Reviewed by Bill Manley, Link. Rate it below.

Type Dry Irish stout

Maker Guinness Ltd., Dublin, Ireland

Alcohol 6 percent

Cost $9 for six 12-ounce bottles at The Market at Ghent, 730 W. 21st St., Norfolk.

Guinness was my first foray into the deep, dark world of beer. It was my first taste of a beer that wasn't fizzy yellow stuff, and it started me down the path to better brews.

Guinness is a classic example of a dry Irish stout. Stout refers to a slightly darker and more alcoholic version of the once-dominant London Porter. The modern dry stout gets its bitter roasted flavor from unmalted barley placed in a high-temperature roaster, similar to how coffee is roasted. In fact, the full-roasted flavor and dry, astringent finish remind my palate of a cold cup of joe. It has a medium body and a moderate alcohol content designed to be consumed in quantity. A touch of earthy hop bitterness and a slight sourish tang help clean up the big, dark flavors that this beer is built around.

It's available in several formats, but for me, the slightly more alcoholic and fuller Extra Stout in the bottle is best. On draft, it's better out of a nitrogen tap rather than the standard CO2. The added creaminess will really push it over the top.