The Story of Guinness® Special Export

Commissioned by the adventuring brewer John Martin in 1944, Guinness Special Export stout packs a punch befitting his Belgian brewery. 8% alcohol creates a strong body. Rich malty flavours combine with smoky roasted barley. Liquorice and butterscotch play supporting roles, along with molasses, hints of vanilla and dark fruit accents. An Irish stout with a continental edge.

“8% alcohol creates a strong body. Rich malty flavours combine with smoky roasted barley”

As impressive and imposing as our St James’s Gate Brewery doors may be, they’re always open to new ideas and innovative thinking. Back in the 1940s, John Martin, an English brewer expatriated to Belgium ventured through those doors with an idea. He brought the notion of a punchier, fiercer Guinness brewed with less hops, a sweeter aftertaste and a lower bitterness to suit the Belgian palate. He requested a unique vintage be created especially for this purpose – the first Guinness beer to be served in Belgium. Creamy and light in texture and containing all of the distinctive characteristics of our Irish beer, it was a departure from the norm but still unmistakably Guinness. An adventuring brewer’s black gold.