Aldi’s Irish Stout (Guinness Competitor)
The Maguires Draught Stout from Aldi is a dark Irish stout similar to one of the most popular beers: Guinness Draught Stout. While the style of Maguires Stout is Irish the beer is actually made in Wisconsin (US). The brewer is State of Brewing in Waunakee, WI which also brews many of Aldi’s other beers.
This is a beer that Aldi seems to carry fairly often in their rotation so it is one I have had many times but I bought a 6 pack just for this article to make sure it was fresh in my head. This is a good but not great dark beer with a similar profile to other Irish stouts like Guinness. Aldi’s stout has a nice aroma of toasted malt and coffee and the flavor adds a bit of dark chocolate to those. It is has mild bitterness but balanced well, it is a lighter body than you might expect with the color and it is crisp and dry leaving a bit of an aftertaste. It is a little light on flavor but overall a good beer, I don’t find myself reaching for another after finishing one but it is good enough that I buy it semi-regularly.
Maguires Draught Stout Details
- Price: $6.99 (prices may vary) for a 6 pack
- Availability: Only at Aldi, I generally see it from fall into late winter
- Alcohol Content: 4.2% Alcohol/Vol
- Brewery: State Of Brewing (Waunakee, Wi)
- Sold in 6 packs of 12 oz glass bottles
Maguires Draught Stout Vs Guinness Draught Stout
Aldi’s Draught Stout is good Irish Stout style beer with a good price but I think it falls a bit short of the popular Guinness. While Guinness is a mass produced beer and may have toned down some of the flavour of a traditional stout to appeal to the masses it is still a very drinkable beer that is easy to find almost anywhere that sells beer (except Aldi).
One of the biggest differences between the two beers is the carbonation and texture. Maguires is carbonated like a standard beer which gives it a bit more bite and crispness and less head. Guinness on the other hand is well known for using nitrogen instead which creates a smoother, creamier drink due to the smaller bubbles. Side by side this make a big difference in the drinking experience and the nitro is something that I always liked with Guinness. Guinness is also a pretty light tasting beer and surprisingly refreshing, I think the flavour of the Guinness is more mild than the Maguires but it may be a little better flavour and more balanced. If the prices are the same I would probably pick Guinness 9 out of 10 times but Aldi’s beer is consistently cheaper (at least here) so I buy it more often than Guinness.
It is worth trying Maguires if you enjoy Guinness.
More Aldi Wine, Beer, and Alcohol Reviews: Red Wine –White Wine – Beer – All Alcohol – Winking Owl
Maguires Draught Stout Reviews
Great Substitution For Guiness
Light, dark stout with that Guiness aftertaste.
Low gravity so I don’t get drunk off of 1 beer (I’m a lightweight).
I love a Creamy Guiness Nitro on tap but the cost for a pint is almost the same as this whole 6 pack. Add some Aldi’s Borganzola Cheese and crackers for a yummy accompaniment
Availability of Aldi’s Maguire’s Draught Stout
Since I like the taste of Maguire’s Draught Stout better than Guinness I’m very disappointed that I can find at the Aldi’s stores year round. Question: When does Aldi’s start and stop having it in their stores? Have you considered having it available year round for folks like me?
Great Stout – Wish They Had It In Stock More Often
It’s a really good beer but I haven’t seen it in our Aldi’s in the last 4 months.
Great stout especially for its price
I like that one but unfortunately it is not always in stock.
Low carb and no after taste
I’ve come to really enjoy Maguires. I’m not a beer fanatic but when I do have beer I prefer a stout. Guiness is pricey compared to this. I find it to be flavorful with no after taste. I especiallyl8ke the low card count of this.