Just as Pilsner is a style of lager, so too is stout beer a style of porter. Back in the eighteenth century, all porters were a murky brown colour. Fortunately, in 1817 the drum roaster was invented and enabled numerous styles to be created, forever changing the colour and flavour of porters. Stout became an inebriated term used for strong porters. Later came stouter stouts and imperial stouts. Like the Indian pale ale, these imperial stouts were brewed stronger to prevent deterioration during long export journeys to places like Imperial Russia… Hence the Russian Imperial Stout. The Baltic Stout was another version shipped across the Baltic seas.
Other types of stout beer which evolved, include:
- Dry stouts – Rely on the bitterness from the roasted grain to provide a dry finish.
- Milk stouts – Contain Lactose (milk sugar) which isn’t eaten by the yeasties and so leaves a residual sweetness.
- Oatmeal stouts – Have oatmeal (well hello!) which adds a richer, silkier mouthfeel.
Modern craft breweries mingle and overlap these varieties of porters and stouts to create their own uniqueness. With over 40 maltiplestouts to choose from at Fresh Choice Nelson, here are five of the new boys.
- Tuatara Moo lah Chocolate Milk Stout 8.5% – Copious quantities of cacao nibs with creamy dark malts and a hint of smoke and rum. Maltificent!
- Behemoth Triple Chocolate Milk Stout 6.5% – This malty award winner smells like a chocolate milkshake and tastes like a chocolate milkshake with some jiggery-pokery. Try this with Cadbury’s new Crazy 4 Caramel chocolate; you’ll be more satisfied than Willy Wonker.
- Sawmill Baltic Porter 8% – Rich and robust with a touch of oyster and a hint of peat malt. Smooth, warm and as complex as the rugby rulebook. A cutting edge porter.
- Sunshine Black Magic Stout 5% – Dark chocolate with a drop of rum. Not bitter, yet not sweet… Well maybe a wee bit sweet. Here’s to drinking some ye old mug!
- McLeod’s Billycan Milk Stout 5.5% – A milky smooth choca mocha with roast coffee and chocolate flavours predominating. A very good cockle-warmer.
Thanks to our Guest Blogger and beer aficionado… Denis “the man” Cooper!
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