Death of Stouts?

For the most part, you're right, stouts are few and far between on tap lists.

Which is why we support a brewery over an hour away because they have monthly stout bottle releases and multiple stouts on the board every time we visit. (Fabled Brew Works)

 

If you are talking (regular) stouts and excluding Imperial, pastry and barrel aged from the conversation then I agree and I don't like it.

 

I think it's getting cold enough where stouts will rise again. Til it starts to get warm again and brewers swap out their fermenters for warm weather beer. But yes, I want a range of all kinds of strong ale all year around, barleywine included. I'll take doppelbock, Tripel, quad, etc.

 

I visited a brewery in Virginia today for first time called Bear Chase. Had a Baltic Porter, American Barleywine, NE IPA and a Kolsch today. Baltic Porter won Bronze at the GABF and the Kolsch I think won gold. The Baltic Porter (8.4% no additives nor BA), may be the best I’ve had to date. Sorry not a stout but pretty much the same (many threads already debating if there is a difference, so I won’t get into that again here).

 

I just checked one local spot that has its tap list online. Out of 50 taps (which also include various ciders, NA beers etc.) 3 are stouts and 1 is a porter.

Then I checked one of the most popular breweries in town and out of 13 taps they have 2 stouts and 1 American strong ale blend that consists of various stouts, porters, and barleywines.

So maybe they aren’t quite as popular as they once were, but I think it’s safe to say the death of stouts has been exaggerated.

 

Where I'm at there's no absence of dark stuff. The one local place has 3 or 4 on at once, and that's only the big ones, and might have 2 or 3 porters and an Irish stout on too. The one brewery has a year round Baltic porter as well.

Now that it's cooling off, I'm expecting to see them all out in force. There's also no shortage of Narwhal and the 3Floyds seasonals either, and one bottle shop close to me has a wall of assorted stouts. Granted, some of them have been there for a bit, but age never hurt something big.

 

I either forgot or didn’t know that Brouwer’s Cafe closed recently (their tap list is from May) but out of 64 taps at least 19 are stouts—there’s a “stouts” category with 18 listings and then a separate “California” category that lists 1 more. But then they are no longer in business so …

 

It's funny because I've never been a huge fan of all the pastry stouts and things like that but in the last few years I've come around on a dark, bitter stout and while I don't believe in proclaiming the death of most things because I think it's hyperbolic, you are correct in that they are not so common anymore.

 

I live in an area blessed with breweries that like brewing stouts. Expedition, Breakfast Stout, Plead the Fifth just to name a few.
So no, stouts aren’t dead or even wounded. They just don’t get the attention they used to.

 

Have been drinking less Imperial Stouts lately becuase i can't find shit in my 5 mile radius besides Old Rasputin.

I don't even think a regular Stout (non imperial) exists

 

The premise of this thread is not my experience. As someone who primarily enjoys stouts, barleywines and strong ales, I find an abundance of options. Including the great options from Private Press, Anchorage, Side Project, Firestone, Perenial, Fremont and many others.

Enjoying an Alesmith BA Numbskull that spent 7 years in Conac & Brandy barrels tonight.

If you lack local options you should try Tavour.

 

those are all boutique brands, mostly Barrel Aged,and very overpriced .( except firestone and maybe fremont)


I think we're talking about regular Stout/Imperial Stout for a daily drinking type here.

Where can you go right now and grab a pack of Non BA,Non Imperial Stout in our area?

 

I don't think it's dead but I think the market has changed. The old barrel aged chasers became widely distributed and very sweet stouts took over. Goose Island (Inbev) got greedy. Thank.you KBS for staying reasonable and delicious

 

Yes, plain stouts have gotten somewhat uncommon (especially in a typical retail setting vs at breweries/specialty bars). And it seems like imperial stouts that aren't all flavored up and/or barrel aged are available with a huge degree of regional variety.

But the style is far from dead. And as others mentioned, it seems to get a little seasonal bump this time of year

 

Oh, and note that this very site has an annual thread that generates 3+ thousand responses annually

 

You can’t get Deschutes Obsidian, Old Rasputin, Narwhal, or Ten Fidy whenever you want?

 

I almost laughed at this
Haven't seen Narwhal in a year or so, tenfidy never shows up, we get Black Butte but dont think ive seen obsidian.
There's IPAs though.

I have to drive out in LA traffic 20min - 45min ,which I refuse to do, to get the shit you mentioned and it keeps getting worse.

Old Rasputin is available a 10min walk from me.

 

I just finished my very first Allagash North Sky.

While I did enjoy it, I did not kill it.