Guinness Antwerpen Stout

Two years ago, I reviewed Guinness Blonde American Lager. I remember it quite vividly because it was one of my first extremely negative reviews. I tried really hard but I could not find a single nice thing to say about it. I recall it reminding me of watered-down Rolling Rock and found it a chore just to make it through a glass of it. To this day I still can't believe the makers of Guinness Draught made such a lackluster beer. I'm stating the obvious when I say Guinness Draught is a classic. To me, it's a solid beer that works in any season. So when Guinness announced they were releasing Antwerpen Stout in the US as part of their Brewers Project line, I was excited. If anybody could deliver a fantastic stout it would be Guinness. While I was excited to try Antwerpen Stout, the memory of drinking Blonde American Lager put a slight damper on my expectations. I tried my best however to put those doubts aside and opened a bottle of Antwerpen Stout and hoped for the best.

Guinness Antwerpen Stout pours a rich black with a khaki colored head that stuck around for awhile. The familiar roastiness of Guinness was practically jumping out of the glass well before I put my nose up to it. The aroma of dark chocolate, smoke with a slight fruitiness was there as well. I felt very optimistic about the first sip and that optimism was rewarded until the very last sip. To put it simply, I loved this beer. The semi-sweet chocolate is the star of the show here. As Antwerpen Stout warms the chocolate becomes bolder and sweeter. However, it never gets to the point of being too sweet. A nice touch of vanilla also comes out as well, as it begins to warm. It is a wonderful compliment to the chocolate and the rich, roasted malt. There is also a subtle hint of fruity sweetness, think raisin/date and smoke in the finish. The smoke and the roasted malt linger long after you put the glass down. I really enjoyed that part. It left me looking forward to the next sip.

Guinness Antwerpen Stout is a beautiful stout.  It's so good it got me to forgive the awful mistake that is Guinness Blonde American Lager. Although I have to admit, I would have liked Antwerpen Stout to have a little more body. I thought it was a little thinner than it should have been. Still, with an 8% ABV, it's a big stout. It practically doubles the ABV of Guinness Draught. With the weather getting a bit cooler now, I could see this being a staple in my fridge in the immediate future.

Overall I would rate Guinness Antwerpen Stout a 4.25/5. If you enjoy Guinness Draught, I believe you will really enjoy this.

Rating Scale:
1 - Repugnant and undrinkable
2 - Acceptable but forgettable
3 - Good, worth a purchase
4 - Excellent, a step above the norm
5 - Truly exceptional　

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!