PASTE - Endangered Beer Styles: American Stout

It was a sad day when I could no longer get get Bear Republic’s Big Bear Black Stout at my local shop. I loved that beer and the price was awesome. It used to be a regular in my fridge so whenever I need a stout it was there. While, I believe it’s still brewed I can’t find it around me.

Two trends that are vanishing in the beer market. Buying the same beer over and over and a classic not flavor added stout.

 

Piggybacking on the Paste article, I recently had an interesting conversation with a Sierra Nevada rep in Indianapolis. I emailed Sierra Nevada wondering why I couldn't find "Sierra Nevada Stout" (yes, the boring, non-adjunct variety) anywhere on local shelves even though its listed on their site as a year-round release. Much to my surprise the Sierra Nevada rep in Indianapolis actually called me to answer my question (wow, an email to California gets answered by a personal phone call from a local representative, well done Sierra Nevada!)

He basically said distributors told him there wasn't enough demand for the regular stout based on retailers limited shelf space. I think he said Indiana now gets like 13-15 Sierra Nevada releases (don't quote me on that number) between regular offerings and seasonal releases. Their Porter is also not offered in central Indiana anymore. Sure enough, a beer locator search using Sierra Nevada's web site showed Louisville as the closest city for retailers selling Sierra Nevada Stout.

Stouts were one of the main styles that first got me into craft beer over 20 years ago. As I think about it, my last few stout purchases have all been coffee stouts or barrel-aged stouts. I'm part of the problem. There are a couple local American Stouts without adjuncts that I really enjoy. Gonna grab them soon before its too late.

 

Its such a shame, since I wasn't born until well after the first wave of American brewers, who mimicked European styles, which seem to be in my wheelhouse. I grew up thinking certain breweries and styles would be around "forever", but it was not to be.

For decades older generations stuck to one brand of lager, and I thought maybe something similar could be possible, except with craft "originals". Was it all just a flash in the pan?

 

I don't think anyone thinks this is an emergent situation, brah.

You are missing out on this one. One of the best articles that I've read about beer lately, as it has decently far reaching implications.

How else would you suggest that we categorize and brand beer?

More breweries doesn't mean better beer or more different types of beer, it just means more breweries.

Correct.

I don't know that you're part of the problem, per se, as I see the problem as being that once craft beer lovers get over the basically three types of beer that are massively popular in the current climate, which other types of beer will be left for them to explore?

Exactly.

What's happening is the same thing that happened to beer, in general, post-Prohibition up until craft beer became a thing. Brewers are brewing less and less types of beer because their consumers are only rabid about a handful of types of beer and those are the types of beer that they feel that they need to make to be maximally profitable.

Good to revisit the classics, IMO.

A well made stout is a thing of beauty. Too bad many people can't appreciate the simplicity of them.

We'll see what happens when and if the people driving both of these trends begin to mature as beer drinkers. I have the feeling that most of them will flame out on beer completely, but the ones that remain will start to demand that breweries stop making the exact same beers and start doing something different to keep their attention.

I'm part of the problem as well, as I stated in a previous thread, but, much like you, that's about to change.

The issue with this type of thing is that it's not JUST normal stouts that have been affected. How many normal pale ales are out there? Non-BA barleywines? Scottish Ales? Bitters? Milds? California Commons? Belgian Abbey-styles? Dunkels? Jesus . . . this is getting depressing.

 

Once again it all boils down to personal preferences -- there are many who tout the wonders of Gueuze, but I can't stomach the style. I guess I'm just fortunate to have had a few Oatmeal Stouts that were very good -- some terrific. It remains one of my favorite styles.

 

That really was a nice beer. And I always say that the disappearance of Young's Oatmeal Stout was a big loss.

 

I with you 100% on Gueuze and Oatmeal Stout.

 

No, why? Is it a Sour Oatmeal Stout like their Oktoberfest is a Sour Märzen? Sorry, that was underhanded -- I apologize.

To be fair, I've had many Export Stouts have a touch of sourness or tartness to them that I don't mind. But I like Oatmeal Stout to have a little sweetness.

 

This was by far my favorite quotation from the article.

Sums up craft beer trends in the last five years perfectly.

I thought this portion of the article was fairly telling.

— There are only 17 entries for “American stout” on BA with more than 1,000 reviews.
— There are 16 more entries for “oatmeal stout” with more than 1,000 reviews.
— There are 19 entries for “milk stout” with more than 1,000 reviews.

Meanwhile, switch over to imperial stout styles, and the story becomes very different.

— There are 94 entries for “American imperial stout” on BA with more than 1,000 reviews.
— There are 41 more entries under “Russian imperial stout” with more than 1,000 reviews.

When all is said and done, that equals just 52 entries within all spheres of “standard stout” with more than 1,000 reviews, to 135 within the “imperial” categories. And guess what? Even among those 52, quite a few are simply mislabeled imperial stouts with ABVs of 8 percent or more, that have managed to squirrel their way into the other categories—meaning that ultimately, the number of true “standard” stouts with more than 1,000 reviews is even lower.

This is also true though, I wonder what the number of entries are in general, not just ones with 1,000 reviews.

Ironically, I do think there's plenty of Porters out there.

This is very true, and is a good point. But at least anecdotally, in MA do you feel there's less "regular" stouts now than say 15 years ago?

I definitely could see this happening.

Ipswich Oatmeal Stout is a fantastic local example, albeit clocking in at 7%. It's one of their original beers, and I believe the sales for this one are still quite strong. Also excellent on cask.

I had been craving a regular stout lately and found myself purchasing some fresh Sam Adams Cream Stout. A regular 4.9% ABV stout with no additives...from a large brewer like Sam Adams...OH THE HORROR!

 

Not that staright up non-pastry beer itself is a health food, but would love to see labels on the pastry beers with calorie and sugar count, I have a feeling some people would be horrified at the numbers. Throw in the lactose beers too.

 

It would be interesting to tease that out, because here's the number of beers per style on BA.

7256 American Imperial Stout

6129 American Stout

3101 English Sweet/Milk Stout

2599 Russian Imperial Stout

2198 English Oatmeal Stout

1438 Irish Dry Stout

927 English Stout

564 Foreign/Export Stout

One interesting tidbit. The article references "6% stouts". If you filter the American Stout category according to highest ABV, you need to go nearly 3,000 beers into it to start finding beers that are 6% ABV, which is nearly half the list.

 

That beer is, indeed, quite tasty.

 

I was noticing this the other day. The stores around here don't typically carry Sierra Nevada Stout because it doesn't sell. I saw some in Alabama a few weeks ago and was shocked. I thought SN had discontinued it.

Yeti seems to be the only hop-forward stout/porter I see regularly, and it's very firmly in "imperial" territory. Cutthroat might be the closest thing I can think of around here.

 

Agreement, but judging how beer is tending to gravitate towards the extreme, the porter may be in the crosshairs sooner rather than later. So support your local porter!

 

I lived in AZ back then and wasn't drinking a lot stouts (given the weather and my WC hop addiction at the time) so I can't really say for sure. But I did mean my post to agree that it feels like there aren't as many on the shelves as I remember seeing when I'd come home to visit, or before I left in '95. Then again, back then maybe having 4 or 5 available felt like a lot and everything else has just taken off more since then?

Regardless of comparisons to the past, there aren't many now, especially in the lower ABV range (as you say, even our local favorite Ipswich is 7%). I don't actually feel overwhelmed with the "pastry" style stuff out here myself, but the majority of options tend to be either imperial or have coffee in them, even from the older breweries like Long Trail, Berkshire, and Otter Creek.

How does the rest of the country feel about Oyster Stouts?

 

"Stout is not stout" - Rudy Giuliani

... ... except that in this case he might be right!