A look back at the beautiful darkness of stout month

Tomorrow we will review our first spring seasonal beer, but before we do that we have to get to the unfinished business that is recapping the wonderful dark spectacle that was February Stout month.

The survivors of stout month.

Stouts we reviewed on the blog

Satin Solstice Imperial Stout

Port City One

Ceylon Lion Stout

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

Lake Louie Milk Stout

Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout

Sand Creek Oscar’s Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

Oakshire Overcast Espresso Stout

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

Stouts we discussed on the JGF beercast
Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout (recommended)

Lancaster Milk Stout (recommended)

Stouts I didn’t write or talk about but enjoyed on Untappd

Saranac Vanilla Stout – 4 caps

Avery Out of Bounds Stout – 3 caps

Terrapin Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout – 4 caps

Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat – 3 caps

Flying Dog Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout – 4 caps

DuClaw Naked Fish Chocolate Raspberry Stout – 3 caps

Mendocino Oatmeal Stout – 3 caps

Schlafly Irish-Style Extra Stout – 4 caps

Oskar Blues Ten FIDY – 4 caps

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout – 4 caps

Southern Tier 2X Stout – 4 caps

Bell’s Java Stout – 4 caps

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout – 3 caps

Foothills Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout – 4 caps

COAST Bull’s Bay Oyster Stout – 3 caps

Westbrook Mexican Coffee Cake Imperial Stout – 4 caps

Founders Imperial Stout – 4 caps

Top of the charts!
Port City One
Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout

Westbrook Mexican Coffee Cake Imperial Stout

Pleasant surprises
Guinness Foreign Extra Stout
Schlafly Irish-Style Extra Stout

Ceylon Lion Stout

Mild disappointments
DuClaw Naked Fish Chocolate Raspberry Stout

Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat

Stouts available but remained untasted.
More than I want to list out right now, so I took a picture instead. (See above.) As you can see there was still a lot of gas left in the tank. Some of these will be shelved away for next year. Others will be drank over the next few weeks. 

If you were drinking stouts over February which ones hit the spot for you? Which ones fell short? Which ones would you recommend to others? Let us know in the comments!

Finishing with a classic!

After 29 dark liquid days we have come to the end of stout month. Before we go though two final looks.

Someday I will have one in Dublin.

Our first review is of a classic. For most people in the world it is the first beer they will think of when they here the words “stout beer.” I am of course referring to Guinness. I don’t think you can do a stout month and not look at the biggest one in the world. 

Memory is a tricky thing because this was not as dry as I remembered; years of dark beer drinking have blended and faded my memories of past Guinness stouts. Truth be told I was never that big of a fan of Guinness, as I mentioned earlier this month I preferred Mackesons XXX Stout.

This particular model was the Foreign Extra Stout and it poured clear and very, very dark brown tinged with red and had a light tan head. The head stuck around for awhile, if I would have poured hard it may have stuck around for the entire glass. The drink it self has little carbonation, and a light coffee, malty taste. On the first drink it all came rushing back, particularly the characteristic Guinness slightly sweet aftertaste. It occurred to me I worked through the glass that the aftertaste actually sets up the next swig of beer and I was enjoying this more than when I started the glass.  

While the color is very dark and could lead to expectations of a heavy beer, you would be mistaken. This is rather light in body though it does pack a solid punch coming in at 7.5% ABV. The alcohol is well camouflaged though, making for a pleasant drinking experience.

I can see why this is one of the most popular beers in the world, it has enough characteristic to differentiate itself from others and honestly, it is a decent brew. It is not too heavy and it tastes good. It can be both an effective gateway to other stouts but there is enough allure that I can understand how this could also become somebody’s favorite beer. The end result is you can’t really go wrong with a Guinness but for veteran stout drinkers this may come up a bit short. 

For those keeping track at home this is a book beer and can be found on page 702.

The foil adds a nice touch of flair!

Our other candidate is Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout. A product of England, this beer poured clear and very dark brown with a light tan head. I poured it hard so the head stuck around for a while.  

On the drink this was very smooth, with minimal carbonation. It has a light chocolate malt taste followed by a pleasant and slightly sweet aftertaste that dissipates of the palette relatively quickly. Like the Guinness, while dark it is fairly light in body. Alcohol content comes in at 5% ABV and really I was hard pressed to taste the alcohol. Overall you could easily tip a few pints of this for an enjoyable evening.

Overall I would recommend this beer as a very accessible gateway to the joys of drinking dark, stout beers. It is an easy drinker but that should not take away from the fact that this is a fine crafted beer that has enough complexity to captivate both rookies and seasoned pros.

Here is the “party lines” on the Guinness and the Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout.

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

Foreign Extra Stout is brewed with generous hops and roasted barley for a bittersweet balance & full-flavored, natural bite. Developed over 200 years ago for global export from Ireland, the addition of extra hops ensured this Stout would arrive to its destination in perfect condition.

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout

“Brewed with well water (the original well at the Old Brewery, sunk in 1758, is still in use, with the hard well water being drawn from 85 feet underground); fermented in ‘stone Yorkshire squares’ to create an almost opaque, wonderfully silky and smooth textured ale with a complex medium dry palate and bittersweet finish”

Look for our stout month recap later this week where we will go through what we liked, what surprised us, and what disappointed us. 

3 Midwest stouts and a cookie recipe!

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. 

You can get it growlers too!
(Original here)

Lake Louie Milk Stout - Lake Louie Brewing

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.

Kalamazoo Stout - Bell's Brewery

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….

Oscar's Chocolate Oatmeal Stout - The Sand Creek Brewing Company

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!

Episode 6 - We wing it with Lancaster Milk Stout

Episode 6 of the Jolly Good Fellows Podcast


Welcome to episode 6 of the Jolly Good Fellows Beercast. This time we enjoy some Lancaster Milk Stout and since I was not prepared in the slightest I "wing" the entire episode while Dan talks about his adventures in online dating.  

 Remember to subscribe on iTunes and it will automatically update on your devices. Thanks to the folks who have rated us and left comments, they are appreciated. 

Continue spreading the word and if you like what you are listening to then please rate us and comment on iTunes. Doing that gets us more exposure!

You can listen to the podcast from this link:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/54968204/beerfellows06.mp3

Or find us on iTunes here.
Remember you can subscribe on iTunes and it will automatically update when a new podcast is uploaded.

Not the usual suspects. A look at two Asian stouts.

We are doing a doubleheader and looking at two stouts tonight, both from Asia, though only one that is slightly understandable.

The Lion is sleeping in that bottle,
not the jungle.

First up tonight is the understandable one. Lion Stout has been brewed by the Ceylon Brewing Company in Sri Lanka since 1881 back when this was a British colony. I can see why this stout is still selling today. It is a very good beer. 

It pours very clear and dark, almost black, with a small puffy tan head. It is very smooth, with creaminess in the drink with little carbonation and finishes with a pleasant coffee aftertaste that gradual disappears. Surprisingly this comes in at 8.8 ABV. At certain points you can just make out the sharpness of the alcohol, but you have to be paying attention. By the end of my glass the alcohol had crept up on me creating a pleasant warmness in my stomach. I drank this beer faster than I expected, before I knew it the glass was empty. Beware this is a very easy drinking and potent stout.  

For those keeping score at home, this is a book beer, page 729. I can’t refer to the brewery’s “party line” since their website is under construction so instead I’ll turn it over to the late, great, Michael Jackson who went on an odyssey for this beer and had this to say about Lion Stout.

I will definitely be getting more of this in the future.

http://www.lionbeer.com/

I love that owl and the beer was
pretty good too!

Our second guest is more of an odd duck. In the big picture, Japan and stout beer rarely show up in the same sentence, but that is now changing and Kiuchi Brewery is leading the charge. They are the brewers of the Hitachino Nest line of beers. The one we are focusing on tonight is the Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

I poured this in a tulip glass. It was clear and very dark brown, with a light brown head that lasted for a few minutes before it dissipated. On the drink the espresso makes itself known with a bite right away and stays with you into the aftertaste. There is a mild bitterness when you swallow. It comes in at 7.5 ABV but to me there was no real taste of alcohol, coffeeness pervades the beer. Unlike a smoother coffee stout though this has the bite of espresso and reminds me of Lagunitas Cappucino Stout. Overall this beer is very tasty and like all good coffee stouts it gets better as it warms up.

Kuichi Brewery was damaged by the earthquake in March 2011, but they have repaired and rallied. I was not able to find the “party line” on the Espresso Stout. If you can find this I would recommend picking some and giving it a try.

Thanks for stopping in!

A closer look at Port City One

The magic from Port City!

I hesitated to post a review of Port City One, the very limited (one batch) release anniversary stout that came out last Friday, the main reason that it would not be available to a large group of folks. After some thought though I decided to share my thoughts because not only does it fit in stout month, but it is an excellent beer, even more so from a brewery that only has a little over one year under its belt. That is not meant to be a slight of Port City Brewing. They are doing very cool things, but this particular brew is head and shoulders above the rest of their line up. Frankly it is the best thing they have brewed to date. It is exceptional.  


(These notes are from Sunday, two days after I originally got the growler filled at Whole Foods)
I poured this from a 64 oz. growler. The beer is listed as a Belgian Imperial Stout which frankly is a lot to wrap my mind around and sets a very high bar.  The beer poured with a small tannish head that hung around for a few minutes and then dwindled away. It was a deep dark brown, almost black with a clear mirror finish. It has a good chocolate, coffee taste with a hint of spice and it drank smooth finishing off with dry, mildly hopped aftertaste which lasted for a bit and dried out the mouth. 


For an imperial stout there is a good share of body but not as much as expected. It is not overpowering in either it's imperial or stout character. It does have some good complexity with coffee and chocolate dancing around the drink. There is a more hopped finish than most stouts, and that works to the beer's benefit. 

I really liked this beer... a lot. There is definitely a good bit of alcohol, coming in at 9.5% ABV, and it isn't shy about making its presence felt. That said, it does not detract from the beer or strong arm the flavors in the glass. 


(Back to present time)
I drank my last glass of this today writing this review. The beer had been sitting in the growler since Sunday. It is a bit flat but it has not lost any of the flavor or the complexity. In fact, with the carbonation greatly reduced it has a very nice port aspect going on that is pleasant and allows for a bit more detail of the beer to come out. So not only is it good fresh but also when it goes south. That is a win-win in my book. 


The end result is that Port City Brewing put together a first rate brew that issues a statement of notice that they have arrived. As I said a few days ago, if they keep brewing beer like this then they have a long bright future in front of them. I hope they will release this again because it has the potential to become an all-time classic. 


Follow the link to see the "party line" on this beer. 


Want another take on this beer? Check out the write up from the fine folks at Lost in the Beer Aisle.

Welcome to Stout month!

The February stout candidates. If you can't tell I have been 

waiting for this month for a good while. Vote in the comments 

for which ones should be reviewed. See the list at the bottom.

It’s February, the longest month of the year for me. I have never been able to put my finger on why, but this month bums me out. I’ve decided to change it up a bit though because this year February is stout month for Jolly Good Fellows and that makes me incredibly happy. When this blog was just an idea being tossed around my mind there were a few things I knew for certain would get written about no matter what final form the blog would be. The magical world of stouts was very high on the short list. 

If you can’t tell already I love stouts. They are one of my favorite styles of beer, partly because they are big, rich, and complex, and also because there is incredibly diversity in the stout world.

So what is a stout? Well for starters it is ale, not a lager, it derives it dark color, deep brown to pitch black from the roasted grains used to brew it. Those grains also provide the bitterness. Stouts don’t usually have to much hop character and they work well as flavor vehicles building complexity and richness. When it comes to types of stout, well the sky is the limit: coffee stouts, dry stouts, milk stouts, imperial stouts, oatmeal stouts, chocolate stouts, fruit stouts etc. You get the picture.

My intro to stouts
(Original here)

I’d argue that when most people think of a stout they think of Guinness, after all it is one of the best known beers in the world. My own gateway into the stout world was not through that door though; instead it was Mackeson’s XXX Stout, a beer that is no longer brewed in the US. (Supposedly Carib Brewing imports from the Caribbean but I’m not sure where. If somebody knows the answer then please tell me because I would really like to get my hands on a few bottles again.) It was sweeter, darker, and in my opinion better than anything else I was drinking at the time. I splashed around in the stout pool for awhile trying Young’s and Guinness, but it wasn’t until I was living in Stevens Point where I discovered my benchmark stout and my love of the style really took off. So let’s dive into our first review of this month, the stout that changed it all, Central Waters Satin Solstice Imperial Stout.

Not only one of my favorite stouts,
but all time favorite beers.

I prefer to actually let this beer warm up a bit before I pour it, I believe it shows the character better. The bottle had been out of the refrigerator for over an hour and was just cool to the touch. This beer poured with a nice head that dissipated fairly quickly, it was clear and very dark, almost black, creating a nice mirror effect on the glass. It has minimal carbonation, and a smooth taste on the tongue; coffee and hint of caramel stick around in the aftertaste. This beer is an easy drinker that has a decent share of complexity to it. ABV is 7.5% which is light for the imperials but it still creates a nice warming feeling as you drink it. 

I can still tell why this beer captivated me over a decade ago. It has enough body and complexity to serve as a first line representative of the imperial stout style. It is a fairly welcoming beer. I’ll admit there are better stouts out there but this is my benchmark of comparison and a personal favorite that has proven very reliable.

Here is the “party line” on this beer:

This smooth, creamy stout and a crackling fireplace are the perfect answer to a wintery evening in Wisconsin. The rich coffee flavor compliments the “warm fuzzy feeling” you get from the abundant alcohol. Enjoy in moderation.

Finally I was very prepared for this month so there are a lot of candidates. Here is the list of stouts that I currently have in stock

Avery Out of Bounds Stout (Colorado)

Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout (Michigan)

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (New York)

Butternuts Moo Thunder Stout (New York)

Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout 2010 (Wisconsin)

Dogfish Head World Wide Stout (Delaware)

DuClaw Naked Fish Chocolate Raspberry Stout (Maryland)

Fort Collins Double Chocolate Stout (Colorado)

Founders Breakfast Stout (Michigan)

Founders Imperial Stout (Michigan)

Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (Ireland)

Hitachino Espresso Stout (Japan)

Jolly Pumpkin Madrugada Obscura Dark Dawn Stout (Michigan)

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout (California)

Lancaster Milk Stout (Pennsylvania)

Lion Stout (Sri Lanka)

Mendocino Oatmeal Stout (California)

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout (Colorado)

Ridgeway Lump of Coal Dark Holiday Stout (England)

Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout (England)

Southern Tier Choklat Imperial Stout (New York)

Southern Tier Jah*va Imperial Coffe Stout (New York)

Southern Tier Oat Imperial Oatmeal Stout (New York)

Southern Tier 2X Stout (New York)

Tyranena Down ‘n Dirty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (Wisconsin)

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout (England)

So here’s the deal, pick which ones I should take a closer look at and write up over the course of February. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!