Most Flavorful Stout?

I am often very skeptical of any review that contains a preposterously long list of different flavors supposedly present in a beer. Perhaps more accurately, I am skeptical of the reviewers pallet and their capacity to articulate what they are actually tasting.

When you describe a beer as tasting like, "chocolate, oats, milk, spices, caramel, coffee, molasses, smoke, roasted nuts, and ash" you have done nothing to tell me what this beer tastes like. In fact, the idea that one could parse and experience each flavor uniquely at one time is unfathomable, and a stop trusting you as an accurate source.

Now I certainly believe that you could taste all of those things in a beer if you describe in sequence the upfront flavor, the flavor in the middle, and the aftertaste, and further describe what it tastes like when cold and warm. But simply listing flavors tells me you have no comparable example in you repertoire that expresses a similar flavor profile to that beer.

For example: When someone says "it tastes like peaches, apples, citrus zest, sugar, and hoppy alpha acids." That means nothing to me. However, when someone says "it tastes like tart peach preserves with a hoppy citrus bite," not only can I actually imagine what that might taste like, you sound like you might actually be accurately describing the beer.

 

It's a pretty rare beer but have you tried The Stout?

 

Edmund Fitzgerald.

 

Nice to see somebody agrees. Sometimes I'll describe a beer as ~3 flavors, but when someone just comes up with a list, I think of it as a joke.

The worst beer I've ever had so far is Samuel Adams Russian Imperial Stout. I got it because people said it tasted like "Coffee/Chocolate/Black Licorice/Spice/Smokiness" as well as some other things. Well, I got it, and all I tasted was smoked A1 sauce. It resulted in a drain poor.

That last bit was pretty irrelevant, but oh well.

 

Not too many stouts with orange peel, though Stone's 9.9.9 was sort of that. I am surprised that Parabola has not been mentioned more. I have a huge sweet tooth and love Dark Lord, but Parabola wowed me without being overly sweet because it had such complexity.

 

FFF Cognac Muerte DarkLord

I haven't actually tasted this beer yet, but i have a bottle, so i might as well take the opportunity to hype it's value.

 

Most delicious stout? St. Arnold's Pumpkinator, mild spiciness, huge pumpkin flavor. It is really delicious, also best Pumpkin beer I've ever had.

 

I first read that as "That sounds NASTY, ill have to try to get my hands on some".
I thought that was a great response. Also a nod to the Abyss while I'm at it.

 

Seriously. Parabola is the best beer I have ever had. It's unreal.

I'm also kind of surprised nobody's mentioned Stone's Russian Imperial Stout. I know it's not in season, but it is great.

You're not going to get the sort of complexity you are looking for in many regular stouts; reach for imperials. Nevertheless, Sierra Nevada Stout and Velvet Merlin are really great.

World Wide Stout, The Dogfather and Lagunitas' Cappucino Stout are others I haven't seen mention of yet that are worth looking into.

On another note, I find Samuel Smith's stouts are overrated. I like them, but I don't think they rank among today's best.

 

I love KBS IMO as good as it gets, but Parabola is right there too. But I also love Bells Stouts both Kalamazoo and Expedition.

 

Oh, if any of you get the chance, and like Milk Stouts, Duck Rabbit out here makes GREAT Milk Stout, give it a spin if you can.

 

I don't know if it hits your checklist, but Midnight Sun Berserker has tons of flavor -- really complex.

 

Black Butte XXIII had orange zest added.

 

I saw this in La Bodega in Riverside, CA and was so close to buying it, but didn't, seems I missed out.

And if you want some interesting/complex stout flavors, IMO, check out BrewDog Tokio "intergalactic fantastic oak-aged stout"


"BrewDog Tokio intergalactic fantastic oak aged stout brewed with cranberries and jasmine. 18.2% ABV. Dark chocolate right up front and hard in the nose. Slight fruity, tangy sweetness with just a hint of an herbal note. Probably a combination of the jasmine and the dry-hopping. And there's definitely a boozey kick in there too. The taste is nowhere near as boozey as I expected. Strong dark chocolate with a lot of sweetness and that sweetness has a cranberry tinge to it, but its not too tart or really up front. Chocolate fades to sweetness and that leads out to a very slight oaky, vanilla flavor which flows right back into the fruit and chocolate with a very minor hint of coffee. This is not like I expected at all. This isn't harsh or boozey and its not burly like a lot of imperial stouts. This is seriously one of the smoothest and most delicious stouts I have ever tried."

 

Trainwreck Stout by the Tickand Wetyouself brewery.

 

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned BCBS, BCBCS, BCBVS, Bramble. Also, Courage Russian Imperial Stout.

 

Stouts are where it's at for me. My perfect brew. At this point, I'm just echoing what others have said already, but here are some of my personal favorites that I find to be complex:

Firestone Walker Parabola
Deschutes They Abyss
Midnight Sun Brewing Beserker
Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

 

Parabola is an amazing stout, but I don't think its quite what this person is looking for. Definitely one of my top 5 though

 

Since all my other favs have been mentioned, I'll throw in Southern Star Buried Hatchet. It's one of the stoutest stouts I've ever had.

 

Brooklyn BCS with some age on it. The heat goes away and complexities come through nicely. As far as run of the mill, non barrel, nothing added RIS's go, this one is pretty damn good!