The headline match-up. Both Dublin nitro Irish dry stouts at 4.2% ABV, both pouring into the same kind of glass with the same kind of cascade. Forged is the 2023 entrant; Guinness Draught is the 1959 invention of nitro-stout dispense itself. Here's how they compare on facts, and how they actually drink in the same sitting.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Forged Irish Stout | Guinness Draught |
|---|---|---|
| ABV | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Style | Nitro Irish dry stout | Nitro Irish dry stout |
| Format reviewed | 440ml widget can | 440ml widget can |
| Brewery | Porterhouse, Dublin (under contract) | St James's Gate, Dublin (Diageo) |
| Brewery founded | 1996 (Porterhouse) · 2020 (Forged brand) | 1759 |
| Commercial launch | August 2023 | 1959 (nitro Draught format) |
| Approx UK shelf price | £2.00–2.50 / can (ASDA) | £2.00–2.80 / can |
How they pour
Visually identical at a metre's distance. Both use a widget; both produce the cascade, the dense off-white head, and the long settling time. Side by side, Guinness's head is a touch more biscuit-coloured; Forged's is a shade paler. Head retention is excellent on both — both still have a layer at the bottom of the glass.
How they smell
Guinness has a sharper roasted-grain note up front; Forged is more restrained, with a softer cocoa edge instead of Guinness's burnt-toast intensity. Hop aroma is negligible in both — that's how the style works.
How they taste
This is where the difference lives.
Front palate: Forged is gently sweet — pale-malt sweetness, a hint of chocolate. Guinness is drier from the first sip, with the burnt-roast edge that comes from unmalted roasted barley.
Mid palate: Both go creamy and round. The mouthfeel is genuinely similar — the nitro is doing the same work in both cans.
Finish: Guinness ends with that signature bitterness — a coffee-like astringency that wipes the palate. Forged is much cleaner, almost soft. Some drinkers will read this as elegance; others as a lack of personality.
The verdict
Forged vs Guinness
Same family, different temperaments
If you want the textbook Irish dry stout taste — the dry roast, the slight bitterness, the historical reference — Guinness is what you're after. If you want a smoother, sweeter session-stout that still does the nitro thing, Forged is a serviceable alternative. They're recognisably the same family of beer; the question is whether you want the 1759 institutional version or the 2023 brand-led variant. For most drinkers most of the time, Guinness Draught is the better buy. Forged has the nostalgia-of-novelty going for it but doesn't actually do anything Guinness doesn't already do better.
Pick Forged if…
- You drink Guinness but find the bitter finish too aggressive
- You're a McGregor fan or buying for one
- You want a sweeter session stout
- You're hosting a stout flight and want a fourth pour next to the heritage three
Pick Guinness if…
- You want the canonical Irish dry stout taste
- You value brewery heritage and provenance
- You like the roasted-bitter finish that defines the style
- You're drinking on draught — Guinness's draught network is in a different league