Aldi’s own stout has been called ‘better than Guinness’ – I wanted to know if that’s true.
Aldi says that when it trialled its new canned stout, people said it was “so much better than Guinness”. This is a bold claim, given how long Guinness has dominated the stout market all over the world and how, despite its vast scale, it still retains a flavour, quality and consistency loved by millions.
It also has no shortage of competitors eager to knock it off its perch, ranging from long-established stouts like Murphy’s to newcomers including one that’s been called “the best stout you can buy in Britain”. There’s no doubt that there really are lots of excellent stouts out there.
But I wanted to know whether Aldi’s claim that its Mulligan’s stout, which was been available since September, was better than Guinness would stand up to scrutiny. Both Mulligan’s and Guinness have an ABV of 4.1% and come in 440ml cans.
Aldi v Guinness — the price
This one is as black and white as a good stout: Aldi wins. A four-pack of Mulligan’s costs £4.99, compared to four cans of Guinness at £5.65, making Guinness 13% more expensive. Of course, you can get a four-pack of Guinness in any supermarket, express store or corner shop in Britain, while you can only get Mulligan’s in Aldi. So if you don’t live near an Aldi, the question is whether that 66p saving per four-pack is worth the extra effort.
Aldi v Guinness — what people say
Aldi says its stout has “notes of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and sweet toffee” and a “rich, velvety, award-winning stout that’s already turning heads in the beer world”. It claims that when it trialled the launch of its new beer, drinkers preferred it to Guinness. It quotes one as saying: “That’s fantastic, what a beer. It’s rich, it’s creamy, good mouth feel, roasted Malt coming through. For me, the Mulligan’s wins.”
A second called the Aldi stout “beautiful” and another said they “definitely preferred it over canned Guinness”. Famed stout drinker Jason Hackett, known as Prime Mutton online where he reviews stouts around the world for his 250,000 followers, said it was “smooth, creamy, balanced and easier on the pocket… than some major competitors that you might be aware of”. However, this was a paid partnership with Aldi.
Aldi v Guinness — pour and taste
This is the thing that really counts. Can Aldi’s new Mulligan’s stout match the tried and tested Guinness taste? I tried the Guinness first, from a can with a widget. It had a perfect pour and had that distinctive stormy Guinness settle that you get in a pub (but quicker). Although a pint will always taste better in a pub than in a can, the Guinness still had all the excellent characteristics you’d expect from this giant of a drink. It was smooth with a thick, creamy head and was delicious.
The Aldi can did not have a widget. It settled in the glass much quicker than the Guinness but once settled it was hard to tell the difference between them. The head was just as thick and creamy and it looked every bit as delicious. It tasted good too, with the same toasted and chocolatey notes. However, it did taste sweeter, with those sweet toffee notes coming through. It wasn’t sickly, but it was less subtle than the Guinness. One friend who tasted it with me said it “tastes like what people who don’t make Guinness think Guinness should taste like”.
On price, it’s a straightforward win for Aldi’s Mulligan’s. But on taste, Guinness wins and I’m still waiting to try a stout that beats it. That said, Aldi has done its reputation no harm with its new stout and I’d happily drink it again.
