Fancy a stout? I thought so. My heart beats fondly for stout. The name alone stirs up a bit of excitement, a little wonder, a hint of the expectant dark and brooding flavours to come. Strong…Brave…Proud…these are the words originally associated with the first "stouts" produced in Great Britain in the early 1700's. Indeed, with alcohol levels hovering around and above 7% alc/vol, it can be a formidable drink. I remember harbouring a great deal of reticence when I first flirted with stouts…I had a mad preconceived idea that it would send me a bit loopy, or possibly make my head explode. Only with some time, a lot of respect and numerous thoughtful pints do I now regard stout as one of the great drinks on the planet.
As most will know, a dark beer is dark because a portion of the barley used in making it has been roasted. Roasted malts are common in all sorts of ale production and stout is a wonderful extension of those roasty and toasty flavours. What continues to fascinate me in this saturated world of booze is that we can get such far reaching and different styles of drink(stout & lager, crisp white & bold red) using essentially the same ingredients each time. Assuming that quality ingredients are always used (not always true), all good beer is made using malt, water, hops and yeast. Similarly, wine is made from just grape juice and yeast, with only oak use and skin contact contributing other nuances into the drink.
This leaves us with, I think, only two other factors that contribute to the overall flavour and substance of your beer or wine; human intervention and terroir. Terroir (French, pron: tear-wah) is a topic very close to my heart, but not to be discussed heavily in this column, for it is quite subjective and I can get a bit carried away. Terroir, in my language, relates to the immeadiate geography and ecosystem that influences a certain place. This can include soil type, rainfall, local flora and fauna, prevailing winds, airborne wild yeasts, etc. The influence of terroir is so often the very thing sets some drinks apart from others. A hardcore example of terroir would be the whisky which featured in a previous barkeep review…only that spirit tastes like that and it does so because of it's remarkable geography…I swear you can taste the soil. Human intervention is quite obvious really, in that all of these things come together in a packaged product thanks to the team of men and women who create recipes, pick, roast, crush, ferment, stir, clean, bottle, label, etc. Winemakers and Brewers attain rock star status for their concoctions and rightly so. But surely it's the place and the produce that deserves the accolades? No? Maybe?
What's all this got to do with your small bottle of dark and moody strong beer? Currently more relevant in the wine industry, terroir and the human creative elements are vital and exciting. Stout (and beer, oh and most drinks) from all over the world tastes different because of its terroir. An old snoozer story from the heart of Dublin would have you believe that Guinness is so unique due to the water used coming from the mighty river Liffey, which cuts the fair city in half. Now that would be a tale in terroir, if it were true. All I know is that Guinness Draught consumed in Ireland tastes nothing like what the rest of the world drinks…it is far better…and that has to be because of the other elements; grain, temperatures, wild yeasts in the air maybe?
Increasingly we are seeing courageous shows of strength from small brewers and their beers, in particular their stouts; labelling the story of their brew, detailing malt regions and hop varieties used, reaching for flavours that are unique, strong and thoroughly enjoyable. I know that I do go on, but the future of good booze absolutely relies on us caring about where it all comes from. Local commercial stouts are generally great, they offer a lot of bang for your buck and are quite often a great option when faced with a fridge full of blandness. I drink stout a little slower, if only to enjoy the richness a little longer. There is good scope to match stout with a variety of foods, most chocolate with 70% cocoa or more will sit comfortably in the mid palate. Search the Scullery for a cheap cut/slow cooked/braised recipe…there is much joy in a rich stout sitting alongside such dishes. I love most whisky sitting next my stout also…a malt frenzy! The old fable of stout being fabulous for pregnant women is no doubt true. Yes, it's great with oysters. The addition of lemonade to make a "portogaff" freaks me out a bit, but people love it – maybe freshens the entry up a bit. But best of all, regular consumption of good quality stout makes you smarter, helps you run faster and makes your hair smell like cinnamon. Yes, I made that up. Go stout!
Three for review:
I am happy to report that our most famous local stout, Coopers Best Extra (Adelaide, SA, 6.3% alc/vol, $5.99 per 750mL bottle) is looking really good. Some purists will tell you that this beer has changed a lot (for the worse) in the last decade, but as it stands, this is a fine example of stout. A vibrant yellow/cream head gives way to a load of nutty and mushroomy flavours, really growing on you with each mouthful. A good deal of carbonation masks some of the smoothness that you might be looking for and chocolatey sweetness is not a real feature, but there is balance and the malt is robust and sound. Honest booze.
A stout that will surely blow your mind is available for a very limited time on tap (at the best pub in Australia) and in the rarely found bottle. Moo Brew Russian Imperial Stout (Hobart, Tas, 8% alc/vol, $30 per 330mL bottle, $8 per 185mL butcher) is so good, it's ridiculous. The bottled version is rested for 9 months in used French oak barrels, whilst the draught version is kegged before this process. I had a butcher. It is serious booze. A creamy and quite subtle nose and entry, a wave of bitter chocolate and luscious coffee then arrives, all the while braced with a vodka like spine of gentle, controlled alcohol. The pure and silky malt flavours are sustained and almost elegant. Truly great.
Sinha Stout (Ceylon, Sri Lanka, 8% alc/vol, $18.99 per 4 pack, 330mL), the quintisessential summer stout, is a lean beast hails from Sri Lanka. One of the only true tropical stouts in the world, this is lovely stuff. It smells a little woody/stalky, but that blows off and the palate leads with a long, fine trail of savoury character, clean dark malt flavour, a little richness, all awash with firm bitterness. It is quite thirst quenching, yet retains its stout sensibility. Intriguing. 
Special mention must go to Rogue Ale's Chocolate Stout (Oregon, USA, 6.2% alc/vol, $20 per 750mL bottle), which makes the popular Young's Double Chocolate look like a mid strength milk drink. They put chocolate in the boil. Crazy kids.
Barkeep.
