Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
 

Anyone tried it? Anyone know where to find it in the US? Anyone know if it's worth finding in the US? I want to get some for my good friend's birthday over Thanksgiving -- he was the one who first introduced me to the goodness of Guinness -- but the best I can find is £120 (so $200+) and shipped from the UK for 24-33cc bottles.

Ha.

Been trying to get some for the neighbors, without any luck.

Good reviews of it over here, it makes me want to book a trip across the Atlantic every time I read them

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/209/752/

Apparently it is not sold in the US. They have an imported extra stout that's easily available.

Moving this thread to DiningBuzz! at the OP's request.

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Cholula
OMNI Co-Moderator

There are different Foreign Extra stouts brewed under license all over the world. The most famous ones are Nigeria, Dublin and Far East (prob Singapore). They are delicious and I particularly like the Nigerian version. You have probably already discovered this vendor, but just in case you haven't: http://www.onlyfinebeer.co.uk/beer/530/

They can sort you for both large and small Nigerian bottles and Dublin bottles. Postage will be a killer and you may have to phone them to arrange. Plus you'll have to pay import duty, etc.

and this vendor does slightly cheaper Dublin FES: http://www.thedrinkshop.com/products...hp?prodid=4391

Not Legally Available in the U.S.A.
 

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout is not exported to the U.S. Any you might find in the States will be bootleg beer. The nearest places you might find F-E-S would be in the Caribbean, and it would probably have been brewed in Jamaica.

Here's a list of the various versions of stouts made and sold under the Guinness label and where in the world they're available.

I'm going to look for it in Thailand.

For any FT'er visiting Cologne, Germany: The African Drum Nigerian restaurant and bar features Guinness Foreign Extra Stout in reasonably priced bottles. Great Nigerian food by a real female chef to be had as well. Open late afternoon to early morning.

African Drum
Ebertplatz 1
50668 Neustadt-Nord, Köln, Germany
+49 221 7197895

Unless you can insure the beer is fresh, and transported well, I'd vote no. This includes many specialty beers sold in the US turnover isn't big enough to keep them in decent shape.

I've had the Malaysian version I believe (purchased in Indonesia). I'm a big fan of dark beers but it was unpleasant, dark, thin body, an odd sweet sour taste.

Going through Singapore en route from India to Melbourne, I had a layover of five hours. I decided to forego the lounge and headed into town for a banana leaf biriani and a bottle of Guinness Foreign Extra:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/...e00d11df92.jpg

It was fantastic - just what the doctor ordered. I agree that the Guinness is strong and very bitter (with a lactic sweetness too) and this is not going to be to everyone's taste. But it certainly isn't thin.

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.

Its good not great
 

It's good beer if you get it in good condition but am English and spoiled when it comes to dark beer and while I am happy drinking this you make great dark beer in the USA Maui Brewery Coconut Porter is superb beer from Hawaii but I don't think I would ship all that water just for me.

Coming back to this thread, I just brought back 12 bottles with me from Aruba (brewed in Dublin) and 11 of them made the journey! It's really a delicious beer, and fortunately, Guinness washes out well with non-chlorine bleach.

Foreign Extra Stout Being Test Marketed in U.S.
 

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout may be available in the U.S. next year. You'll be able to get it in two U.S. cities beginning next month.

Parent company Diageo has decided to test market that beer in New York City and Atlanta beginning in September. No word on when they'll make a decision about whether on not to offer the beer nationwide, but I wouldn't expect to see it outside those areas before 2011, probably the second quarter of next year at the earliest.

Well, now I feel like an idiot. I wasn't going to drink it until September anyway, and then in CT, which is very near NYC. Anyhoo, Metro-North is going to be making quite a bit of money off of me if this pans out, as is Guinness.

I have had it in Jamaica and brought some back to the US: hope it 'passes' the test.