Paste Magazine Blind Stout Tasting

Glad Ipswich Oatmeal made the top 20. A near perfect representation of the style. Allagash Black, however, does not belong in the top 20.

 

Why can't I get paid to taste beer?!.

Glad The Poet was on the list. Why not SN Stout? That's still one of the best at the ABV.

 

Well, I guess you can complain about not including certain beers, but you certainly can't get too mad about blind taste tests..

 

Came home w/2 Mean Old Tom again this year from the Maine trip. MBC is solid stuff price be damned.

 

Says who? I am incensed at the beers they like!

 

Interesting that Otter Creek Couch Surfer was very highly rated. Good to see something you can get in a mix pack rated this high.

 

Yea I don't find this particularly inflammatory in any way.

They tested beers blind. Some of them professionals in professional beer tasting and the like. If anything I found this interesting, and am only more inspired to try some of the beers listed. Especially the Treehouse stout.

 

Ipswich Oatmeal Stout is way to hoppy for the style. Tastes more like a Black IPA. And Allagash Black is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, not a Stout.

 

no Narwhal, ten fidy, Siberian night, Founders anything, Lost Abbey Serpent Stout, Modern Times,...I could keep going but smh

 

"Blind-Tasting and Ranking 51 of the Best American Stouts (under 8% ABV)"

 

missed that part still Black house though

 

Agree w/ the Poet - really enjoyed it. Wish Summit Oatmeal had been included, pretty good for 4.7%.

 

Dieu du Ciel Aphrodisiaque - easily the best stout out there, but wasn't included in the tasting.

 

I've revisited this beer a few times (including on cask) over the last year or so.

Truly an amazing beer, and one of the most criminally underrated beers period, regardless of style. Although you could probably say that about Ipswich in general, their Route 101 IPA on cask was wonderful as well, and their Original Ale is an excellent hop forward twist on an English Pale Ale.

Now I'm thinking I should try Mean Old Tom, but I try to avoid buying Maine Beer Co.'s beer if I can, simply because I don't want to contribute to the ridiculous pricing. And I'd be more inclined to purchase their beers every once in awhile at that price if there was some explanation, oh well.

 

NC representing.

 

Having tried only a few of these due to distro, it looks like they did a great job getting beer that are distributed to different parts of the country. Having tried the top 2 multiple times, I'd take Tree House Double Shot over any of the other beers on the list. I wonder which variant they tried, can't really tell by the tag in the picture. Also, Velvet Merlin is wonderful. One of the best seasonals on the market. I consider this a future classic in the same sense that Celebration is considered one.

 

Love me some Couch Surfer!!

 

Maine has a section on their site where they sort of explain pricing: http://www.mainebeercompany.com/how-they-do-whats-right/

Supporting other artisan businesses, paying higher wages, participating in 1% for the planet, etc. It may not be sufficient justification for you, but they do address their business practices ... the implicit impact is there.

 

Pretty solid list. I have no issues and like how they laid out the rules.