Chris Shanahan: Beer review — Guinness 250 and Wig & Pen Russian Imperial

Guinness 250 Anniversary Stout 330ml 6-pack $19.99
Guinness began brewing ales on its Dublin site in 1759, sold dark beers as ‘porter’ from 1778 and first used the term ‘stout’ in the 1840s. The 250th anniversary brew is smooth and easy drinking, the key flavour being a lovely, sweet maltiness matched by a mild, balancing hops bitterness.

Wig & Pen Russian Imperial Stout half-pint $9
The Wig’s popular seasonal stout tastes like liquid, liqueur, bitter, dark chocolate, charged with heady alcohol. It’s opulent, unctuous, slippery smooth and with underlying sweet molasses-like flavours offsetting the bittersweet charry-chocolaty roasted malt flavours. There are hops in there, too, adding to the complex flavours and bitterness.