I tried each of these in a comparative week and like you I preferred the Forged …. BUT last weekend I was in Sainsbury’s and I noticed that in their 4 for £7 offer they had Shepherd Neame Double Stout (5.2 ABV) and I’ve decided that it’s a much better stout than any of the other 4. I’ll be buying a lot more especially at the 4x for 7 quid price rather than the £2.35 a single bottle.
Had some Black Heart after a rugby match having been drinking Guin all day. Twas chuffing expensive but I felt the quality was massively higher. Bloody lovely. Couple of quid more than every other pint that day mind.
I was getting bored of lager so I have recently been drawn towards stout again, Guinness or Murphy's was my old point of call. Then one was drawn to this Black Heart stout, first impression was no more Guinness for me, this is great, since then I've been been trying all sorts, one that took me by surprise was a stout I found in Aldi called Coffee Stout 5.2% (bought today 28/02/24), and I love it, one of my first stouts was Mackeson's, my Grandfather (late 1980s) used to egg me on saying its not strong son put some lemonade in it lad, it will build you up, even before my Dad died 2 years ago, he just loved Sweetheart stout, low alcohol, think it was brewed by Belhaven Brewery Dunbar. My journey continues.............
Absolutely! Of the four canned varieties shown the Black Heart wins for me. Belhaven still do an excellent keg stout, found in some GK pubs-Belhaven Black
I wouldn't drink any of them from a can but on draught in Ireland its Guinness every time and its not even close. It has nothing to do with marketing, Guinness just tastes creamier, fresher and cleaner than any of the rest. Stout needs to be served on draught from a pub that knows what they are doing to fully appreciate it.
Draft Guinness in Ireland is a world away from canned Guinness. The brewery go to great lengths to make sure all pubs in Ireland keep their pipes clean as the Guinnes reputation is sacrosanct. I never liked Guinness until I moved to Ireland, it's a whole other ballgame
I've lived in Ireland for about 6 years. The main problem that I have with Guinness ( from a pub rather than a can ) is the insane level if inconsistantcy from pub to pub. There are a few places in Dublin and Galway that do as close to a perfect pint of it as you're gonna get, but you might get anything from a 3 - 8 out of 10 in the next few pubs you go to. The mad thing is, the best pints are always a fair bit cheaper than the rest as well. I'm not really a fan of cans of stout as they always inferior and aren't that much cheaper than a pint from a pub, but Blackheart is my favourite of the four reviewed.
I honestly never loved Dublin guineas after 2 yrs of working in said city. My fave stout after leaving Ireland was Beamish. I can't get that back in UK and I honestly dunno between brewdog and Guiness. But if you brew ur own, NOG, is fkin class
1 thing I learnt from being in a proper official old man's boozer (in Dublin), put fine ground (cheap) pepper on top of ur guiness. Most turn the nose up, but it's a great old man Irish tradition. I do it and will teach my children
@@TrevUk Agree. I think Guinness is massively overrated in general. Probably prefer Beamish, and maybe even Murphy's as well. Decent craft stouts are hard to get hold of over here.
@@beerzo for me, it's Bowes. Imo, it's the most consistently good. The Gravediggers is worth visiting as well. Love the location and feel of the pub, but I find the pints a fraction below Bowes. A hidden gem ( if you wanna call it that ) is Ryan's. It's just round the corner from Heuston Station, so really handy if you're coming or going by train. TBF, I'm not a huge Guinness fan, so I'm sure there are plenty of other places worth checking as well
21:30 its a nostalgia thing and old people are generally stubborn / stuck in their ways. they have no chance of knocking them down unless there's a scandal or something.
I lived in Ireland in the 90’s then again recently and I can confirm that the overall standard of Guinness has reduced. You used to often get the “perfect pint”, if you knew where to go, I was just back for a few years and only got that illusive black iceream, perfect pint only once or twice in as many years. It’s always good but there is this other worldly level of perfection that used to be more common. Presumably it’s not the recipe but storage or transport or pub chillers or different pipe materials but something has changed. The good ones are always the small old man’s pubs by the way where pints are continuously poured and not chilled, short pipes etc.
When I worked in the City of London many years ago (I've been retired a couple of years) my local was The Butlers Head off Moorgate which is no longer there (as opposed to The Old Dr. Butlers Head which is). For a while they served draught Beamish which was a decent pint and made me realise that there is more to the black stuff than Guinness!
Strongly agree with you about camden stout over guiness as well. I think the nitro really helps it's smoothness, roasty flavours. It is a bit watery for sure however.
I'm with you Simon. I'm no fan of mcgregor but I've tried all 4 and forged by far the best for me. Each to their own though and what I would say is a pint of stout in a pub beats all of these. My personal fave at the moment is brimstage brewery's oystercatcher. Absolute nectar.
Love stout. I'm here for this!!! I'm going to get so much flak, but I think Guinness is very much overrated. I respect its heritage but when you start having Sirens Breakfast Stout how do you go back?
I agree! As usual the Guinness apologists are out with there better in the pub and especially in Ireland line,been there done that was just as underwhelmed.
I had a 500mm can (widget rolling around inside) of Guinness a few days ago and it was virtually tasteless. I was rather disappointed. My wife had purchased 4 cans for our son, but he passed on them and had some of my beer. I see why now. Thanks for this comparison.
Tried Brains Black in New Quay (Wales) circa 2011, before heading off for a touring holiday in Ireland, absolutely loved the Black - better than most of the Guinness we had in Ireland.
Great vid, I couldn’t believe the difference between Forged and Guinness. Really didn’t want the celebrity beer to win but it did hands down. Guinness definitely needs to up its game.
I've fallen out with stouts and all because either Guinness has lost its way or my taste buds have changed, albeit their West Indies Porter was respectable. I might try Black Heart as I doubt I'll find the Forged. Just looked in the garage and there was a Wychwood Hobgoblin Stout, that I might try sometime.
I would say for me Guinness is my favourite followed by Forged. Black heart is ok could drink it but Camden is a bit to thin for my liking. I really wish Murphys would come back in the cans I loved that stuff.
i had a can of the forged over christmas my friend gave it to me, it must of been a bad batch because both of us thought it tasted like absolutely nothing at all and was really wattery
Hi mate love ya channel. Have you tried the guiness red on draught at the o niels Irish bar I had that in the one in Leeds on party's day bloody lovly it is abit redish aswell really nice drink have u reviewed it on ya channel I wud love to see it if so or if not please do
Great review Buddy and I am actually traveling down from Belfast to McGregor's restaurant the Forge on the 5th of August for my 66th Birthday. I also found this in Asda so happy days. Keep the great reviews coming.
Nice comparison, love when you speculate about the future of the market. I assume these beers are of comparable price but it might be good to factor price point into the discussion when talking about relatively mass-produced beers such as these.
Guinness is now a stout aimed at industrial lager drinkers, it's lost most of the bitterness and the slightly acidic tang in the aftertaste that I remember from the late eighties when I first drank it. As a commercial decision it's a very sound strategy and they'll continue to lead the market. What it has done is created a gap in the market for a more interesting stout and these and others are all shooting for that. I'm just happy that there is so much choice now for stout and porter drinkers, I can still remember being shocked when I tried Linfit English Guineas in a freehouse in Leeds in about 1987 that anyone else was brewing stout much less excellent cask conditioned stout.
I contend that the current popularity of G is due to ambassadors like Liam Gallagher and also the fact that the most commonplace ale is Doom Bar which is toilet water - G is a commonplace alternative to real ale. B's stout is nice
Guinness draught became watery tourist beer. Spent last Saturday afternoon on the draught Camden stout, it was fine. Will give these others a try now, thanks.
Thank you for that. These comparison videos are always interesting. The only thing I wondered about was your comparison methodology in tasting second time round. You were doing the Guinness no favours at all sipping it second straight after sipping the two stronger tasting stouts. Any subtle advantage the Guinness had going for it would have been totally lost to your desensitised taste buds.
I think the main thing about Guinness is firstly it is far better on tap and then even on tap, you can get a poor or inconsistent pint. When Guinness is good, it's great, but often times you get a pretty lackluster drink. I like that there are some brewers trying to do something different and maybe something more flavoursome
They don’t always clean the pipes properly which is a problem. But how many pubs just pour Guinness in one go? Even a tourist at the Storehouse gets told how to pour it properly and any Irish pub bar has them lined up to settle before adding the neat Guinness in top. That’s what the nitro surge was supposed to mimic.
@@jackhughes7637 Pouring three quarters with carbonation, waiting for it to settle and then topping up with neat Guinness makes a big difference if done properly. That’s why every pub in Ireland has two-way taps for Guinness. It’s also the way they teach you to pour it at the Storehouse.
@@iangelling It's all a load of BS that was a part of the marketing decades ago when they moved from cask Guinness and had to convince the Guinness drinkers that it was still the same. All nitro stouts are poured with 70% nitrogen and will settle adequately and taste no different whether they're poured in one go or not.
Good work Simon. Thanks for the stout battle. I will be trying some Forged. I went to brew dog waterloo and got a half of black heart. I was hugely disappointed tbh. But maybe I should try again. Camden- will have to purchase as well.
In fairness the new upstarts have still got nearly 260 years to catch up on Guinness. Guinness is also a totally different beer served on draught (especially in Ireland) than in a can. It also has the muscle of a huge sales team, huge sponsorship budgets & as you say Simon a loyal customer base.
I have Never tried it in Ireland but on tap in a Pub its nicer than in the can like most beers. I would say every beer has it's place Guinness draught out of a can wont be a flavour sensation. It does what it does well but Guinness themselves offer better and more substantial stouts like the west indies porter or Foreign extra stout. Even their Original is better than their draught can but there's just something lovely about drinking a smooth draught Guinness for me. I am sure these competitors will somewhat take market share but to even knock Guinness off it wont happen. Infact I could even see Camden stout disappearing it's a rather poor offering (at least in my opinion). Forged is nice just hasn't achieved much reach only being available in Asda and not always available even then.
I was lucky enough to try London Black stout at the London brewery a few years ago....now that is a stonking beer. Simon maybe the next taste test is to try these all stouts on draught......a trip to Dublin is needed mate :D
Beamish is by far the best Irish Dry Style Stout. Its only brewed about a kilometre away from me too, so we get it very fresh. My favourite stout overall is also from Cork, IE. From Blacks of Kinsale Brewery "Worlds End Chocolate & Vanilla" stout. If you see it anywhere, definitely give it a go.
Love Simons reviews even though he always rates my favourite tipple so lowly ! Around here if you want a pint of stout in a pub the only choice is Guinness. Half the time I’ll try a different ale but I usually regret not having a Guinness ! Draught Guinness in cans is easy drinking but pretty tasteless as Simon and most comments say. I’ve tried the Blackheart but if I’m drinking stout at home I’d pick a bottle of Guinness Original.
Does anyone know if you can still get Murphys? All my local supermarkets have stopped selling it. I managed to get some in Home Bargains of all places, but the seemed to be a one off.
As a Guinness drinker nothing ever beats a good pint of Guinness as in a really really good pint. However, these canned stouts hopefully will lead to further types of this style. Guinness fans are in a golden age of new products, and its clear Guinness missed out heavily by lowering abv and then removing the coffee roast, it was incredible for those who like the roast flavor..
By far the best Guinness I've tasted was their wonderful Coffee Brew but sadly they've discontinued this now to concentrate on their mediocre offerings.
I want to know what happened to Jet Black Heart. Used to drink it in Brewdog in Perth (Scotland) it was so smooth and creamy. Then was suddenly replaced by Black Heart which is pretty empty in comparison.
I drink guinness in pubs (unless it's samuel smiths then its organic stout haha). Cans of black heart at home or if I do want guinness at home I get nigerian in bottles which is far more better but like 3.5% stronger. Still think you should have a go at the samuel smiths rage of stouts. Am sure they are on beers of Europe 👍
Best stout I ever drank, many moons ago, was Guiness brewed under license in Nigeria. It’s essentially, Guiness Export Stout with 7.5% strength with a suggestion of cocoa or maybe even chocolate and is far better than the Export Stout brewed in Dublin. You can buy it in the UK though it’s fiendishly expensive (around £3 for a 500 ml bottle). More recently came across a brew called Oaty, by a Polish craft brewery called Trzech Kumpli (“Three Mates”). Tastes almost the same as that marvellous Nigerian brew!
@@SingularityMedia - Sorghum? Interesting. Well, I guess it would have to be grown locally. Delicious either way, especially when drunk chilled on a steaming hot Nigerian afternoon!
Oh yes Simon I’ve been waiting on this. Without watching my favs are: 1) - It’s Guinness (super easy drinking) 2 - Forged (I actually think this is pretty decent) 3 - Black Heart - Also very good. Need to be in the mood thought as it’s a bit more roasty/toasty vs the other two 4) - Camden…. Theirs is pish. They do some really good stuff and I do like them, but this misses the mark. Thin, lacking body… no mouth feel. A complete miss for me. Feels like one which has been designed by the bean counters upstairs who’ve spotted a trend for stout and thought they have to jump in.
They won't ever get passed up by mainstream drinkers. Just look at the amazing German and other foreign beers available in the supermarkets at cheaper prices than your Carling or Stella, yet who buys them? Apart from folk like us who watch beer reviews on TH-cam 😂
Anyone found anywhere else other than Asda to buy Forged? I've been buying Black Heart for a while now over Guinness for cans at home, but would love to try this
You need to get your hands on a few of the Bricklane Trilogy Of Fear Imperial stouts from Australia. They release a new series of 3 different flavours every year and go for $20 a 500ml can or $75 a 4 pack. But they are 12% abv. Choc bourbon vanilla imperial stout.
@richardmarkham8369 brewer recommends that draught Guinness should be served at 6-7 °C (42.8 °F), while Extra Cold Guinness should be served at 3.5 °C (38.6 °F). Before the 21st century, it was popular to serve Guinness at cellar temperature (about 13 °C) and some drinkers preferred it at room temperature (about 20 °C).
Totally agree had a stout in attic brewery taproom and then 15 mins later up the road had a Guinness on draft aswell just tasted of nothing like a glass of water
Ill have to try the Forged Stout. I completely about the Guinness. Mind you Guinness Original is much better than the draught cans. However, the best stout ive had is the Guinness Nigerian Extra Stout. 7.5% abv and vastly vastly better than the St James Gate stuff.
The forged sounds the nicest most well rounded stout. I'm sure Guinness used to be slightly more savoury/ bitter. I've been to the Guinness brewery in Dublin and again I'm sure it tastes slightly better!
Thanks matey for a really good review. I trust your reviews . I myself really like a Guinness however, I always liked Beamish much more. I cannot wait to taste the Conor Mcgreggors Forged !
Need to try against Anspach & Hobday London Black as these new beers came out after...do it. Although doesn't look as though they are canning it at the moment
I'm really not a fan of brewdog beers but whenever I see black heart on a good discount, I grab a 4 pack as I find it a safe but tasty fall back to have.
I knew a bloke who caught Wiels disease, after drinking from a can. Rodents had urinated on it in the warehouse. As a result, I always wash the top of the can off before drinking it.
Five months later and according to their website, Forged Irish Stout is only available to you in England if you're lucky enough to live near two places - Asda Clapham Junction or Asda Milton Keynes. Looks like they failed. 😞
What’s happened to Beamish and Murphys from Ireland? Both more or less impossible to purchase in mainland UK and much nicer than Guiness in my opinion, they were placed in a lot of pubs in the mid 90s
Beamish was originally brewed by Beamish&Crawford County Cork who were owned by Scottish&Newcastle up until 2009 unfortunately Scottish &Newcastle were taken over by Carlsberg I think? and Beamish and Crawfords brewery Cork were bought over by Heineken who closed that brewery and started brewing Beamish side by side with Murphys...Its virtually disappeared from many pubs over here in Ireland to except Wetherspoon pubs.
There's nothing more disappointing for me than rocking up at nice "craft" ale pub and asking, "have you got a nice stout on"? only to be told "yeah we've got Guinness"
Have had forged, camden and guinness in recent weeks. Forged is on a different level. My understanding is that forged is brewed by the previous porterhouse craft brewery in dublin. Found it to be full of flavour and tastes like a craft stout. Enjoyed Camden, but a little thin in mouthfeel and on flavour, also has a little citrus flavour which i didnt expect. Think guinness is very bland compared to other irish stouts. You should compare Beamish to guinness and camden, i think beamish has much more flavour than both.
Take this with a pinch of salt but i have a feeling the Forged Irish Stout is very similar to Porterhouse Brewery's stout from Dublin- seems to much of a coincidence when they are headquartered in Dublin too. Be interesting if you can get hold of it and compare....they used to do an Oyster Stout as well which was lovely 👍
I simply can't get used to this style of beer. I tried draught stout and draught red from Oharas and draught Guiness and every time I got dissapointed because I found all those beers to be under-carbonated and blend.
conor mcgregor bought the brew house in Dublin and they did a collaboration with dingle whiskey stout in whiskey casks. Think it's called around the clock very nice
These will all be 70% Pale malt, 20% Flaked barley 10% Roast barley or thereabouts i guess the main differences will come from the yeast/ water/ brewing process?
Please never stop calling Mcgreggor Colin 😂
😂
I honestly couldn't stop laughing at it 😂😂😂😂
😂
Sounded like Conor to me!
Please stop spelling McGregor McGreggor. PS .Love your music 😅
I tried each of these in a comparative week and like you I preferred the Forged …. BUT last weekend I was in Sainsbury’s and I noticed that in their 4 for £7 offer they had Shepherd Neame Double Stout (5.2 ABV) and I’ve decided that it’s a much better stout than any of the other 4. I’ll be buying a lot more especially at the 4x for 7 quid price rather than the £2.35 a single bottle.
Had some Black Heart after a rugby match having been drinking Guin all day. Twas chuffing expensive but I felt the quality was massively higher. Bloody lovely. Couple of quid more than every other pint that day mind.
Well done Colin.
I was getting bored of lager so I have recently been drawn towards stout again, Guinness or Murphy's was my old point of call. Then one was drawn to this Black Heart stout, first impression was no more Guinness for me, this is great, since then I've been been trying all sorts, one that took me by surprise was a stout I found in Aldi called Coffee Stout 5.2% (bought today 28/02/24), and I love it, one of my first stouts was Mackeson's, my Grandfather (late 1980s) used to egg me on saying its not strong son put some lemonade in it lad, it will build you up, even before my Dad died 2 years ago, he just loved Sweetheart stout, low alcohol, think it was brewed by Belhaven Brewery Dunbar. My journey continues.............
Absolutely! Of the four canned varieties shown the Black Heart wins for me. Belhaven still do an excellent keg stout, found in some GK pubs-Belhaven Black
I wouldn't drink any of them from a can but on draught in Ireland its Guinness every time and its not even close. It has nothing to do with marketing, Guinness just tastes creamier, fresher and cleaner than any of the rest. Stout needs to be served on draught from a pub that knows what they are doing to fully appreciate it.
Wrong
It's the same beer. Why would they flavour be any different on draft? Guinness is a watery flavourless beer.
Draft Guinness in Ireland is a world away from canned Guinness. The brewery go to great lengths to make sure all pubs in Ireland keep their pipes clean as the Guinnes reputation is sacrosanct. I never liked Guinness until I moved to Ireland, it's a whole other ballgame
Forged tastes better imo. Never been a big Guinness fan but I like other stouts
@@RJA shut -up
You need to do a Beamish vs Guinness vs Murphy's beer battle Simon
Very hard to get Murphy's now. Looks like Heineken are favouring Beamish.
& islands edge
Beamish the King of the canned stouts!
Dont find em in the UK unfortunately or I'd be buying em
Beamish is so good.
Pin trick on the black heart & use the nitro device...it is lovely
I've lived in Ireland for about 6 years. The main problem that I have with Guinness ( from a pub rather than a can ) is the insane level if inconsistantcy from pub to pub. There are a few places in Dublin and Galway that do as close to a perfect pint of it as you're gonna get, but you might get anything from a 3 - 8 out of 10 in the next few pubs you go to. The mad thing is, the best pints are always a fair bit cheaper than the rest as well. I'm not really a fan of cans of stout as they always inferior and aren't that much cheaper than a pint from a pub, but Blackheart is my favourite of the four reviewed.
I honestly never loved Dublin guineas after 2 yrs of working in said city.
My fave stout after leaving Ireland was Beamish. I can't get that back in UK and I honestly dunno between brewdog and Guiness. But if you brew ur own, NOG, is fkin class
1 thing I learnt from being in a proper official old man's boozer (in Dublin), put fine ground (cheap) pepper on top of ur guiness. Most turn the nose up, but it's a great old man Irish tradition. I do it and will teach my children
Best Guinness in Dublin?
@@TrevUk Agree. I think Guinness is massively overrated in general. Probably prefer Beamish, and maybe even Murphy's as well. Decent craft stouts are hard to get hold of over here.
@@beerzo for me, it's Bowes. Imo, it's the most consistently good. The Gravediggers is worth visiting as well. Love the location and feel of the pub, but I find the pints a fraction below Bowes. A hidden gem ( if you wanna call it that ) is Ryan's. It's just round the corner from Heuston Station, so really handy if you're coming or going by train. TBF, I'm not a huge Guinness fan, so I'm sure there are plenty of other places worth checking as well
Absolutely fantastic review this si, keep up the great work........
21:30 its a nostalgia thing and old people are generally stubborn / stuck in their ways. they have no chance of knocking them down unless there's a scandal or something.
I lived in Ireland in the 90’s then again recently and I can confirm that the overall standard of Guinness has reduced. You used to often get the “perfect pint”, if you knew where to go, I was just back for a few years and only got that illusive black iceream, perfect pint only once or twice in as many years. It’s always good but there is this other worldly level of perfection that used to be more common. Presumably it’s not the recipe but storage or transport or pub chillers or different pipe materials but something has changed. The good ones are always the small old man’s pubs by the way where pints are continuously poured and not chilled, short pipes etc.
When I worked in the City of London many years ago (I've been retired a couple of years) my local was The Butlers Head off Moorgate which is no longer there (as opposed to The Old Dr. Butlers Head which is). For a while they served draught Beamish which was a decent pint and made me realise that there is more to the black stuff than Guinness!
Strongly agree with you about camden stout over guiness as well. I think the nitro really helps it's smoothness, roasty flavours. It is a bit watery for sure however.
Really enjoy these types of videos.
I'm with you Simon. I'm no fan of mcgregor but I've tried all 4 and forged by far the best for me. Each to their own though and what I would say is a pint of stout in a pub beats all of these. My personal fave at the moment is brimstage brewery's oystercatcher. Absolute nectar.
Love stout. I'm here for this!!!
I'm going to get so much flak, but I think Guinness is very much overrated. I respect its heritage but when you start having Sirens Breakfast Stout how do you go back?
Siren Broken Dream is the best beer I've ever tasted and it's relatively cheap compared to some craft stuff
I agree whole heartedly but get where the sessionability of Guinness comes in , say in a pub . Can tan it all day
Guinness draught though is the popular Guinness. Get the original one or get some.of their export stuff. Now your talking.
proper guinness types like west indies porter and foreign extra are good.
I agree! As usual the Guinness apologists are out with there better in the pub and especially in Ireland line,been there done that was just as underwhelmed.
Good reviews comparisons cheers simon❤
I had a 500mm can (widget rolling around inside) of Guinness a few days ago and it was virtually tasteless. I was rather disappointed. My wife had purchased 4 cans for our son, but he passed on them and had some of my beer. I see why now. Thanks for this comparison.
Tried Brains Black in New Quay (Wales) circa 2011, before heading off for a touring holiday in Ireland, absolutely loved the Black - better than most of the Guinness we had in Ireland.
Great vid, I couldn’t believe the difference between Forged and Guinness. Really didn’t want the celebrity beer to win but it did hands down. Guinness definitely needs to up its game.
Goog job,amazing video , and nice haircut mate !
Loving the fade Simon 💈. Looking forward to this one!
😂
This is the video we needed! Yes Simon!!
I've fallen out with stouts and all because either Guinness has lost its way or my taste buds have changed, albeit their West Indies Porter was respectable. I might try Black Heart as I doubt I'll find the Forged. Just looked in the garage and there was a Wychwood Hobgoblin Stout, that I might try sometime.
Great video. Ive never managed to get a can of Forged but need to try it now. Black Heart is far better than Guinness or camden though.
I would say for me Guinness is my favourite followed by Forged. Black heart is ok could drink it but Camden is a bit to thin for my liking. I really wish Murphys would come back in the cans I loved that stuff.
Everything you’ve said is what I agree with too. Exactly!
Murphys was my introduction to Irish Stout back in 1989 and I've always said was far better than Guinness, so totally agree needs to comeback in cans
@@michaelporteous3083 I agree Murphys was better than Guinness.
I love your work.
New Badger Master Stoat in Tesco's at £2. Coffee Stout at 5% - superb value. Give it a try Simon.
He’s already reviewed it
@@ifyouarefeelingsinister 👍 just watched it thanks. 9/10 Definitely think it's worth "the crows" compared to the sweet stouts out there.
@@Wulf-UK it is delightful I agree!
This is just excellent stuff 👏 👌
Must try Forged 😋
Simon got to hand it to you forged is a very good stout. Thanks for the review. 👍
i had a can of the forged over christmas my friend gave it to me, it must of been a bad batch because both of us thought it tasted like absolutely nothing at all and was really wattery
Hi mate love ya channel. Have you tried the guiness red on draught at the o niels Irish bar I had that in the one in Leeds on party's day bloody lovly it is abit redish aswell really nice drink have u reviewed it on ya channel I wud love to see it if so or if not please do
Belhaven Black is another that's definitely worth trying - I like to stock up on it when Morrison's have it reduced to £1.50 a bottle
Great review Buddy and I am actually traveling down from Belfast to McGregor's restaurant the Forge on the 5th of August for my 66th Birthday. I also found this in Asda so happy days. Keep the great reviews coming.
Nice comparison, love when you speculate about the future of the market. I assume these beers are of comparable price but it might be good to factor price point into the discussion when talking about relatively mass-produced beers such as these.
Guinness is now a stout aimed at industrial lager drinkers, it's lost most of the bitterness and the slightly acidic tang in the aftertaste that I remember from the late eighties when I first drank it. As a commercial decision it's a very sound strategy and they'll continue to lead the market. What it has done is created a gap in the market for a more interesting stout and these and others are all shooting for that. I'm just happy that there is so much choice now for stout and porter drinkers, I can still remember being shocked when I tried Linfit English Guineas in a freehouse in Leeds in about 1987 that anyone else was brewing stout much less excellent cask conditioned stout.
Guiness is the perfect example of a marketing dept. working harder than the brewery itself.
I contend that the current popularity of G is due to ambassadors like Liam Gallagher and also the fact that the most commonplace ale is Doom Bar which is toilet water - G is a commonplace alternative to real ale.
B's stout is nice
Suffolk's St Peter's 'Cream Stout' (bottled) is I believe worth a mention.
Guinness draught became watery tourist beer. Spent last Saturday afternoon on the draught Camden stout, it was fine. Will give these others a try now, thanks.
Thank you for that. These comparison videos are always interesting. The only thing I wondered about was your comparison methodology in tasting second time round. You were doing the Guinness no favours at all sipping it second straight after sipping the two stronger tasting stouts. Any subtle advantage the Guinness had going for it would have been totally lost to your desensitised taste buds.
I think the main thing about Guinness is firstly it is far better on tap and then even on tap, you can get a poor or inconsistent pint. When Guinness is good, it's great, but often times you get a pretty lackluster drink. I like that there are some brewers trying to do something different and maybe something more flavoursome
They don’t always clean the pipes properly which is a problem. But how many pubs just pour Guinness in one go? Even a tourist at the Storehouse gets told how to pour it properly and any Irish pub bar has them lined up to settle before adding the neat Guinness in top. That’s what the nitro surge was supposed to mimic.
@@iangellingPouring in one makes no difference
@@jackhughes7637 Pouring three quarters with carbonation, waiting for it to settle and then topping up with neat Guinness makes a big difference if done properly. That’s why every pub in Ireland has two-way taps for Guinness. It’s also the way they teach you to pour it at the Storehouse.
@@iangelling It's all a load of BS that was a part of the marketing decades ago when they moved from cask Guinness and had to convince the Guinness drinkers that it was still the same. All nitro stouts are poured with 70% nitrogen and will settle adequately and taste no different whether they're poured in one go or not.
Good work Simon. Thanks for the stout battle. I will be trying some Forged. I went to brew dog waterloo and got a half of black heart. I was hugely disappointed tbh. But maybe I should try again. Camden- will have to purchase as well.
In fairness the new upstarts have still got nearly 260 years to catch up on Guinness. Guinness is also a totally different beer served on draught (especially in Ireland) than in a can. It also has the muscle of a huge sales team, huge sponsorship budgets & as you say Simon a loyal customer base.
I have Never tried it in Ireland but on tap in a Pub its nicer than in the can like most beers. I would say every beer has it's place Guinness draught out of a can wont be a flavour sensation. It does what it does well but Guinness themselves offer better and more substantial stouts like the west indies porter or Foreign extra stout. Even their Original is better than their draught can but there's just something lovely about drinking a smooth draught Guinness for me. I am sure these competitors will somewhat take market share but to even knock Guinness off it wont happen. Infact I could even see Camden stout disappearing it's a rather poor offering (at least in my opinion). Forged is nice just hasn't achieved much reach only being available in Asda and not always available even then.
I was lucky enough to try London Black stout at the London brewery a few years ago....now that is a stonking beer. Simon maybe the next taste test is to try these all stouts on draught......a trip to Dublin is needed mate :D
@Ngamer834 those exports are really too good!
Beamish is by far the best Irish Dry Style Stout. Its only brewed about a kilometre away from me too, so we get it very fresh.
My favourite stout overall is also from Cork, IE. From Blacks of Kinsale Brewery "Worlds End Chocolate & Vanilla" stout. If you see it anywhere, definitely give it a go.
Love Simons reviews even though he always rates my favourite tipple so lowly ! Around here if you want a pint of stout in a pub the only choice is Guinness. Half the time I’ll try a different ale but I usually regret not having a Guinness ! Draught Guinness in cans is easy drinking but pretty tasteless as Simon and most comments say. I’ve tried the Blackheart but if I’m drinking stout at home I’d pick a bottle of Guinness Original.
Been hoping for this
Does anyone know if you can still get Murphys? All my local supermarkets have stopped selling it. I managed to get some in Home Bargains of all places, but the seemed to be a one off.
I can’t help on that front but I’d like to know too.
As a Guinness drinker nothing ever beats a good pint of Guinness as in a really really good pint.
However, these canned stouts hopefully will lead to further types of this style. Guinness fans are in a golden age of new products, and its clear Guinness missed out heavily by lowering abv and then removing the coffee roast, it was incredible for those who like the roast flavor..
Probably the best stout review in the world ever thus far.🍺 cheers🍺
Where can you buy Colin’s beer?
Forged is a good beer no doubt about it.
By far the best Guinness I've tasted was their wonderful Coffee Brew but sadly they've discontinued this now to concentrate on their mediocre offerings.
I want to know what happened to Jet Black Heart. Used to drink it in Brewdog in Perth (Scotland) it was so smooth and creamy. Then was suddenly replaced by Black Heart which is pretty empty in comparison.
Standard guiness from a can is tastless. Guiness original, however is a different thing entirely. You should have substituted it!
I drink guinness in pubs (unless it's samuel smiths then its organic stout haha). Cans of black heart at home or if I do want guinness at home I get nigerian in bottles which is far more better but like 3.5% stronger. Still think you should have a go at the samuel smiths rage of stouts. Am sure they are on beers of Europe 👍
I was in Aldeburgh at Christmas and had several pints of Adams Blackshore Stout; absolutely delicious.
London Black is a current favourite, although i have not had it from a can yet.
Best stout I ever drank, many moons ago, was Guiness brewed under license in Nigeria. It’s essentially, Guiness Export Stout with 7.5% strength with a suggestion of cocoa or maybe even chocolate and is far better than the Export Stout brewed in Dublin. You can buy it in the UK though it’s fiendishly expensive (around £3 for a 500 ml bottle).
More recently came across a brew called Oaty, by a Polish craft brewery called Trzech Kumpli (“Three Mates”). Tastes almost the same as that marvellous Nigerian brew!
They use malted sorghum in Nigerian Guinness. It's way better than the normal bland stuff for sure.
@@SingularityMedia - Sorghum? Interesting. Well, I guess it would have to be grown locally. Delicious either way, especially when drunk chilled on a steaming hot Nigerian afternoon!
Oh yes Simon I’ve been waiting on this. Without watching my favs are:
1) - It’s Guinness (super easy drinking)
2 - Forged (I actually think this is pretty decent)
3 - Black Heart - Also very good. Need to be in the mood thought as it’s a bit more roasty/toasty vs the other two
4) - Camden…. Theirs is pish. They do some really good stuff and I do like them, but this misses the mark. Thin, lacking body… no mouth feel. A complete miss for me. Feels like one which has been designed by the bean counters upstairs who’ve spotted a trend for stout and thought they have to jump in.
Anyone remember mackeson stout always used to have it
Yep, used to get them from morrisons for my dad. Bit sweet for me but still a good drink.
Sainbury still have its
Simon. You are 100% CORRECT. I love Guinness but the Guinness of 20 years ago. They gotta keep up or get passed up.
They won't ever get passed up by mainstream drinkers. Just look at the amazing German and other foreign beers available in the supermarkets at cheaper prices than your Carling or Stella, yet who buys them? Apart from folk like us who watch beer reviews on TH-cam 😂
@@manicmuse1Exactly, guilty as charged.
Anyone found anywhere else other than Asda to buy Forged? I've been buying Black Heart for a while now over Guinness for cans at home, but would love to try this
I was a huge Guinness fan, & then I tried forged Irish stout, omg it’s the best I’ve ever had in my opinion!!
Just what I need for my upcoming 2 hour train journey!
Great review still haven't found forge but the camdan is really good
Asda stock Forged
Wychwood breweries Hobgoblin stout, worthy of a try..
Would’ve liked to see Guinness original included personally I prefer the Original to the Draught.
You need to get your hands on a few of the Bricklane Trilogy Of Fear Imperial stouts from Australia. They release a new series of 3 different flavours every year and go for $20 a 500ml can or $75 a 4 pack. But they are 12% abv. Choc bourbon vanilla imperial stout.
Forgot to ask, what temp are these being served at? Stouts seem to handle being cold, cold as a lager.
Got to disagree on that one.
@@kievb8221 Disagree with stouts being served cold?
@@richardmarkham8369 defo.spoils the flavour.
@@kievb8221 But isn't Guinness served ice cold? I don't drink the stuff myself, I like my stouts and porters at cellar temp!
@richardmarkham8369 brewer recommends that draught Guinness should be served at 6-7 °C (42.8 °F), while Extra Cold Guinness should be served at 3.5 °C (38.6 °F). Before the 21st century, it was popular to serve Guinness at cellar temperature (about 13 °C) and some drinkers preferred it at room temperature (about 20 °C).
Totally agree had a stout in attic brewery taproom and then 15 mins later up the road had a Guinness on draft aswell just tasted of nothing like a glass of water
I had a forged after seeing this and it was creamy and full bodied. Absolutely fantastic
Ill have to try the Forged Stout. I completely about the Guinness. Mind you Guinness Original is much better than the draught cans. However, the best stout ive had is the Guinness Nigerian Extra Stout. 7.5% abv and vastly vastly better than the St James Gate stuff.
A blind taste test would be interesting. London Black (Anspach & Hobday) is supposed to be good also.
The forged sounds the nicest most well rounded stout.
I'm sure Guinness used to be slightly more savoury/ bitter.
I've been to the Guinness brewery in Dublin and again I'm sure it tastes slightly better!
Bottled guinesss has always had that burnt bitter taste,the draft is nothing like.
If you haven't already you should try these using a nitrosurge to pour them, enhances them in my opinion!
I have been drinking a lot of the BrewDog Black Heart recently. I think it beats Guinness all day long
From a tin for sure. Draught haven't had it so can't comment. Guinness, up your game a bit with the cans.
Do Murphy’s or Beamish not do this type of can ?
Try Dark Island from Orkney Brewery 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks matey for a really good review. I trust your reviews . I myself really like a Guinness however, I always liked Beamish much more. I cannot wait to taste the Conor Mcgreggors Forged !
Need to try against Anspach & Hobday London Black as these new beers came out after...do it. Although doesn't look as though they are canning it at the moment
I'm really not a fan of brewdog beers but whenever I see black heart on a good discount, I grab a 4 pack as I find it a safe but tasty fall back to have.
I knew a bloke who caught Wiels disease, after drinking from a can. Rodents had urinated on it in the warehouse. As a result, I always wash the top of the can off before drinking it.
Five months later and according to their website, Forged Irish Stout is only available to you in England if you're lucky enough to live near two places - Asda Clapham Junction or Asda Milton Keynes. Looks like they failed. 😞
What’s happened to Beamish and Murphys from Ireland? Both more or less impossible to purchase in mainland UK and much nicer than Guiness in my opinion, they were placed in a lot of pubs in the mid 90s
I was about to ask the same question. Did you ever find out?
Beamish was originally brewed by Beamish&Crawford County Cork who were owned by Scottish&Newcastle up until 2009 unfortunately Scottish &Newcastle were taken over by Carlsberg I think? and Beamish and Crawfords brewery Cork were bought over by Heineken who closed that brewery and started brewing Beamish side by side with Murphys...Its virtually disappeared from many pubs over here in Ireland to except Wetherspoon pubs.
There's nothing more disappointing for me than rocking up at nice "craft" ale pub and asking, "have you got a nice stout on"? only to be told "yeah we've got Guinness"
Have had forged, camden and guinness in recent weeks. Forged is on a different level. My understanding is that forged is brewed by the previous porterhouse craft brewery in dublin. Found it to be full of flavour and tastes like a craft stout. Enjoyed Camden, but a little thin in mouthfeel and on flavour, also has a little citrus flavour which i didnt expect. Think guinness is very bland compared to other irish stouts. You should compare Beamish to guinness and camden, i think beamish has much more flavour than both.
Take this with a pinch of salt but i have a feeling the Forged Irish Stout is very similar to Porterhouse Brewery's stout from Dublin- seems to much of a coincidence when they are headquartered in Dublin too. Be interesting if you can get hold of it and compare....they used to do an Oyster Stout as well which was lovely 👍
Ya McGregor bought out Porterhouse, who are/were the best session stout craft brewers in Ireland.
From my understanding
Conor dose now own porterhouse brewery prob why you say it similar so forged is brewed from that brewery
Ill try it although ive always drank Beamish and Guiness
can you still get Gillepsies Stout? vaguely remember drinking it in the 90s somewhere in Scotland!
Long gone I believe. Not seen it in Edinburgh for years. Probably due to the S&N plant getting closed and their beers been brewed elsewhere.
What about anspach and hobday London black you left out
Used to enjoy a Murphys at a local in Aldershot
I simply can't get used to this style of beer. I tried draught stout and draught red from Oharas and draught Guiness and every time I got dissapointed because I found all those beers to be under-carbonated and blend.
They aren't carbonated at all
conor mcgregor bought the brew house in Dublin and they did a collaboration with dingle whiskey stout in whiskey casks. Think it's called around the clock very nice
These will all be 70% Pale malt, 20% Flaked barley 10% Roast barley or thereabouts i guess the main differences will come from the yeast/ water/ brewing process?
Brewdog Black Heart⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👌
Where did you get the Forged from?
I had the brewdog the other day and it blew me away.. tasty! Will try the Colin when I see it, cheers!
That banging was collin McGregor in the back room ready to kick your ass if you didnt pick his stout 😉 😂