The Heart of Darkness: A Critical Tasting of Stouts.

I recently sat down to critically taste and evaluate fifteen different stouts. I included stouts from three of the most popular Stout categories: Dry Stouts, American Stouts, & Oatmeal Stouts.

Unlike huge, high gravity, high alcohol ‘Imperial Stouts’; Dry, American and Oatmeal Stout styles are similar enough to be considered as ‘sibling’ sub-styles of the larger Stout/Porter category. This means that it is quite appropriate to judge beers from these three slightly different styles side by side.

All beers were tasted blindly, in flights of two, with tasting notes taken immediately.

Without further ado, here are the beers which scored in my ‘top ten best of the tasting’, listed in ranked order:

Bell's - Kalamazoo Stout: Best of tasting. Near black with fine head retention and carbonation. Nose displays smokiness, huge anise overtones, and freshly used coffee grounds. The palate follows the nose, but adds a slight Port fruit character, along with a beautifully balanced malt and hop presence. Massive, robust, and memorable. Bravo! Rating A+

North Coast Brewing Co. - Old # 38: A beautiful, textbook example of a Dry Irish Stout! Very dark, with a rocky, tan head. Nice carbonation. Displays a very complex nose, with aromas of cappuccino, bitter chocolate and a hint of peat. The palate features a crisp attack, noticeable hop bitterness, roasted malt character, a very pleasant and distinct oiliness, and a long-lasting roasted finish. Outstanding! Rating: A

Sierra Nevada - Stout: Very dark with a fine, rocky, tan head. Very complex nose features: roasted grain, raisins, smoke, and American hop resin. The palate follows the nose, adding espresso, and also displaying a fine balance between hop bitterness and maltiness. Nice, full body with a long, roasted finish. A beautifully crafted, complex brew! Rating: A

Guinness - Extra Stout: The REAL Guinness. Near black in appearance, with a fine tan head. Excellent head retention. Aromas of bitter chocolate, British floral hops, roasted malt, and a very distinct earthiness which manifests itself as hay and humus. The palate displays roasted malt, brown sugar, distinct dryness, and that undeniable Guinness ‘tang’. A true classic. Rating: A

Snake River - Zonker Stout: Nearly black, with a brown head. Fine carbonation and retention. Aromas erupt out of the glass: roasted coffee bean, bitter chocolate, pine and burning charcoal. The palate follows the nose, and displays huge richness, followed by a distinct ‘tang’ and a dry finish. Wow. This is a GREAT beer! Rating: A

New Holland - The Poet: An Oatmeal Stout. Brownish-black with a fine tan head. The nose erupts with notes of fresh brewed coffee, roasted grain, smokiness, and oats. The palate follows the nose, and displays a strong current of raisin and molasses sweetness on the midpalate, followed by a long-lasting, astringent, smoky finish. A rugged beer, and very complex. Rating: A

O'Hara's - Celtic Stout: A fine example of a Dry Stout from Ireland. Brown/black in appearance, with fine lace and excellent carbonation. The nose displays coffee, burnt toast, and a nice earthy straw-like character. The palate features notes of roasted malt, bitter chocolate and a fine oiliness which is followed by a nice, hop-driven dryness. A very drinkable, complex, dry stout. Keep 'em coming! Rating A-

Young's - Oatmeal Stout: The classic British example of the Oatmeal Stout style. Tan/black in colour (note British spelling), with minimal but retentive tan head. The nose is characterized by notes of fresh brewed coffee, vanilla, roasted oats, grain, and smoke. The palate follows the nose, and also displays a wonderful smoothness with soft carbonation. Opulently rich, warm, smooth and inviting. A wonderful Stout! Rating A-

Mendocino Brewing Co. - Black Hawk Stout: Very dark, with a tan head - Minimal retention. The nose displays notes of brown sugar, cold coffee, and roasted malt. The palate follows the nose, and displays a distinct graininess which is followed by an astringent, dry finish. Well made and very memorable. A very good example of the style. Rating A-

Goose Island - Oatmeal Stout: A very good value Oatmeal Stout from one of America’s premiere value breweries. Brown/black with a whitish/tan head. Moderate carbonation. The nose displays aromas of ground coffee, milk chocolate, steel-cut oats, and burnt grains. The palate follows suite, with a fine richness and an underlying mocha character. Nice balance and richness. A real quaffer! Rating A-

In closing, be sure to try all ten of these remarkable Stouts. Every beer on this list is well above average quality. Enjoy!

Prost!