A reviewer has ranked 16 canned stouts and crowned a £1.49 stout as the surprise winner — beating Guinness, Aldi's Mulligan's and Jeremy Clarkson's Hawkstone in the taste test.
The Undisputed King Faces Challengers
Guinness reigns supreme as the undisputed king of Irish-style stouts. Boasting a depth of flavour that most rivals simply cannot match, it's a drink for all seasons — just as satisfying at a summer barbecue as it is if you're nursing a pint beside a roaring fire on a bitter winter's night.
Yet it's far from short of competition. Murphy's and Beamish are household names, but a whole host of newcomers are jostling to steal a slice of Guinness's crown — many of them at considerably cheaper prices.
But does a lower price tag mean a drop in quality? One YouTube creator decided to put every Guinness alternative on the market to the test, and the shock winner hails from a national retailer that's fast becoming one of Britain's most popular places to shop.
The Taste Test
On his The Crumby Beard channel, stout aficionado Tom has put offerings from the likes of Aldi, Lidl, and Jerry Clarkson's craft beer label Hawkstone through their paces. While his verdicts are naturally subjective, it's remarkable to discover that Guinness sits at just number six in his ranking of 16 canned stouts.
In January 2024, the rapidly expanding chain Home Bargains snapped up Liverpool's Love Lane Brewery out of administration. The brewery, best known for its craft lager and pale ale, also produces an Irish-style stout that is "genuinely excellent" according to the Crumby Beard review.
Tom sampled the drink in two different ways - both using the £25 Guinness Nitrosurge device, which claims to deliver a creamier, more authentic pub-style pint, and a straightforward "hard pour."
It was the Love Lane stout that emerged victorious: "The Nitrosurge is good. It is very good in fact and is only diminished by how good the hard pour is," Tom said.
It's actually the second Home Bargains stout he's put to the test: "When I started this series, the most requested was Dorothy Black, a Home Bargains special. I reviewed that and I thought it was very nice, but maybe not the best," Tom pointed out. "But everyone suddenly said, 'Ah, there's now another one' literally the same week that I bought the previous one."
While Home Bargains' Dorothy Black stout managed just 21 out of a possible 30, landing it in 11th place, the Love Lane stout racked up an impressive 24.5. It earned top marks for its outstanding value alongside its exceptional flavour.
Aldi Mulligan's Stout scored 22.5, securing eighth position on the leaderboard.
The Hawkstone stout, which Tom tried at Jeremy Clarkson's Farmer's Dog pub, was "strong and sharp," came highly recommended but currently sits in seventh spot, with a respectable 23 points out of 30.
If the Cotswolds feel a touch too distant, Hawkstone Black is also available through Morrisons supermarkets — retailing online at £7.50 for four 440ml cans.
The Home Bargains option, priced at roughly £1.49 per can, is proving tough to top.
