Two Guinness Imperial Stouts

Tis the season for enjoying darker brews during cooler months. Winter lends itself to heartier liquids. It just feels right and works within so many applications of food pairing or just enjoying a rich and delicious drink. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s the ability to put on our winter coat. So we set our sights two great beers from one of the most recognized leaders in brewing, Guinness.
Guinness has roots back to 1759 when Author Guinness signed a 9000 year lease on a piece of property known as St James’ Gate and set up a small ale brewery. Realizing the success of English porter beer, he decided to concentrate only on porters and forego the ale part of his brew business. In 1803, Author Guinness II developed what is now the famous Extra Stout recipe. By 1858, Guinness is being exported to America and as far away as New Zealand. And in 1868, the St James’ Gate family brewery doubles its size to handle demand for their stout. More and more advancements grew Guinness but it wasn’t until 1959 that they became the first nitrogen-carbonated beer giving it the distinctive head and mouthfeel. In 1988, they developed the first nitro widget placed in the bottom of each can which, upon opening, charges the beer with nitrogen gas creating the same frothy head you would get from a tap beer. Throughout the decades, the Guinness name meant quality and legendary taste.
In 2018, Guinness created Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore, Maryland with a decidedly Americanized view of serving adoring fans their favorite nitro beverage along with food in a uniquely industrial setting. Find out more about the origins at guinness.com and the newest endeavor at guinnessbrewerybaltimore.com
First off, putting stout into Kentucky bourbon barrels to age is a common and successful way of making sure your beer will taste like it has bourbon in it. Barrel aging imparts the previous liquid flavor into the current liquid. So why does barrel aging work so well with stouts? Because stouts begin as fuller flavor beers. They are robust, with coffee, vanilla, and other roasty tastes. So to add to a combination a bourbon or whiskey additive is just icing on the cake. When this Imperial Stout is poured into a snifter glass, you’ll find a thin mocha head on top of a jet black brew. Notes of bourbon hit you like a hammer as you approach. But the soothing mouthfeel of this luscious, malty stout take over on your first sips. Thick and chocolatey flavors with generous complexities swirl through your senses with this amazing brew.
With the Imperial Ginger Bread Spiced Stout, the hue is closer to dark amber and off-white thin head. Ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon are most present before you are hit with malty bourbon. The medium body in this one probably matches the amber tone rather than its darker counterpart. Overall, a great holiday sipper.
BeerAdvocate.com officially gave both of these beers an ‘Outstanding’ rating earning a 90 out of 100. You can pick up both in 11.2 oz four pack bottles of these wonderful creations at Case-n-Keg, 5 Mill St, Meredith. Tradition and creativity meet when you open a Guinness brew.