Which brewery makes the best stouts?

Think i should do the same with a Sammy and put it in the basement and try one out at 59 degrees... That is an excellent stout and i need to be on the lookout for non dusty bottles

 

I guess your definition of easily accessible is different than mine. I cannot expect to walk into any bottle shop and find any of the four you listed. I've never seen the first one on store shelves, the second seems to be available else where but not where I live, the third has either been brewery only or extremely limited, the last one is probably fits the bill.

 

In no particular order: Founders, Bell's, North Coast, Goose Island, Prairie.

 

The question posed was regarding breweries. I simply gave my idea of the best of those aforementioned breweries. Some '18 BCBS is still on shelves, as is '19. We don't get Parabola (or any F-W) here, but friends in other states tell me it's a shelfie. Expo drops everywhere I've seen, albeit in a short window (and last year with Vanilla), and not a lot. Willettized is nationally distro'd in Autumn/Winter.

You need to propose to a unicorn to get Toppling Goliath stouts.

OP didn't say "Best worldwide available stouts". My answer then, would be Guinness.

Or World Wide Stout

That was just my opinion of the best. He asked for the best stout breweries. In my opinion, because of the stouts I listed, those are my idea of the best.

 

I read the OPs question. You used the term easily accessible, not the OP. I was simply pointing out that your definition of easily accessible was different than mine. I have no way to tell if TG stouts are really better than the others, because as you stated those are nearly impossible to get even with extreme fortune and/or a significant amount of money. There is a wide gap, IMO, between nearly impossible to get and easily accessible.

if the beers listed are really easily accessible to you, I hope you consider yourself fortunate.

 

I see what you're saying. No, I wish...Aside from BCBS, those aren't "easily accessible" to me, but I know people and have friends who can walk into the store and just buy those. I guess I'm extrapolating and assuming that these are easily accessible to most people who don't live in South Canada, like you and I, eh?

Eh.

 

I think BCBS is the best BA stout that's also the most readily available (retail or via trade) of the sought after stouts. They make a ton of it, and the "regular" BC in 2019 and 2020 has been very good.

Revolution is doing amazing things with BA stouts (they might be using magic) but they're getting harder to obtain.

 

Did you not care for the '18? Just curious.

 

Other than Founders, I spread myself pretty far and thin when it comes to stouts. In my hood of Northern California, I'd say the best come from a place near Sacramento called Moksa, followed by Urban Roots. Expanding to the rest of Cali, many would consider the best to be from The Bruery and Bottle Logic.

 

Lakewood Brewing

 

I didn't remember much about '18 in particular so I didn't want to speak to that vintage. I thought '19 was more chocolate forward than other years and '20 seems to be a really nice balance of chocolate, barrel, and dark fruits.

I'm happy to provide an evaluation of '18 if you want to send a bottle or two my way.

 

Ozark Beer Company of Rogers Arkansas makes the best craft stout. O'Hara's of Ireland makes a damn fine stout as well, can't find it anymore.

 

Florida may take the title with cycle (Kopi Luwak coffee, coconut stouts) at the top by a small margin over cigar city (BA huna, apple brandy huna), angry chair (most of their BA stuff) and arkane (BA peanut), other regions: hill farmstead (stouts like Damon and porters - Everett and genealogy), treehouse (esp maple variants), trillium (PM dawn coconut, BA stuff), goose island (regular, coffee, vanilla), founders, bruery, toppling goliath (morning delight)

 

I absolutely love what Revolution is doing.

One brewer I didn't see already mentioned is Ellison. Every stout they brew, BA or otherwise, is stellar.

 

Bell's. Forget about the rest, except the first great one I ever drank. The milk stout from the long lamented Bandersnatch brewpub in Tempe, AZ.

 

Mine would be-

*Founders
*Goose Island Bourbon County and variants
*Prairie
*Firestone Walker
*Toppling Goliath
*Surly
*Bells
*Kros Strain
*Nebraska Brewing
*Epic
*Evil Twin
*Avery
*Alesmith
*Dogfish Head
*Boiler
*Central Waters

There are others, but these breweries have made the best stouts, especially imperial stouts, I’ve ever tried...

 

^^^This cannot be overstated.

whenever I’m in the market for a stout at my local, I either go with this or Fremont Dark Star... the choice ends up always being difficult because they share the same cooler there.

Worth mentioning as well here more locally is Mountain Sun.. they even have stout month and release a ton of goodies alongside some great selections from other breweries as well.

 

I'd second (or third?!) that you've mostly nailed it with your list. I'd first say you gotta drink more Fremonts, but over your honorable mentions I'd second Põhjala and Bottle Logic, add Skookum, and my honorable mentions of Olde Hickory, WeldWerks, and Listermann for a couple gems I've had from each. Happy stout'in!

 

Bottle Logic, Great Notion, Moksa. I still have a lot of breweries to try though!

 

I'd have a hard time choosing between Zonker and Dark Star if I ever found them in the same cooler. Sounds like I'd really like your local options!