Beer Style Guide: Get to Know American Stout with Em Sauter
Stout has its beginnings as a different beer style, but as beer is an evolution, you will see how the stout spun off from its close relation porter to become a new style and the base for a whole host of other beer styles.
The stout is from England where strong porters, the popular beer of the day, were called “stout porters.” Arthur Guinness (yes, that Guinness) opened his brewery in Dublin in the 18th century to brew porter and “stout porter” before creating a new beer style, the Irish stout.
In the late 19th century, England took that stout base and used it to create new styles such as the oatmeal stout and sweet/milk stout. These were nourishing beer styles that used new marketing tactics to sell beer as healthful to people who were ill or nursing mothers.
American Style Stout
When we talk about the stout now, we mainly talk about the American version, which, of course, has its roots in the 1980’s microbrewery movement of taking British styles and americanizing them to suit available raw materials. With all americanizations of British beer styles, American versions tend to be kicked up versions too with punchy flavors and more ABV as American brewing makes everything just a bit bigger.
Brewing an American stout can use a variety of malts from a mostly pale malt base to additions of chocolate, black patent and maybe even caramel malts. Roasted barley (raw barley that is roasted and thus does not go through the malting process) can be used for color and that charcoal/acrid flavor. Other ingredients like oats or wheat or sugar can be used too. Hops are generally American as this beer is aggressively hopped and the yeast used is American ale yeast. This beer style is a great base for additions be it oatmeal, chocolate, or coffee.
Tasting Notes
When drinking an American stout, the flavors should be bold: black coffee, dark chocolate, light caramel, toffee, some citrus/pine if it’s highly hopped and there’s an earthiness to American stouts that reminds me a little of slightly burnt toast. It’s a good time to remind readers that sometimes beer flavor/aroma can sound rude or misplaced but if it is what you are tasting, then it’s correct. Never misjudge your own palate!
Pairings
Since stouts have lovely roasted flavors of dark chocolate and coffee, making it a great brunch beer choice and an epic pairing with sweeter meals like pancakes or French toast. American stouts are also great to cook with. Add stout to beef stew or spicy chili and you won’t be disappointed.
Beers to Try
Good Life Pass Stout
Bend, OR based Good Life Brewing brews a classic stout that’s on the higher end of the ABV spectrum for this style at 7%. Loads of cocoa and coffee flavors. A great beer to enjoy after a day on the ski slopes.
Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout
Again with the Bell’s! Well, like I said before, Bell’s beers are frequently mentioned here and for good reason; because they do classic styles unbelievably well. Their Kalamazoo stout was named after their hometown in Michigan and features a nice balance of malt and hops.
Sierra Nevada Stout
Sierra Nevada’s first beer they ever brewed in 1980! This limited edition stout is brewed with old school hops like Bravo, Cascade and Yakima Golding. If you see it in the wild, check the date codes and if fresh, buy it! Sierra Nevada makes excellent beers.