Apparently, the East Coast of the U.S. is where it’s at for brewery locations but this time, it is not a brewery from the west that is breaking ground but instead stoic (with hints of change) Guinness that is planting a “Coming Soon” flag.
The oddly named Relay, Maryland will be the site for a U.S. version of Dublin’s popular Guinness Open Gate Brewery, it will be a mid-sized brewery and visitor experience. Just without the huge facility and without any stout which will not be brewed stateside. The Maryland “facility will brew and feature beers created solely for the American market.”
I did not know this but it is a return to the U.S. for Guinness after 63 years.
Even More New Guinness
St. James Gate has a pair of new beers in the pipeline from their Brewers Project & Open Gate Brewery. I was invited to their latest SoCal Guinness event, this one at the Holding Co. up an alley off of Beverly to sample Antwerpen Stout & Rye Pale Ale. When last we heard from the Irish brewery, they had released the West Indies Porter and Dublin Porter. Two recipes from the vaults that were variants on what Guinness is known for, dark malty beers. This time (in what I think is a better move), they have released a lighter beer alongside a porter.
The Rye Pale Ale pours a slightly hazy amber color. At first, I thought there was not much hopping to it. Then I recalibrated my out of balance hop palate and found that this beer has a good spritz to it with a smallish hit of hops and rye spice. The taste does stick. And as I drank more, I enjoyed it more. It is an upgrade from the Nitro IPA in that the name is more in line and it has a story behind it as well. The RPA being a brew that was a Christmas gift beer for friends and family before ever going on tap. Once it did go on tap, it sold and became a candidate for packaging.
Antwerpen Stout to me is all licorice. This beer also has a story as it was first brewed after World War II for the City of Antwerp market. It is also much bigger at 8% and quite chewy to me. When chocolates and truffles were passed around you could see people making sure they had the beer to pair the chocolate with.
I also got to speak with Owen the West Coast Brand Ambassador for Guinness about what is new and I learned a couple of cool things. They have now opened a tasting room for the R&R Open Gate Brewery. But it is only (currently) open on Thursday and Friday and by online reservation only. They let only 120 people in and that is it. No lines allowed. Plan ahead if you want to visit. And you might want to because they are not just a porter/stout brewery. No matter your feeling of Nitro IPA or their Blonde American Lager (that is brewed at the old Rolling Rock facility in Pennsylvania), they are trying to be seen as a full brewery that isn’t limited to one style. Case in point, they recently had a plum sour on tap.
Considering that Guinness is part of a massive corporation with a long history behind it, and a signature ale that at times blocks out the rest of their line, it is good to see that new stuff is bubbling out from Dublin. The last four beers that have come out have been much better and not trying to bandwagon or ape popular styles which is a plus.
Dublin or West Indies – Guinness Porter Taste-Off
The Brewers Project an offshoot of the main Guinness brewery as sent the Irish in America (and any other beer drinker) a pair of porters with stylized labels modeled after the original old-timey-wimey bottle designs.
# 1 Dublin Porter – Originally created in 1796 during a time when porters were all the rage in London, Guinness brewed up its own Irish version of the style at St. James’s Gate and shipped to England. While the porter originated in London, the Guinness brewer’s Irish take on the style proved quite popular with its earthy and lively flavor. Today, the Dublin Porter delivers a sweet, smooth beer with dark caramel and hoppy aroma notes with a burnt biscuit finish for a beer reminiscent of a different time — when after a hard day’s work, you’d visit your local haunt for a porter, the “working man’s beer,” and Guinness would have been the respected choice. (3.8% Alc/Vol)
# 2 West Indies Porter – Constantly pushing the envelope to showcase what its brewers could do, Guinness sought to create a porter that could maintain its quality taste and freshness aboard West Indies-bound ships across the ocean for more than a month. In 1801, the brewers at Guinness rose to the challenge, developing a beer with higher hops and more gravity that didn’t just survive the journey, but offered a unique new beer. Based on the original recipe, today’s porter remains an immensely flavorful beer, with generous hops and notes of caramel-toffee giving it a sweet, almost chocolate aroma. In fact, this beer was a precursor to Guinness™ Foreign Extra Stout enjoyed all over the world today. (6% Alc/Vol)
Those are the descriptions from the brewery but who wins the taste test for me?
The Dublin Porter is quite light. It has a creamy, sweet milkshake quality to it. It is smooth with caramel notes. They would really have to amp the hops for me to taste them. What Dublin thinks is hoppy is not to someone in California. There is an Oyster stout mineral note tucked in this beer as well. It is nicely complex and is a beer for a spring with clouds.
The stronger West Indies Porter could be mistaken for the regular Guinness stout. It has more meat on the bones, as it were, with notes of smoke and chocolate and savory salt notes to it. The aroma is very biscuity to the point of toast. It is deceptive in that it tastes rather light despite the higher ABV.
In the end, I would take the heartier West Indies Version. It dispenses with the sweetness and heads straight to thicker and more mineral tasting. No mucking about.
New Labels are Good for You
This image is one of the iconic graphics from the pre-Mad Men age of advertising…..
…and now it is part of a new set of collectible cans from Guinness that celebrate those retro cool designs of the past.
And it won’t have the IPA in it that the craft beer folk seem to loathe for reasons un-related to taste.
Guinness IPA?
…and in Nitro cans?
I have a couple bones to pick with this new Irish beer….
This label looks awfully close to the font and style of Noble Ale Works to me. Which was OK when it was variants of stout or a pale lager but now that Guinness has thrown their hat into the IPA ring, it seems to close for comfort right now.
Secondly, why would Guinness make an IPA anyway? Do they have leftover nitro widget cans that needed filling? And someone at Diageo HQ read an article about IPA’s being the “it” style?
I’m not some purist who can’t see IPA’s getting the nitro treatment but this seems tilted toward marketing and not toward making great beer.
Downscale then Upscale
First Guinness came out with an American Lager (which I have yet to try) in what seemed an effort to sway people away from the ailing light lagers that are leaking market share. It seemed a really calculated move and not an organic, “Hey, we have a great lager that we should sell.”
Now they are targeting the other end of the marketing spectrum with 1759…..
Only 90,000 bottles were produced which to some breweries would be a mega-run and it will be the first of their new Signature Series and that name means the price will be higher, much higher. $34.99. You are paying for the peated whiskey malt and the chance to drink beer out of a champagne flute which is the glassware that Guinness suggests.
Irish-American Lager
I have nothing against the idea of brand extension on the face of it. You make one type of pie and it’s a good pie, then make another flavor or do another pastry. Same goes with beer. You make a great stout, you should be able to also brew a black lager if you want to. Or even an Irish conglomerate spin on an American water lager.
Where brand extension goes awry is the “Why?’. Are you doing it challenge yourself? Cool. Is it a style that complements your current offerings. Again, cool. Is it a stylistic one-off or seasonal? Brew on then.
But when you are doing it because your “growth” is slowing or because the “market” demands it then consumers (and especially craft beer people) quickly see through it as a ploy and nothing more. And to a certain extent, that is also fine if you are making a good beer for the wrong reason. The reason being a mere grab at the wallet with NEW!
But what is sad is that there is a huge missed opportunity here. Guinness could have done a peat smoked barley Irish rauchbier. Or something else that utilizes a local ingredient or theme. Instead they are doing a lowest common denominator “American” lager? As if that is needed. Quality Kolsch we need. Quality Pilsner we need. Quality blonde ales we need. But a (presumably) adjunct heavy light lager? I think that not-so-prized category is covered.
Review – Red Harvest Stout from Guinness
From Dublin comes another in what some may call brand extension and others a seasonal from Guinness. And thanks to the widget in the red on black designed can, you get that classic Guinness pour in a slightly tweaked version of the dry Irish stout. Big and very white with a hint of cream head on this one. Aroma is less noticeable here. Some malt notes but muted. The taste is initially very similar to the regular but then a slight note of cranberry and a sweetness kick in and then becomes more pronounced as the beer warms. A slight but noticeable spin on the dry Irish stout.
Xmas 2012 – Guinness / Generous Ale
We head to Ireland and a new holiday offering from Guinness, Generous Ale….
“Inspired by Arthur’s philanthropic legacy and devotion to generous, full-flavored beers, Guinness Generous Ale is special edition holiday beer that was developed in a traditional winter ale style, but with more body and the distinct roast for which Guinness Draught is known. With a rich amber appearance, the vanilla notes accent Guinness Generous Ale’s silky, yet vibrant taste.”
Great article on beer marketing
I just bought Pete Brown’s book and then I saw this article (filled with beer ads) about the marketing side of beer.
Very eye opening and a little disheartening. But then I thought of all the great beer under the radar (adwise) and was re-heartened.