Stout beer

When you think of a glass of stout beer, you think of a dark, thick and creamy liquid with a nice head of foam. This is the image that comes to many people's minds. But why do we imagine it this way? What makes stout beer so unique?

Brewed with unmalted barley, stouts are thick and shiny. This special brewing technique gives stout beer the distinctive color and flavor that enthusiasts have come to love. In addition to this familiar and expected flavor, stouts can be enhanced with other rich flavors such as lactose. Experimenters have also tried adding coffee and oatmeal to stouts, with varying degrees of success.

The aroma of a quality stout may include notes of chocolate, coffee, licorice or molasses, without a hint of hops. With a distinct but widely varying bitterness, stouts have an IBU ranging from 25 to as high as over 90. For a delicious meal, pair stout beer with oysters, chocolate or virtually any kind of meat.

Which stout should you try? Known worldwide is the Guinness brand. But Murphy's, Marston's and even Samuel Smith also brew great stouts worth trying. Still, knowing what to drink is not enough if you don't know how to drink it. Stouts are best consumed from a special kind of glass known as a "stout beer glass." This ensures that the beer can be enjoyed properly. Two distinctive features of a stout beer glass are the wide rim and the thick quality of the glass. The wide rim helps to provide enough room for the head of foam to do its job, and the thickness of the glass provides a firm, solid match to the dark, thick drink you are about to enjoy.

Where does that dark color of a stout come from? Well, because the malt in stout beer is roasted at very high temperatures, it becomes almost blackened. For this reason, this ingredient is even called "black malt" by some.

We have learned that drinking stout beer is much more enjoyable if you understand the history of the drink. While not entirely unanimous in beer connoisseur circles, many believe that stout beer stems from the traditional porter. But where does the name of this beer actually come from? One of the first mentions of beer with the description "stout" can be found in a journal published in 1734. A recipe in this journal referred to its beer as a "stout butt beer," and claimed to be at least 25 percent stronger than other porters and made from brown malt. For a long time, the word "stout" referred only to the strength of the beer. But today, stouts are known for their strong taste, high alcohol content and dark color.

This sense of power that surrounds stout beer applies not only to the drink, but also to the drinker. When you enjoy a stout, you want to feel powerful, enhanced by that hearty sip. With its rich flavors and striking color, stout beer is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to drink a satisfying beer and feel good at the same time.