Skye here, publishing this for our resident chef, Rudy
Rudy: In honor of February as stout beer month I selected three stouts
that I had not drank before. I must admit that I have never been a true die
hard stout drinker, not that I dislike stout beers, but I feel they are
sometimes a little unbalanced and heavy. To clarify, I think when dealing with
heavy beers and flavor it can be hard to find a balance. However, this time I
was very pleased with my selections and was very surprised to find balance and
taste. I did not experience the usual cotton mouth that sometimes follows
darker beers. I tried them cold and at room temperature and found them very
pleasant at both. The flavors tended to appear bolder as they warmed and
breathed. As a chef whenever I try new
beers, one of the first things I think of is, “What style of food would this beer
best be served with?” In general, I tend to steer toward the meats, then
chicken, then seafood and finally dessert. Any of the three reviewed would do
well with grilled meats or steamed mussels and clams. If served with chicken
make sure you have a hearty herb marinade, made up with earthy flavors such as
Thyme, Rosemary, and Sage to support the richer flavors of these beers. After the jump I have attached a recipe originally found in Beer Advocate magazine for “Ginger Porter Snaps” that would be great with any of
these beers. I know it calls for porter beer, but the complexity of these beers
would marry well with the ginger and the chocolate malt.
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| You can get it growlers too! (Original here) |
This Stout was the
first I tried and at first it was meek and bland, but as it warmed up it had a nice
drinkable flow to it. I would strongly suggest it at around room temperature.
A true stout, strong
and bold with flavors that pop from the get go; warm or cold there is no
mistake you are drinking a stout. A great drinking beer that entices you to
consume way too many….
Lighter than Bells and
heavier that the Louie, this was my favorite of the three, easy to drink. A
stout that had full range of flavors and just the right amount of heaviness to
let you know this is no pushover. I already had the second beer cracked and warming
by the time I had taken the second sip, er gulp of my beer. This beer is a winner
for me and would be great with grilled meats, wild or domestic, seafood or as a
dessert beverage. I warn you now; you might want to save at least one for the
morning…for a little “hair of the dog” as they say.
Cookie recipe after the jump!
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