Stout season is year-round for many of us and we’ll take any excuse to enjoy one of our favorite styles. Since the weather is taking a turn toward a season I typically dislike, the consolation prize is the release of roasty, chocolatey goodness. Don’t even try to argue when stout season “officially starts”; I don’t care. Give me one of these twenty-one stouts to welcome winter.
Alaskan Oatmeal Stout (Juneau, Alaska)
No, this beer isn’t chewy like your morning oatmeal. It’s full of chocolate, caramel, and coffee candy flavors. The oats lend a smooth mouthfeel that helps ease the upfront sweetness as it tones down on the end of each sip.
Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast (Copenhagen, Denmark)
The first time you smell this beer, you might think you have somehow actually bought a black IPA. The hops dominate the aroma until it warms, bringing up more coffee and milk chocolate. Sweet roastiness saturates your tongue as the hops fruitiness contrasts and balances out the sweetness with bitterness. Roast is the star of the show here, but they didn’t forget the hops.