Guinness! Personally, I think it can be placed in the top 5 greatest companies this world has seen. Whatever your feelings are on the brewery, its operations, marketing, or the beer it produces, the legacy of Guinness is shrouded in a family instilling [Christian] values into future generations that chose to make a difference in the world. It single handedly rescued Dublin, and Ireland, from despair and continually came to the aid of those disenfranchised. Guinness humble beginnings and growth where but a vehicle for this humanitarian family. If you don’t believe me read Stephen Mansfield’s book The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World.

With that in mind, I passed this little beauty on the shelf and decided to give it a try. Guinness is known for its Stout which falls into the classification of Ales. Reading the label I noticed three things: 1) this is a Black Lager (Schwarz bier), 2) it is “cold brewed” (insert ridiculous marketing lingo), and 3) the color/design looked cool to me.

The bottle states that this beer “delivers the perfect blend of unique Guinness character and then the refreshing taste of lager.” Well, let’s find out what this test product released in March 2010 has to offer.

Appearance: typical Guinness black color, but this is not as opaque and clear on the edges that have a medium mahogany hue. I went overboard with the pour and produced a large head tan that was obviously not as compact and creamy as a normal pint.

Aroma: Mellow, smooth and lacking the astringent bitter/sour character common to a glass of Guinness. It had a bready and rich quality paired with a well, roasted grain highlight. The burnt barley was evident, but cleaner giving more of a coffee presence found in Porters.

Taste: Classic Guinness flavors are noticeable, but you can tell it is a variation. It is not as robust as the Stout or even some other Black Lagers (namely Shiner and Sam Adams). Those possess a much deeper roasted flavor of coffee and dark chocolate. This is subdued lending minor flavor during the sip and a roasted bready/yeasty finish.

Mouthfeel: Took about half the glass to get use to the difference in mouthfeel. It was watery at first, playing a trick on my mind. The carbonation give it some live while the lager aspect made this just as drinkable as the Stout. Lighter on the palate, this turns out to be a little lacking in the body despite the darker grains. I’d liken it to that time I used my coffee maker and Black Patten to brew batch of “coffee.”

Overall: Worth a try, but don’t get your hopes up. Not the best rendition of this style.