What’s It All About, Stout?

BY DAVID NUTTALL

Stout, and to a certain extent, its cousin porter, have been gaining popularity this decade, and the numbers prove it. When looking back on past articles in Culinaire, we can see the growth in the number of stouts available in Alberta, especially those being brewed locally. They were first mentioned in Issue 8 (January/February 2013), when 26 were highlighted in Beers for A Dark and Stormy Night (out of about five dozen listings in Liquor Connect), however none were from Alberta. Admittedly, the provincial regulations that kick-started the current craft beer movement had yet come to pass, so there were only a handful of breweries to choose from.

Five years later, in The Renaissance of Stouts and Porters (November 2018), there were over 340 listings; around 80 of which are brewed locally. Today, Liquor Connect lists about the same number of stouts and porters, however almost half of them are now from Alberta breweries. This doesn’t include beers that are only available seasonally, or those that are exclusive to a brewery’s taproom. The other notable feature of stouts is how the variety keeps growing. While there have always been several recognized sub-genres such as Irish, British and American stouts, brewers began fiddling with stout recipes centuries ago, leading to imperial, oatmeal and sweet (milk) stouts. Today, probably no single beer style, next to the IPA, gets to become a brewer’s signature brew more than stouts. According to at least one highly regarded source (Craft Beer & Brewing magazine), in the past two and a half years, imperial stouts have garnered the highest rankings (over 20 percent) of all the beers they have judged. This jibes with Untappd’s* nine million users, where 41 of its top 50 beers are stouts. Clearly something is going on with this beer category.

While the traditional styles of stouts are becoming more prominent, newer versions are also getting attention. You’ll now find fruited versions, as well as ones accentuated by the addition of coffee or chocolate. Many brewers collaborate with a local coffee roaster or chocolatier to create a stout which gives people an extra helping of one or the other. This has morphed into the newest fad, the pastry stout. Loved or loathed, it has become a style that tries to emulate a dessert in a beer format, sometimes through the creative use of malts, hops, or adjuncts, the latter of which may just be throwing a whole dessert into the recipe.

Imperial stouts are also trending, as aging beer (sometimes in a barrel), has become a new program for many breweries. Most can also be cellared for many years after release, making them popular with collectors. Stouts come in many varieties, so search them out. Here are just a few now being brewed in Alberta.

Coffee Stout

In addition to coffee, the use of oats, lactose, and/or vanilla will smooth the flavours and mouthfeel.

Common Crown Cool Beans Vanilla

Latte Stout (Calgary)

CSPC 864031, $18, 4pk. cans

Blindman Brewing Coffee Stout (Lacombe)

CSPC 878798, $18, 4pk. cans

White Stout

Not all stouts are dark. Notably, the stout name originally had more to do with body and strength than colour. Usually pale gold, this style employs vanilla and cocoa nibs to give the beer a subtle chocolate flavour.

Siding 14 Polar Express (Ponoka)

CSPC 881584, $18 4 pk. cans

Milk Stout

The inclusion of lactose and/or sugar adjuncts provides extra sweetness to complement its natural bitterness.

Born Brewing Arm Candy (Calgary)

CSPC 815191, $18, 4pk. cans and Canela Horchata Milk Stout, $5 can. The latter contains rice, vanilla and cinnamon.

Imperial Stout

The biggest, baddest stout in the land. Rich, intense and multi-layered, very high in alcohol (often up to 12 percent ABV or more) with a sharp bitterness that gets lost in its complexity and depth. Flavours of dark chocolate and/or coffee dominate, but you may also find black licorice, caramel, vanilla, and hints of other spices. Some require aging to smooth out the rough edges, and many see time in a variety of barrels.

Dandy Dead Moon Night (Calgary)

CSPC 842130, $6 473 mL can

New Level Leviathan Russian Imperial Stout (Calgary)

CSPC 811406, $5, 473 mL can (also bourbon barrel aged versions available)

Situation Brewing Sex Palace (Edmonton)

CSPC 843764, $21

4pk. cans mL can (also bourbon barrel aged versions available)

Pastry Stout

Not officially a recognized style of stout, but creative brewers can produce dessert flavours many ways.

Town Square White Wedding (Edmonton), known for throwing a whole wedding cake into the mash.

Peak Imperial Javalanche Coffee Milk Stout (Calgary)

CSPC 882714, $13 500 mL bottle

Big Rock Barrel

Aged Coffee Stout (Calgary) Aged six months in scotch barrels.

CSPC 880571, $14

650 mL bottle

Irish Stout

Made famous by the ubiquitous Guinness, there are many interpretations of this style. Look for a dry, smooth mouthfeel, with coffee and dark chocolate notes.

Wild Winds Brewery

The Snow Eater (future home in Pincher Creek)

CSPC 877062, $19 4pk. cans

CSPC 822250, $20 4pk. cans. Also check out their Raspberry Shortcake and Red Velvet versions, which get released from time to time.

New Level Brewing School's Out Imperial Peanut Butter and Jam (Calgary) $20

David has worked in liquor since the late 1980s. He is a freelance writer, beer judge, speaker, and since 2014, has run Brew Ed monthly beer education classes in Calgary. Follow @ abfbrewed.