Stout beer: a dark ale

• What's the darkest beer you have?
• What's the difference between a stout and a porter?
• All dark beers taste like Guinness.

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These are questions and comments that we hear a lot 99 Bottles. Here's the answers to those questions, plus a primer on stout beers...

What's the darkest beer at 99 Bottles?
Although they look black, if you pour stout into a clear glass, tilt it and hold it up to light, you’ll notice that most stouts are actually opaque. While I've never done side-by-side color comparisons of our available stouts, Russian imperial stouts tend to be the darkest, as many have little opacity.


History of the stout beer: the difference between stout and porter
In 18th Century, porter beers were incredibly popular with the rough-and-tumble longshoremen of London, who were called porters and enjoyed dark beer. "Stout," which means strong, was first used to describe a porter of higher alcohol in 1677. Stout became a commercial beer style around 1820. Before then, stout and porter were essentially the same style of beer.

Stouts are no longer considered strong porters. Today, stouts are known as are a unique style of beer—and stouts can even contain less alcohol than porters.

Stouts are ales that are brewed with a variety of roasted barley and malts (chocolate, black) that impart both color and flavor. Stouts are brewed to have a higher alcohol and residual sugar content than porters. Some stouts are brewed to express drier (Irish stout) qualities, while others are sweetened with lactose (milk/sweet stout).


Do all dark beers taste like Guinness?
Dark beers can be sweet and chocolately (Belgian dubbel), light and refreshing (German dunkel), fruity (Belgian strong dark ale), and have other characteristics. And dry Irish stouts crafted at other breweries can differ in flavor from Guinness®!


The dry stout: drink of the Irish
The classic Irish-style dry stout has a malty, caramel flavor front with a distinctive dry-roasted bitterness finish. These ales are very dark, roasty, bitter, and creamy. 4-5% abv.

Some of the leading producers of stouts are in Ireland and include breweries such as Guinness, Murphy's, and Beamish. Guinness claims to sell 20 million pints of stout throughout the world daily. Guinness is a rather light beer when it comes to alcohol content—Guinness Draught is 4.2% abv, which is slightly weaker than Budweiser at 4.7%. Guinness Extra Stout, of which a version is exported to the U.S., is even stronger at 7.5%. There are 19 variations of Guinness made in breweries around the world.


Drink a pint of stout a day, for your health!
Doctors used to prescribe “a pint of stout” for aiding digestion and as a natural tonic and giver of strength. In Victorian England, brewers promoted their stouts as "nourishing" after adding oatmeal, oysters, or milk. The "nourishing stout" was popular after World War II, but ultimately became associated with grandmothers who offered them to stave off the winter flu.


The Russian Imperial Stout
Russian Czarina Catherine the Great and her court had an appetite for English-made stouts that inspired the Russian Imperial Stout. To keep the beer fresh on its long journey from London to the Baltic ports, British brewers produced a highly hopped, high-alcohol stout. They were so popular that more than 10 breweries exported dark beer to the Baltic region.

Albert Le Coq played a pivotal role in the success of Russian stout. Due to his generous donations of stout to Russian soldiers who had been wounded in the Crimean War, he was awarded the Imperial warrant from a grateful tsar. In the early 20th century, Russia’s imposition of heavy import duties forced Le Coq’s company to brew Imperial stout inside the country’s boundaries. Le Coq’s Estonian brewery was nationalized by the Bolshevik government after the 1917 Russian revolution.

Imperial stouts are big, at 7.5-12% abv, with an intense roasted, perhaps burnt, flavor and strong fruity esters, such as burnt currants and raisins. They are full-bodied and warming. American versions have more bitterness, roasted character, and finishing hops, while English stouts have more complex specialty malts and have more ester (fruity) characteristics.


Oatmeal makes a smooth, silky stout
Oatmeal stouts are typically made with just 5-10% oatmeal, which gives the beer a fuller body and a more complex flavor. These stouts are somewhere between milk/sweet and dry stouts in both sweetness and dryness. The level of bitterness can vary, but the use of oatmeal gives the body a silkiness and makes the flavor rich and deep. Too much oatmeal used in the brewing process can result in a oily mouthfeel. 4-6% abv.


Not all stouts are bitter...this one's sweet!
Milk isn’t an ingredient of Milk Stouts, but milk sugar (lactose) is. Lactose creates a unique sweetness and silkiness on the tongue. Unlike most sugars, lactose can't be broken down by beer yeast, and remains unfermented, as calories and carbohydrates. These stouts are 4-6% abv, very dark, sweet, full-bodied, and slightly roasty—they often taste like sweetened espresso and may include notes of chocolate or cocoa.


Foreign extra stouts
These stout beers were originally brewed for the tropical markets; hence, you may have heard them referred to as "tropical stout". Some tropical stouts have a rum-like flavor and are sweeter than your typical export stout, which can be moderately roasty and dry. These beers have little to no hop flavor, with roasty flavors of coffee, chocolate, or lightly burnt grain. 5.5-8% abv.


American stouts: the robust one!
American stouts have robust, roasty malts flavors of coffee, roasted coffee beans, dark or bittersweet chocolate. Some American stouts have a slightly burnt in flavor, feature citrusy or resiny American hops, and an astringency from the roast. These beers are medium to full bodied, can be creamy, and may have warming alcohol. Essentially, they're bigger in flavor than an export stout, yet not as intense as an imperial stout. 5-7% abv.


Serving stouts & pairing stouts with food
Serve stouts at 50–55°F in a pint, becker, or snifter glass. Pair stouts with oysters, steamed clams, beef Wellington, shepherd’s pie, hearty stews or soups, steak and lobster, roasted root vegetables, grilled sausages or ahi tuna, eggs Florentine, dark breads, aged Stilton cheese, herbed goat cheese, walnuts, roasted almonds, ice cream, caramel cake, cheesecake, or chocolate.

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Stouts to look for at 99 Bottles:

A. Le Coq's Imperial Extra Double Stout: Probably the biggest, thickest stout in the store—and it's vintage! A 10% abv Russian imperial stout from Harvey & Son of England. LeCoq is rich and syrupy, with a full-bodied mouth-feel and minimal carbonation. Roasty bitter grains and hops, with notes of sour wood, black licorice, and espresso. If you're afraid of really big stouts, keep away from this beer. Read more about this stout »

The Abyss: Sold out; look for it again in late fall 2009. The Abyss arrives just once a year and sells out fast—just hours or days, depending on our allotment from our distributor and Oregon's Deschutes Brewery. (This is one beer that you'll literally see folks running across the parking lot to pick up their allotment the same day that our "hot release" e-mail notification hits their inbox!) An 11% Russian imperial stout that's part of the Deschutes Reserve Series. This beer is dark, deep, and mysterious. It's got flavors of molasses, licorice, and roasty coffee–chocolate malts. It's woody and sweet, with a pleasing bitterness. Aged in French oak and bourbon barrels. Though good when released, it's absolutely amazing after having been properly cellared for a year or two.

Alaskan Oatmeal Stout: A smooth, bold 4.55% oatmeal stout from Alaskan Brewing Co. It's got a dark-roasted coffee and bitter-sweet dark chocolate flavor, with hints of sherry, dark fruits, and smoke.

Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout: A rich, smooth, complex 5.7% abv oatmeal stout from Anderson Valley Brewing of Calif. Flavors of flowery–bittering hops balanced with roasted, full-bodied oat sweetness.

Beamish: A 4.1% abv Irish dry stout from Beamish & Crawford of Ireland. It's pours creamy and smooth from a nitro-widget can; have an imperial pint ready for the cascading pour. Flavors of roasted coffee and dark chocolate malts; slightly sweeter than Guinness®.

Beer Geek Breakfast: A must-try for every beer connoisseur; Danish brewer Mikkeller has a large cult following by folks we lovingly call "beer geeks." Amazingly smooth, creamy mouth-feel; full body. Dark roasted coffee with notes of chocolate and smoke, plus lingering bitter hops and coffee. 7.5% abv; rotates in-and-out of stock.

Big Bear Black Stout: An imperial stout from Bear Republic Brewing of Calif. It's smooth, creamy, and crisp, with a layered complex burnt character and fresh bittering hops, plus a touch of yeast and black currant. Subdued alcohol at 8.1% abv.

Black: A whopping 17.5% abv American imperial/double stout from Mikkeller of Denmark. We tried it and the fusel alcohol scared us—I'd like to see how the alcohol will turn out after 5–8 years, so the 2007 vintage bottle in my cellar has a note on it that says, "Don't open until 2012–2015." Big, thick, sticky, and roasty! Loaded with flavors of charred espresso, alcohol-soaked dark fruit, dark chocolate, herbs-spices, and sharp alcohol.

Black Hole: A 12.5% abv Russian imperial stout from Mikkeller of Denmark. This one is very limited when it comes in stock and sells out quickly. It's rich and thick, with flavors of roasty chocolate–espresso malts, plus notes of dark fruit, pine tar, molasses, and spice—nutmeg, peppery licorice, and vanilla.

The Celebrated Oatmeal Stout: Delicious, smooth. Roasted malts flavors of dark chocolates, brown sugar, coffee, and nutmeg, plus a faint fig–raisin fruitiness. Well balanced. This well-rounded oatmeal stout is fermented in slate squares at the Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster, England. 5% abv.

Chocarrubica: One of my favorites; I've really been digging these handcrafted ales from Italy. It's got a silky, chocolately, roasty character. The flavors are complex dark malt, carob–cocoa, and flowery hops, with notes of bubble gum, sour oak, and vanilla. Dry finish. 7% abv oatmeal stout; brewed by Grado Plato of Italy.

Cooper's Extra Stout: A 6.8% foreign/export stout from Cooper's Brewing of Australia. It's got a creamy malty backbone with hints of vanilla and highly roasted coffee. Hopped for balance; sweet finish.

Czar Imperial Russian Stout: A once-a-year release from Avery Brewing of Colorado, this beer arrives in the November/December timeframe. It's big, interesting, and complex at 12% abv, with flavors of oak, chocolate, alcohol, and dark fruit—reminiscent of black cherries, with a hint of vanilla and molasses. Smoky finish.

Entire Wood-aged Stout: This beer is sold out. For those of you who made it in to pick up a bottle, this beer was brewed once by Seattle's Pike Brewing Co. and released in local beer stores and was on tap at a few area pubs in November 2008. This 9.5% imperial stout was a blend of beers: nearly 50% was aged in bourbon barrels for over seven months; the other was fermented and then aged for 40 days in stainless. It was smooth and chocolatey, with overtones of vanilla, wood, and bourbon.

Dark Force: This Norweigian-brewed Russian imperial stout rotates in-and-out of stock; pick it up if you see it as it is limited when it becomes available. It's rich and roasty; strong charred coffee beans meet bittersweet baker's chocolate. Hints of spicy hop, sourness, and port wine. 8.5% abv; from Haandbryggeriet.

Dick's Cream Stout: Coming to us from I-5 south...all the way from Centralia, Wash.! I like Dick's Brewing Company; they brew a wide range of styles. This milk stout is full-bodied and creamy, with flavors of coffee and dark chocolate on a sweet biscuit backdrop. 5% abv.

Dick's Imperial Stout: Also from Dick's Brewing Company of Centralia, this is bigger stout with flavors of semi-sweet chocolate and burnt espresso with a bittering hop finish. 7% abv.

The Dogfather: A limited release from Laughing Dog Brewery of Ponderay, Idaho. Just 300 cases (that's 3,600 bottles) of this Reserve Series was brewed and released in fall of 2008. It's an 11% abv intense and rich American double/imperial stout, with flavors of burnt malts, cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, wood, caramel, and dark fruit.

Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout: Available a few times a year at 99 Bottles, this stout is bittersweet, yet creamy. It has flavors of rich charred grains and dry molasses, with an earthy note. Hints of smoke, espresso, chocolate, dark fruit, and licorice. 4.6% abv. This English stout comes from Wye Valley Brewing.

Dragoon Dry Irish Stout: A 5% abv dry, roasty, and rich stout. (Better than the big Irish G?!) It's got deep roasted grains, with notes of chocolate and coffee. Moylan's Brewery of California brewed this stout in the Irish tradition to commemorate General Stephen Moylan, Irish-born commander of the 4th Continental Dragoons during the American Revolutionary War.

Farson's Lacto Milk Stout: This milk stout comes to us all the way from Simonds Farsons Cisk of Malta. It's got roasted malts with flavors of malted milk balls and milk chocolate, plus notes of tropical fruits, caramel, and leafy tea-like hops. 3.4% abv, plus a light mouth-feel.

Full Sail Imperial Stout: This beer is sold out. Part of the 2008 Reserve Series from Full Sail, this American double/imperial stout has strong roasty malts with notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, coffee, and dark fruit. Smooth, silky, full-bodied, and brewed in Oregon to 8% abv.

Guinness Draught: Available in a bottle or can with nitro widget, for a smooth cascading pour into an imperial pint glass. You know this Irish dry stout; it's got roasted malts that give it a coffee, slight chocolate, and mild smoked flavors, plus a light bite on a medium body. 4.2% abv

Guinness Extra Stout: The only other bottled Guinness that comes to Washington state, this is "The Original 1799 Guiness Stout" according to the label. It features smooth, rich, rounded molasses-sweet malts with ripe dark fruits followed by a lemony-puckering hop snap. Dry, earthy/grainy after-taste. 7.5% abv; export/foreign stout.

Hakim Stout: A stout from Ethiopia? You betcha! This beer's brewed by the Harar Beer Factory and has flavors of sweet honey and chocolate, with some roasted malt bitterness. 5.5% abv.

Hercule Imperial Stout: A complex, roasty imperial Russian stout from Brasserie Ellezelloise of Belgium. Dark fruit (prune, plum, raisin, fig), spicy Belgian yeast, and dark chocolate–coffee and dark-bread malts. Warming alcohol. Cocoa and citrus finish. 9% abv; rotates in-and-out of stock.

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout: The aroma of this beer reminds me of my childhood—sitting in grandma's kitchen and breathig in the roasty fresh-percolated coffee. The flavor is of espresso, with notes of dark chocolate. Warming finish at 7.5% abv. From Kuichi Brewery of Japan.

Hitachino Nest Sweet Lacto Stout: A 3.9% milk stout from Japan's Kuichi Brewery. It's crisp, with roasted malts, a creamy lacto-sugar sweetness, and a fading roasted finish. Rotates in-and-out of stock at 99 Bottles.

The Hite Stout: This export/foreign stout rotates in-and-out of stock. It's a very light stout that's slightly malty with faint chocolate and caramel notes. 5% abv; brewed by the Hite Brewing Company of South Korea.

Hop Back Entire Stout: This 4.5% abv English stout rotates in-and-out of stock at 99 Bottles. It's got dark roasty–bittersweet malts with notes of dark chocolate, fruit (plum, berry), and caramel, with notes of grassy–leafy hops. Long, smooth finish. From the Hop Back Brewery in England.

Kinmount Willie Oatmeal Stout: Layered; complex. Oatmeal sweetness balanced with roasted malt and barley, dark chocolate, and hop bitterness. Hints of smoke, fruit, and coffee. 4.2% abv; from Broughton Ales of England.

Lagunitas Imperial Stout: Look for this imperial stout in the summertime at 99 Bottles as it's a limited summer release from Lagunitas Brewing of Calif. Toasty–roasty malts with a hint of cocoa, coffee, and sweet dark plum and raisin fruits. Dry, bitter finish. Hidden alcohol at 8.2% abv.

Laughing Dog Sweet Stout: This sweet stout has flavors of roasty coffee with light chocolate malt and brown sugar sweetness, plus a dry finish. When we talked with Laughing Dog's brewer Fred in summer of 2008, he said that they're working to adjust the recipe of this sweet stout to exclude the lactose so their lactose-intolerant fans can also enjoy this beer.

Left Hand Imperial Stout: Ultra creamy, with flavors of malty dark chocolate, roasted coffee, dark fruit (berry, cherry), and peppery tea-like hops. Warming alcohol. 10.4% abv; Russian imperial stout from Colorado.

Left Hand Milk Stout: A staple stout and an easy beer to refer, in my opinion. (But then, this is one of my favorite stouts!) You'll hear us refer to it as "the milk stout with the cow on the label". This stout is smooth, sweet, and creamy. It starts out with flavors of coffee and cocoa–chocolate and moves more toward milk chocolate as the flavors warm. 2006 World Beer Cup gold medal sweet stout. And "…quite possibly the best stout in America" according to Draft Magazine.

Lump of Coal Holiday Stout: Only available in the Christmas season, this 8% winter-release English stout comes to us from Ridgeway Brewing of England. It's a balance of rich sweet and roasty malts, with notes of fruit, coffee, and dark chocolate. Thin mouth-feel; low carbonation.

Mephistopheles: An annual release from Avery Brewing of Colo., this BIG black complex stout is classified as an American double/imperial stout. At 16% abv, it's no surprise that there's a bit of an alcohol burn, accompanied by flavors of dark fruit, charcoal and smoke, cocoa, coffee, bourbon, and spice. Velvety mouth-feel.

Murphy's: Another Irish dry stout in a nitro-widget can for a smooth, creamy, cascading pour; have your imperial pint glass ready. It's light, creamy, and milk-sweet—yet dark and flavorful, with a mild, dry, and roasty with a hint of chocolate. Dry finish. 4% abv; from Murphy's Brewery in Ireland.

Nils Oscar Imperial Stout: Flavors of burnt and roasty malts with notes of chocolate, plum, and raisin. Semi-thin body, with a lightly bitter coffee finish. Brewed by Nils Oscar Bryggeri & Bränneri of Sweden. 7% abv; rotates in-and-out of stock.

Nogne-O Imperial Stout: Roasty and bitter chocolate malts. Notes of coffee, dark fruit (raisin, plum, black currant), vanilla, licorice, and charred smoke. Resinous pine hop. Warming alcohol at 9% abv. Limited availability when arrives; rotates in-and-out of stock. Brewed by Nogne-O - det kompromisslose bryggeri of Norway.

Oak-aged Yeti Imperial Stout: Lush, creamy, and really big in flavor. (I should say, "Massive flavor!") Rich dark chocolate and espresso beans, plus dark berries with warming alcohol and a hop balance. Roasty sweet finish. 9.5% abv; from Great Divide Brewing of Colorado.

Oat: A limited-release beer from Southern Tier Brewing Co. of New York, it's part of their Blackwater Series. This imperial oatmeal stout is as dark as a moonless night and is thick, creamy, and nourishing. It's flavors are of mild coffee and rich molasses, with notes of caramel, nuts, honey, berries, charcoal, citrus, and spice. 11% abv.

Oatis: Named after the brewer's dog, Otis, this winter-release oatmeal stout has a rich robust flavor, silky oatmeal body, and cheek-warming strength to fight off the cold winter months. Bittersweet roasty malts, with notes of burnt chocolate, ash, and citrusy Cascade hops. 7% abv; from Ninkasi Brewing of Oregon.

Obovoid: A 7.5% oak-aged imperial stout from Boulder Beer Company of Colorado. This winter release has earthy and roasted notes, with a bittersweet chocolate finish.

Old No. 38: A nice little Irish dry stout from North Coast Brewing Co. of Calif. It's got roasty malts, with notes of dark fruit, chocolate, coffee, caramel, char, and smoke. 5.6% abv. Rotates in-and-out of stock at 99 Bottles.

Old Rasputin: A 9% abv Russian imperial stout from North Coast Brewing of Calif. It's smooth, potent (and I emphasize "potent"), and espresso-like with a high burnt malt and hop bitterness, plus a sweet-ish finish.

Older Viscosity: A very limited release beer, when made available (a few cases arrive just once each year!). I've seen this 12+% beer classified as both a Russian imperial stout and an American strong ale. It's deep, delicious, full-bodied, and highly drinkable! The flavors are of dark fruit, bourbon, roasty coffee, sweet caramel, vanilla, oak, and dark chocolate. Absolutely incredible—and one that I look forward to each year.

The Original Ruby Stout: Bittering roasted malts with notes of bittersweet cocoa, coffee, dark fruits, and grassy–herbal hops, plus a red wine–port profile. Drying alcohol finish; 4.5% abv. This stout comes to us from O'Hanlons Brewery of England and rotates in-and-out of stock.

Out of Bounds Stout: It's smooth, smoky, and malty with notes of burnt coffee, cocoa, berry, charred wood, and caramel—and it comes to us from Avery Brewing Co. of Colorado! 5.1% abv; Irish-style dry stout.

Paradox #013 Port Dundas 1966 Cask: A 10% abv barrel-aged imperial stout from BrewDog of Scotland. It's a blend of two of Scotland proudest heritages: Port Dundas 1966 Scotch Whisky and traditional Scottish stout beer. The beer is round, balanced, and full-flavored with notes of chocolate, scotch, and vanilla.

Péché Mortel: A top-rated American double/imperial stout on BeerAdvocate, this beer rotates in-and-out of stock at 99 Bottles. Péché Mortel (French for "Mortal Sin") is an intensely black and dense beer with pronounced roasted flavors. Fair trade coffee is infused during the brewing process, intensifying the bitterness of the beer and giving it a powerful coffee taste. This beer is created to be savored and features robust roasty coffee-espresso with hints of dark chocolate, dark fruit, and vanilla. And the 8% abv is well hidden.

Pikop Andropov's Rushin' Imperial Stout: Smooth, lighter-bodied Russian imperial stout from Hale's Ales of Seattle, Wash. It features roasty grains with notes of semi-sour dark fruits, molasses, licorice, vanilla, coffee, and chocolate. 7.5% abv.

Podge Belgian Imperial Stout: Roasty bittersweet coffee and chocolate malts, with spicy hops, plus otes of woody vanilla, dark fruit, and booze (whiskey, cognac). 10.5% abv; brewed by Picobrouwerij Alvinne of Belgium. Rotates in-and-out of stock.

Poseidon's Imperial Stout: This rotating release doesn't come in very often, so pick it up when you spot it! Flavors of coffee and roasted malts accompanied by sweet molasses, light chocolate, and dark fruits. Alcohol finish; 10% abv. Brewed by Fish Brewing of Olympia, Wash.

Quilter's Irish Death: A favorite at 99 Bottles and local pubs/taverns. Irish Death is light bodied and sweet, with notes of brown sugar, chocolate, caramel, and fruit. It's classified as an American double/imperial sweet stout, but reminds us of a cross between a porter and a stout. 7.8% abv; brewed by Iron Horse Brewery of Ellensburg, Wash.

Rogue XS Russian Imperial Stout: This beer comes in a big, black ceramic swing-top bottle. Thick and creamy with big roasty malts—espresso, baker's chocolate, dark fruit, and campfire charcoal. Bitter resinous hops. Dry ashy-char finish with notes of alcohol. Best of 2005 & Gold medal, 2005 World Beer Championship. 11% abv from Rogue Ales of Oregon.

Ryan O'Sullivan's Imperial Stout: A whoppping 10% abv Russian imperial stout from Moylan's Brewing of Calif. This beer's deeply malty with dark roasted flavors of espresso and dark chocolate, plus hints of grassy hops and molasses. Creamy, smooth mouth-feel. A 99 Bottles favorite.

St. Peter's Cream Stout: I miss the old-style medicine bottles that St. Peter's Brewery used to package their beer in; had I known they were going to change the packaging, I would have saved a full bottle for my collection. Anyway, the new bottle is still cool, but is quite round. This 6.5% milk stout is very creamy and full bodied. It's got roasted flavors of coffee, dark chocolate, faint molasses, and roasted charcoal, plus a small hop bite. Sweet, creamed-coffee finish. And did I mention it's organic?

Samuel Adams Cream Stout: Yes, Boston Beer Company makes a lot more beers than just the Sam Adams lager! This stout is full-bodied, smooth, and creamy. It features roasted malt flavors of coffee, dark chocolate, caramel, smoke, and blackstrap molasses, all balanced by a soft hop bitterness. 4.69% abv.

Samuel Smith Imperial Stout: A 7% Russian imperial stout from Samuel Smith Old Brewery of Tadcaster, England. This beer is rich, smooth, and creamy. It's got roasty notes, a hint of lemon-lime hops, and flavors of coffee, plump raisins, prune–plum, bitter chocolate, and faint smoke. Fermented in slate squares.

Santa's Little Helper: From the "rock star of yeast", Tomme Arthur, of Port Brewing in Calif. This winter seasonal is creamy and rich, featuring dark roasty malts with notes of dark chocolate, fruit, licorice, coffee, piney hops, spice, and smokey charcoal. Last time I looked it was rated 98% on RateBeer.com. 10.5% abv.

Sheaf Stout: I have to admit, I'm a little afraid of this beer as I've heard many customers tell me stories about it being "really big, roasty, and still". One of these days, I'll sit down and attempt to tackle the 27-ounce bottle. This 5.7% milk stout comes to us from Australia's Carlton & United Breweries. It's smooth, creamy, and thick with incredibly low carbonation (called "still" when carbonation is at or near zero!). The flavor is described as strong roasted coffee with a hint of smoke.

Snow Plow: A winter seasonal and Northwest favorite from Widmer Brewing Co. of Ore. This 5.5% milk stout is chocolatey, sweet, and rich, with notes of coffee, fruit, berry, and spice. Gold medal, 2004 GABF. It's slighly thinner on the palate than Left Hand's Milk Stout.

Stone Imperial Russian Stout: Generally a once-a-year release from Stone Brewing of California, the "IRS" generally arrives in May/June timeframe and sells out quickly. It's got a huge malty body. Sweet molasses-like malts with black currant and prune fruits. Roasted chocolatey to dark caramel grains accompanied by hops. Smooth, saturating, balanced flavors. Roasted grains linger at the finish. 10.8% abv.

Storm King Stout: A 9.1% abv Russian imperial stout that pours like motor oil. It's thick, sticky, juicy, and silky. Complex malts—roasted, molasses, coffee, dark chocolate, bitty chicory, tree bark, and earth. Sharp-ish hop character with a flash of citrus rind. From Victory Brewing of Pennsylvania.

Ten Fidy: A big, black 9.4% abv imperial stout—in a little silver can—from Oskar Blues Brewing of Colorado. This rotating release has titanic flavors! It's viscous and creamy, with flavors of deep bittersweet chocolate, roasty coffee, leafy bittering hops, nuts, dark fruit, and vanilla. (We liked it so much in 2008 that we purchased extra for the home cellar and will have to let you know how it ages in a future beer review.)

Yeti Stout: Another big stout from Great Divide Brewing of Colorado. Rich, smooth, creamy, full. Roasty semi-sweet malts, with notes of char, espresso, dark chocolate, brown sugar, molasses, dark fruit, and peppery–piney hops. Lingering finish. 9.5% abv.

Trumpeter Imperial Stout: A winter release from Skagit Brewing Co. of Mt. Vernon, Wash. This 10.5% abv Russian imperial stout has roasty malts with notes of smoke, chocolate, and caramel, plus hints of dark fruit, brownies, and coffee.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout: We carry this milk stout, brewed with chocolate, in cans and bottles! This 5.2% stout comes to us from England, and is chocolatey, rich, creamy, and smooth. It's got a mild sweetness mingling with a slight burnt–roasted chocolate flavor, plus underlying hops. The can gives a nice nitro pour; have your imperial pint ready for a lovely cascade effect. If it's too much chocolate alone, mix it 40:50 with a raspberry or cherry lambic to create a drink that tastes like a berry or cherry truffle...delicious!!

Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout: Wolaver's brands rotate in-and-out of stock at 99 Bottles. (Though we'd like to offer Wolaver's organic beers year-round, they just haven't yet found a loyal following to ensure they remain fresh while at the store.) Smooth, rich malts, with flavors of bittersweet chocolate, roasty coffee, and burnt molasses, plus spicy and citric notes. The Wolaver's brand is brewed by Otter Creek Brewing of Vermont.

World Wide Stout: A massive stout from Dogfish Head Craft Brewing of Dela., which is released just once a year. It's creamy, syrupy, and sweet, with alchol ranging from 15-18+%. The flavors include notes of chocolate, coffee, bourbon, spice, and dark fruit. And the brewery reports that it has just 372 calories.

Wrasslers XXXX Stout: We've seen this rotate in-and-out of stock. (We're fortunate here in Washington as this distributor receives limited quantities of overstock from Michael Jackson's Rare Beer Club, where this beer was originally featured.) It's currently out of stock, with no news yet on its return. This Irish dry stout is delicious. It's 7% abv and packaged in a corked-n-caged 25.4-oz bottle at The Porterhouse Brewing Co. of Ireland. The recipe was originally brewed by Deasy's of West Cork in the early 1900s. The stout is full, rich, and dry. It's got flavors of espresso and dark chocolate malts, with notes of fruit (berry, plum), smoke, and molasses.

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Answering customer questions about stout availability

O'Hara's Irish Celtic Stout disappeared from the Washington market in late 2007. We are currently waiting for its return to our market.

As of early 2008, Young's Oatmeal Stout and Winter Warmer are no longer available in Washington state. In January 2009, we were told that Young's is no longer brewing their Oatmeal Stout—and learned that that beer is no longer listed on the Young's Web site.

As of late 2007, Lion stout from Ceylon/Lion Brewery of Sri Lanka is no longer available in Washington state.

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Read more about stout beers

• Beer styles: stout - by Michael Jackson, beer hunter

• Imperial Russian stout - by Roger Protz, All About Beer, March 2002



Learn more about other dark beers

• Leap into the dark: there's a dark beer for everyone - by Greg Glaser, All About Beer, November 2001