One of the best things about living in Minnesota is that it stays light until 10 p.m. during the summer months. The brutal tradeoff is that in the winter, darkness comes six hours earlier. It often feels like the day has barely begun before it’s ended.
But take heart, Minnesotans. At least we don’t live where the winter sun never rises; there are a few precious hours of daylight. We can also take solace in the fact that there are beers to help us through the darkness. Big, bold, pitch-black sippers as dark as night are just the thing to ease the strain of winter’s long nights. There are a wide variety of stouts and porters available that fit the bill, from light and dry to heavy and sweet. Here’s a six-pack to get you started.
Imperial stouts and porters
Russian imperial stout was created by English brewers in the 18th century for export to Russia and the Baltic states. Said to be a favorite in the court of Catherine the Great, by the late 1800s the style essentially died out until it was revived by American brewers at the end of the 20th century.
Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout was the first new example from England to arrive in the United States. At just 7% alcohol, it’s on the bottom end of the scale. It’s full of flavor, but more subtle than the bigger examples of the style. Light, dry and roasty, it delivers complexity without ponderous heaviness. There are notes of coffee, cocoa powder, graham cracker and toffee. Hints of dark, dried fruit appear in the background. Medium bitterness and herbal hop flavors cut whatever sweetness there is.
Baltic porter is a descendant of Russian imperial stout that arose when brewers in the Baltic states and Poland began making the style using local ingredients and techniques, including fermentation with lager yeast. Lvivske Porter from the Lvivske Brewery in Ukraine is a fine example. At 8% alcohol, it is a slight step up from Samuel Smith’s but it is similarly light and easy drinking. It has a dry and bitter profile with flavors of coffee grounds and high-cocoa dark chocolate. Still, it has a smooth, creamy texture that gives way to a crisp, off-dry finish.
American stout
American stout is another black beer style that is big, but not too big. It features a more pronounced hop profile than other styles. Castle Danger Brewing’s George Hunter Stout is a great local example from Two Harbors, Minn. The main players are coffee, caramel and chocolate in a combination that reminds me of mocha brownies. Licorice, brown sugar and toast also make an appearance. It has a sharp bitterness from both hops and roasted grain. Resinous hop flavor is also noticeable. It’s big and full, but still an easy drinker.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s Narwhal Imperial Stout bumps the alcohol up above 10% but retains a remarkable lightness for its heft. It’s rich and full-bodied but dry, crisp with a burnt, bitter roasty bite that keeps it from being sweet. The flavor is like dark chocolate covered French roast coffee beans. It goes out with a surprisingly refreshing, dry finish. You can drink a whole bottle of this without feeling weighed down.
On to eisbock
Eisbock is made by partially freezing a doppelbock and separating the concentrated beer from the frozen water. The resulting distillation is strong, sweet and incredibly complex.
