Twenty20 Day One

To celebrate the  Twenty20 World Cup being held in the UK, Real Ale Reviews will be bringing you few ‘battles’ over the coming days, putting beers, from some of the competing nations against each other in head to head battles where international reputations are on the line.

The format in the super 8′s will be a chosen head to head from one of the games on a given day

So, match one sees the Republic of Ireland go up against India. Let Twenty20 battle, commence…

Guinness Brewery – Foreign Extra Stout, 7,5%

Woah! First ball down knocked straight out of the ground. Not many beers get this as my first reaction but Guinness Foreign Extra was not what I was expecting at all!

This isn’t Guinness as you know it from your local O’Neills or Wetherspoon’s – this is raw and rugged in comparison, wholehearted Twenty20 game cricket rather than the well oiled, patient, test game we all grew up with. K.P. not Boycott.

I’m probably getting carried away. But certainly, Foreign Extra is nearer the type of drink that Guinness started out as, so compared to modern stuff, this is a full on, intense, stout experience.

As well as that, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable stout experience. I’m usually an IPA/pale ale man, and stronger types like stout and porter don’t go down too well. But Guinness Foreign Extra is deeply dark and malty and it’s this that attracts me. That, and the complexity that draft Guinness, in a English pub anyway, just can’t match. This ale is a must when it comes to trying the best in the real ale world.

Foreign Extra has hints of an IPA history, brewed stronger to survive the long journeys abroad. Until recently it was only readily available in far flung corners of the world, but a resurgence in real ale has led to its appearance in UK and Europe.

I grabbed a bottle from ASDA Morley and suggest that you keep an eye out for it in your local beer shop / supermarket too.

Score (out of 20) – big hitting game player, might get caught out one day but will take you on a hell of ride on the way – 15

India – King Cobra, 8% abv

King Cobra seems to be guilty of trying to play a hard hitting 20 over man match with too much complexity. Perhaps the power difference between this beer and the Guinness, that batted first, meant that it was never going to find the run rate needed.

Against different opposition the fruity flavour of the Cobra, which actually meant that it was not at all aggressive on the palette for such a strong lager, may have won the day, but it simply could not compete with the Guinness.

Ironically, I bet that most people pick up the Cobra to accompany strong or spicy tea. I would actually recommend that the subtleness would better compliment a dinner time snack such as a salad or some grilled fish or chicken.

Score (out of 20) – Subtle technicality not suited to Twenty20 game, soundly outbatted – 4