But you said “Guinness Extra Stout” in your post. That’s a different beer than Guinness Draft.
Here’s the relevant info on Extra Stout in North America. It’s 5.0% ABV.
And here’s the imported Guinness Extra Stout which is 6.0% ABV.
Ah, so I did. My mistake.
I do agree with you heartily about Sam Adams. Sam Adams makes some excellent beers and is a fun brewery with interesting limited edition selections. I do have somewhat of a soft spot for the brewery, as their honey porter has always been my “comfort food” of beers and they are the beer that started me on my interest in that particular tipple, but I’ve always found they’ve made very flavorful and well-balanced brews, pretty much across the board. They may not reach the heights of breweries like Bell’s, Dogfish Head, Three Floyd’s, Stone, Sierra Nevada, and the like, but pretty much everything I’ve had by them (with the exception of the terrible Cranberry Lambic) has been above-average to my tastes, with a good balance of malt & hops. The black lager is a solid offering and a good example of the style. I like it a lot.
We’re pretty much in alignment as far as Sam Adams, pulykamell (and I definitely agree about that lambic - ick). I’ve never been able to get excited about their Boston Lager, though. That’s probably the one you’re most likely to find on tap, and it’s probably the blandest product they make.
Lucky for me, I actually do like the Boston Lager (I dislike lagers in general, but, for whatever reason, I don’t mind Sam Adam’s offering.) The problem here is the Boston Lager is very variable. If you get a tap where the Sam Adams isn’t getting a lot of action, it really suffers…
Yeah, Samichlaus does have quite a kick compared to Malzbier. In fact Malzbier is considered a soft drink (less than 0,5% ABV) in Germany. Kids can buy and drink it. I have never experienced any alcohol kick from drinking a Malzbier.
Yea, but the Brazilian drink is actually a beer (something at least 3%, maybe more, ABV). I think the German Malzbier is what in Spanish it is called malta (also a soft drink… basically unfermented beer).
There is certainly alcohol in the Brazilian drink, but way less than Samichlaus (which I’m still sipping).
You make me envious. What I wouldn’t give to be sipping a cold Samichlaus right now.
Even better would be sipping an ice cold Brahma or Antarctica on the beach of Jericoacoa or Canoa Quebrada (your mention of Brazil brought back memories).
Have to agree with the Sam Smith oatmeal stout, beer you drink with a fork, and the Celebrator Doppelbock recomendations, both are in my top 10. The Sam Adams cream stout is not bad, but it is much better if poured and let sit in the glass for about half an hour before drinking. Other darks I can drink cold (although not preferred), but that one just does not work for me straight out of the fridge.
Not sure if you have a place nearby to do this, but if you can, pick up a bottle or two of a different brew each time you go to the store. This will give you a chance to really explore a bit, and if you don’t like something, you are not stuck with a full 6 of it.
Some better beer stores (and even some standard corner stores) will let you mix and match six-packs.
When I lived in Baltimore, I was less than half a block from a place that did that. It was wonderful, and I wouldn’t have nearly the experience I do with beer (which is still very limited, admittedly) without this option.
I just tried Sierra Nevada’s Porter today (room temperature). It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t find it notable. I had the choice between the porter and the stout, and remembering this thread and mine from last year grabbed the porter. Hopefully next Monday I’ll have a chance to have a go at the stout.
What is typically the best temperature for these “heavier” beers, for lack of a better term? I’m typically pulling them out of the fridge, and enjoying them that way, but I’ve found that a couple need to be warmer than that, but not warm, to be at their best.
Stouts and porters are generally best at anywhere from 45-55-ish F. Let your tastes be your guide, but, generally, you don’t want to serve them ice cold. The really heavy stuff (Imperial Stouts, for instance) you can push up to 60F. Heck, I tend to drink them room temp, which is closer to 70 for me, but they really should be a bit cooler than that.
The “heavy” lagers (e.g., dopplebocks) are really designed to be served cold–or at least pretty cool. The U.K. styles (e.g. porters & stouts) are supposed to be served at “cellar temperature,” which is what pulykamell was saying (45-55F).
There’s a growing trend in the U.K. toward colder serving temperatures. I stayed in a couple of places in Ireland this summer that had big funky taps labeled “Ice Cold Guinness.” That’s heresy.
Thanks, guys!
There’s one final Goose Island Bourbon County Stout in the fridge with my name and the date 5 May 2009 on it. I’ll think about that when I pull it out. Yum.