The Bar Towel

Well, I'd be happy too to see the Guinness Extra Stout version replaced by FES. If they want, brew the FES here: Caribbean and Nigerian-brewed FES are very good although I prefer the Dublin one (I was lucky to try all of these together some months back). There is no reason a Canadian-brewed version wouldn't be as good. But go one better and preserve the Dublin mystique and bring it in. I don't know how they market or segment these beers and why apparently some people but the Extra Stout and others the bottled or canned draught. Anyway FES is a good product.

Gary

old faithful wrote:There is no reason a Canadian-brewed version wouldn't be as good.

Other than the fact that they'd probably try to have Labatt or Moosehead (who does the US version) brew it. I'm sure they could do a good job of it, I'm just skeptical that they actually would.

old faithful wrote:I don't know how they market or segment these beers and why apparently some people but the Extra Stout and others the bottled or canned draught.

The segmentation in the marketing of Guinness in Canada - i.e. the three Draught versions vs. the Extra Stout version - stems from the fact that Sleeman handles the marketing for the Draught versions (which are all brewing in Ireland and imported), while Labatt brews & markets the Extra Stout.

This is why you never see the two products being marketed together - they are, in effect, competing with each other.

As for who buys which version and why - honestly, I suspect that most people don't know the difference between the two. And when they DO know there's a difference, they often have their facts confused. I've actually spoken to a couple of people who claimed that the Extra Stout was the only "real" Guinness available in Canada, as they believed it was brewed in Ireland while the draught was brewed in Canada.

I too am a big fan of the boddingtons noel.... I tried a black Sheep the other day - came io a 500ml bottle.. it had a bigger hop to it (I'd guess the same hop they use in creemore 's lager) - carbonated - not nitrogen...REAL nice.... where caffreys/fullers BB and boddingtons I find GREAT but very similar. this seemed to take the style in a refreshing direction - comments??

I was talking to an englishman the other day in my shop he said that he can name 3 spots in barrie that he can get 3 COMPLETELY different pints o' guiness???? is he pullin my chain or what? - don't they all come out of some faceless tap at labbatt's (like the duff light duff dry on the simpsons)

he said the best was at the bull and barrell here in barrie - could be that they get rid of a keg o;' guiness in less than 6 months to the locals unlike other "pubs" locally that have 69 different draughts canadian /bud/ ex / coors light / blue/ rickards / someone shoot me / bud light / kokanee / labbatt ice / please lord take me now / blue light / 50 / why bother / miller genuine draught ..... etc etc etc then repeat the (virtually) identical list without anything remotely interesting