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.
Historical comparison published 27 April 2026. ABV, brewing arrangements and UK shelf prices below are that comparison's record; they have not been rechecked as current prices or ownership. Sources: Forged Irish Stout, Guinness, Porterhouse and the original ASDA shelf-price note. Confirm price and pack size at checkout.
Availability: check the official stockists route and retailer before buying Forged. This comparison is not a live stock feed.
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