Yep, I've often wondered why Guinness is made for local tastes. I remember my first pint of Guinness. What a bloody let down. In desperation, I had one when I lived in NZ. Christ..! That was awful, fizzy pop. Even the barman was slightly embarrassed to sell it to me. The look of Guinness promises so much, and yet there's easily more subtle flavours from a good pint of something decent from Hampshire, and the surrounding southern counties.
Speaking of which, the very best pint of beer [and there's some bloody good competition] I've ever tasted was Wadworth's Old Timer. My god, it was heaven in a glass. Very rare nowadays, at the pump, and only in autumn and winter. When I lived in Kent, there was a still local cider [not Merrydown] that was 8% minimum. After drinking down the half-pint [they didn't allow you to buy it in pints], you could tip the glass and there were characteristic ''legs' draining down the side of the glass. A sure sign of lots of alcohol.
Nowadays, my favourite tipple is Whisky, although in the last few years I have discovered Gin, through my niece, who likes to make cocktails. She makes a stunningly brilliant Martini. So dry that there's dust on the olive. I ask her how much Vermouth she puts in it. None, is usually the answer. She just points the glass in the direction of Italy.
