All about stout

Stout is a dark beer made with the simple ingredients of malt, hops, water and yeast. Beer made with roasted malts was called “porter”, and when it began to be made in greater alcoholic strengths to cater to the whims of the public, it was called “stout”. A dark beer or porter with an alcohol content of up to 8 per cent was traditionally considered a stout, but porter and stout became synonymous with dark beer within a short time.

The most famous stout, of course, is Guinness. Everyone knows that “Guinness is good for you”. In fact, blood donors in Ireland—up to the mid-1960s—were given a glass of Guinness when finished. Needless to say the Irish blood banks rarely suffered a shortage.

There are distinct regional variations of stouts in Europe, where they are commonly classified by alcohol content. One of the strongest was the Russian Imperial Stout, which was brewed in London in the 18th century and shipped to the court of Catherine the Great. The Courage chain now markets this brew as Courage Russian Imperial Stout with an alcohol content of 9 per cent.

Depth of colour is the more common way to classify stout. Chocolate Stout takes on a dark chocolate flavour from roasting the malt until it obtains its characteristic colour. Coffee Stout is achieved by further roasting the malt until it is almost black— the flavour profile is sometimes enhanced by the addition of ground coffee. At the other end of the spectrum, Oatmeal Stout is noted for being incredibly smooth. And Milk Stout contains lactose, which adds sweetness to the stout.

Oyster Stout got its name because stouts were served in taverns and roadhouses alongside oysters and other shellfish. However, it was not until 1938 that oysters were included in the brewing process. This addition disappeared during the Second World War, but has recently been re-introduced, creating the ideal beverage to accompany a plate of oysters.

THIS WEEK’S PICK
So, to get to the point, Alex Nichols, of Barley Days Brewery, has recently released the excellent Scrimshaw Oyster Stout.

As expected, there are notes of chocolate and coffee achieved by roasting the malts — and the smooth finish is attributed to the addition of oatmeal to the recipe. Alex added 1,500 Malpeque Oysters from the pristine beds of Prince Edward Island to the brew, with delightful result. The coffee notes on the nose are complemented by flavours of salt toffee (due to the addition of a secret ingredient). Perfect amounts of iron on the finish will linger on the palate, making you crave a big plate of oysters.

Simply a super stout with a pleasing alcohol content of 4 per cent.

A six-pack of the Barley Days Scrimshaw Oyster Stout is $14.25 and is available at the tasting room at 13730 Loyalist Parkway, just west of Picton.