July 18th, 2026 - The Essential "Taste" of Guinness

Good evenin' lads and lassies, rockers, rollers, and beer fans!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here pairing the brilliant self-titled debut album by Irish blues rock band Taste and a quintessential Guinness Draught Stout from Guinness Brewery!  Sláinte!

Album Info:

• Artist: Taste
• Title: "Taste"
• Recorded: August 1968 at De Lane Lea Studios in London, England
• Release date: April 1969 (1st studio album by Taste)
• Record company: Polydor 
• Production: Tony Colton
• Album cover art: Paragon Publicity (design)
• Personnel: Rory Gallagher (guitars, vocals, saxophone, and harmonica), Richard "Charlie" McCracken (bass guitar), and John Wilson (drums)
• Musical style: Blues rock, hard rock, R&B
• Sound: Combining American blues and English/Irish rock and hard rock, Taste has a rich tone steeped in the stylings of Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, and Eric Clapton with the hard rocking sensibility of bands like Thin Lizzy and Humble Pie.  
• Major themes: the blues, love desire, loss, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Blister On The Moon"
2. "Leavin' Blues"
3. "Sugar Mama" (traditional; arranged by Rory Gallagher)
4. "Hail"
5. "Born On The Wrong Side Of Time"
6. "Dual Carriageway Pain"
7. "Same Old Story"
8. "Catfish" (traditional; arranged by Rory Gallagher)
9. "I'm Moving On" (Hank Snow cover)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Guinness Brewery (Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland)
• Website: https://www.guinness.com/en-us
• Brew: Guinness Draught Stout 
• Style: Irish Stout
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.2%
• Ingredients: Malted and roasted barley, hops, yeast, nitrogen, and pure spring water from the Cooley Mountains of Dundalk
• Pour: The Guinness Draught Stout pours an opaque, very dark ruby red hue in a pint glass with a lumpy tan head that leaves intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Guinness Draught Stout is a mellow blend of dark roasted and toasted malts, soft caramel, cocoa, dark chocolate, and subtle dark roasted coffee notes.
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste is sweet, roasty, toasty, malty, and earthy.  There are robust notes of burnt toffee, dark chocolate, roasted malts, Walnuts, oak, rich coffee, and just a hint of smokiness.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Guinness Draught Stout is creamy and silky smooth with a dry, semi-sweet finish.

Overall pairing: Brewed in Dublin, Ireland since 1759, the Guinness Draught Stout is the quintessential Irish brew and the quintessential stout.  I cannot think of anything better to be drinking with the bluesy rockin' goodness of Rory Gallagher's Taste!  Like Gallagher's indelible guitar tone, the Guinness Black Lager is smooth, rich, and very drinkable... absolutely perfect!  'Nuff said!

Sláinte... Guid forder!!  Rock on!! 

Statue of Rory Gallagher in Belfast, Northern Ireland
 (photo by me, April 2025)