In the simplest terms, a stout is a dark (sometimes pitch black), malty beer brewed with roasted barley. While there are many different types of stouts (including milk stouts, dry Irish stouts, oatmeal stouts, and others), in general, stouts are known for their roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee flavors. They also usually have at least a little hop bitterness to temper the other flavors.
Sometimes, on top of this, brewers add other flavors. Sure, there are countless stouts, imperial stouts, and other types of stouts that rely solely on the included roasted barley and the flavors and aromas it imparts. But the style’s natural coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt profile works well when paired with complementary flavors like actual coffee beans, real chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, toasted marshmallows, and even almonds.
To prove it, we picked eight of our favorite flavored stouts and ranked them for you. Keep scrolling to see if any of your favorites made the list.
8)Rogue Chocolate Stout Nitro
ABV: 6%
Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Oregon’s Rogue Ales knows a thing or two about epic, boundary-pushing beers. Its Chocolate Stout Nitro is no exception. This year-round nitro version of its iconic Chocolate Stout is brewed with two-row, C12-, Chocolate, and Munich malts as well as rolled oats, roasted barley, Cascade hops, Pacman yeast, and real chocolate.
Tasting Notes:
Classic aromas of dark chocolate, roasted malts, and coffee fill your nostrils before your first sip. The palate continues this trend with more chocolate, some vanilla beans, toasted marshmallows, and a light bitterness at the finish. It’s a decent take on the chocolate stout, just slightly muted.
Bottom Line:
All the flavors are present. It’s just that Rogue Chocolate Stout Nitro is a little too thin and watery for my personal liking.
7) Southern Tier Nitro Crème Brulee
ABV: 10%
Average Price: $13 for a four-pack
The Beer:
Do you like crème brulee? Do you like stouts? Do you wish there was a beer that tastes like the popular caramel-flavored dessert? Well, the brewers at Southern Tier made one. This imperial stout is brewed with vanilla beans and natural flavors. An offering from its popular Blackwater Series, it’s a seasonal fall and winter release.
Tasting Notes:
Bold aromas of vanilla beans, caramel, and chocolate are highlights of this beer’s nose. The palate is all roasted malts, caramelized sugar, vanilla beans, and custard. It’s very sweet and indulgent. Almost too much so.
Bottom Line:
This beer is exactly as it seems. The one downfall is the fact that it’s so decadent and sweet that it’s much more of a dessert beer than an everyday sipper.
6) Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout
ABV: 12.8%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Belching Beaver is no stranger to the over-the-top flavored beer world. One of its best is its Peanut Butter Milk Stout. Touted as America’s “favorite peanut butter flavored milk stout”, it’s known for its bold, sweet flavors of chocolate and peanut butter.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is loaded with roasted peanuts, milk chocolate, and roasted malts. The best part is that the peanut aroma seems real and not artificial. Drinking it reveals the equivalent of a peanut butter cup in beer form. Milk chocolate, peanut butter, and roasted malts. Sadly, that’s about it.
Bottom Line:
This is a peanut butter and chocolate stout and… that’s about it. It fits that bit well. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a one-trick (okay, two-trick) pony.
5) Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
ABV: 10%
Average Price: $13 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This beer was first brewed as brewmaster Garrett Oliver’s resume beer and there’s a reason he wanted to show this off to potential employers. Brewed with roasted malts, chocolate malts, and various hops, this beer is so loaded with chocolate flavor and it doesn’t even have any actual chocolate in it. It gets its unmistakable chocolate aroma and flavor from six different malts and three mashes.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find aromas of vanilla beans, roasted malts, and a mix of dark and sweet, milk chocolate that definitely draws you in. The palate has a ton of bitter chocolate and vanilla, but there are also roasted malts, toffee, dried fruits, and a gentle, slightly smoky spice.
Bottom Line:
As flavored stouts go, this is a true winner. It’s complex and filled with flavor. Like some of the other beers on this list, its only downfall is that it’s so chocolatey, it’s pretty much a dessert beer.
4) High Water Campfire Stout
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $15 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
This award-winning, 6.5% ABV stout was brewed to taste like a campfire s’more (hence the name) in a can and it definitely does. The brewers did this by making it with graham crackers, molasses, vanilla, and toasted marshmallows.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with scents of graham cracker, milk chocolate, vanilla, and toasted marshmallows. It really smells like a classic campfire s’more. The palate continues this trend with notes of toffee, more graham cracker, marshmallow, and light spices. Overall, a very good take on the style.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for a stout that literally tastes like a s’more, this is the beer for you. Even with all the various flavors, it isn’t overly sweet.
3) Half Acre Big Hugs Imperial Coffee Stout
ABV: 10%
Average Price: $8 for a 16-ounce can
The Beer:
Who doesn’t enjoy a classic coffee stout, especially when it’s an imperial coffee stout, right? This 10% ABV winter seasonal imperial stout was brewed with locally sourced Dark Matter Coffee. It was crafted to be a coffee-filled, chocolatey, winter sipper.
Tasting Notes:
There’s no doubt this beer has freshly brewed coffee in it. There’s a coffee aroma so strong it feels like just breathing it in could wake you up. There are also aromas of roasted malts and chocolate. Drinking it reveals more bold coffee, roasted malts, fudge, and vanilla. It’s creamy, sweet, and slightly bitter.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to coffee stouts, you’ll have a tough time finding one as delicious and well-rounded as Half Acre Big Hugs. I mean… besides these next two.
2) La Cumbre Cafe Con Leche
ABV: 7.5%
Average Price: $9 for a 22-ounce bottle
The Beer:
La Cumbre takes the classic coffee stout one step further, making a beer version of a café con leche. They did this by brewing their popular stout with espresso and lactose. The result is a bold, coffee-filled, creamy beer worth raving about.
Tasting Notes:
Sweet cream, chocolate, caramel malts, and freshly brewed coffee are prevalent on the nose. The palate is heavy on bold, rich espresso beans, followed by lactose, chocolate fudge, and roasted malts. It might seem like there aren’t a ton of different flavors, but there really are.
Bottom Line:
This is where creamy lactose meets rich, dark, bold coffee. It’s a truly memorable stout you’ll go back to again and again.
1) Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break
ABV: 11.5%
Average Price: $12 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
If you’ve never tried Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break, what are you waiting for? This imperial stout gets its name because it was brewed with coffee, almond, and vanilla. It’s an interesting group of flavors that work in perfect unison together.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of vanilla beans, almond cookies, toffee, chocolate fudge, and freshly brewed coffee are the first scents noticeable. Taking a sip will bring you to a world of candied almonds, caramel, chocolate, roasted malts, and a bold cup of espresso. The finish is a warming mix of sweetness and bitterness that leaves you craving more.
Bottom Line:
This beer might seem like a lot when you look at the name and the ingredients, but it really is a well-balanced, warming beer you’ll want to drink all winter long.
FAQs
What is a flavored stout? ›
The “Flavored Stout” is a full-bodied black beer with a pronounced roasted flavor, often similar to coffee and dark chocolate with some malty complexity and some variations can be quite hoppy. The beer also contain a clear flavoring element.
Why does stout taste like soy sauce? ›As the yeast cells finish fermenting and die, their bodies break down and release an enzyme that tastes like soy sauce. This only happens in bottle-conditioned beers, or “live” beers: beers that are carbonated using live yeast.
What does an Irish stout taste like? ›“A true Irish stout should have a strong dark color, black at first glance, though a deep ruby would be more correct on closer examination. It will typically have a roasted malt flavor, with some bitterness and even a slight sourness, one not always derived from the roasted malt and barley.
Which is smoother stout or porter? ›To help disambiguate Stouts from Porters in the eyes of a very confused craft beer loving public, many American craft breweries label their more aggressive dark beer as the Stout, while their softer, smoother, lower alcohol content dark beer is the Porter.
What are the flavors of stout beer? ›English Stout Essential Info
A moderately full mouthfeel balances hops and roasty bitterness with some malty sweetness, while again flavors like coffee or chocolate may be easily detectable. Hops are more for balance here, but certain brewers may absolutely dial up the hoppiness as they see fit.
A stout's flavor is a balance between roast malt sweetness and a slight hop bitterness, with the dark malts often imparting notes of caramel, chocolate, coffee, and dried fruits.
Why is stout healthier than beer? ›Stout contains antioxidants!
And although they're in all beers, stout contains nearly twice the amount of antioxidants found in light-coloured lagers. Stout is packed with flavonoids, the antioxidants that give fruit and vegetables their dark colour.
Dark beer is rich in flavonoids – which contain powerful antioxidants that can help protect against diseases. Stouts are also high in vitamin B, preventing the build up of certain harmful amino acids believed to cause heart problems.
What is the most popular stout in the world? ›Guinness Draught, the world's most popular stout, is only 4.2% ABV.
What is the best selling stout in the world? ›Irish Stout
Guinness is a dry stout that is the world's best-selling stout.
What does American stout taste like? ›
Taste: Moderate to very high roasted malt characters, presenting coffee, bittersweet chocolate, possible dark chocolate, and coffee beans. A slight burnt ground coffee flavor is okay, but should not be overly noticeable.
What is the easiest stout to brew? ›Irish stout is easy to brew and perfect for any weather. Irish stout is the perfect dark beer for warm weather. It's full-flavored, low in alcohol, and has about the same number of calories as that watery “lite beer” your brother-in-law brings to your backyard barbecue.
Is Guinness A Stout Beer? ›The original Guinness is a type of ale known as stout. It's made from a grist (grain) that includes a large amount of roasted barley, which gives it its intense burnt flavor and very dark color.
Is stout better warm or cold? ›If you want to be exact, a common recommendation is to enjoy a stout at around 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A higher ABV imperial stouts could be at peak flavor between 55 and 60 degrees.
What is the old name for stout? ›The history of stout and porter are intertwined. The name "stout", used for a dark beer, came about because strong porters were marketed as "stout porter", later being shortened to just stout.
What is the difference between a stout and an Irish stout? ›As standard stout has a drier taste than the English and American sweet stouts, they came to be called dry stout or Irish stout to differentiate them from stouts with added lactose or oatmeal. This is the style that represents a typical stout to most people.
Are there stouts in the US? ›Stout Beer in America
True to style, American stouts showcase generous quantities of the American hops fans have come to expect, and much like other stout beer types, American stout can be enjoyed year-round but is commonly considered a beer for the fall or winter months.
Guinness (/ˈɡɪnəs/) is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in over 120.
Are oatmeal stouts sweet? ›Oatmeal stouts are often somewhat sweeter than dry stouts, but less sweet than sweet stouts or milk stouts. Hop bitterness varies with each brewer's interpretation of the style but is generally moderate, with an emphasis on bittering, rather than aroma hops.
What does Guinness stout taste like? ›Guinness has a malty sweetness and a hoppy bitterness, with notes of coffee and chocolate. A roasted flavor also comes through, courtesy of the roasted unmalted barley that goes into its brewing. It has a sweet nose, with hints of malt breaking through, and its palate is smooth, creamy, and balanced.
Do stouts taste better with age? ›
Also, different types of beers will age differently. For example, a stout may taste excellent after just 6 months, whereas a sour beer may require a year before those fruity flavor notes really shine through.
Do stouts get better with age? ›High acidity makes them more susceptible to autolysis, which creates meaty flavors like ink and soy sauce. Almost all imperial stouts can benefit from a year of aging, Dawson recommends, and beyond that another two or three years at most.
Does milk stout taste like Guinness? ›Guinness Milk Stout
One of the most recognizable stouts has gone milk. The new Guinness Milk Stout, one of the brewery's “brewers project” beers, borrows from Guinness's long brewing history to create a milk stout that has all the familiar flavors of Guinness Draught with all the subtle sweetness of lactose sugar.
Guinness Extra Stout (GES) is one of the lower strength beers that rank high on numerous health measures in all the studies. In European markets, Guinness is between 4.1 - 5% ABV and in many of the studies was tested at 4.95% ABV.
Is stout good for your gut? ›Researchers say stouts contain significant amounts of antioxidants, B vitamins and prebiotics, which promote the growth of "good" bacteria in your gut.
What is the healthiest beer for your heart? ›1) Heart-Friendly Beer
Yuengling provides full flavor while staying light on calories. A typical glass of Yuengling Light Lager contains approximately 99 calories, and still contains those healthy phenol benefits. Additionally, Abita includes real raspberries to its brew, which reduces the bitter taste of some ales.
The healthiest are stouts and porters, and higher hoppy beers, such as DIPAs and Imperial IPAs, Trappist beers, and spontaneous fermented beers, such as Lambics and Gose. Trappist-style beer is probably the most famous of the Belgian beers.
Is stout better for you than wine? ›The nutritional value of beer exceeds that of wine . The values of protein, fiber, B vitamins, folate, and niacin found in beer make it more like food. Studies in mice showed that hops may inhibit obesity.
Is Guinness stout the healthiest beer? ›7) It contains folate, fiber, and ferulic acid Guinness contains more folate, a nutrient we need to make DNA, than any other beer. And it's high in barley, which makes it one of the beers with the highest levels of fiber (while Bud Light and most other light beers don't contain any.
What country drinks the most stout? ›The United Kingdom is the undisputed king of Guinness drinking, presumably with its proximity to the original Guinness brewery in Ireland playing a key role. Indeed, as we previously reported, one out of every 10 pints sold in London is a Guinness.
What country makes the best stout? ›
Ireland. Guinness's Dublin brewery was founded in 1759, and the brand has loomed over the country since. A global success and one of the most recognizable products in the world, it remains the largest producer of stout on the planet. Along with Murphy's and Beamish, stout still dominates the Irish beer market.
What country invented stout beer? ›Where did Stout come from? Stout is derived from the English 'Porter' beer, originating in London in the 1720's and popular among the working class. By the 18th century the Porter was the beverage of choice amongst Dockside and Street Porters and thirsty London workers.
What is the name of the famous Irish stout? ›GUINNESS IS the world's most popular Irish stout.
Irish stout boasts a heritage and history that dates back centuries.
Russian imperial stouts are the darkest beers available and they tend to be among the most alcoholic. Balancing the alcohol and the roasty flavors are a high degree of residual sugar, bitter hops and a velvety mouthfeel that ties them together.
What does Murphys stout taste like? ›Taste The Murphy's Irish Stout has a nice flavor profile with dark grains, smokey barley, and some faint chocolate/roast. It's a dry stout through and through and lets you know it.
What is a Florida stout? ›Florida Stout is distinctly Voodoo & distinctly pastry. Big, thick, cloudy, malty, sweet, boozy, & with a main meal of raw, wriggling coconut with a sidecar brimming with liquefied vanilla beans. Chocolate shoves as it warms, nearly rivaling the previously mentioned in intensity.
What is a sweet stout beer? ›Sweet Stout, also referred to as Cream Stout or Milk Stout, is black in color. Malt sweetness, chocolate, and caramel should dominate the flavor profile and contribute to the aroma. It also should have a low to medium-low roasted malt/barley-derived bitterness. Milk sugar (lactose) lends the style more body.
What beer is closest to a stout? ›PORTERS. If you're looking to branch out slightly from stouts, the next closest beer would be porters. In fact, porters and stouts are often so similar you might not find any difference at all. Porters were born from English Brown Ales a few hundred years ago.
What is the hardest beer to brew? ›Perhaps the most challenging beer to homebrew is a sour. Sours include lambics, Flanders, and American wild ales, among others. Making sour beers requires meticulous attention during the fermentation process. Brewers must ensure the growth of lactic acid bacteria and non-saccharomyces yeast.
What is the toughest beer to brew? ›Lambic beer by far is the most difficult. The brewing process takes years and it's the only beer that is made by wild airborne yeast so is spontaneously fermented. It uses a very different type of yeast from normal beers.
Why is there a plastic ball in my can of Guinness? ›
It's essentially a small, white nitrogen filled ball that sits inside the can, and the second the can is opened, the widget does what it has so patiently been waiting to do. It releases the magic surge of bubbles, replicating the draught experience in a can.
What kind of beer is Stella Artois? ›Although the name may sound French, it is actually a Belgian lager! Stella Artois, or Stella for short, brews many other beers, but they are mostly known for their self-titled lager. Stella is a great beer choice for those who enjoy lagers, and it goes with almost any meal.
Why is Guinness so good? ›The infusion of nitrogen and carbon dioxide is what gives Guinness Draught its 'surge and settle' effect, resulting in its smooth and creamy finish. Not your average beer.
Should you refrigerate stouts? ›45 to 55 Degrees (Porters & Stouts)
These brown beers also tend to have a higher alcohol content, which means you can store and serve them at higher temperatures than an IPA — but they should be well under room temperature.
55 to 60 Degrees (Barleywines & Strong Ales): High-alcohol beers like strong ales, imperial stouts and barleywines can last for years without much chill—it's what they were designed to do in the days before refrigeration. They are best served just slightly under room temperature.
Should stouts be kept in fridge? ›You can prolong the shelf life of beer in cans and bottles if you keep them just above room temperature and just below freezing, but if there's no way to establish that, storing unopened cans and bottles in the fridge or at room temperature is acceptable.
What makes a drink a stout? ›Stout is a dark, full-flavored ale made with dark-roasted malted barley, which gives it a distinctively coffee-like, almost chocolately flavor that's balanced by bitterness from hops (a type of dried flower commonly used in beer-making).
What does it mean if a drink is stout? ›stout, dark, heavy-bodied beer popular in Great Britain and Ireland. Stouts are stronger versions of mild ale. There are various types, including oatmeal stout, milk stout, and imperial stout. Popular stouts have included the so-called dry Irish stouts, notably Guinness. stout.
What classifies a beer as a stout? ›Stouts are a category of warm-fermented ale styles that are distinguished by their dark color, generally an opaque deep brown or black, as well as a distinct roasted character that is often perceived as dark chocolate or coffee. Both of these qualities derive from the use of roasted grains used to brew these beers.
How are flavored stouts made? ›An aromatic dark malt is used in the brewing of chocolate stout. This gives it that dark, chocolate-like flavor and smell. Roasting a malt adds an extra dark flavor and color to it. Some companies even add small portions of cacao nibs or even coffee flavoring to their beers.
Is Guinness technically a stout? ›
The original Guinness is a type of ale known as stout. It's made from a grist (grain) that includes a large amount of roasted barley, which gives it its intense burnt flavor and very dark color.
Is drinking stout bad for you? ›They can be good for your health
Dark beer is rich in flavonoids – which contain powerful antioxidants that can help protect against diseases. Stouts are also high in vitamin B, preventing the build up of certain harmful amino acids believed to cause heart problems.
If you want to be exact, a common recommendation is to enjoy a stout at around 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A higher ABV imperial stouts could be at peak flavor between 55 and 60 degrees.
What alcohol level is stout? ›Imperial Stout - One of the darkest and strongest beer varieties, Imperial stout is black-hued and typically has an alcohol content of about 9%.
Can you get drunk off of stout beer? ›Depending on how much someone weighs, how old they are and how well their body metabolizes alcohol, it can take anywhere from 1 to 4 bottles of Guinness Extra Stout beer to become intoxicated.
Why is a stout not a beer? ›The only main difference many brewers still agree on is the kind of malt that should be used to brew each type of beer. Porters use malted barley and stouts are primarily made from unmalted roasted barley, which is where the coffee flavor most people associate with stout comes from.