(Malty, Bitter-Sweet, Roasty, Full-bodied) – Beginning in 1801 Guinness produced what it called West India Porter for export to Irish expats working in the Caribbean. To ensure the beer was better fit to avoid spoilage during the long ship journey from Dublin, they brewed it with extra hops and a higher alcohol content, both of which serve as natural preservatives in beer. West India Porter was renamed Foreign Extra Stout in the late 1840s, and its export and production footprint continued to grow to where it is now a staple beer across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.
It first appeared in the U.S. in 1817, which ultimately became its largest export market by 1910. Prohibition ended export to the U.S., and it failed to regain popular favor after its return in the 1930s due to its sibling, Guinness Extra Stout, being most Americans’ preference as a lighter, less expensive option. WWII caused its exit from the U.S. once again, and an attempt to bring it back in the mid-1950s proved unsuccessful, after which it remained absent from American bars and beer stores until 2010, when it was successfully reintroduced to market.
Interpretations vary across offerings of this style available in the U.S. from other breweries, including several domestic craft breweries. Generally dark brown to black in color, its flavor complexities come with the higher gravity, and a smooth mouth-feel delivers an early sweetness, followed by marked roast flavor and bitterness through to the finish. Coffee essences from roasted barley are generally very evident, with dark chocolate and burnt character in some examples.
