your comparison between Guinness’s so-called ‘Draught’ in a bottle and their old, reliably stout ‘Extra Stout.’ The former is like a watered-down beer mixed with Coca-cola; the latter is a satisfying brew.

    The Irish version of the Extra Stout, incidentally, is much better than the Canadian brew.

    Reply

  • Joe

    If you live outside of Canada this beer is still imported.

    Reply

    • The Beers and Ears Crew

      Yes, but the pairing of “Imported” and “St. James’s Gate, Dublin” implies it’s imported from Ireland.

      Reply

  • Jim McEwen

    I notice that the Extra Stout bottle purchased here in NC does show “Imported”on the top front band. It also shows that the beer is a “product of Ireland” and is “brewed in Ireland” hum….. so much for Canada?

    Reply

  • cory

    just wondering ,is guiness making lighter bottles now? i received a 6 pack of taller bottles with only 11.2 oz of brew.is this something new?have they [ guiness] gone the way of sugar and coffee?

    Reply

    • The Beers and Ears Crew

      I need to check a bottle of Guinness Extra Stout next time I see one. Some beers do come in 11.2 ounce bottles, but I hadn’t heard of a Guinness in that size. Correction: Guinness Foreign Extra Stout does come in 11.2oz bottles. Foreign Extra is a different beer than Extra Stout.

      Reply

    • trish

      Yes Cory, they are now smaller and they changed the taste..It’s awful..I sent Guinness a email, telling them to change it back, they said that starting in 2016, they are no longer using fish bladders and it’s now VEGAN!! They ruined the best beer ever!! Very upset….Why ruin a good thing??

      Reply

  • Bobby J

    I am drinking a Guinness Extra Stout purchased in the Baltimore, Maryland area as I write and it is imported from Ireland and is labeled as a “Malt Liquor” which I understand to be any beer type beverage with an APV of between 5.0% and 8.5%. Any beer type beverage above 8.5% is a called a barley wine. Any beer type beverage below 5.0% is beer.

    Reply

    • The Beers and Ears Crew

      So here’s where things get crazy; what’s legally required on the label in certain states is not the same as what style a beer is. This was a problem in Texas until recently. Beer can be either a lager or an ale. Assigning it an alcohol content range doesn’t make sense because beer can cover a much wider alcohol content. Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA is a beer and it has 18% ABV. Barley wine is a style of beer, usually with a higher alcohol content, but an imperial stout can also easily hit 10% ABV.

      Guinness Extra Stout may be a “malt liquor” according to the legal definition of malt liquor in Maryland, but its style is a dry stout.

      Reply

  • P K

    I found both Canadian and Irish Extra Stout at my preferred Beverage store with more; the only difference I could discern was the the Irish bottles were smaller. perhaps the secret ingredient is the same where ever it is brewed. They all taste the same but not as good as a warm keg back in the day.

    Reply

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