250 Anniversary Stout, Guinness Brewery, Dublin, Ireland

Amazing, isn't it? Guinness was celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of their St. James Gate brewery, and decided to use the momentous occasion to introduce a limited edition stout. Great idea, really. Too bad it seems like a lot of marketing and only a touch of brewing.

As you'd expect from a stout, the 250 Anniversary is nearly totally black, with a light brownish head. It tastes just like a Guinness, but with a bit more to the body, almost like the difference between 1% and 2% milk. The aroma is unremarkable and a bit lost, coming through in spots with roasted malts and coffee smells. It is a bit stronger than the usual Guinness stout at 5% ABV, but not really noticeable.

Here's the thing: from the company that is synonymous with "stout", I expect something really special for their 250th anniversary. Like liquid gold in stout form. This beer is not nearly that good. You'll never tell your kids, "I had a Guinness 250 Anniversary, once, and I'll never have a beer like that again." And that is why I'm highly disappointed in this one.

Does this beer suck? No, you can drink it and enjoy a decent, quality product. Is it special in any remarkable way, like something that would be suitable for a 250th anniversary? No way. It'd be like getting a Fudgie the Whale cake for someone's 100th birthday.

Rating = 2.0