Beer expert blind tastes Guinness alternatives

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This week Jonny is risking the wrath of Ireland with a taste test of 12 nitro stouts available in the UK. Will Guinness win out, or will an upstart take the top spot?
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Remember to drink responsibly(ish) and not be that guy...

[@igmu-dn6ri]

I've spent forty years believing that Beamish (& Crawford as it was) was miles better than Murphys and Guinness. Glad to see that it is still up there and wish I had some.

[@vincentr.6109]

I haven't seen it state side in years, I remember it being one of my go-to beers back in the late 90's.

[@LeadRoux]

A proud day for all of us from the land of Beamish! Been my pint of choice for years!

[@kylereed9309]

I've always wanted to try beamish but I can never find it in supermarkets in England, surprisingly I have found murphys a few times which was good. So wouldn't mind finding it someday.

[@Silent002]

@@kylereed9309 After a quick look, it seems it's not officially sold in shops outside of Ireland. Big disappointment as I'd love to give it a go.

[@kylereed9309]

@@Silent002 it's a shame, I am a fan of guinness but I think I'd really prefer this if I got a chance to try it.

[@liamo8932]

Hard to believe Heineken were pushing it off the taps in favour of that Islands Edge sh ite

[@LeadRoux]

@@liamo8932 blows my mind why millions were wasted by heino to create a new stout when they have two greats they can hardly figure out how to push beyond the borders of Munster!

[@Ferdiad1]

As someone from Cork where Beamish is brewed, it has an almost cult status here. I was honestly nervous that you wouldn't like it but delighted it went down well. Beamish is best!

[@Andytreblezero]

I loved Beamish when I was younger but it has disappeared from Scotland sadly.

[@MrCreamcracker15]

Murphys better

[@andrewgrave]

Very strange that Murphys has disappeared from the supermarket shelves as it is now available in a few pubs again especially London. Incidentally, Heineken closed the old Beamish brewery and now brews both it and Murphys at the ex-Murphys brewery.

[@thehaymaker3660]

Good to see London Black getting some love. I've had many pints straight from the tap room, it's magical.

[@mrougelot]

Great video, I was looking forward to this blind taste. Can we appreciate that an industrial mammoth like Guinness can pull off an alcohol free version that’s not the worst one in the test? They do know their stuff.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

It's a very good low alc beer. No wonder it's growing so fast.

[@davidhodges1914]

It’s the only non-alcohol beer that’s worth drinking IMO. Everything else is like Diet Coke so far.

[@DavidPaulMorgan]

I've been drinking more of the lo-alc beers myself recently. I have not tried the 0% Guiness yet, but may give it a go! Anything is better than diet-cola when you're the 'designated driver'

[@capaldinewsservice4942]

​@@davidhodges1914 I'm sober and this is exactly my view

[@TheLyricalDavidJames]

Love Beamish which is perplexingly overlooked even in Dublin - it's commonly available but as an afterthought on the shelves.

[@pete8689]

It's a Cork beer

[@2002chrisking]

Pleased that London Black rated so highly. Absolutely brilliant beer, love the coffee notes and it's very sessionable!

[@lcpholman]

I spent many many hours in the early to mid 90s drinking Beamish Stout (and Beamish Red) on tap

[@FatherEarth93]

'I am not going to drink 12 pints on camera, again... *blank stare in the distance*. A trauma came back to haunt you there.😅

[@DidYaServe]

As soon as I saw Beamish, I knew it would score high. It’s the best of the Irish big three stouts in a can. It even competes against draught Guinness pints.

[@jacobweddell2438]

I'm not a stout man usually but I do like Broken Dream from Siren, so smooth and satisfying

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

A wonderful beer, but we didn't want to include flavoured stouts in this. Well, I didn't. But one got snuck in anyway.

[@andkilleen]

Had some Beamish in Cork city and it was the best drink I've had in years. Incredible it's not bigger in Ireland. Super stout.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Heineken not giving it the love it deserves it seems. Mind you, we shouldn't be drinking Heineken products really so probs for the best

[@tonyclemens4213]

I drank Guinness for decades but with so many local craft breweries make good stout I can't remember the last time I had one.

[@Necrolee]

So glad that Beamish scored so highly. I used to drink it all the time in preference to Guinness. Was gutted when my local stopped selling it.

[@jl91iii]

Beamish in Cork City, Murphys in West Cork. Of the lot, a pint of Murphys in West Cork is king.

[@ColmMcCabe]

Good to see Beamish doing well. The owner Heineken spent a fortune on Island's Edge to compete with Guinness and failed miserably. Seems they should look after Beamish and Murphys instead. Thought Forged might have done better. McGregor bought the Porterhouse brewery (without the brands) to make Forged. Porterhouse have made great stouts.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I think Porterhouse was pretty notorious for its inconsistency. Last time I was there (just before the brewery sold) I had a pint of their stout that had mercaptan in it - a pretty rare and pretty awful smelling off flavour. Like rotting cabbage.

[@IgnoresTrolls]

Island's Edge had no flavour at all. Very creamy, which was nice, but made Guinness taste bold. That the same company had Beamish (creamy, but interesting) and Murphys (bolder, maybe less suited to all tastes) and could have spent half the money promoting Beamish was wild.

[@ShapeyFiend]

@@IgnoresTrolls I really liked the Wrasslers 4X Stout at the Porterhouse but didn't see it on tap the last few times I dropped in there.

[@AaronSmart.online]

Island's Edge was the stout for people who don't like the taste of stout, i.e. utterly pointless

[@theefishlippedone]

Beamish on tap was a great beer in the 90's, shame it disappeared

[@dairesweeney419]

Making a come back in Dublin! Great Pint, plenty more flavour then Guinness!

[@TheBigPlopper]

​@@dairesweeney419Never went away in the west of Ireland.

[@philclifton6813]

I had Beamish on tap in Galway in February. Bierhaus.

[@owenfitzpatrick2517]

Hey. Great review. Live in NI. My go to stouts have always been Guinness and Murphy’s. Had Beamish once 30 yrs ago and was put off. But after seeing this I lifted 4 cans from a local independent offy as the only place I’ve seen it up here and now I’m a convert. So, for me, I’m order, it’s Beamish, Murphy’s then Guinness. Going to have to spend more time in Cork! How about a video on Irish craft both north and south? Cheers.

[@brianstrasavich9201]

Had the pleasure to have a Beamish in Cork this past December. Guinness and Murphys were great, but Beamish was tops. So sad to learn back in the states that it is not available here. What an amazing brew! I will return.

[@curtisbrause9255]

When we went to Ireland 6 years ago go I ordered a Guinness and the bartender told me to order Beamish because it was better. I didn’t believe him but got it anyways out of curiosity. It definitely was better and said “I told ya.” Wish we got it in the States.

[@nicetheproject]

Watching this made me run for the bottle of Kernel Dry Stout that I had stashed in the fridge... A beauty! I really like A&H London Black, great beer and fantastic brewery

[@tocatchasnark1471]

Beamish all the way for me , pity is hard to find in the uk now

[@austenj4539]

Recent stouts from both Camden and Brewdog now proliferate UK supermarket shelves. Glad to see your verdict in accordance with my 'waste of taste' experience. Draught 'Forge' is a decent, taste experience and I will try it in a can, when found. Always a tricky brew to get right. My favourite [not on your list] is Three Tuns Stout from Bishops Castle.

[@beefsuprem0241]

That Camden stout is so weak and thin it's a travesty. The Forged is surprisingly ok. Need to find somewhere in the UK to get Beamish.

[@masterpete04]

The Camden Stout is not a beer. It's an insult.

[@masterpete04]

I actually like Forged better than Guinness in a can

[@SlurpeeE]

When I visited the UK, Stewart’s Nitro 80 was my favorite. Nitrogen definitely adds something extra.

[@DrunkDelilahBrewery]

I appreciate that it's a Porter but London Black is by far the best !!!!!

[@elliotstone2764]

Menu dhu is the best Guinness substitute! Cornish stout 😍

[@benjiman2006]

Left hand had what i think was a coffee nitro stout a couple of years back. I loved it but i haven't seen it in a long time.

[@_Peremalfait]

I find O’Hara’s to be a cut above both Guinness and Murphy’s. I’ve yet to try Beamish. Not sure it’s available in the US but I’ll keep an eye out for it.

[@richharper8159]

First time I’ve ‘drank along’ with a blind test. Was just the A&H London Black, but fun all the same. Great to see in cans. I think it could also do with being a bit more ‘nitro smooth’.

[@VelkyAl]

Did something similar a few years back on my blog, tasted Guinness, Murphy's, O'Hara's, and Belhaven Black - we can't get Beamish over here. Preference for me was O'Hara's, then the Belhaven Black, which was a big surprise for me. Left hand Milk Stout is an absolute delight on draft.

[@TimDawsonify]

Campervan brewery's Extra Black is well worth checking out in this category

[@lightoftheworld417]

Here in NI we now say all the cool kids drink Beamish. (tongue in cheek) It defo is getting popular in the craft beer circles.

[@Goochbot]

I've always preferred a Beamish over a Guinness, and despite being from Sligo there's very few pubs that actually have it, sadly. Lovely beer.

[@MarkmanOTW]

You may want to try Nightjar stout by the Wye Valley Brewery at some point. Don't think it's available in can or bottle - draft only. It's delicious and a major contender, so definitely worth a trip to English/Welsh border.

[@HughTheBeerKid]

Beamish is legitimately a delicious beer

[@smoggymackem]

The best Nitro Stout i have had was a small brewery in Maryland USA, Grandmother's Milk by Hysteria Brewing Company

[@liamo8932]

Pierce the top of the Beamish with a bradawl or similar to avoid setting off the widget and pour it through the nitrosurge. Thats what i do. Minimal effort and worth it

[@pac4life88]

With the NA rise in populartiy I had high hopes for the Guinness 0.0. I've had one before and liked it but always intresting to see what you get from a blind tasting. And good on you, you knew it was low alcohol!

[@dellzincht]

He knew it was low alcohol because Guinness 0.0 literally tastes like watered down Guinness Draught

[@Martinlgn]

Love the anspach & hobday stout, made its way to France on tap and in cans. Love it

[@DavidPaulMorgan]

Well, I just learned something new today - Nitro is actually short for Nitrogen with different gaseous characteristics for the texture! Thank you.

[@Only1_Joe]

When the Madri crowd move to Guinness, you know something’s wrong 😂 great video again gents 👍🏻

[@ryanmccarthy6161]

It's very hard to get accurate readings of stout from a can . Let alone in England . Beamish from a tap is Creamy coffee bitter smoky perfection.

[@johnturner2890]

Not had Beamish for ages, it used to be my preference to Guiness in my younger boozing days, they also used to make a cracking red ale as well

[@vikramjitsingh4538]

belive me you........i am a homebrewer going pro.....but i just love your vids to death guys............u bring so much wonderful vids, we beer geeks can't get enof.............just awesomeness

[@SlurpyDave254]

I get cask stout in litre bottles from Bushys Brewery, IOM. Couple of squirts with a syringe and u have pint of smooth creamy stout with flavour (cask) like in the pub. Works out £1.8] a pint

[@mcnichollsdj]

Used to drink a pint of Beamish in the Albion just outside Birmingham City Centre 33 years ago. They would pour it, let it sit, and then "shave" it with a knife. Delicious. So my question is - where can I get it in the UK?

[@st4ndaman]

I really enjoyed Forged when I had it on tap recently. I've come full circle now and enjoy a beer for what it is instead of trying to dissect every single flavour note. Leave that to whisky drinkers.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Good for you, but someone has to dissect these things!

[@and1111000]

Belhaven Black is delicious

[@portaccio]

Shame you couldn't get any Murphy's, that's a really good pint. Haven't seen Beamish since the 90's, loved that stuff.

[@OscarOSullivan]

O’ Hara’s single dry stout is my favourite stout. Unlike the Irish big three stouts it has a far more natural flavour. John McKenna of the Irish times described it as being how stout used to be. In the off trade I prefer it bottled as opposed to the can.

[@StuartAdams-p4v]

missed oot on Belhaven Black!

[@prangbro]

Glad to see Beamish outdoing nearly all the pretenders (including Guinness). But I don't think it's available in the UK except for in NI, which doesn't count. If there was ever a time for Beamish to relaunch in the mainland UK surely it would be now? It has the loyal followers, rich history and memes to make it work - plus it's usually cheaper than guinness!

[@prangbro]

Also really glad that Brewdog stout got served - it's so disgusting, can't believe they tried to do a campaign claiming it was nicer than Guinness!

[@youtubewatcher703]

I wouldn't go to Luton for any reason. Shows your passion.

[@Hugh_de_Mortimer]

You should use strong black tea between sampling to cleanse your palate.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I use water and Jacob's crackers like I do on judging gigs.

[@fabe61]

I'd appreciate a video on Asian-styled beers. I'm thinking, Cobra, Kingfisher, Asahi, Tsingtao, Tiger, etc. Would be fun to see how these beers stand up when they're not in their classic restaurant environments, but I'm also interested just because I really feel (as a non-geek) that Cobra is my favourite beer (when on sale) readily available in supermarkets. I've got no idea if these beers are actually 'Asian' in any way or if they're just cornering a branding niche, but that makes it even more interesting to see how they compare, and if those genuinely made further afield do have differences. Good content as ever btw!

[@BrewabitRick]

Great great vid I love beamish it’s beautiful. Nice work again in-depth and educational cheers 👍🍻

[@AB-re1qs]

Did you try the beer shop in Hitchin?

[@johncoltrane7899]

I live in the UK and am gutted we cant get Murphys anymore. Tesco and B&M were the last outlets. Hope that a surge in the popularity of stouts will bring my favourite beer back.

[@sp00ky_guy]

Honestly for me it's dry/irish stout over lager as a session beer; I love those darker, roastier flavours, the bitterness you get from roasted barley rather than the bitterness from alpha acids. There is a lot of dogshit out there though lmao, shame you couldn't get Murphy's! Great video as usual

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I can definitely see nitro stout as a session beer. That whole cliche of Guinness being a meal just doesn't ring true for me. It's a very drinkable style!

[@Roy_1]

Agreed, Dry Irish is the best style, I prefer Murphy's as well.

[@martingrady7654]

I am Typ2 Diabetic, Guinness is the only stout I have that does not spike my levels, but to me, it's not the best stout but the one I drink 99% of the time. Tonight I will be starting on Guinness and then going on to Titanic Stout, the TS will rocket my blood sugar but tastes better than the Guinness.

[@paulboggan]

o haras is a very very underrated stout their leann foill vanilla stout is fantastic.

[@bear693]

Pity no Murphy's. A close second but for me its Beamish all the way. " Mother's milk" 😉

[@MrFcStPaulifan3]

While on a trip in Belfast I really enjoyed „Belfast Black“ by Whitewater-Brewery. I felt like this was the Northern Irish alternative to Guinness :p

[@wewliusevola]

Right, I shall be down to Cork for a big case of Beamish then.

[@HerefordBeerHouse]

Cloudwater - Piccadilly Porter is the one 😍

[@hansmuller3604]

didnt they tear down the beamish brewery in cork city center? where do they brew it now?

[@zeveroarerules]

London Black is the shit man. So good :)

[@drkRoss89]

After buying a 4-pack of Brewdog Black Heart on offer for £4.50 in Tesco and I'm really impressed. In fact, I ended up buying a case of 10 cans for 12 quid and was a great session!

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it, and there are much better options out there too!

[@TheJoseyjoe]

HON BEAMISH!!!!!!

[@jasonsmith7737]

You really know your stuff , great review

[@inambaguum]

Haven't watched the video yet but I clicked because I saw Beamish in the thumbnail. Beamish was my favorite beer for years until it became completely unavailable in the US. I love and miss that beer so much and I hate that they won't import or distribute it over here anymore.

[@williamsullivan9316]

Got to visit Ireland last year and tried every Irish stout I came across. Beamish was hands down my favorite.

[@aliceg.562]

I love Beamish!! For me, it's the best!!! Last summer, I discover Island's Edge stout, it's a really good one too. Then, I'll put Murphys and Guinness.

[@vexy1987]

Not especially traditional... but Kirkstall brewery's Tiramisu stout 👌

[@Hill_Walker]

It was a few years ago I did my chemistry degree. Didn't know CO2 had become super soluble in water over that time. Maybe that's why we've got all this ocean acidification.

[@ameisee4]

3:16 "again" well, now I am going to need a link to that video^^

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Go to the start of CBC.... there is a lot of evidence.

[@ameisee4]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel haha okay thanks!

[@robclarke5480]

It is a very forgiving style to brew at home, be good if you had brewed one yourself and put this into mix. (A nitro set up is relatively inexpensive)

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We served our Omnipollo stout on nitro and it worked really well in generating a bit of head for it!

[@mustardcrumbles]

Video started, I fast forwarded to near the end (for the results) and the bloke had a spread sheet.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

You can't take beer too seriously. And if you can, then I'm the one who is proving it.

[@mustardcrumbles]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel fair

[@liamscott1905]

I think people only like nitro stouts because of the creamy looking head which reminds you of whipped cream on coffee. I have my porters on cask which has a similar creamy looking foam for less price also a better flavour, in fact the nitro beer was designed to resemble cask beer.

[@robertanthonyfarrell6061]

Beamish is quality. Probably the only good thing about Cork. As a bonus, it's one of the cheaper pints in Ireland, which is a major positive given the extortionate prices for booze here.

[@martinu2725]

Can you please center the thirst quenching poster in the frame, it is aggravating my OCD 😂

[@jonathanprice3362]

Is it possible to find Beamish in the UK…? Murphys has all but disappeared, I remember in the 90s you could find all the three Irish stouts on draught with Murphys having big advertising campaign…

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Only in cans via NI sadly

[@MrMoekanz]

Murphy's is the best, closely followed by lean folean by oharas. The rest trail far behind.

[@ShapeyFiend]

I love Beamish and it's still 5 euro a pint. If I'm drinking stout at home I don't like tha cans I want the Nigerian Guinness from a bottle. There's a 90's kung fu movie called Moving Target and the plot mostly revolves around the whereabouts of a 6 pack of Beamish.

[@hansmuller3604]

Is 5€ a pint cheap?

[@ruelow]

You have made every Cork man's day with this review. One thing i think every stout lover in Ireland can agree on regardless of where they fall on the Guinness vs. Beamish (or even Murphys) debate: it was a gift to watch Island's Edge implode something like a mere two years after launch. Heineken Ireland pushed that * aggressively * for a long while. I hadn't seen an advertisement campaign as relentless since when white claw tried to establish here. "It's better less bitter" was the tagline... but was it really? Any stout lover i spoke to found it way too sweet. Clearly Heineken Ireland thought it could challenge Guinness's stronghold on taps around the country by presuming more people would drink stout if it wasn't bitter. And after all, palates have skewed sweeter in recent years. But beyond the coffee notes, i just don't get this apparent unbearable bitterness that people speak of. Part of what makes the Irish dry stouts what they are is the sweet side to the malts. Anyway, they figured they should make their own alternative and failed spectacularly, in part cos they just didn't understand what makes the greats special. Doesn't matter how many parasols on how many terraces around town you put up, tourists are still going to be trying the Guinness for a reason beyond it just being available everywhere.

[@dellzincht]

No Siren Broken Dreams? Jet Black Heart from Brewdog was a decent stout, and they did a nitro version, too.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Didn't want to confuse matters with flavoured stouts (outside the trick beer they threw at me)

[@RampantLionReviews91]

Surely you should have got something from Galway Bay as an Irish alternative? March of the Penguins from Williams Bros or Old Engine Oil from Harviestoun would be the ones from Scotland, although those are not really Nitros - not many Nitros in Scotland to be fair.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I went with what's available in the UK - not seen any Galway Bay for a loooooong time.

[@RampantLionReviews91]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel Ah really? I thought they were uping their distribution 🤔

[@theculturebrewingchannel5619]

Stout is english.

[@RampantLionReviews91]

@@theculturebrewingchannel5619 That depends on the type. The video is about Guiness which is from Dublin...

[@theculturebrewingchannel5619]

@@RampantLionReviews91 was just throwing a chaos grenade :) But yeh, a Guinness alternative could be from anywhere as long as it the same style and easily available. I can see why you'd want to see more Irish breweries because Guinness is Irish even if the style originates in London and has been adapted in Ireland, but for me i kind of like that a London brewery did well in this.

[@sinosleep007]

Guinness is one of the most "it's fine" beers out there, have never understood it's popularity. There are about 100 stouts I'd drink ahead of Guinness.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

But 100% draught nitro stouts? It beat many of those here

[@sinosleep007]

@@TheCraftBeerChannel True enough, but even so it's still wound up in the middle third of entrants. I suppose middle of the road is what most people want at the end of the day though. The most popular beers in the US are all the most plain Jane beers out there while I personally would rather have an Imperial Stout that many folks will think is too strong, too sweet, and under carbonated.

[@tbone2471]

Do Guiness still do a bitter? It came in a green can. I haven't been able to find it anywhere.

[@mymic208]

I love stouts, but I've never liked Guinness. I know it has a reverence and people love it, and they all go on about how much better it is in Ireland. I guess that means it doesn't travel well, and if a beer doesn't travel well, then to me, that's a bad product.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

Oh it travels fine - people are to persuaded by the idea it is better in certain places or pubs. ALL beer is better in certain places and pubs, Guinness is no different.

[@joinmeonthedarkside2]

I only drink stouts and porters Love malts !! This style is OK Prefer i nice imp ! Emporers, nerd,lervig,brew York, left handed giant, an export India too is superb.

[@Margarinetaylorgrease]

I tried brewing a stout once, ONCE, it tasted like an ashtray. I went and got myself a Guinness. Turns out mine wasn’t soo bad😂

[@Hill_Walker]

It was a few years ago I did my chemistry degree. Didn't know CO2 had become super soluble in water over that time. Maybe that's why we've got all this ocean acidification.

[@stevenpollard7864]

Love the tasting videos !! So glad London black performed well (think if it didn’t )🫣! Lucky enough to have that on draft in two of my locals up north ! Great job 👏

[@enriquejackson2843]

Sullivan's Nitro Pour Marble Stout trumps Guinness period!

[@Hugh_de_Mortimer]

Surprised you've overlooked Murphy's.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I haven't! It's just unavailable in the UK

[@eXceSSum9]

Surprised you didn't include Siren's Broken Dream in the lineup, one of my favourite nitro stouts out there but is a bit heavier on the abv That being said, Guinness is always my safe bet when I'm in a pub with an underwhelming lineup on tap. You just know that 9 times out of 10 it's going to be decent

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

We didn't want to include any flavoured stouts as it's a very different proposition - save the one that was slipped in to confuse me. Maybe we'll do a coffee stout blind tasting at some point!

[@jackhughes7637]

I had a stout at Camden taproom and it was perfectly good. Held it's head and had enough character to compare it to Guinness. (Which, in my opinion, is not a very challenging stout at all. Almost bland.)

[@notanyone1206]

Actually thought on launch Black Heart was decent, doesn't seem to be as good last time I bought it. My go to stout at the mo is Reaper by Hackney Church, really good, not nitro though.

[@TheCraftBeerChannel]

I think in isolation it would be fine, but next to better stouts it was very bland.

[@gary637]

Nothing beats Guinness Original.