I blind taste tested Guinness against its rival and one thing stood out

The meteoric rise in popularity of Guinness seems to have come out of nowhere. Though it has always been a favourite of a certain type of drinker - long perceived as an old man's beer - everybody seems to be drinking it these days.

It appears younger drinkers have been drawn to the rich and creamy Dublin stout due to the trend of the game 'splitting the G', where drinkers have to ensure their first sip cuts the G on the pint glass in half. The surge in popularity meant that UK bars and pubs faced a worrying shortage of Guinness barrels in the run up to Christmas, with some venues rationing the drink to get by.

Amid that Guinness shortage, a rival brand enjoyed a spike in sales. December saw a huge rise in demand for Cork stout Murphy’s, with pint sales up 632% in UK pubs and bars, compared with the same period in 2023. Across the whole of 2024, the Heineken-owned brand saw an overall increase in draught sales of 176%.

READ MORE: Former bar that became eyesore to be transformed into 'landmark'

READ MORE: We knew our area needed a bar like this and now it's bouncing every weekend

Guinness and Murphy's look very similar but the latter has long claimed to be lighter, sweeter and less bitter than its rival from the Irish capital. With the two beers becoming ever-more popular, there are a number of pubs across Liverpool that now serve both, including The Dispensary on Renshaw Street and Kelly's on Smithdown Road.

ADVERTISEMENT

In the name of consumer journalism, myself and ECHO video producer Alice Walker made the short journey from our Old Hall Street office to The Lion Tavern on Moorfields, where you will find both Guinness and Murphy's on the bar, and put the two stouts to the test.

Before we continue, I must declare that I love Guinness and it is far and away my favourite beer. I believe the thick, creamy head followed by deep, indulgent malty notes of coffee and chocolate across a velvety texture make for a drink like no other.

But I'm also a fan of a Murphy's - it does many things right and it makes for a nice change whenever I see it on the bar. So, once we arrived at The Lion, Alice ordered me a pint of each in unmarked glasses and I set about conducting a blind taste test.

As you can see in the video above, the first beer I tried was on my left-hand side. I had my suspicions immediately - it was thinner than I expected and had an earthy quality - so I thought it was Murphy's.

Kegs of Murphy's Irish Stout are delivered by Heineken UK to a pub
Kegs of Murphy's Irish Stout are delivered by Heineken UK to a pub -Credit:David Parry/PA Media Assignments

Murphy's may claim to be sweeter than Guinness but I have never found that to be the case. I think you get a more obvious bitter initial taste, with a heavily roasted, malty coffee taste dominating. I don't think that's a bad thing, however.

ADVERTISEMENT

But the lack of a smooth, thick and velvety body was a problem. Murphy's simply cannot compete with Guinness when it comes to thickness and texture. And that is what stood out when I drank the pint on my right-hand side.

The head had the requisite thickness and creaminess, before the chocolate, coffee and biscuit flavours arrived to tickle the taste buds. The beer retained its velvety thickness throughout. I knew it was Guinness.

Alice confirmed I had got the blind taste test right, I can rest easy, knowing I can tell the difference between the two beers without having to rely on the label on a pint glass. Though I prefer Guinness, I would encourage those who have not tried Murphy's to give it a go. It's a very good stout, it just doesn't quite reach the upper echelons.

Alice's verdict of Murphy's - having never tried it before

My first experience of Murphy's was interesting because I am not one to drink a stout usually, so it was very much going in blind. I have had Guinness but I can count the times on one hand.

But I must say that I enjoyed this as well, but even with my limited experience of Guinness I could tell that it was Murphy's in the glass. I think I could tell the difference in that Murphy's tasted thinner and not quite that iconic Guinness taste but it was still very enjoyable. I absolutely finished and enjoyed my pint.