Paste Magazine Blind Stout Tasting

Very happy to see Evolution Rise Up in the top 10, my favorite stout under 8% ABV!

 

There seems to be a bias toward lower ABV stouts on the list. I'd argue the following should have been included:

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Fegley's Insidious Imperial Stout
Otter Creek Russian Imperial Stout
Stoudt's Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout
Victory Storm King Stout

 

“under 8% ABV was the obvious cut-off point to define sub-imperial stouts. And so, that’s what we did."

 

Dieu du Ciel Aphrodisiaque is really good but their Peche Mortel is even better. Great brewery. Dieu du ciel and other Quebecois breweries are brewing a lot of good beers.

 

Yes, big fan of theirs and love the pricing too.

 

Looks like Sierra Nevada Stout is as hard to find for Paste Magazine as it is for me.

 

for me noticeable omissions:

DH Tres Blueberry
Bell's Special Double Cream
Troegs JavaHead
Pike XXXXX

 

It wasn't a bias. It was a definition of the tasting.

 

Stouts and Imperial Stouts are different styles. The beers you name are all excellent beers but they no more belong in this tasting than an IPA does.

 

I agree but that is not an American stout.

 

This was for stouts under 8% abv, says so right in the article.

And that's a good thing, as it's a subset of beer that gets ignored a lot.

 

North American

 

Other than the Schalfly coffee stout going so high this actually doesnt bother me too much.

 

I miss the hell out of New Holand and Schlafly. Both great choices, but nothing.......and I mean NOTHING compares to Velvet Merlin! Period, end of story.

 

I love Oatis and Obsidian, but you're right. Everything that isn't velvet merlin is a compromise