Brown Ale, Porters, And Stouts - What's The Good Stuff?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

Perique

Lifer
Sep 20, 2011
4,098
3,884
www.tobaccoreviews.com
BTW, if you don't like Guinness, give it another go with a different twist. After the pint has settled, slow-pour in a double shot of Jameson's. It will mix itself; I call it the "Lava Lamp" because it sort of looks like one as it mixes.
Throw in the Bailey's and make it an Irish Car Bomb*.
*Hello, Boris. **
** if you don't get this Cold War, BB reference, pm me if interested.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
I deliberately omit the Baileys because I feel the sweetness kills that good high-octane, top-fuel flavor.

 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,272
4,268
Where y'at? (That's Louisianian for Where are you located?" Don't turn your palate away from a dark beer/ale/stout/porter just because it doesn't come from the British Isle. My current favorite is Bayou Teche LA31 31 Stout from a small craft brewery in the middle of nowhere (roughly 25 miles NE of Lafayette). It's a solid milk stout that has been dedicated to 31 Special Forces members who died in Afghanistan. Bayou Teche pretty much only distributes in Louisiana and Canada. Another good one is Abita Brewing Bourbon Street Baltic Porter - a porter that is aged in whiskey barrels - that has a smooth vanilla taste. Abita is distributed in a number of states.
My 3rd recommendation may be more accessible - Ommegang's Game of Thrones Take the Black Stout. Again, a good creamy black stout. I enjoyed several glasses of it last night while smoking so Nording's Hunter Blend: Retriever and it made a good match.

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Where y'at?
North Georgia,

gotta drive 30 mins to get to a decent local,

selection is spotty and varied.
I might give Abita Brewing Bourbon Street Baltic Porter a try if I come across it,

but like Al, I stay away from Turbo Dog - I had high hopes for it but it was too hoppy for my tastes...
Drinking Sweetwater Georgia Brown today for the first time and it's actually pretty damn good,

easy drinking with very nice flavors.

 

dcrguns

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 19, 2013
892
2,610
57
Ruidoso, NM
If you are ever around Albuquerque, NM, try any of the La Cumbre Brewing Co. beers. They have won several awards and are an up and coming brewery. Readily available at Total Wine and many restaurants around Albuquerque. Their Malpais Stout and A Slice of Hefen are excellent. www.lacumbrebrewing.com.
I also drink a lot of Guinness, LH Milk Stout, Moose Drool (Big Sky Brewing), and Newcastle Brown.
So many beers to try!

 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,272
4,268
I've tried Turbodog when it first came out. Haven't drank any of it since. In fact, I find most of what Abita puts out in 12 oz. bottles or can to be unexciting. The Abita beers and Ales that come in he 22 oz. bottles are several steps ahead of the rest of the Abita offerings.

 

gambit88

Can't Leave
Jan 25, 2015
341
2
Sam smiths oatmeal stout is easially the best stout I've had. Yeaungling black and tan is pretty good. We have a local brewery that makes a black ipa thats pretty tasty. I can't think of many brown ales I've had outside of sam smiths nut brown and newcastle.
One of the most interesting beers I've had was called mayan mocha stout. It was a chocolate stout with cinnamon and habanero. It was sweet with a nice little kick on the backend. I need to find more of that stuff.

 
K

klause

Guest
If you ever get to England, head to Lewes in East Sussex, home of Harvey's Brewery - their Old Ale was sublime, while the Christmas Ale was worlds apart - nothing comes close.
They also did, dunno if they still do, a range of specialty Ales - a particular fave was Armada Ale - I'm going all dreamy just thinking about it.

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Recent shindig:
Bell's Expedition Stout
Of the few Russian Imperial Stouts I've tried,

this is the most tastiest ever.
Just drank this weekend,

found a sixer with date code of 8/22/14

and it is sublime,

going back pronto to grab the 3 other 6's the store has!
This stuff is excellent for aging!
Beer cellar,

here I come!

:P
Love this review,

not only does he conjure such a precise poetic vision with descriptives right on the mark,

but he mentions MBV, one of my faves, seen them live, and underwater MBV sounds like pure bliss!
"Best part about this beer is the mouth feel. So creamy and chewy. This beer is like a jacuzzi filled with frothy cappuccino and you dunk your head under and My Bloody Valentine is flowing out of underwater speakers like milk, sending warm fuzzy vibrations deep into your brain."
SLOTHLIFE, Feb 26, 2015
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/1444/?view=beer&sort=&start=25
Honorable mention:
Terrapin Liquid Bliss
Prairie Limo Tint
And I seriously want to try Three Floyds Moloko!
:!:

 

johnnyreb

Lifer
Aug 21, 2014
1,961
612
It will soon be the time of yr when the limited seasonal stouts & winter lagers come back around. It will be time to lay some in.

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
It will soon be the time of yr when the limited seasonal stouts & winter lagers come back around. It will be time to lay some in.
Hell yeah!
I'm clued in now and ready to snatch 'em up!

:D

 

johnnyreb

Lifer
Aug 21, 2014
1,961
612
This summer I noticed a grapefruit sour IPA & a raspberry sour IPA showing up at the tap. I tried a sample of the grapefruit sour but passed on even trying the raspberry sour. Just not my thing! Now I notice just in the last week a pumpkin ale showed up at the tap. Haven't tried a sample but I think I can safely say it's not my thing either!

 

jkrug

Lifer
Jan 23, 2015
2,867
8
I drink a lot of stouts and porters and there's been many good ones mentioned in this thread. One of my favourite porters is from a local-ish brewery, Mill Street Coffee Porter. Bold, rich, full flavoured and down right delicious!! :puffy:
I also like a good black and tan....yummy. :)

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
There's some good ones already mentioned, but I'll throw my list in as well. Be prepared, lol, it's a pretty lengthy list.
Here it is,
Porters:
Atwater Brewing Vanilla Java Porter

Leinenkugels Snowdrift Vanilla Porter

Lefthand Smoke Jumper Smoked Imperial Porter

Terrapin Liquid Bliss

Lefthand Black Jack Porter

Highland Thunderstruck Coffee Porter

Highland Oatmeal Porter

Dia de las Muertos Pay The Ferryman Porter

Sierra Nevada Porter

Ballast Point Victory At Sea
Stouts:
Lefthand Milk Stout (regular and Nitro)

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Narragansett Autocrat Coffee Milk Stout

Samuel Adams Cream Stout

The Duck Rabbit Milk Stout

Highland Black Mocha Stout

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Russian Imperial Stout

New Holland The Poet Oatmeal Stout

Sweetwater Happy Ending Imperial Stout

Shipyard Blue Fin Stout

Fishtale The Hobbit: Smaug Russian Imperial Stout

Terrapin Moo Hoo Milk Stout
Brown Ales:
Lost Coast Downtown Brown

Chattanooga Brewing Chestnut Street Nut Brown Ale

Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale

Bluegrass Breweing Co. Nut Brown Ale

Blackstone Brewing English Style Nut Brown Ale

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Blue Moon Mountain Abbey Brown Ale

Avery Brewing Ellie's Brown Ale
If you happen to pick up some of the Narragansett Autocrat I mentioned, you might try it like this as well..... Try pouring about 2 ounces of milk in the bottom of the glass before pouring the stout in. It's just like coffee and cream, but with a kick!

 

jkrug

Lifer
Jan 23, 2015
2,867
8
Reading through this thread gave me a hankerin' for a good stout so I went a poured me a pint of Railway City Black Coal Stout. A creamy rich stout out of St Thomas Ontario. :puffy:

 

beerandbaccy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 22, 2015
276
140
My Multi national selection:
North Coast Old Rasputin Imperial Stout

Samuel Smiths Imperial Stout

Driftwood Singularity Imperial Stout
Trois Mousquetaires Porter Baltique

Meantime London Porter

Fullers London Porter
Brooklyn Brown Ale

Pressure Drop Stokey Brown Ale
So much good beer out there these days!!

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
Also, to add to this, don't overlook Spiced Ales, Barleywines, and Scotch Ales either. They are very nice in the cooler weather as well.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Highland Cold Mountain Winter Ale

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine

Lagunitas Brown Shugga

Stone Arrogant Bastard

21st. Amendment Kilt By Wildfire

Shiner Holiday Cheer

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
A few others I forgot about that should get honorable mention are Anchor Brewing's Porter, Stone Coffee Milk Stout, and Saw Works Chocolate Porter.
That said, I feel compelled to mention a few dark beers that I really disliked. Some of them were not all that good, some were absolutely foul!

They are as follows;
R.J. Rockers Brown Eyed Squirrel

Yazoo Brewing Slye Rye Porter

Dundee Honey Brown

KCCO Black Lager (I'm not even sure what category this falls in, but it's horrible!)
Also, I know you said you didn't like the Irish Stouts, but you might try coming back to them after trying some of these others. You never know, Guinness and Murphy's might be more appealing later on down the road!

 
May 31, 2012
4,295
34
Thanks for all the adds Pete!

:!:
I especially appreciate the advice about Irish Stouts,

you're right,

I should revisit them at some point.
And thanks for the "shit list" too,

I've had a couple of unbearably bad ones that were drainpours,

and it's a real drag when that happens.
Yesterday drank an Oatmeal Yeti Imp. Stout bomber from 6/19/2014,

it was really good, but I think I maybe should have been patient and let it age longer, the alc was still very present and hadn't really "mellowed" like it had in the Bell's.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.