Why is Guiness so much better tasting from the tap than in a bottle?!
I can't stand bottled guiness. tastes like I am drinking a liquid railroad tie.
Answers: I have heard it is because they use CO2 to carbonate. And it is also better if the particular bar goes through a keg fast or not.
I can't stand bottled guiness. tastes like I am drinking a liquid railroad tie.
Guinness Draught in the Bottle tries to emulate the taste of true draft Guinness with the Nitrogen widget, as AleSmith mentioned. It is carbonated, but lightly, so older bottles will lose enough carbonation over time that they appear still, with the exception of the Nitro burst...
Guinness on tap is what the liquid in the bottle is supposed to taste like. They use a blend of CO2 and Nitrogen to push the beer, giving it a creamier mouthfeel and flavor than most draft beers.
It's not necessarily a matter of freshness, though it could be, but kegs of Guinness have a life of nearly 1 year until they are tapped.
It could also have something to do with the brewing process, as Guinness Draught in the bottle is brewed in Geulph, Ontario, Canada, for the North American market; kegs, although, are imported from England (not Ireland, strangely enough).
If you want a great bottle of Guinness, pick up some Guinness Extra Stout (the shorter, fatter bottles in a yellowish-brown 6pack). This version is stronger, richer, and closer to what the real product would taste like if you visited St. James Gate itself!
Cheers!
The Guiness your getting from the tap is a whole lot fresher than what your getting from a bottle. When stored in bottles, the amount of liquid is so much smaller that it starts to spoil a whole lot faster than when stored in kegs.
Guinness in cans/bottles utilize a "widget" which releases a burst of nitrogen gas in to the beer in an effort to emulate an actual nitrogen beer tap. Which is better is all in the eye of the beholder but I will agree that there are definitely differences between the two. I'm not sure if cans/bottles are still carbonated with CO2 or not, whether that be naturally or force carbonated.
Nitro taps, which use nitrogen and CO2 in a mix, are a special tap set up generally used for stouts because it lends a creamy mouthfeel to the beer which is generally desirable in stouts.
Edit:
You can't "carbonate" with nitrogen. Carbonation is specific to CO2 (CARBON dioxide). What I meant was I don't know if the cans/bottles are "still" prior to the nitrogen infusion from the widget.
Well in my opinion Guiness in bottles taste better.
Actually they are two different monsters...most everyone here had mentioned that the cans and bottles have a "widget" but that is true only in the "draught" style. The Guiness Extra Stout is not a draught type has a totally different taste.
I like it on tap and the can. I do not like it in the bottle