Guinness is a favorite drink in Dublin, Ireland. Although Guinness is available in many countries, many people insist that only the Dublin product is the true Guinness.
 
‘Guinness doesn’t travel well” has been a popular saying since at least 1984.
   
“Comedy doesn’t travel well” is a saying about film comedies. “Defense travels well” is a popular sports saying.
     
 
Wikipedia: Guinness
Guinness (/ˈɡɪnɨs/) is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness (1725–1803) at St. James’s Gate, Dublin. Guinness is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide. It is brewed in almost 60 countries and is available in over 120. Annual sales total 850 million litres (1.5 billion Imperial or 1.8 billion US pints).
 
A feature of the product is the burnt flavour that is derived from roasted unmalted barley, although this is a relatively modern development, not becoming part of the grist until the mid-20th century. For many years a portion of aged brew was blended with freshly brewed beer to give a sharp lactic flavour. Although the Guinness palate still features a characteristic “tang”, the company has refused to confirm whether this type of blending still occurs. The draught beer’s thick, creamy head comes from mixing the beer with nitrogen when poured. It is popular with the Irish both in Ireland and abroad, and, in spite of a decline in consumption since 2001, is still the best-selling alcoholic drink in Ireland where Guinness & Co. makes almost €2 billion annually.
 
Google Books
Whole Europe Escape Manual:
U.K.-Ireland
By Kerry Green and Charles Leocha
Wilmington, DE: World-Leisure Corp.; New York, NY: Distributed by Kampmann & Co.
1984    
Pg. 135:
You’ll soon cover such important Guinness topics as “Why Guinness doesn’t travel well”; “what is the proper temperature at which to pull a pint”; how often the pipes have to be cleaned; “why Guinness can ‘go bad’ if a keg sits too long”; “the effects of keeping Guinness in the cellar or directly under the bar”; and “how long should it take to pull a pint.”
 
Google Groups: alt.beer  
More on Guinness Stout  
Grytpype-Thynne
6/11/92
(...)
For all you people who’d like to know what a *PROPER* pint of Guinness tastes like, I’m afraid that your only option is to visit Dublin and try one. (No plug intended) I understand that Guinness doesn’t travel too well, therefore, the only place to get a good *fresh* pint is Dublin.  QED
 
Google Groups: rec.food.drink
Guinness Pub Draught
Klaus Kaiser
8/9/95
(...)
Guinness brewed in Ireland is just the best! BECAUSE GUINNESS DOESN’T TRAVEL!!
 
Remember: Guinness in Northern Irlenad is brewed in GB and isn’t as good as Guinness brewed in Dublin!
 
The worst Guinness I had was in Kisumu, Kenya!
 
Google News Archive
2 March 1997, Gainesville (FL) Sun, “Cork: The heart of Ireland’s spirit(s),” pg. 10D, col. 5:
The beer turns the average Irish person into a philosopher and geographer.
 
“Guinness doesn’t travel well,” says Chris MacAllen of County Mayo. “In Dublin it’s the sweetest, Farther away it gets flatter tasting. I can’t imagine what it must taste like in California.”
 
Google News Archive
16 March 1998, Pittsburgh (PA) Post-Gazette, “Style File,” pg. B-2, cols. 2-3:
Guinness doesn’t travel well. The best pint of Guinness you can get is at a pub called James’s Gate, which is right at the entrance to the brewery. Even when it .travels to the west and south of Ireland, it takes something away from it.”
(Tom O’Donoghue, owner of a Blarney Stone pub.—ed.)
   
Google Books
Tripping the World Fantastic:
A Journey Through the Music of Our Planet
By Glenn Dixon
Toronto, ON: Dundern
2013
Pg. 285:
“You can buy Guinness all over the world now,” he went on, “but we have a saying here. Guinness doesn’t travel. It doesn’t taste quite the same anywhere else.”