February is here! This means not only can we celebrate making it through the first month of the new year, but we can also celebrate National Stout Month! In the beer world, February is synonymous with Stout Month, a more-or-less made-up holiday celebrated since 1993 that involves drinking pint after pint of these dark, luscious beers. While some believe February is a cold, dark and gloomy time of year, Mellow Mushroom is here to embrace the frigid conditions by warming up with Stout Month, a celebration of the diversity of the stout style. Now, there’s a time and place for the classics, but the beer world has most recently been fascinated with more extensive and bolder beers, such as the barrel-aged or pastry stout or even barrel-aged pastry stout like on this list.
Against the Grain Brewing Company has the spirit and has brought us a sophisticated take on the classic barrel-aged stout with 70K. This is a decadent double chocolate stout. The taste is not quite as shocking as some similar bourbon stouts; it is gentler and lovely on the first sip. The barrel flavor is light and dry, while the whole beer is super sticky and fudgy, a total brownie experience! The bourbon and oak flavors perfectly complement the massive flavors in this double mega imperial milk stout… notes of dark fruit and mild chocolate, while the bourbon carries through even until the beer is swallowed, lingering in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, with a soft yet sparkling effervescence. Overall, a delightful brew for this season.
Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. has its hand in the barrel with an excellent Kentucky Maple Barrel Stout. They are aged for eighteen months in bourbon maple syrup barrels. The aroma features maple, chocolate, light bourbon and caramel. The taste is like semi-sweet cocoa and pancake notes. There’s a touch of oak on the backend (no surprise after 18 months in a barrel) and moderate bitterness. The body is complex, with butterscotch, charred grains and smoked malt, brown sugar, faint bourbon, vanilla, piney hops, caramel, metallic notes, molasses, bread pudding, burnt wood or barrel notes, and dark chocolate in the finish. Rye and other spices linger in the aftertaste. Just a great example of how fantastic flavors can be imparted by barrel aging.
Coffee and Stout are the perfect pair and a great choice for anyone looking to get into barrel-aged stouts. This Stout by Country Boy Brewing is brewed with Guatemalan Coffee from Nate’s Coffee in Lexington, Kentucky. Guatemala Huehuetenango beans are juicy and bright; this lighter medium roast delights any coffee lover with subtle notes of peanut and semi-sweet chocolate. These flavors are the perfect complement to a Country Boy Brewing stout. The taste is deeply roasted, with a powerful brand of java. This is a high-quality coffee and a profound roast -just a delicious example of a solid coffee-forward stout. I’m a fan of CB, and I’m glad they finally canned a delightful stout and canned it well. Pick one up if you get the chance.
This wouldn’t be a proper Stout Month without talking about a tremendous golden imperial stout. We are showcasing a White Russian Nitro Stout by Left Hand Brewing Company. Combine coffee, vanilla and notes of chocolate; this is a beer that ties it all together. It has this beautifully clear, bright copper color with a substantial and long-lasting creamy off-white head and plenty of nice lacing. The aroma is mild French Vanilla. This one is lovely upfront, with an immediate flood of caramel and vanilla. The coffee comes through afterward with massive volleys of sweetness. Finally, the hops come through on the back end, where this drink reminds you that it is a beer… not a sweet pastry cocktail – a great sweet treat for anyone looking for a great first double white.
Stouts are timeless because they are so versatile. There’s a stout for every occasion: cozying up by a fire with a 10% ABV imperial that’ll put you to sleep or go out to mow the lawn with a 5% ABV Irish stout that you can drink all day. As a dedicated participant in Stout Month, I salute that sometimes a single day isn’t enough to honor something extraordinary.
-by Dani Jo Black
