Welcome to the first round of many(hopefully) of the Brew Blog.  I’m not claiming to be a connosouir of fine beers and ales, but I do love them so.  You’re feedback is more than welcome, especially if you have any suggestions or reviews of your own.  I’ll not only be reviewing beer but also talking to brewers and hopefully people of note who also enjoy a glass of the nectar of the Gods.

Our inaugural Blog is a review of the Latest offering from the fine folks at Guinness.  They will be Celebrating their 250th Anniversary of not just brewing their fine beers but of one of the greatest real estate scams since we wrangled Alaska from the Russians.

To mark this anniversary, Guinness is releasing it’s “Limited Edition 250th Anniversary Stout”.  Unlike the Guinness draught, this is a highly carbonated stout.  So don’t expect the smoothness of the Cans or bottles with the nitrogen widgets.  It had a modest head after pouring, nothing like the creamy crown on the draught.  The first sip revealed a lighter more refreshing tasting stout, most likely due to the high carbonation.  It seemed more like a porter.   A bit of roasted maltiness and little bitterness.  The aftertaste revealed that familiar smokey barley Guinness flavor .  It became much tastier as it warmed, developing a sweetness with the roasted barley taste.  The carbonation mellowed more and it’s true stoutiness was revealed.  I’d say let it sit for 5-7 minutes before taking the first sip.  I could definitely drink a few of these with a fat cheeseburger or a big plate of Bangers And Mash.  I usually switch to the more hoppy beers for the warmer months, and this wouldn’t be too much on a sweaty 85 degree day.  I’d say this is a lively tribute to the vision of Arthur Guinness.  It retains all the things that made Guinness a world dominating stout in a slightly new form.

On a side note: Mistress Carrie entered the room with a bag of her mother in-law’s Oatmeal Raisin cookies and they were a great accompaniment to the Malty bitterness.  Just for the record, I was on my second…Beer that is. About a dozen later I realized that despite the excellent combination, my stomach was expanding from the over abundance of oats and raisins.  This is not recommended.