By: Michael Lundmark
Owner, Jekyll Brewing
Brews hitting the shelves and taps around this time of year include stouts, barleywines, and winter warmers. Cold-weather styles also mean higher alcohol by volume (ABV), so sip with care…
➼ Stouts are jet black, roasty, malty, and usually have a pronounced roasted character. You would not be alone if you thought a porter and a stout share many similarities; the histories of these styles are heavily intertwined and modern brewers differ on what defines each style. To add to the debate, the stout’s original name was stout porter, so named because it was a stronger, fuller-bodied version of a porter. Over time, folks shortened the name to stout.
Regardless of the murky history, you’d be better served tasting the beer than focusing on what the beer “really” is. It’s pretty easy to get your hands on Sierra Nevada’s American Stout or a pint of Jekyll Brewing’s Major Horton Export Stout. Each of these will be full-bodied, boldly flavorful and exhibit notes of dark chocolate and black coffee.
Pushing further into the stout category are the Imperial Stouts. Russian Imperial Stouts have a heavily roasted flavor and a dry finish. Although hop bitterness varies, the alcohol content is typically high, and you might pick up notes of dark fruits in the beers on the higher end of the style’s ABV range. The Russian Imperial Stout inspired American brewers and we added our own flair: bourbon!
American breweries sometimes experiment with aging Imperial Stouts in bourbon barrels to compliment the beer’s flavor profile. When not barrel-aged, American breweries might include other flavors such as espresso, chocolate and oatmeal. If you’re looking for fine examples, set your sights on New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout or Terrapin’s W-n-B Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout.
➼ Barleywine
Around Thanksgiving, try grabbing a barleywine from your cellar. Despite its name, it is indeed a beer—and a heavy hitter at that! Locking in an ABV upwards of 10%, you’ll want to share this style. When cellared properly, you can set them aside for years and they typically age like wine. There are two varieties of barleywine: American or English.
English barleywines are lively and fruity, leaning towards the malty, sweet end of the flavor scale. They are well-balanced ales and range from 7-12% ABV. If you need to please both the beer drinkers and the wine drinkers at your dinner table, pick up Jekyll’s Off the Grid English Barleywine. American barleywines are quite different from English barleywines, boasting a higher ABV (8-15%) and more pronounced hop bitterness. For an American barleywine, try Stone Brewing’s Old Guardian.
➼ Winter Warmers
We wrap up the year with winter warmers, which offer us a break from the double-digit ABVs common to the season’s other styles. These malty and sweet beers make a statement: bold, full-bodied, sometimes spiced, and low bitterness. Color ranges from rich brown to jet black and everything in between. Anchor Brewing changes their Anchor Christmas Ale recipe every year as a celebration of new beginnings and the New Year. Rely on SweetWater Brewing Company, however, if you want to taste a consistent Sweetwater Festive Ale year after year.
