Guinness shortage

[I'm With Stupid]

OK, thanks, appreciated.

But I can honestly say I can tell a good pint of Guinness from a bad one before I've put it to my lips, just by watching the pour, in most cases.

But that's the easy part. The question is whether you can tell a 'good' pint from a 'bad' pint without looking at the pour. I assumed someone would have done it, but no-one has properly done a blind taste test. There was one bloke on Youtube, and he couldn't even tell which was from a can, nevermind distinguish between the one and two-part pour. But that's just one bloke. I'd like to see it done with self-professed Guinness connoisseurs.

This video shows some footage of the early beer pouring:



So obviously the origins of the two-part pour have legitimate reasoning, but the question is whether Guinness have held onto it for marketing reasons when you could quite happily pour it like any other beer in the bar nowadays.

 

[crublue1]

But that's the easy part. The question is whether you can tell a 'good' pint from a 'bad' pint without looking at the pour. I assumed someone would have done it, but no-one has properly done a blind taste test. There was one bloke on Youtube, and he couldn't even tell which was from a can, nevermind distinguish between the one and two-part pour. But that's just one bloke. I'd like to see it done with self-professed Guinness connoisseurs.

This video shows some footage of the early beer pouring:



So obviously the origins of the two-part pour have legitimate reasoning, but the question is whether Guinness have held onto it for marketing reasons when you could quite happily pour it like any other beer in the bar nowadays.

I can only speak for myself, but I'm confident I could do a blind taste test and differentiate between a poorly poured pint and a properly poured one, purely on the texture of the head and how thick it is, its just experience. But then I know what I'm looking for. I'd certainly know a can from draught, blindfolded, however poorly poured, I'd put my mortgage on that, if I had one.
I grew up with my old man having test rigs in our garage, and at his unit.
There is a lot of uninformed talk about Guinness, some of it is true, a lot of it is bollocks, but the 2 part pour isn't one of them.
Edit.
I've seen my dad pour several hundred pints of Guinness over a 35 year period, I never saw him do anything but a 2 part pour, even when he wasn't on duty.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

I can only speak for myself, but I'm confident I could do a blind taste test and differentiate between a poorly poured pint and a properly poured one, purely on the texture of the head and how thick it is, its just experience. But then I know what I'm looking for. I'd certainly know a can from draught, blindfolded, however poorly poured, I'd put my mortgage on that, if I had one.
I grew up with my old man having test rigs in our garage, and at his unit.
There is a lot of uninformed talk about Guinness, some of it is true, a lot of it is bollocks, but the 2 part pour isn't one of them.

The thing about taste is there are so many factors. I read about one study where expert wine tasters were unable to tell that two wines were the same when they were served at different temperatures. And that wasn't someone trying to trick them, it was a wine grower demonstrating some of the factors that affect taste. Anyway, if you do it, video it and put it on Youtube. There's a dearth of content for something that everyone is so fussy about.

 

[crublue1]

The thing about taste is there are so many factors. I read about one study where expert wine tasters were unable to tell that two wines were the same when they were served at different temperatures. And that wasn't someone trying to trick them, it was a wine grower demonstrating some of the factors that affect taste. Anyway, if you do it, video it and put it on Youtube. There's a dearth of content for something that everyone is so fussy about.

Each to there own mate, I know where to get a decent pint of Guinness in my town and I know the places to avoid. It's not difficult, they know how to keep it, pour it, in a decent glass.
Wine is completely different and isn't relevant to the subject of keeping beer, with respect

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Each to there own mate, I know where to get a decent pint of Guinness in my town and I know the places to avoid. It's not difficult, they know how to keep it, pour it, in a decent glass.
Wine is completely different and isn't relevant to the subject of keeping beer, with respect

If you think you can, fair play to you. But the fact that people think they can is kinda my point.

 

[crublue1]

If you think you can, fair play to you. But the fact that people think they can is kinda my point.

Yep, I understand mate, like I said, there's a lot of bollocks spouted about it.
I like to think I have the experience to know what I'm talking about.
A lot of people have had a bad pint of Guinness and it's put them off for life, and I don't blame them. A bad pint is easier to find than a good one in the UK I'd argue (sounding like a Guinness rep)
Then they try a good one (possibly in Ireland.. ) and they love it.
It's because they love it and respect it. Go to Ireland and sample a glass or two. Then tell me it's the same shite that's served up in wetherspoons here. It just isn't.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Yep, I understand mate, like I said, there's a lot of bollocks spouted about it.
I like to think I have the experience to know what I'm talking about.
A lot of people have had a bad pint of Guinness and it's put them off for life, and I don't blame them. A bad pint is easier to find than a good one in the UK I'd argue (sounding like a Guinness rep)
Then they try a good one (possibly in Ireland.. ) and they love it.
It's because they love it and respect it. Go to Ireland and sample a glass or two. Then tell me it's the same shite that's served up in wetherspoons here. It just isn't.

The Guinness in the local wetherspoons here is absolutely amazing. We all drink it, in several pubs, and all agree it is loads better in there. And they pour it properly, with a two pour one settle method. And its cheap

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

I can only speak for myself, but I'm confident I could do a blind taste test and differentiate between a poorly poured pint and a properly poured one, purely on the texture of the head and how thick it is, its just experience. But then I know what I'm looking for. I'd certainly know a can from draught, blindfolded, however poorly poured, I'd put my mortgage on that, if I had one.
I grew up with my old man having test rigs in our garage, and at his unit.
There is a lot of uninformed talk about Guinness, some of it is true, a lot of it is bollocks, but the 2 part pour isn't one of them.
Edit.
I've seen my dad pour several hundred pints of Guinness over a 35 year period, I never saw him do anything but a 2 part pour, even when he wasn't on duty.

If you got a pint served straight up in a Dublin pub without the settle and top up, you’d hand it back and tell the barman to try again.

 

[chris85mcfc]

The Guinness in the local wetherspoons here is absolutely amazing. We all drink it, in several pubs, and all agree it is loads better in there. And they pour it properly, with a two pour one settle method. And its cheap

I always find Spoons to serve a decent pint, but it's no where near as gold as a proper pint in Ireland.

As the fella above said, if you've not tried a pint in Ireland, you're basically drinking a different drink over here.

I've done my best to search for a proper pint of Guinness around Manchester and its really hard to come by. You get the odd one that passes the test, but again it's nothing like the stuff you get over the water.

 

[City Hobgoblin]

Guinness is only one porter or stout in a world of porters and stouts.
Porter originated in London and spread around the world, including to Ireland.
Ireland's brewing tradition doesn't stop at Guinness and porters and stout.
Guinness can be enjoyable, is usually very well served in Ireland but quality can vary as you get further away from where it is brewed.
Guinness are very adept at marketing and advertising and their account is one of the most coveted by admen.