Manchester’s Trailblazer Stout is Blazing a Trail as Guinness Runs Dry

You may remember a few years ago we pitched our Trailblazer stout against Guinness in a blind taste test, with our locally brewed stout trounced its 250 year-old Irish counterpart – despite Trailblazer still being a newcomer to the market.

And with news this week that Guinness now faces a dry spell due to supply issues, even more drinkers are enjoying Trailblazer   – both in Joseph Holt`s 127 North West pubs as well as buying the stout online.

Said Paul Longmire, marketing manager of Joseph Holt: “We were absolutely thrilled when Trailblazer so comprehensively beat Guinness in the blind taste test – despite the company having a 250 year head start in terms of brewing stout. It is already soaring in popularity.  And now with news of their supply issues, Trailblazer is likely to reach an even wider audience .What our taste test revealed was that even if you`re the new kid on the block, you can be even more popular than a product that has, literally been around for, literally, centuries. That`s thanks to Trailblazer being flavoursome, balanced, and moreish.”

Brewed with distinct roasted barley, Trailblazer has a smoky, dark roast coffee aroma with hints of chocolate, treacle, liquorice, and nutty notes. With its velveted body and firm creamy head, it also strikes a subtle bitter sweet taste with a fine, dry finish.

In the carefully controlled tasting session, 85% of drinkers preferred Trailblazer which is produced at Joseph Holt`s brewery in Manchester. Trailblazer has also proved to be a multi-generational hit – since its launch there has been a 63% increase in the number of younger drinkers ordering a glass.

The decision for Joseph Holt to brew its own stout – in the face of long-time established brands reflected the company`s ethos of both respecting tradition and as well as developing new lines.

To blind test the two types of stout, drinkers were given unmarked glasses of the two products. After assessing the stouts for their appearance, they then sampled each drink to compare their taste.

You can see a full video of drinkers carrying out the tests here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iEHneBR6eg

As well as beating the competition, Paul Longmire points out that drinkers will also appreciate that Trailblazer is competitively priced.

He adds: “Trailblazer is cheaper because we brew it in-house without any compromise on the quality of ingredients. We recognise the strength of the competition but it is not only in price that we intended  to beat the competition but  in quality too – as witnessed by the results of our blind taste test”.

Trailblazer Stout