Welcome fall, the time of year when the heat of summer behind to fade into the cold of winter, when leaves change color and tumble from trees, and, perhaps most importantly of all, some really great seasonal beers begin to hit store shelves. The tradition started, of course, with special beers for the Oktoberfest in Munich, all the way back in 1818. We still enjoy Oktoberfest beers in the fall today, though they’re now joined by spiced beers and amber beers and, perhaps the greatest American contribution, pumpkin beers.
Guinness Red Harvest Stout is in none of those styles, though it is an attempt by Guinness to gain a foothold in the autumn beer market. Guinness Red Harvest is only sold in the United States, and while offering the beer as an American fall seasonal, they also keep a firm foothold in Celtic tradition by tying the beer to Halloween and Samhain.
From the label on the can:
Samhain (saw-wen), an ancient Celtic festival held every year on All Hallows' eve, celebrates the end of the fall harvest and the coming of winter. On this night, the believers beckon restless spirits from the darkness with bonfires and sweet offerings from the bountiful harvest. Guinness Red Harvest Stout captures the spirit of that night with its alluring blend of lightly roasted barley and subtly sweet Irish malt.
Guinness Red Harvest Stout is packaged with a widget in the can that delivers a blast of nitrogen through the beer as you pour. This produces a very creamy head formation and smooth drinking experience. The beer is brewed in Ireland and not contracted out as some Guinness products are these days, at least my cans were Irish-brewed. The beer is sessionable at 4.1% alcohol by volume, and I paid $7.99 for four 14.9 ounce cans.
Guinness Red Harvest Stout pours to a reddish amber color with a thick creamy head that emerges from the sheet of tan cascading microbubbles from the nitro-pour. The nose is faintly reminiscent of Guinness draft stout, with a subtle dark maltiness to it. Taking a sip the beer is incredibly creamy and smooth, with a soft luscious maltiness and hints of roasted barley and licorice. There’s an irresistible fresh maltiness going on that is a lot like chewing fresh malt. This compensates for the slightly thin body, at least for a stout. The beer is smooth and slightly bitter at the last, but it also struck me as a sort of a watery Guinness draft.
Not the best beer I’ve ever had from Guinness, but I think I would drink it again, especially for that delightful fresh malt flavor going on.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler