TOPIC:

Does Guinness, or other nitro stout, actually taste different if you pour it in one, rather than go though the two stage pour ritual?

I've no memory of ever tasting a pint of nitro stout which was poured in one go. However, I always prefer the taste of a pint which was left to go completely black before topping off than one finished when still somewhat brown.

I doubt there's any scientific explanation for this, other than the psychological, but I'm voting yes anyway.

I always believed that it was very important, but as I have learned more about beer, I have come to think that it's just another bit of Guinness mythology.

It probably has it's roots in the changeover from cask to Nitro keg. Give it a special ritual and people will think it is special, rather than inferior.

I can see absolutely no reason why it would make any difference to the flavour of the beer.

I don't think it could possibly make a difference to the taste, as long as it's coming from one tap and you let it settle before actually drinking it. If it's still brown and settling there might be a difference in taste, but I'd say that this would be very slightly due to nitrogen settling out, and mostly psychological.

On an aside, do you mind waiting for a proper 7-minute pour for a Pils in Germany? <!-- s:D --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->

&amp;quot;sbillings&amp;quot;:2z1d39sm wrote: It probably has it's roots in the changeover from cask to Nitro keg. Give it a special ritual and people will think it is special, rather than inferior. [/quote:2z1d39sm]
Close,
In the recently reviewed[/url:2z1d39sm] book, it states that it was introduced at the switch from the 2-keg pour to the nitro, as the customer was used to having it poured in 2 parts, one from the fresh keg, and one from the aged keg, so to introduce some consistency it was used, so the customer still realised s/he was getting guinness or something like that.
So not directly because of the introduction of Nitro per se, more the change in technology.

Does it have any influence the fact that the first pour is downward and the second one is forward? Is it a matter of different pressures?