My earliest memory of Guinness is taking a sip of my dad’s Guinness while he was busy watching football on the television (I was eleven). Years later, I am here doing a taste test of Ireland’s most famous beer but without the booze – Guinness’ non-alcoholic dry stout.
With all the hype about how much Guinness 0.0 resembles the iconic dark stout, let’s see what we think in our Guinness 0.0 review where we review both versions side by side.
Guinness 0.0 Review
Looks & Appearance
First things first, I love that the can came with the familiar floating widget. Is it truly Guinness if it doesn’t have the nitrogen-containing widget?
As I crack open the can, that familiar Guinness hissing sound fills the air – the sound of nitrogen doing its magic.
Pouring the beer into my glass, it resembles regular Guinness. Guinness 0.0 pours a deep red color, almost black, with a thick and creamy egg-white foam head. Take a look at the picture below; both Guinness and Guinness 0.0 look identical!
On the nose, there’s no doubt it’s Guinness. Notes of roasted malts, coffee, and hints of chocolate fill the air, with the only missing element being the smell of alcohol.
Taste
I’m impressed by how closely resembling Guinness 0.0 is to the original Guinness. I can taste the roasted malts, the coffee, and the hints of chocolate notes.
Initially, I felt the body is a little thin for a stout, but after comparing it with the original Guinness and refreshing my memory of what the alcoholic Guinness tastes like, I realized Guinness is never a full-bodied stout to begin with.
There is also noticeable malt sweetness and the slightest hop bitterness. I’ve also noticed the bitterness gets stronger the longer it sits out.
The finish is dry with a slightly sweet palate coating.
Taste Test: Does Guinness 0 Taste Like The Real Thing?
Compared to the original Guinness, the non-alcoholic Guinness is slightly sweeter with less hop bitterness. The prominent taste and mouthfeel of alcohol is also absent, but at the same time, the absence of alcohol also allows the chocolate and coffee notes to stand out more.
In a blindfold test, I honestly think many Guinness lovers will struggle to be able to tell they were served a non-alcoholic Guinness. I certainly can’t taste a huge difference between both Guinesses.
Sure, there are some slight differences, like the missing taste of alcohol and a stronger coffee note. Alcohol also gives a beer a fuller body, but it is not to say that Guinness 0.0 has a thin body.
Customer Experience
Unsurprisingly, Guinness 0.0 has a 4.7-out-of-5-star rating on Amazon with more than 370 customer reviews. 93% of all the reviews are 4- and 5-star ratings with only 2% of those being 1-star reviews. The general consensus I get is people find the taste similar to the alcoholic Guinness – and that says a lot!
Ingredients And How It Is Made
Guinness 0.0 is brewed with water, malted barley, barley, roast barley, fructose, natural flavorings, Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen and hops. Most are the same ingredients as the regular Guinness stout, except for the addition of “Natural Flavorings.”
The alcohol is removed through cold filtration, which filters out the alcohol without subjecting the beer to thermal stress. This process allows Guinness to maintain the original flavors and character of a Guinness stout while filtering out the alcohol molecules.
Calories And Nutrition
A 440ml can of Guinness 0.0 has 75 calories and 16.7 grams of carbohydrates, which is half the caloric value of a regular Guinness stout.
| Guinness 0.0 (Avg Quantity Per 440mL) | Guinness (Avg Quantity Per 440mL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 75 kcal | 155 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 16.7g | 13.2g |
| Protein | 1.3g | 1.3g |
| Fat | 0g | 0g |
Final Verdict Of Our Guinness 0.0 Review
Oh how we love this non-alcoholic stout! We didn’t think it was possible, but Guinness has outdone themselves with the Guinness 0.0. Some might argue that Guinness 0.0 is a little thin bodied for a stout – but let’s be real here, so it the alcoholic stout.
In our taste test, where I drank both versions side by side, I honestly can’t smell or taste a huge difference between the two. Except for the lack of smell and taste of alcohol, all the flavor notes from the Guiness 0.0 is exactly like the alcoholic version.
Best For:
- If you are a Guinness fan
- Those who like their stouts not too bitter
Not Recommended For:
- Those who prefer very bitter stouts
Where To Buy Guinness 0.0
If you’re in the United States, you can order Guinness 0.0 from our favorite online retailer Proof No More. It is available as a single can, 4-pack, 6-pack, 12-pack, or a 24-pack.
For those in the UK, you can order Guinness 0.0 from Dry Drinkers.
Other FAQs About Guinness 0.0
Is Guinness 0.0 vegan?
Just like the regular Guinness, Guinness 0.0 is vegan-friendly and does not contain any animal-derived products.
Is Guinness 0.0 alcohol free?
Guinness 0.0 is indeed alcohol free, and it does not contain any traces of alcohol. This is the perfect non-alcoholic beer if you’re looking to avoid even 0.5% trace alcohol.
Is Guinness 0.0 lactose free?
Yes, Guinness 0.0 is lactose free as it does not contain dairy.
Is Guinness 0.0 Low FODMAP?
No, Guiness 0.0 is not Low FODMAP because it is brewed with gluten-heavy ingredients such as roasted barley.
If you’re looking for non-alcoholic beers that are Low FODMAP, then check out this article we wrote.
Is Guinness 0.0 available on draught?
Guinness 0.0 is available on draught only in selected pubs in the UK and Ireland, but there are plans to roll them out across more places.
We hope you enjoyed our Guinness 0.0 review. If you’re craving even more non-alcoholic dark beer reviews, click below:
If you are a Guinness fan, you'll find a very similar flavor experience with this non-alcoholic Guinness stout.