All Guinness Stout is brewed in Ireland with water from the River Liffy. (Enough to give anyone pause before imbibing that dark sludge!)
However, Guinness (now owned by a European consortium) uses a different formulation for Stout that is intended for export. Additional sugar is added to US bound bottles and kegs to produce additional alcohol that in turn acts as a preservative. The result is higher alcohol content and it definitely affects the taste of the brew. Stout in Ireland does taste better and it's what we in the US would call "near beer" in terms of alcohol level. Since all alcohol in Ireland is taxed on it's proof (alcohol content), you will find that it requires more drinks (both beer and mixed) to achieve the same level of drunkenness compared to US drinks. (This might explain why Irish visiting the US get drunk more quickly while drinking a similar number of ounces as back at home resulting in some hilarious experiences with my friends from across the sea)
If you're looking for an excellent beer that tastes pretty much as it does in Ireland, check out Smithwick's Ale (Guinness bought the Kilkenney based brewer in the 70's). Anhouser Bush just started importing it to the US last year so you can find it in most good liquor stores. It's my favorite beer in the world followed by Alaskan Amber.
Cheers, you just answered one of those questions I always get asked abroad, but never knew the answer, i.e. does Guinness taste better in Ireland!
"All Guinness Stout is brewed in Ireland with water from the River Liffy."
actually diageo does license guinness production overseas now, apparently in markets where it isn't worth the trouble to import it. Panama is an example of this. It is made with local materials and tastes more like the local beers than anything resembling guinness.
It is a shame guinness quit bottle-conditioning their export stout 10-11 years ago; that was a truly complex drink, and the change non-bottle-conditioning was immediately notable, and a big change for the worse. I have a few bottles left of special export, but it doesn't taste bottle-conditioned either, and even worse does not have enough taste to cover the alcohol.
Smithwick's is the best!
I have never seen it outside of Ireland!
A pint of Smittick's and a Woodbine... aaahhh...
Guinness in the states is brewed in Canada.
I have never cared for beer, but Smithwick's is delicious.
You're making me thirsty. I love draught Guinness but the bottled with the "fizzy thing" tastes like crap. The local stouts around Boulder are about 7%. Delicious!