Mix a serving of Guinness--even straight from the tap at a good beer bar--into a blind beer tasting with serious, experienced beer analysts, and watch them generally dismiss this "failed attempt" at a good Irish stout--and then watch their faces as you tell them it IS Guinness. Based on several repetitions of this experiment over the past couple years, I'm of the belief that Guinness--which is now brewed in at least 50 countries--has been "dumbed down" a bit over the years. It can't be all our taste buds becoming acclimated to better beer.

That said, there was a "Peanuts" strip in the early 1960s where Charlie Brown said "A hot dog just doesn't taste right without a ball game in front of it." Similarly, I would say a Guinness doesn't taste right without a music session in front of it, and to that end I would recommend the only bar in the region still hosting both Guinness and sessions: J. Patrick's in Locust Point.

I'm also not a huge fan of Guinness, and generally prefer craft-brewed stouts to mega-brews, and I certainly agree with Alexander's assessment of Guinness as having been "dumbed down" to meet popular taste. (Although if you know a bit of history, you know that Guinness Stout was developed to please popular tastes in the first place.) For Irish stouts, I'm particularly fond of O'Hara's stout, which is a bit dryer and fuller bodied.

With that said, I will tell you that J. Patrick's in Locust Point pours the best pint of Guinness in town - hands down.

Best? Not really sure about that one. I had a well looking one at James Joyce this weekend that tasted like coffee.

I've heard that the high test version is available in the Caribbean and on some cruise ships.

I too think that Guiness is quite the over rated beer. I won't even drink it by it's self. I do enjoy the occasional black and tan or a black and blue.

I rarely drank stouts until my first trip to Ireland, when I fell in love with Guinness. I recall being told that the Guinness in Ireland was better than anywhere else because every where else it was pasteurized, even in Britain. I too vote for J. Patrick's, even though its clientele has been diluted by newbies.

J. pats on the South side of town for sure. But the place to go on the North side of town is Reilly's Shebeen, underneath Angelina's.

Don't let the Italian name of the place upstairs fool you. The Reilly family bought the place in the 1960's and added what is now a renowned Irish Pub in the basement (the Shebeen). It has it;s own seperate entrance on harford rd. It was the first Irish pub in Baltimore to serve Guiness draught.

It's very much got sort of a J. Patrick's type of a feel to it. It's certainly not like those petentious faux places like The Still, Ryan's Daughter, etc. And the best part is that the Hamilton neighborhood hasn't been yuppified like Locust Point and so-called "Federal Hill."

J Patricks on the south side, Mike McGoverns on canton side (although they are only open thurs-sat, great place to have a few)

Rob, the extra-strength version you're looking for is available in any purveyor of quality brews. It's Guinness Extra Stout, packaged in regular 12 oz. bottles (not the 11.2 oz "draft" version with the little nitrogen thingy). It was formulated, like India Pale Ales, with extra alcohol and extra body, to withstand the voyage to tropical climates. For comparison, try it next to a Red Stripe Dragon Stout from Jamaica.