Guinness Dublin Porter & West Indies Porter - anyone tried them?

donaghs · 26-11-2014 08:54AM #1

I had a bottle of the West Indies one, it was supposed to be a stronger flavour, and was 6% versus 3.8% for the Dublin one.

I was pleasantly surprised. Quite tasty. Poured strangely with a very frothy head on it. Wouldn't take it over other 6% stouts like Midnight Sun or Leann Follain, but a decent enough beer.

BeerNut · 26-11-2014 09:25AM

I wrote some stuff on them and The Brewers Project here.

schemingbohemia · 26-11-2014 09:59AM

Yeah I got a couple of bottles of the West Indies one in Tesco in Enniskillen at the weekend, raging I didn't get more. They're part of the 4 for £6 deal at the moment, very tasty but as you say not up to Leann Folláin or Wrasslers for me but still well worth drinking.

slayerking · 26-11-2014 10:05AM

I've been on the look out for these as I'm curious to try them but haven't seen them anywhere.

Anybody seen them in the major supermarkets, if so, where?

LeinsterDub · 26-11-2014 10:15AM

it was just glass after glass of watery fizz.

The Dublin described in a line

Son0vagun · 26-11-2014 10:22AM

I've only heard bad things about them, I won't be trying them.

dregin · 26-11-2014 10:22AM

For no obvious reason, I really, really wanted these to be good, but I've rarely tasted anything so boring.

If you're looking for something new along the Stout/Porter line, I randomly had March of The Penquins from Williams Brothers in the liquor rooms at the weekend and enjoyed it a lot.

BeerNut · 26-11-2014 01:07PM

slayerking wrote: »

Anybody seen them in the major supermarkets, if so, where?

SuperValu in Kimmage had them on Sunday. The Dublin Porter was on the shelves but the West Indies was still wrapped so I'd say they only just arrived. I bought my bottles in Martin's of Fairview. O'Brien's have them listed on their website. I'm guessing they'll be everywhere by the end of next week.

drumswan · 26-11-2014 04:26PM

Tried the Dublin Porter on draught in Belfast last night, it was OK. Served too cold, very light in body with a reasonable, though light flavour profile and a fair dose of carbonation.

Slattsy · 27-11-2014 05:45PM

The WI Porter is lovely, very tasty.

The Dublin Porter is grand, a bit weak though.

sarkozy · 02-12-2014 12:15PM

Really didn't think much of the West Indies. I don't even think that was because it was book-ended by Dungarvan's Minehead on one end and coffee and oatmeal stout on the other. It's just not good/different enough to justify the extra cash. I'd sooner buy a regular can or bottle of export.

I wouldn't turn my nose at it if I was drinking it for free, but I won't pay for it. Plus: the label looks nice, but it's printed on rubbish paper. If Guinness want to really sell this, they should have used a rougher, more tactile stock. Just goes to show how little it's been thought through.

drumswan · 02-12-2014 12:18PM

BeerNut wrote: »

I wrote some stuff on them and The Brewers Project here.

Thats a really super read, fair play

Ravelleman · 02-12-2014 03:11PM

O'Neill's have the Dublin Porter on draught now. I hadn't seen it anywhere else before this but it might well be old news.

slayerking · 19-12-2014 08:55PM

I still haven't seen these anywhere and I've been keeping an eye out in my local supermarket(s). Have they been released nationally or what's the craic with them.

L1011 · 19-12-2014 09:19PM

I've seen bottles somewhere - either tesco or obriens

adocholiday · 21-12-2014 07:21PM

Mulligans on Poolbeg Street have the Dublin porter on draft and West Indies porter bottled. O'Brien's off Licences have them both in stock too. I really like the West Indies porter. I'm not a fan of some of the intense stouts and porters available (leann follain for example). So I can see why some stout/porter drinkers would find the Guinness Porters a bit boring. If you're like me though and you like something mid range then give the West Indies a shot. I found the Dublin Porter quite bland though.

loyatemu · 21-12-2014 11:46PM

had a pint of Dublin Porter in the Palace, it's blander than regular Guinness, so not sure what the point of it is.

Effects · 22-12-2014 11:13AM

I started off with a bottle of the West Indies which I liked and then tried a bottle of the Dublin Porter which tasted a bit weak in comparison. I got a few small cases of the West Indies from Guinness so I'll enjoy getting through it over Christmas.

squonk · 23-12-2014 02:40PM

Had Dublin Porter on draught in Dolans in Limerick recently. Such a disappointment. Very bland and not one bit of an aftertaste. That being said I'm a Leann Folláin/Old Engine Oil man so I was never expecting to be blown away but was surprised to be so completely underwhelmed. I'll try the West Indies Porter if I see it. The one thing I do like about the range though is the pint glasses. Very nice things actually.

n97 mini · 23-12-2014 08:55PM

adocholiday wrote: »

Mulligans on Poolbeg Street have the Dublin porter on draft

€5.20 a pint. Seems steep for a weak macro-brewed beer, with not a lot of flavour.

suicide_circus · 28-12-2014 06:30PM

n97 mini wrote: »

€5.20 a pint. Seems steep for a weak macro-brewed beer, with not a lot of flavour.

Steep? Yeah sure is and is the kind ifvbusiness practice that only serves to hurt the pub trade in the long run.

The west indies one I found to be most satisfactory.

Iranoutofideas · 29-12-2014 06:48PM

Tried a bottle of the West Indies one and ended up chucking it down the sink. Rank

drumswan · 29-12-2014 10:05PM

Iranoutofideas wrote: »

Tried a bottle of the West Indies one and ended up chucking it down the sink. Rank

I take it you aren't a fan of stouts or porters then, these are about as inoffensive as you can get as an example of the style, verging on the bland.

Had the West Indies myself tonight, lacks body IMO. Too much going on to appeal to the macro drinker, not enough to interest the beer nerd.

Effects · 02-01-2015 01:57PM

I tried a bottle of Foreign Export next to the West Indies the other night. Have to say I preferred the Foreign Export.

n97 mini · 02-01-2015 02:37PM

drumswan wrote: »

Had the West Indies myself tonight, lacks body IMO.

It is a porter so it's supposed to be medium bodied.

irish_goat · 02-01-2015 02:42PM

n97 mini wrote: »

It is a porter so it's supposed to be medium bodied.

Stout is supposed to be full bodied too but I think Guinness must have missed that memo.

drumswan · 02-01-2015 03:14PM

n97 mini wrote: »

It is a porter so it's supposed to be medium bodied.

It's not medium bodied.

Ravelleman · 02-01-2015 10:15PM

n97 mini wrote: »

It is a porter so it's supposed to be medium bodied.

If you can pinpoint the exact meaning of 'porter' then you deserve a bottle of both.

n97 mini · 02-01-2015 10:48PM

No-one is responsible for a definition, so there isn't one, but most would consider it a lighter bodied porter than stout porter. The latter most would agree, would be a heavier bodied beer like many draught (nitro) stouts we have available to us.

irish_goat · 03-01-2015 10:46AM

n97 mini wrote: »

The latter most would agree, would be a heavier bodied beer like many draught (nitro) stouts we have available to us.

Nitro stout in Ireland tends to be very thin once you get past the nitro head. If you want a full bodied stout you'd be better looking at the likes of Leann Follain.

n97 mini · 03-01-2015 12:53PM

I would definitely disagree with that. Shandon Stout is very heavy, almost too heavy. O'Hara's Stout gives a similar perception if not quite as much.

Guinness Dublin Porter & West Indies Porter - anyone tried them?

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