Not necessarily. The Guiness foreign extra has a lot more in common with IPAs and Imperial Stouts. Specifically they are brewed with high alcohol content, partly because that makes them hardier and more able to tolerate the variances in conditions they are subjected to when are transported and stored in Third-world countries.

The Nigerian version for example has about 7% alcohol, which almost double that of the watery pap that Guiness markets in the UK and US (at about 4%).

The higher alcohol of course changes the bitterness levels but they add other things to the mix to offset that. The Nigerian version is brewed from a grain called Sorghum which is locally available there and results in a sweeter flavour.

I love the foreign extra. I actually would never buy or drink the regular guinuess, but the foreign extra is more interesting. The local variances in flavours and and ingredients make it even more interesting. That aspect of it alone is probably worthy of an HBS branding case study.....

Its better if you forget all preconceptions that come with the "Guinness" brand baggage. before you drink this. And no it's nothing remotely to do with "dark lager" or "dark ale" or any such. The proper context for this particular brew is to think of it as a microbrewed imperial stout or strong milk stout that happens to be owned by the same people that own Irish Guineness.