Thousands of kegs of Guinness which could have left customers with a nasty taste in their mouths have been recalled en route to Europe and the US.
Guinness has recalled the kegs for the export market as they identified a potential risk that the pint may not taste as good as usual due to prolonged storage.
The kegs were on their way to Europe and also to some outlets in the US.
None actually reached customers who, the company insists, will not be left thirsty as the kegs are being replaced as soon as possible.
A Guinness spokeswoman said yesterday that the kegs were recalled due to a risk that the taste of the pint would not be up to its usual standard.
The spokeswoman would not reveal how many kegs had been recalled, but one source estimated it could be as many as 178,000.
"We can confirm that our quality-control assurance checks have identified a potential risk in some kegs of Guinness which might not meet our standards for flavour stability," the spokeswoman said. She said Guinness always tried to maintain high standards.
"Tests had indicated that over time some kegs might develop a flavour that could impact on enjoyment of the pint," she said. This was most likely to occur where there was a prolonged storage period, such as may be the case in some export markets.
