GUINNESS gracious, boozers are going crazy for the black stuff – and not just in its home city of Dublin.
Gen Z drinking game Split the G, where you align the letter on your glass with the froth line, is tearing up TikTok, with Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran and Niall Horan all joining in the fun.
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But the world’s most famous stout now has plenty of competitors in supermarkets, if you wish to shop around.
Only last week, Aldi’s new Mulligan’s Stout hit shelves, promising Guinness fans a premium alternative at a lower price.
So, as Netflix show House Of Guinness also landed yesterday, can the rivals compete?
Drinks expert Helena Nicklin tries a selection of what is on offer and gives her verdict . . .
Guinness Draught
4.2%, £5.75 (4 x 440ml) or £3.27 per litre, Tesco & Sainsbury’s
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IT sets the gold standard for stout – and the traditional Irish bevvy is world-famous for a reason.
Gorgeous, and sipping a pint of the black stuff is always more refreshing than I give it credit for, as there’s so much going on in the glass.
For any competitors to this classic, getting all the elements right is no mean feat.
You need that well-sized, super-silky head, then just the right flavour mix of mocha, malt, caramel and toasted nuts, and a balance of “not too little, not too much” weight.
Punters pay a touch more for the Guin-ness name, but it always hits the spot.
5/5
Mulligan’s Stout
£4.99 (4 x 440ml) or £2.84 per litre, Aldi in store
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ALDI has done it again with a new, award-winning and pretty delicious dupe with a very Irish-sounding name.
It is reminiscent of the market leader on the shelf, with its sleek, dark can. In true Aldi style, you might have to look twice to check what brand you have bought – but it is far easier on the wallet.
Once in the glass, it does a decent enough job as a drink, with a nicely creamy head.
It’s lighter and more diluted than the Dublin original but there’s a lot else to like here – with subtle malty and mocha notes.
A splendidly refreshing sip – easy to the taste but also on your pocket.
3/5
Fuller’s Black Cab Stout
4.5% ABV, £2.50 (500ml) or £5 per litre, Morrisons
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SUBTLY different style here. More like a malty porter beer, or perhaps a Guinness from a bottle, than a stout you’d get from pump or can.
Take a sip of this and it’s a little lighter in body and more spritzy and refreshing, though the flavours are deeper and richer.
I’d describe it as very malty with notes of coffee bean and mocha, and maybe a whiff of whisky barrel.
It’s really rather good and would make an epic pairing with some mussels or oysters.
I actually prefer its flavour to the Irish stalwart and only marked it down for price, as it is rather costly.
Fabulous stuff, this, so I’d suggest you maybe just have the one bottle and savour it.
4/5
Mackeson Stout
2.8% ABV, £4.75 (4 x 330ml) or £3.60 per litre, Sainsbury’s/ Morrisons
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BREWED in southern England, Mackeson is a creamy stout first made in 1907.
The cute little cans it comes in are eye-catching and give great visual cues to what’s inside.
While it’s not trying to be an identikit tipple to Guinness, it’s got much of the body and flavour to appeal to devotees of the black stuff.
There’s a touch of extra sweetness and a sprinkle of spice but sadly the head is lacking.
It works out pricier than Guinness, by volume, and the ABV is less.
Worth a try for a change and the tin has personality – but I’d prefer a Guinness, please.
3/5
Brewdog Black Heart
4.1% ABV, £5.50 (4 x 440ml) or £3.13 per litre, Sainsbury’s
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IN its sleek black can, this brew is a very smart-looking sipper, which makes a very satisfying “whoosh” noise when you open it.
The pour is super-silky and, once it has settled, the head is beautifully creamy.
To drink, this feels a little lighter than a pub-poured pint of the big G. It has a pleasant, subtle cocoa-bean aroma with a moreishly bitter kick.
Smooth and delicious, you can enjoy this chilled or at room temperature – as the fancy takes you.
For me, the most accomplished of the Guinness alternatives – and it’s also a smidge cheaper.
Great stuff.
5/5
London Porter Dark Beer
5% ABV, £2.10 (500ml) or £4.20 per litre, Sainsbury’s
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PORTERS are traditionally a bit lighter in body and with a more roasted character than stouts, which tend to be fuller, darker and taste more bitter.
But I would also say that these days the lines between the two types of beer are blurring.
This brooding bevvy from Sainsbury’s own Taste The Difference range is an excellent price – and to drink it is savoury and very malty, with a smoky edge.
Not a glugger to knock back, this is one to take your time with, and it opens up over time so enjoy it slowly.
A very tasty treat that would be perfect with a steak and kidney pie or hearty stew.
Delicious.
4//5
Supermalt Stout
7.7% ABV, £7.50 (4 x 330ml) or £5.68 per litre, Morrisons
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SLIGHTLY straying from the path here is a supercharged drink that packs a real punch, with both flavour and its 7.7% ABV – although it handles the latter pretty well.
A cool bottle, with a bit of a retro feel, and the stout is very malty – as you would expect from the name.
There’s a strong roasted-bean note and this tipple is a fair whack sweeter than the others I tried – a bit like a grown-up, boozy Malteser experience.
The bubbles are much bigger than in Guinness but this stout has its own charm.
It would make a very good pairing with chocolate cake.
3/5
Camden Stout
4% ABV, £6.50 (4 x 440ml) or £3.84 per litre, Sainsbury’s
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THIS plucky pretender to the Guinness throne may give out the loud, proud North London vibes with its slick-looking tin, but what’s inside sadly fails to deliver.
It’s only two per cent weaker on the ABV than the bigger names, but has a real lack of body.
And there’s not much going on flavour-wise, except for a teensy bit of malty barley and some weedy, burnt coffee bean.
The meagre head is quite frankly embarrassing – and it’s more expensive than the Big G.
All flash and no smash. As far as I’m concerned one to avoid, people.
1/5
