Is the Guinness really better in Ireland? {Gadling}

Mar 20th 2008 4:42PM I've had some of the best, yes and some of the worst, in all the places that I've had the pleasure to drink Guiness. That includes Dublin, Galway, London, Doolin, Westport, Dingle, Shannon Airport, Ennis, Feakle, Toronto, Hamilton, Boston, Pittsburgh, and in my own home in West Virginia where I had my very own private Guiness tap, complete with a 50 lb regulated tank 60/40 mix of Nitrogen/Carbon Dioxide, delivering 35 psi pressure to the keg within a restaurant size frig. where the temperature was regulated to 42 degrees F, as recommended by the Guiness guidelines. Alcohol content is 4% and I doubt very much if it varies wherever it is sold under the same name. Too much to risk altering the flavor.
As to the bubbles, it is little known that the Guiness tap( the part that releases the beer into the glass), has a thin metal disc in the faucet with very tiny holes in it which all the beer must pass through (hence the high delivery pressure) 35 psi would never be used on American lagers since it would never come out as a liquid but a continuous stream of foam. Not very economical, wouldn't sell.
As to the other differences that I have observed:
1. 3-4 days of undisturbed chilling improves the flavor. after that, emptying the line between the faucet and the keg helps keep the lines clean.
2. a proper two step pouring procedure is definitely required.
3. a squeaky clean, DRY glass, unfrosted gives a creamier head.

Of course, sitting in Dublin helps all of the above to be even better. But the demanding native customer is the the best insurance of a carefully treated pint,
wherever fine beers like Guiness are served