another lean and mean III review
When one wants an Irish stout they often immediately think of Guinness. That is because it is a great beer that has also done a brilliant job promoting their product. It is not the only choice for those who wish to experiment. Amazingly enough, the Irish have produced more than one brewery and more than one stout. I would advocate Black Biddy but that is hard to find.
A reasonably easy to find alternative to Guinness would be Beamish Irish Stout. This is a brewery located in Cork and founded in 1792. It's now part of Scottish & Courage. This brewery has no relation to Jim Beam although the distillery did try to keep Beamish from using the name in the United States on grounds that it might cause confusion. Happily, the courts saw the absurdity of this fear and allowed Beamish into America with the proper name.
In Philly, Beamish also benefited from another controversy. When Guinness helped finance Fado, many local pubs took offense. They felt that Guinness was helping to create an unfair advantage for their competition. These pubs will now only serve Beamish. One bar goes as far as to have a sign warning customers: "Don't even think of asking for a Guinness."
Beamish is a very good stout with a few distinctions from Guinness. I find that it may be slightly less complex but it has a bit more of a chocolate nuance to it. I also find Beamish to be a bit thicker than Guinness. Like Guinness this is a beer I generally only drink on draught in bars. It is rare that I drink one from bottle.
It has become readily available locally and I enjoy it from time to time when I maneuver through the city. It pours to a dark brown hue. It also has a tan colored head. The beer is full bodied but still creamy. You get the nuclear meltdown effect if the bartender draws a proper pour. The nose suggests coffee. There is a very pleasant roasty, malty aroma to this beer.
The chocolate nuances come through in the flavor very well. It is still a dry stout but it has some sweetness to it. There is a nice hop finish though. This is an important quality in a good stout for me. I like the creaminess to give way to a slight bitterness. I find it has a nice silky mouthfeel.
This is a very good alternative to Guinness. I know there are loyalists that would sneer at that notion. I also know a number of people that prefer Beamish. I really enjoy both of them. I think there are a few discernible differences that are interesting to note. If forced to make a choice, I think I would go with Guinness but it is pretty close. You can't go wrong enjoying a pint or two of Beamish.
Beamish weighs in at 4.2% abv which is comparable to Guinness. I think it has less overall character but it's still a very good beer. It has some nice roasty malt nuances to go with the cream texture. It's a welcome addition to a serious beer drinker's rotation.
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