What do you look for in Stouts?

Russian Imperial Stout or Imperial Stout -

Smoke, roasted or burnt malt, dry leaf tobacco, oak created simply by the malt build, bitter coffee and bitter baker's chocolate, maybe some bitter earthy hops and then hints of dark fruit and caramel to balance out the stronger flavors. Maybe a hint of licorice in the aftertaste. I get these flavors a lot in SN Narwhal and Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout after they age for about a year or two.

Regular Stout -

A lighter version of all of the above...

 

I forgot to list Barrel aged Imperial stouts which is a different animal all together.

But everything I posted in my last post along with, whiskey, sweet pipe tobacco, oak created by the barrel, char, burnt or toasted coconut, vanilla and just a REALLY smooth silky finish and very little hoppy bitterness. I think the barrels somehow kill the hops taste. At least that's what I've noticed about barrel aging.

 

Coffee, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon and solid buzz.

 

Rich dark chocolate and coffee, with very little bitter.
Plenty of vanilla, with a thick, but not overpowering sweetness.
Most importantly is balance.

 

right now I'm really into semi/bitter-sweet chocolate and heavy on the dark fruits (black butte xxvi) that beer is my shit right now, wish it wasn't $19.99 for a damn bomber, but worth it.

 

I look for heavy chocolate and roasted malts with goth dark fruits... I also really love a properly done fruit stout

 

Love a good stout but often find the molasses flavor to be so strong the beer almost tastes like soy sauce, so anything but that, please.

 

I love everything on this list...do you consider Hairy Eyeball a stout though? Also, have you had Dark Truth? The Belgian yeast provides a bunch of dark fruit notes.

 

Oops should have clarified, I consider Hairy Eyeball a strong ale/barleywine/Scotch ale, just one that I definitely get a little bit of roast from. And yup I love Dark Truth. Cheers!

 

A distinct poop flavor

 

Sweet and boozy with little to no bitterness. Bourbon, Chocolate, and/or vanilla preferably. Just no licorice, overly bitter coffee and mostly no strong hop flavors!

 

Full body.

 

The solutions to all of life's problems.

And I usually find them there.

 

I like the roasted coffee, vanilla, chocolate notes. In a BA, version the right amount of balance from the base and the barrel. I have had a few rum barrel aged ones and many whiskey/bourbon barrel aged ones and bourbon seems to blend more closely to the base of a stout. Also, mouthfeel should be velvety and somewhat viscous.

 

My favorite stout would have a huge body, loads of coffee/vanilla/chocolate and tons of salty licorice.
It's hard to find those salty treats, but man, when that salty liquid hits my lips my eyes rolls back and I enter Nirvana for a few seconds.

What I really don't like in my stout is brett and milk. Why would you ever want to add milk/cream to let all those great flavours disappear?

 

I lean towards Russian and Imperial Stouts with zero bitterness and high abv. I prefer bourbon/coffee/chocolate/notes but I always enjoy a good twist. I like to just sit with my slow sipper.

 

coffee, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, booze, thick, black

 

roasted malt, some dark fruit, dark chocolate, and hints of coffee and vanilla. Not too sweet. I like them full bodied, bitter, thick, and imposing.

 

Tons of chocolate (dark or milk), roasted malts, hint of vanilla, hint of coffee, not hopped too much, robust mouthfeel. Yeah.

 

I like creaminess with some depth of flavor. I like to subtly taste whatever adjuncts may be in there, while not letting those overpower (cocoa, vanilla, chile, etc.). Basically, I look for things that taste like Huna but are much easier to get
CW's stuff falls into that category for me thankfully. One of the few good things about living in this God forsaken climate..