Thanks to our Guest Blogger and beer aficionado… In this week’s article Denis, “the man” Cooper writes about Sensational Dark Sessionables. Yes, we’re talking Stout! We have plenty to choose from at Fresh Choice Nelson.
All the great sport going on at the moment has given me this uncontrollable urge to get gardening. Yep, I want to plant myself firmly on the couch in front of the TV and then watch it happen. And as every good gardener knows, things can get a little thirsty. I’m not thinking about water here, but beer! The beer needs to be sessionable – relatively low in alcohol content and therefore suitable for drinking over an extended period. That way, I can watch until the end (sometimes the bitter end!). These light beers are not necessarily light in colour. They can be dark and flavoursome. With these colder nights, a warming and sessionable stout is the way to go.
Here are three new stouts from the Fresh Choice Nelson fridge that you can plant in your taste buds.
Townshend Keystone Milk Stout
This is a tweaked version of Townie’s former 5.5% Keystone stout, with this one being even more sessionable at 5.1%. Milk stout is named after lactose sugars. These can’t be fermented by the yeast so leave a residual sweetness. Like the previous version, this milk stout still retains that smooth, velvety mouthfeel with loads of chocolaty goodness upfront then roasty malts and delicate sweetness.
Emerson’s Bluffie
A bluffie is someone who lives in the oyster capital of Bluff. Bluff is where Richard Emerson from Dunedin personally collects oysters from the sea bed to infuse into this stout. Unlike a sweetish milk stout, Emerson’s Bluffie Stout has briny notes along with dark roasted malts and some salt around the fringes, resulting in a richness well beyond its low 4.2%. This brew finishes with a satisfying bitterness.
Epic Fat Shady
Yes, that is shady, not shandy; and no, it’s not the characteristic Epic hop bomb. This beer is an extra stout ale, classic and dry. This brew tastes of well-roasted malts and coffee that result in an opulence belying it’s 4.8% with a smooth-as finish.
Now, hoe on down to Fresh Choice Nelson and dig up some low-down couch stouts!