Anyone tried to create a Guinness 200th Anniversary Export Stout clone?

[LudicrousLush]

Some quick Google searches didn’t bring up much info to go on... the grain bill includes black patent malt and Goldings hops. Since it is their export stout it will have twice the hops of a normal beer. With this having been a limited release, we can’t expect a continued supply. Did anyone else like it enough to develop a clone?

 

[kevin58]

I found one six pack a few weeks ago and thought it was brilliant. I then discovered that it was released two years ago and rushed back to our specialty beer and wine store for more but apparently I had picked up the last of what they had.

If I were to try and clone it I might start with their Foreign Extra Stout recipe and replace the roasted barley in that one with black patent. This might be a good starting point... Foreign Extra Stout Clone from Brewer's Friend. The hops are all Golding but the IBU's are too high for the 200th Anniversary version.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I might start with their Foreign Extra Stout recipe

Watching the video it seems that they're celebrating the first export of 8 hogsheads of "porter" to the US so were "inspired" by a recipe of 1817 that was one of their first to use black malt, which Wheeler patented in that year but which Guinness appear to have been aware of since 1815. So I'd assume you're looking at something similar to an 1820s porter recipe :

Dublin water (fairly hard, but not too much Cl/SO4)
75% UK pale malt (ideally Chevallier, otherwise pale with eg 2% crystal)
22% brown malt
3% black patent

Untappd reckons it was only 10 IBU, don't know how reliable that is.

 

[kevin58]

In the early 19th century the term "stout" was used for all porter stronger than standard strength. Even stronger than standard pale ales were still being called "stout" right up until 1810 or so. So in 1817 the term "stout" really had not fully come into its own as a specific style name. So calling an Export porter, which by its very nature would have been stronger than standard, a stout is perfectly in sync with the times.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Since it is their export stout it will have twice the hops of a normal beer.

So calling an Export porter, which by its very nature would have been stronger than standard, a stout is perfectly in sync with the times.

Where is there any evidence that this was some kind of special "export" version? The original record just talks about 8 hogsheads of "porter" being sent across the Atlantic. Exporting has always been the norm for Guinness, the majority of their production has always been sold outside the island of Ireland - and 6% looks like a regular early 19th-century porter.

 

[kevin58]

"Special" export? No I said just export stout. Foreign stout, export stout, extra stout... all names given to Guinness that was brewed for sale in foreign markets.

"..the majority of their production has always been sold outside the island of Ireland"? It would become that way many decades later. But as the 19th century dawned Guinness was pretty much a local product. It would begin its export growth very soon after but in 1817 it was still in its infancy. More beer was being imported from England than exported out of Ireland. Guinness wouldn't begin hitting their stride in export trade until the 1830's. https://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2019/02/ireland-becomes-beer-exporter.html

Looking at a list of Porter made in both Ireland and London between 1800 and 1900 I see very few in the upper 5% ABV range and only one at 6% (in 1890). Most are 4% to 5% or 5.5%. So I don't believe 6% looks like a regular early 19th-century porter. I think anyone examining the figures would say this example is stronger than standard.

Then there is Ron Pattinson: "...there's no significant difference between Guinness Porter and Stout, except that the latter was more heavily-hopped."