What do you consider to be a stout?

Like spidey said, sounds like you've got a thing for stronger darker beers. When I got into craft, all I knew is that I liked "dark beers". I too quickly discovered that I liked most stouts, but also other dark beers. A few years ago I completed the quest of trying all 111 styles on BA (until they recently added #112 (IPL) which I need to try). I liked all 111 styles except sours and IPA's, but a year ago I started trying more of them and now am into them too.

Right after I got into craft I heard about bourbon barrel aged stouts and tried one - and swore them off. Folks on BA forums advised me to always use a glass and allow stouts and other dark beers to warm a bit. What a huge difference! I now drink a lot of rum and bourbon barrel dark beers. Bottom line, take the time to explore other styles, and if you encounter one you don't like, be sure to try more examples, particularly highly-rated ones. Have fun!

 

Old Rasputin is THEE Stout in my humble opinion.

 

Welcome to BA. Just to be clear BA means beer advocate sometimes and barrel aged other times , understand the context. Stouts can be tricky to peg - I am a fan of KBS, Old Rasputin, Narwhal and BA Narwhal, Revision Separation, Abyss, DFH Worldwide, Parabola, BCBS and most imperial versions.Not a fan of too many additives that make it too sweet.Drank Guinness on tap at the brewery in Dublin and was underwhelmed. Develop your palate gradually and you'll figure it out. Backwoods Bastard is one of my all-time favorites , it is a BA wee heavy.Give North Coast Old Stock a try.You apparently have an affinity for higher octane brews. Be careful and stay safe. Cheers.

 

Check these out...

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/157/ - American Imperial Stout

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/84/ - Russian Imperial Stout

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/192/ - Imperial Porter

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/80/ - Baltic Porter

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/77/ - Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/152/ - English Barleywine


...and after trying all those...

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/79/ - Old Ale

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/142/ - Quadrupel (Quad)

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/56/ - Belgian Strong Dark Ale


Enjoy!

 

This is generally true of most peoples' tastes, even professional tasters, but not necessarily for the reason they think. Read this: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/quilted-science/201002/does-price-tag-have-taste


That said it's OK to splurge once in while to get the experience of drinking a well-known or rare beer. The trick is to use that experience to help you discover the reasonably priced and similarly tasting alternatives.

 

Someone send this man a Dark Lord!

I've merely skimmed the existing comments, so do forgive me if I'm repeating what other BAs may have already said. *long response warning* Stouts are a broad style, with many, many variations. You may absolutely adore one bottle of "imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with coffee", and despise another. The only way to figure this out is by experimenting.

Barrel-aged beers (beers aged in spirit/wine/cordial barrels) have been popular for a fair while now. They're generally much more sought after than non-barrel aged variants, and naturally, the barrels used will impart a panoply of new flavours. Definitely a wide world to explore, and some of the most revered beers are barrel-aged stouts. As a not-so-hard-and-fast rule, "Russian" imperial stouts tend to be a touch drier (less sweet), a bit roastier (dark, bitter), and a bit hoppier (bitter, earthy) than "American" imperial stouts. Imperial stouts are naturally bigger, roastier, (often) sweeter, and higher ABV than "regular" stouts. "American stouts" tend to be the hoppiest variety. There is no right or wrong preference.

As for accessible stouts, let me offer a few suggestions:
North Coast - Old Rasputin (Russian Imperial Stout. Roasty, bold, slightly bitter, slightly earthy. Non barrel-aged (BA).
Bell's - Kalamazoo (American stout. Bold, roasty, slight earthy hop profile. Med ABV. Non BA.)
Founder's - Imperial Stout (American Imperial Stout. Balanced. Roasty. Low-mid hop presence. Med-high ABV. Non BA. Limited).
Bell's - Barrel-Aged Expedition Stout (American Imperial stout. Seasonal. Limited. Aged in bourbon barrels. Sweet, thick, rich. Low bitterness. High ABV. Big notes of fudge, vanilla, caramel, and oak. Little hop presence).
Founder's - KBS (American Imperial stout. Bourbon barrel-aged with coffee beans. Sweet, rich, decadent. Coffee roastiness. Bourbon and oak flavours. High ABV. Little hop presence. Seasonal.)
Ceylon - Lion Stout (Standard foreign stout. Slight roast. Low-med bitterness. Med ABV. Balanced. Notes of cocoa, coffee, and roasted malt. Accessible. Affordable. Classic simple stout. Non BA).
Sierra Nevada - Narwhal (Russian Imperial stout. Roasty, dark, bold, bitter. Particularly hoppy. Slightly earthy. Notes of char and baking cocoa. Med-high ABV. Affordable. Seasonal. Non BA)
Left Hand - Milk Stout (Milk stouts are brewed with lactose. This gives them a fuller body and distinctive texture, as well as a flavour. Divided opinions. Slight roast. Little hop presence. Not bitter. Creamy, soft. Low-med ABV. Notes of chocolate, vanilla, caramel, roast. Affordable. Accessible. Non BA).
I think these are decent staples that encapsulate the general idea of common main stout varieties, and may help to broaden your palate. Also, drink local! Experiment with tons of local options. They're truly endless.

And above all else...Welcome to BeerAdvocate! Plenty of knowledgeable people here who are always willing to help and answer your questions. There's a lot of beer out there. It's a deep, deep rabbit hole, but I think you'll feel most at home in it. Cheers, @edwilksm!

 

Yep, for that reason, I have made a mental note to include price as a added comment in my future beer reviews. I know the cost is not a formal review criteria, but knowing the cost gives everyone some idea of a beer's cost per quality ratio and lets me and others know if they are getting a deal or paying too much, i.e. why pay $6 per can or bottle if I can find other beers of the same style and similar rating that cost $3 or $4 per can, unles there is a compelling reason why I REALLY want that particular $6 can?? I know prices vary in different locations but Istill contend that listing the cost as reviewed gives an indication that is valuable for comparisons.

 

I’ve only had it once and that was on tap, but I had BA Old Chub on tap, and it was a beer so good I was driving 60 miles round trip to drink a few, until the barrel kicked. Best Scotch Ale I’ve ever had, never seen it since.

 

That's my favorite Guinness flavor.

 

They make great floats.

 

Just to confuse things... (for those who read the thread title and thought, "Well, if the beer's label says "Stout" it's a stout!")

 

Two quick thoughts on this:
With a stout appreciation, you are ahead of your time, or have been drinking for 5 years now
Also you need to seek out Bourbon County (any of em), mostly around thanksgiving. Not the holy trail but you'll thank me later (or hate me for the door I've opened)

 

This is solid advice. Regular bcbs is one of the best values around if you like big bold barrel aged stouts

 

See if you can find Ipswich Oatmeal Stout. I love it!

 

It's a porter for people who dont like porters

 

To me, a Stout is usually around 5% ABV and is somewhat bitter. In my opinion, that is a proper Irish or British Stout. There are many other types of Stouts; Imperial, Barrel Aged, Milkshake, Pastry, or just flavored with coffee, cocoa, cherry or whatever. It is a broad category, the ones with extra ingredients or higher ABV are usually pretty well identified on the label.

Porter is a similar style, usually smoother and a little sweeter with less roasted flavor. Brown ales are the next step down from Porter.

Stout, Porter, Brown, Amber, Pale, and Blonde are basic categories of ales more or less in order from darkest to lightest.

 

I would actually buy a bourbon barrel aged stout malt liquor just to see what it tastes like

 

One last comment from me. After trying many pricey, high ABV Stouts, I found more satisfaction in finding well crafted reasonably priced, moderate to low ABV dark beers. These beers are often simple in makeup, but use quality ingredients and craftmanship that extract the subtleties of the ingredients. In dark beers, I enjoy a simple Stout, Baltic Porter, Schwarzbier (Dark Lager), or Munich Dunkel as much as anything. Enjoy exploring. That's much of the fun. But remember, you don't have to break the bank or nurse a hangover to find an enjoyable dark beer! Cheers!

 

In practically every pub in the UK you will find a sign offering Ales and Stouts. There may be a plaque over the door saying that the publican is permitted to sell Ales, Stouts and other intoxicating liquors. Because Ale and Stout are two separate classes of beer. At one time separate breweries, different lodges. Arthur Guinness was an Ale brewer, when he decided to brew Stout he needed a Porter brewer, the Purser family.
I don't know when beer writers lumped Ales and Stouts together, a little research beforehand would have been in order