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Guinness FES and SES

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  • 31-08-2012 11:02am
    #1
    Geuze
    Registered Users Posts: 13,348 ✭✭✭✭


    Just a few queries about Guinness Foriegn Extra Stout and Special Export Stout.

    What is the difference between them?

    The FES seems to be 7.5%, and the SES 8%, but other than that????

    I see the FES is some supermarkets in Irl, but I have never seen the SES?

    Is SES available in Ireland? Or, as its name suggests, it's just made for export?


    I was in Berlin in July, at a pub called Aufsturz on Oranienburger strasse, and they had ES for 3.00, which seemed good value, and the SES for 3.30, which is great value.

    http://www.aufsturz.de/
    Tagged:


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    #2
    ciaran76
    Registered Users Posts: 4,694 ✭✭✭ciaran76


    Read The Beernuts blog about the differences. I am sure he wont mind me posting a link to his blog.

    http://thebeernut.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/stouts-of-wrath.html


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    #3
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users Posts: 16,939 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    The special export is made for the Belgian Market and comes in a much nicer old style bottle;).
    Tastewise, I think the SES is a little sweeter and more rounded - I prefer it but the FES is much cheaper to buy here and there really isn't much between them.

    Specialist beer shops sometimes have the SES.


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    #4
    ciaran76
    Registered Users Posts: 4,694 ✭✭✭ciaran76


    I like them both to be honest and only drink them at room temp.


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    #5
    oblivious
    Registered Users Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭oblivious


    Geuze wrote: »

    Is SES available in Ireland? Or, as its name suggests, it's just made for export

    redmonds of ranelagh sells it


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    #6
    Martyn1989
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,561 ✭✭✭Martyn1989


    oblivious wrote: »
    Geuze wrote: »

    Is SES available in Ireland? Or, as its name suggests, it's just made for export

    redmonds of ranelagh sells it
    Also can usually be got from Drinkstore.ie


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    #7
    Tube
    Registered Users Posts: 327 ✭✭Tube


    ciaran76 wrote: »
    Read The Beernuts blog about the differences. I am sure he wont mind me posting a link to his blog.
    I think the claim that it was because of a growing African community that Guinness decided to distribute FES in Ireland is not correct. AFAIR a UK-based distributor started importing from Nigeria and distributing in UK and Ireland. Diageo decided to short circuit this by distributing directly themselves.


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    #8
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,835 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    Tube wrote: »
    I think the claim that it was because of a growing African community that Guinness decided to distribute FES in Ireland is not correct.
    It's what was in the press at the time. Surely the reason an importer began bringing FES from Nigeria to Ireland in the first place was the African community here?

    I'm not particularly happy with that blog post, for the record. I've tweaked it since I first wrote it and it's still not great. Special Export isn't "for everyone else", it's a direct contract brew for John Martin's in Belgium. Any that we see here has been bought from Martin's and exported.

    Guinness trivia: SES was the first version of Guinness to be pasteurised. Guinness installed the system in Martin's bottling centre themselves, in 1930.

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



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    #9
    Tube
    Registered Users Posts: 327 ✭✭Tube


    BeerNut wrote: »
    Surely the reason an importer began bringing FES from Nigeria to Ireland in the first place was the African community here?
    Maybe so, but it was reported that Diageo's reason was to drive the unofficial distributor out of the market, and they succeeded: Though the African community remains, I haven't seen Nigerian made stuff in a few years now.
    BeerNut wrote: »
    I'm not particularly happy with that blog post,
    I've no problem with the rest of it, though you tend to be a bit automatically anti-Guinness/Diageo! :)


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    #10
    Geuze
    Registered Users Posts: 13,348 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    So, just to be clear on SES:

    It's brewed in Dublin specifically for the Belgian wholesaler.

    It's bottled in Belgium by Martin's???

    If you see it for sale in Berlin or Dublin, it has been re-exported by Martins??


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    #11
    Geuze
    Registered Users Posts: 13,348 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    Whereas regarding FES:

    It's brewed here in Dublin?

    It's bottled in Dublin???

    It's for sale here via Diageo (now)?


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    #12
    oblivious
    Registered Users Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭oblivious


    Geuze wrote: »
    Whereas regarding FES:

    It's brewed here in Dublin?

    It's bottled in Dublin???

    It's for sale here via Diageo (now)?


    Yes I believe

    Dunnes stores, Tesco and many off licences sells it


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    #13
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,835 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    Geuze wrote: »
    It's brewed in Dublin specifically for the Belgian wholesaler.
    Yes.
    Geuze wrote: »
    It's bottled in Belgium by Martin's?
    I think so: that's how these things are normally done. It uses standard Belgian 33cl bottles so it's certainly their bottle spec.
    Geuze wrote: »
    If you see it for sale in Berlin or Dublin, it has been re-exported by Martins?
    Yes.
    Geuze wrote: »
    It's brewed here in Dublin?
    Yes.
    Geuze wrote: »
    It's bottled in Dublin?
    For the Irish market, yes, I'd say so. Irish-brewed FES for the UK is quite likely tankered over and bottled at Runcorn, like their other beers. They've recently started exporting FES to the US. I'd say that's bottled over there, but it could be coming from Runcorn or Dublin.
    Geuze wrote: »
    It's for sale here via Diageo (now)?
    Yep. €2 a bottle in the James's Gate giftshop last time I was in: fantastic bargain.

    There's some inside info on the FES/SES thing here.

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



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    #14
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    It's about €1.80 in most offies in Galway too (FES) and around the same , or less than €2, in Dunnes/tesco/O'Briens.


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    #15
    Technocentral
    Registered Users Posts: 6,102 ✭✭✭Technocentral


    FES is great, makes regular Guinness taste like weak lager pish.


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    #16
    blueshed
    Registered Users Posts: 627 ✭✭✭blueshed


    The FES is in the eurospar Dunboyne at €2.15 a btl


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    #17
    Geuze
    Registered Users Posts: 13,348 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    FES increased in Tesco from 1.75 to 2.39, approx 35% increase.

    Brutal.

    The higher duty is maybe 10c.


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    #18
    Technocentral
    Registered Users Posts: 6,102 ✭✭✭Technocentral


    Geuze wrote: »
    FES increased in Tesco from 1.75 to 2.39, approx 35% increase.

    Brutal.

    The higher duty is maybe 10c.

    Yeah but that couldn't have lasted too long, a deliciously tasty stout with 7.5 abv for such a low price? I got my fill at that price while I could!


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