All Seasons Are Stout Seasons

Rich, dark, smooth, full-bodied and complex.  Some of the words that come to mind when thinking of the beer style that I gravitate to most: Stouts.

I’ve been a fan of the style for many years and have consumed enough of them to proclaim myself an “armchair expert”. You’d probably be unsurprised to hear that the first stout I ever tasted was a pint of Guinness. At that time, there were not many other options—certainly no craft choices. My usual tipple was whatever macro lager was on tap (don’t judge me, I was young and naïve!) until one fateful day when the pub I frequented had a special on.  Being a frugal fellow, I chose the cheaper drink.  I didn’t like it that much.  It was so far removed from my usual libation, but it did have an odd attraction that made me go in for another pint. Several pints later, although not in the same session, I was hooked.

As the years have gone by, I’ve always been drawn to a Stout and tend to try them whenever I can find them.

One aspect of Stouts has always intrigued me: adjuncts.  These are supplementary ingredients added to the essentials of water, yeast, hops and malted barley, such as other types of grain like oats, wheat, corn and rye or the much more complicated flavours introduced by herbs, spices, fruits and even vegetables. They are sometimes derided by those who prefer their beer simple and unadulterated, however, others welcome the array of diverse flavours that can be achieved with these interlopers.

I asked Damian Doherty, whose Emperor’s Brewery was recently at the summit of a chart of the highest rated breweries in the world, what he liked most about drinking the style of beer for which his brewery has become synonymous. “Thick, unctuous mouthfeel… coffee, chocolate, nuts, maple syrup, fruits – the list goes on and on.  Plus I love barrel-aged beers and the style lends itself so well to long aging in all manner of interesting casks which can add even more depth and complexity.”

Another brewer well versed in the art of augmentation is Brew York’s Lee Grabham. Lee’s favourite adjunct is the tonka bean, a seed from a flowering South American tree.  Tonka has a unique flavour, not too dissimilar to vanilla, with oily clove aromas, and adds depth and complexity to a beer. Lee tells me, “It expresses itself differently depending on how much you use and what you use it with.”  Brew York’s core Stout, Tonkoko, showcases this adjunct perfectly, as do the amped-up variants.  Brewers seeking to add tonka to their brew need to be careful, however, as the seeds produce a chemical compound called ‘coumarin’ which is banned in the US due to its toxicity. The reality is that it would take an individual consumption of around 30 whole tonka beans for the levels to become dangerous. Brewers use the raisin-like seeds more sparingly!

In addition to tonka, Lee says that he loves using vanilla because of how “it can bring together all the components of a dark beer to bring a certain balance to it.”  He continues, “We also use rather a lot of lactose.  I love it for it’s ability to bring sweetness and body to our bigger beers.  I know it’s not totally inclusive but the alternatives we’ve tried so far fail to match it.”

Damian uses many adjuncts in his beers, such as muscovado or demerara sugars, coffee beans, vanilla pods and fruit purees, but his favourites are honey in the boil and cacao nibs in the secondary to complement the grain bill and give a rich, dark chocolate flavour.

I also spoke with Sophie de Ronde from Burnt Mill Brewery.  Sophie was awarded the accolade of Brewer of the Year in 2019 by the British Guild of Beer Writers. She told me that she has used many adjuncts with coffee being the most regular. “An adjuncted Stout always seem to sell better than a straightforward Stout, but I don’t think you can beat a classic dry Stout.”  Whilst she may not be too much of an adjunct fan, Sophie always ensures that when they are used, its “with a character of the adjunct added that isn’t too overpowering.”

Another adjunct to add to the list is a very odd one: oysters! You’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a crazy new trend with the hipsters in the industry, however, these molluscs have been used for nearly a century. The origin of “Oyster Stouts” comes from Victorian times and these iterations did not include the actual seafood in the brew, they were merely eaten as an accompaniment to the beer.  As time went on, brewers started to use ground down shells as an aid to clarifying the beer. London brewery Hammerton claims to be the first in the world to use the actual slippery oyster meat in the boil, since starting the process in 1938. The brewery closed in the late 1950s, but when a family member resurrected the brewery in 2014, although their focus was on modern beer, this was a recipe that they could not resist bringing back.

Fresh Maldon oysters are added to the boil for around 90 minutes, before the whole shells go in too, in order to enhance the mineral content. The finished article delivers all of the chocolate, coffee and malt notes that you’d hope to find in a Stout, but with a creamy, perhaps oily, salinity coming through towards the back end of each sip, like the gentle lapping of the North Sea on the Essex coast where the sea creatures were sourced.

Adjuncts don’t always bring what they promise. Even a skilled brewer can sometimes produce a beer which fails to deliver.  I have, on occasion, been unable to detect the promised flavours, usually those that use the basis of a famous chocolate bar as it’s premise.  This was not the case with the “liquidised Crunchie bar” offering from New Bristol Brewery - Cinder Toffee Stout.  Right from the pour, the aroma hits you like a wave and on sampling, the palate is abuzz with toffee, honey and chocolate. 

So, why not bypass the plethora of IPAs and Sours on your next visit to a micropub or craft beer bar and try a rich, dark, smooth, full-bodied and complex Stout. The array of diversity delivered by adjuncts suit every season—Stouts are not just for Christmas!—and show exactly why Stouts are perhaps the broadest of all beer styles, showcasing a myriad of interesting, nuanced and often unique flavours to excite your palate.