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Guinness Special Export

  • 20-05-2013 9:00pm
    #1
    ThirdMan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,700 ✭✭✭


    Hi. Can you get Special Export in Ireland (it's brewed specifically for the Belgium market)?


Comments

  • #2
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,975 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    Redmond's of Ranelagh usually has it. It's nice, but not worth double Foreign Extra, which is roughly what it costs here.

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  • #3
    ThirdMan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,700 ✭✭✭ThirdMan


    BeerNut wrote: »
    Redmond's of Ranelagh usually has it. It's nice, but not worth double Foreign Extra, which is roughly what it costs here.

    Cheers. I've only just tried ES and FES, so I may as well complete the set. Other than that I'm not too bothered.


  • #4
    Chelon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 695 ✭✭✭Chelon


    I just had some in Brussels and it was one of the best beers we had in Belgium. Definitely going to seek it out here.

    Is it indeed brewed for their market? I thought it may have been the one brewed for Africa, or is that different again?


  • #5
    oblivious
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭oblivious


    Chelon wrote: »
    I just had some in Brussels andsorghumone of the best beers we had in Belgium. Definitely going to seek it out here.

    Is it indeed brewed for their market? I thought it may have been the one brewed for Africa, or is that different again?


    The Africa base beer used to make Guinness there has a % of sourgrum as its a local grain, not sure if its malted though


  • #6
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,975 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    Chelon wrote: »
    Definitely going to seek it out here.
    When you get hold of it it's well worth doing a blind side-by-side tasting with ordinary Foreign Extra Stout. They taste very similar and the local stuff is much cheaper.
    Chelon wrote: »
    Is it indeed brewed for their market? I thought it may have been the one brewed for Africa, or is that different again?
    The Nigerian one is Foreign Extra rather than Special Export and is different again. There's a Jamaican Foreign Extra as well.

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  • #7
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,921 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    Chelon wrote: »
    I just had some in Brussels and it was one of the best beers we had in Belgium. Definitely going to seek it out here.

    Is it indeed brewed for their market? I thought it may have been the one brewed for Africa, or is that different again?
    thats mad.

    I brought a couple of bottles back from Belgium and it was hateful stuff.
    The normal export I had ages ago and remember it was nice, but the "Belgian" stuff is way more bitter than I can cope with and just unpleasant in general.


  • #8
    drumswan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭drumswan


    BeerNut wrote: »
    When you get hold of it it's well worth doing a blind side-by-side tasting with ordinary Foreign Extra Stout. They taste very similar and the local stuff is much cheaper.
    Is the SES brewed with Belgian yeast do you know? I have some vague recollection of it tasting like a Belgian Strong Ale.


  • #9
    Chelon
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 695 ✭✭✭Chelon


    munchkin_utd wrote: »
    thats mad.

    I brought a couple of bottles back from Belgium and it was hateful stuff.
    The normal export I had ages ago and remember it was nice, but the "Belgian" stuff is way more bitter than I can cope with and just unpleasant in general.

    I didn't love all the beers we had in Belgium - some of them were too similar to wheat beer (which I'm not a fan of) - would this be the yeast?

    But after 5 days of supping some lovely "Bruin" type beers, the Guinness went down lovely.


  • #10
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    drumswan wrote: »
    Is the SES brewed with Belgian yeast do you know? I have some vague recollection of it tasting like a Belgian Strong Ale.

    No, it's brewed with the normal Guinness yeast strain.

    It's brewed to high gravity in Dublin and shipped to Belgium where it's liquored back and bottled.


  • #11
    fiacha
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 794 ✭✭✭fiacha


    Seaneh wrote: »
    No, it's brewed with the normal Guinness yeast strain.

    It's brewed to high gravity in Dublin and shipped to Belgium where it's liquored back and bottled.

    Correct. Ever notice the silver IBC tanks on the back of Guinness lorries? . The GFE (Guinness Flavoured Extract) gets shipped globally from the two GFE plants within the James Gate brewery.

    I was always a fan of the Nigerian stuff. I've never tried the Belgian brew.


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  • #12
    drumswan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,592 ✭✭✭drumswan


    I read today in the Oxford companion to beer that FES accounts for 40% of Guinness sales worldwide!


  • #13
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,975 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    fiacha wrote: »
    The GFE (Guinness Flavoured Extract) gets shipped globally from the two GFE plants within the James Gate brewery.
    But that's for making Guinness abroad. Special Export Stout is brewed entirely in Dublin.

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  • #14
    Geuze
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,033 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056742252

    Discussed in Aug 2012, see link.


  • #15
    Geuze
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,033 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    I bought a bottle of Guinness Special Export stout SES in Belgium this week.

    I think it was 2.25 for a 33bl bottle.

    I ended up having to drink, or swig it from the bottle, while eating a frikadelle, so I didn't exactly savour it.


    I didn't spend much time studying it, but it tasted somewhat similar to FES.


    Are John Martin SA free to export it around the world, and compete against FES?



  • #16
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,975 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    Interesting question. Probably. I guess the advantage that Diageo has is that they control the amount produced and can therefore make sure there's not enough of it in existence to compete with FES. I haven't seen SES outside the Low Countries in years.

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