For descriptions of these stout styles, read our stout style guide, “Black is the New Black.”
Irish Stout
Commercial examples of Irish stout include Guinness Draught (Dublin, Ireland), Murphy’s Irish Stout (Cork, Ireland), Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout (Brooklyn, New York), and Bar Harbor Brewing Company’s Cadillac Mountain Stout (Bar Harbor, Maine). Dublin’s Porterhouse Brewing Company’s Wrasslers XXXX Stout, which the late Michael Jackson called “the best stout in Ireland for my money” enjoys some availability in the United States, but a pint of nitrogenated XXXX in Dublin’s Temple Bar is an experience you’ll not soon forget.
Sweet Stout
For commercial examples of milk stout, look no further than Left Hand Brewing Company’s Milk Stout (Longmont, Colorado), Samuel Adams Cream Stout (Boston, Massachusetts), and Tallgrass Brewing Company’s Buffalo Sweat (Manhattan, Kansas).
Chocolate Stout
It can be a bit hard to pin down specific examples of chocolate stout, but you’ll find little disagreement if you turn to Young’s Double Chocolate Stout (Bedford, England), Fort Collins Brewery’s Chocolate Stout and Double Chocolate Stout (Fort Collins, Colorado), Rogue Ales’s Double Chocolate Stout (Newport, Oregon), or Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout (Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England).
Oatmeal Stout
The most famous oatmeal stout is undoubtedly Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout (Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England), but American brewers are taking the style to new levels. Look for Firestone Walker’s Velvet Merlin (Paso Robles, California), Rogue Ales’s Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout (Newport, Oregon), and Anderson Valley’s Barney Flats (Boonville, California).
Foreign Extra Stout
Do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (Dublin, Ireland) the next time you’re in your favorite bottle or liquor store. On this side of the pond, look for Snake River Brewing Company’s Zonker Stout (Jackson, Wyoming), and Schlafly’s Irish-Style Extra Stout (St. Louis, Missouri).
American Stout
You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to American stout. Among the excellent Uncle-Sam-approved selections available to you, you’ll find Deschutes Brewery’s Obsidian Stout (Bend, Oregon), Sierra Nevada Stout (Chico, California), Avery Brewing’s Out of Bounds Stout (Boulder, Colorado), and Sixpoint’s Diesel (Brooklyn, New York).
Russian Imperial Stout
Russian imperial stout is so popular with craft brewers that it’s easy to find a good example. A few to look out for include Oskar Blues Ten FIDY (Lyons, Colorado), Firestone Walker’s Parabola (Chico, California), Great Divide’s Yeti (Denver, Colorado), Epic Brewing’s Big Bad Baptist (Salt Lake City, Utah), Goose Island’s Bourbon County Brand Stout (Chicago, Illinois), and Founders Breakfast Stout (Grand Rapids, Michigan).