Chillaxing Beers

You know its cold when you walk through the meat department at Freshchoice and can actually feel some warmth. These are the darkest days and appeal to the darkest beers and there is no better comfort beer than a stout stout. A stout can be as bitter as a Hurracanes support’s club or as sweet as a Marty Banks dropgoal. Either way, strong roasted malt will dominate the flavour. Because of its sweet or bitter qualities, Stout is also very good to cook with and sometimes you can even add it to the recipe. And in case you think its too cold for a cold beer, the flavour profile of a stout will usually improve if not served chilled.

For instance, Kereru Brewing’s “For Even Greater Justice Wood Fired Toasted Oat and Coconut Imperial Porter” gets warmer, more coconut flavor develops.  Tastes very much like a coconut topped marshmallow biscuit except at 8.5% you get warm fuzzies. 

Townshend’s “Key Stone Milk Stout” 5.5%. it’s called a milk stout as it contains lactose, a  sugar derived from milk and this imparts a very creamy milk taste to the gentle roast malt flavours. Forget you glass of milk before bed, this is way better.

Lord Almighty “Ursus Stout” at a lord almighty 12%ABV. Appropriately, Ursus is the name of a big American black bear. Tastes of dark roasted malt that’s just on the edge of charry bitterness. Its robust body with heavenly chocolate coffee notes and a soy sauce bitterness.  This is one smooth strong gnarly bear.

Tuatara “Black” 6.5% is part of a seasonal one off series and fortunately, is black by popular demand. Beguilingly smooth brewed with real chocolate which comes through in the aroma. A milky cocoa taste with lots of coffee and a bitter malt finish and very easy to drink. The brew comes in a lizard spine necked bottle and may well raise the hairs on your neck on the inside.

So, axe the chills and get a stout from your warm and happy place, FreshChoice.

Denis short but stout Cooper