Thanks, guys. I just got in. I went out to dinner downtown after a political event. I had a Peroni (had to let the first one be an Italian beer) and Guinness. I thought I'd like the latter (since it's been described as being more "pudding like") but I found both to be way too bitter. I don't think I'm ever going to acquire a real taste for beer. I'll do some more sampling though.
Guinness tastes like pure ass to 3/4s of the human population, the other 1/4 think it's ambrosia. Nobody understands why. (it has nothing to do with the ethnicity of the drinker either)