Nothing beats a good pint of cold, delicious Guinness.
Done well (and as a Londoner, I'm well aware that isn't always the case), it's a glass of refreshing hoppy heaven.
So I'll admit, when I saw they were releasing a new coffee beer I raised an eyebrow. As the saying goes, if it ain't broken, don't fix it.
While the Guinness beer Gods at St. James’s Gate Brewery have added several new products to their range over the years, including the 0.0% alternative and the Golden Ale, they've left the original black goodness untouched in terms of flavour - until now.
After proving a big hit in the US, GUINNESS Cold Brew Coffee Beer hits shelves in the UK this week. It comes as coffee was revealed as the UK's favourite drink - overtaking tea with 95 million cups consumed each day.
Would you try the new drink? Have your say in the comment section below.
People who know more about beer tasting than I do tell me that Guinness has notes of coffee and chocolate anyway, so maybe I'm being cynical?
To be fair, the packaging is spot on so I imagine people will be tempted to give it a go if they see a can in a shop fridge. It comes in a 440ml can and is 4% ABV.
In advance of taking my first sip, I was told it tasted like espresso martini which filled me with some hope. Spoiler, it does not.
It looks exactly like real Guinness and it actually smells really nice. The coffee scent really compliments the stout's smell well.
But I'll admit I wasn't convinced on the taste at first. Maybe a non-Guinness drinker might be more accepting, but for me it just tasted weird having the extra flavour in there.
After a few sips it definitely grew on me and after half a glass I was a fan. I think. It keeps the creamy, smooth taste of Guinness but with an added kick. It's still strange, but in a good way. I think.
I definitely wouldn't drink it for a whole night and I'd probably swap back to the original after one drink - but it's a good novelty drink.
John Burns, Head of GUINNESS GB, said: "We firmly believe we have created a taste experience truly unrivalled in the market and with over 95 million cups of coffee being consumed every day in Great Britain alone, now is the moment to offer a product which plays to an excitingly vast consumer space.
"There is already a natural connection with coffee notes in GUINNESS’ signature offerings like Draught and Extra Stout, so the creation of GUINNESS Cold Brew Coffee Beer was a perfect match."
GUINNESS Cold Brew Coffee Beer is on sale in Tesco now and will be rolled out to other supermarkets and stores in the next few weeks.
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