Posts Tagged ‘Stout’

Neapolean

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Style: Flavoured Stout
ABV: 6.7%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Alley Kat Brewing Co. exclusive for Sherbrooke Liquor
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Werstiuk Avatar KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

“From the sublime to the ridiculous is but one step.” –Napoleon Bonaparte

What does an Emperor of France and a tri-flavoured ice cream have in common? One was born in Corsica, the other originated in Naples. One conquered a large part of Europe at the beginning of the 19th century, the other conquered the taste buds of America towards the end of the 19th century. To be honest there was no real connection there, until Sherbrooke decided to step in.

This flavourful chimera of a stout is the original brainchild of local homebrewer Ernie Boffa. Apparently the concept came about at a dinner party he hosted to debut his very first homebrewing effort, which was an IPA made from a kit. The group mused about future interesting concepts for beers that Ernie could pursue while they enjoyed the fruits of his initial attempt, and after a while dessert was served. On the menu was a selection of 3 different gourmet ice creams: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. It may not come as much of a surprise that everyone present proceeded to take a sample of each one in order to produce an impromptu rendition of the familiar Neapolitan style. That was the moment Ernie decided to undertake a Neapolitan stout for his first original homebrew recipe. Not only did it garner praise and recognition from his circle of friends and the local homebrewer’s guild, but went on to win a gold medal as well in a 2009 homebrewing competition.

From experience I’ve found that a nearly room temperature bottle of Alley Kat’s commercial rendition is the best way to experience and enjoy the full flavour spectrum this stout has to offer, given the multiple layers within. Pretty much any favourite glass of yours will help deliver the goods, here’s a beer able to hold its own in anything from a mason jar to a glass slipper.

Assuming you’ve chosen a clear vessel to enjoy this in, you’ll be greeted by a pitch black opaque stout, impervious to light, crowned by a creamy mocha head. Creamy chocolate along with slight coffee notes are most apparent at first in the aroma, vanilla rises up next, while a sugary strawberry seems the faintest of the trio. The flavour matches the aroma, starting with roasted malt and bitter cocoa, although the chocolate sweetens up in the middle where it meets vanilla and continues to the finish. You’ll have to wait until the finish for a dose of strawberry, but it’s worth the wait. Similar to the ice cream predecessor, the chocolate tends to dominate the other two flavours somewhat, but at least it’s a delectable bully. The mouthfeel is not heavy at all either as would be expected for such an intensely flavoured stout, but remains medium-bodied, with a silky and slick texture.

If you have the desire to pair this stout with food, dessert is the course to focus on. While it would do the trick on its own, this Neapolitan stout is screaming out to be part of an ice cream float. Take your pick of chocolate, vanilla or strawberry ice cream on their own to accentuate your favourite flavour, but the truly tapped in gourmand will of course add a striped scoop or two of the eponymous ice cream itself. For presentation I would recommend either a wide mug or an oversized wine glass, whatever suites your own personal aesthetic preferences and needs. Regardless you will probably be branded as a visionary lowbrow rebel for serving this beer in such a manner, feel free to take all the credit. Cake with similar flavours would be the next best step. For those in the crowd who are not into ice cream or cake, most fresh red berries will be a good companion to this stout. And for you incorrigible carnivores out there, ribs slathered with a sweet sauce is the way to go, just make sure you have lots of extra napkins.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Alley Kat Amber
Alley Kat Aprikat
Full Moon Pale Ale
Charlie Flint’s Original Lager
Pumpkin Pi Spiced Ale
Olde Deuteronomy

Also From Sherbrooke:
Sherbrooke Shamrock
Bad Hare Day
Aaiieeeeeeeeee Caramba!
Van Helsing’s All Natural Mouthwash
Chocolate Cherry Ostiarius

Chocolate Stouts:
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Amber’s Kenmount Road Chocolate Stout
Dieu de Ciel Aphrodisiaque

Aphrodisiaque

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Style: Cocoa and Vanilla Stout
ABV: 6.5%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel
Country: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Werstiuk Avatar KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

No offense, but if you’ve been living under a rock the past while please allow me to fill you in on this brewpub and microbrewery from Montreal that has become one of the darlings of the beer world, especially throughout North America.  Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel has even managed to capture the hearts, palates and wallets of our neighbours to the south in the same way Unibroue did about a decade ago.

However a quirky bit of trivia regarding this particular stout from Dieu De Ciel is that to be acceptable to the American market under some sort of curious FDA standards the name of it had to be changed to Aphrodite.  Apparently marketing an alcoholic product under the name of Aphrodisiaque (a French word no less, by no means an official language of the Republic) would in such a manner make false and inappropriate claims, and potentially incite unwanted lascivious behaviour of folks who wished to consume it, or even considered imbibing it.  Yet a quick name change to the Greek goddess of love and desire, who no less was given credit for creating aphrodisiacs in the first place and providing them her own namesake, is perfectly fine.  Okey-dokey then…..  Thanks be to the Greek god of loopholes for such matters.

If that wasn’t enough of a hassle for this alluring stout to endure, it also tends to get overlooked while caught in the shadow of its bolder and more popular sibling Péché Mortel, which just so happens to be one of the most sought after Canadian beers on this continent.  Both are strong savoury stouts, both have soft creamy textures, and both are in peak form regarding quality and craftsmanship.  And while I fully acknowledge the finesse it took to pull off something as formidable yet welcoming as Péché Mortel, it was Aphrodisiaque that truly seduced me.  I mean how often do you hear a grown man admitting that a beer made his toes curl in delight?  Yeah, it’s that good.  Plus I always tend to fall for the underdog….

Two elements that give this stout such enticing charm are the addition of premium quality vanilla beans and the use of organic fair-trade cocoa.  Only the best for you!  Add to this a silky smooth texture and you have yourself here is a date with delight.  Let’s get on to some tasting notes.

A mug or a pint glass will work fine, or if you wish to set the setting with someone special, use a pair of red wine glasses.  I’d let the bottle warm about 15 minutes after pulling it from the fridge, a bit of chill still works with this stout as it’s robust enough to handle some cold without being totally numbed by it.

Get ready for a luxuriously opaque black stout upon the pour, totally impermeable to light.  Crowning it is a thick frothy creamy sand coloured head.  It should only take a few inhales to at least pick up some notes of creamy roasted malt and dark chocolate, dry cocoa and raw vanilla bean.  There’s a bit more complexity than this, but I’ll allow you the pleasure of deciphering and discovering it on your own.  The moment it touches your tongue and rolls across your palate and through your mouth you’ll be greeted by a nearly full mouthfeel, creamy and velvety in texture, with a light rounded carbonation on the finish, a gorgeous sensual experience in its own right.  But of course the best part is the flavour.  Roasted, slightly smoked malt at first, toasted earthy cocoa and carob rises in the middle and carries to the finish, while the aftertaste is earthy with intense dark coffee notes.  Sweet earthy vanilla bean rises intermittently throughout the experience, and begins to coat the palate in its own right after a while, providing almost a bourbon-like essence.

This stuff is ambrosia, and is easily satisfying on its own.  If you feel a deep and utter necessity to pair it with food, then stick to desserts.  Heck, Aphrodisiaque can fill in as a dessert unto itself.  Once again, if feeling peckish while consuming this stout, chocolate and chocolate based desserts will be the ticket, however a chocolate cheesecake might be too overwhelming, you’ve been warned.  Fruit and fruit based desserts will provide a pleasant contrast in turn, although you might want to avoid the citrus variety which will do nothing but clash.  If feeling even more adventurous try chasing Aphrodisiaque with a high quality bourbon for a match made in…er…the classy part of Purgatory at least.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Blanche Du Paradis
Corne Du Diable
Dernière Volonté
Fumisterie
Paienne
Péché Mortel
Rosée D’hibiscus
Route Des Épices

Chocolate Stouts:
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Amber’s Kenmount Road Chocolate Stout

Other Stouts:
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Half Pint’s Stir Stick Stout
Yukon Midnight Sun Espresso Stout
Jamaica Stout
Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout - North Coast

Lateral Steps:
Rogue Mocha Porter
Paddock Wood London Porter
Fuller’s London Porter
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
Chimay Blue
Unibroue Trois Pistoles

Shakespeare Stout

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Style: American Stout
ABV: 6%
Presentation: Single 650 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery
Country: Newport, Oregon, U.S.A.

Werstiuk Avatar KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

Believe it or not there are 6 different styles of stout, let alone stouts out there other than Guinness.  Although it’s sort of an umbrella term for craft stout variations produced within the U.S. the major separating factor that defines an American Stout is the quite noticeable inclusion of hops, usually the types with distinct citrus characteristics.  The result is a bold dark ale that remains intense from start to finish, while taking a 90 degree turn in direction about halfway through.  With Rogue’s Shakespeare Stout we have an exemplar of the style, I know this was the first time I ever tasted hops in a stout, with a bit of surprise at first.

This is a stout that can stand up to being served fairly chilled, while the roasted malt and citrus hops will mellow out and balance more as it warms.  The glassware for this one is dealer’s choice, although mug or pint glass will serve well.  You know the old tired stereotype of all stouts being black as heck and thick like motor oil?  This one does a fairly good job living up to that.  Jet black in appearance on the pour and impermeable to light, it also has a tall spongy tan head that will settle slowly, great retention.  Rising from that seemingly impenetrable darkness are aromas of dark chocolate and coffee, with citrus and dandelion greens from the hops.  A velvety, creamy mouthfeel delivers a dry bitter chocolate followed by roasted malts and coffee notes, finishing with that surprising herbal and citric finish.

What this stout screams out to be paired with are mussels and oysters.  Barbecue is a no-brainer, while smoked meats will be complimented and contrasted at the same time.  Dishes prepared with a prominent black bean sauce will shine, let alone a beef and black bean burrito accompanied with sharp cheddar or jack cheese.  Speaking of cheese, the earthier the better to pair up with this robust American Stout.  The recommendations found on the bottle from the brewery itself include beef and desserts.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
American Amber
Kell’s Irish Lager
Brutal Bitter
Chipotle Ale
Chocolate Stout
Dead Guy Ale
Double Dead Guy
Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Juniper Pale Ale
Mocha Porter
Morimoto Black Soba Ale
Shakespeare Stout
Summer Orange Honey Ale
Yellow Snow IPA
Santa’s Private Reserve
Younger’s Special Bitter
XS Imperial Porter
XS Imperial IPA
XS Imperial Red
XS Imperial Stout
XS Old Crustacean Barleywine
XS Younger’s Special Bitter

Other Stouts:
St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Stir Stick Stout - Half Pints
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout - Yukon Brewing
Bête Noire - Paddock Wood

Lateral Steps:
Fullers London Porter
Road Dog Porter - Flying Dog
Coney Island Human Blockhead - Schmaltz Brewing

For The Adventurous:
Olde Deuteronomy - Alley Kat
Jewbelation 12 - He’Brew
Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head

Stir Stick Stout

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Style: Dry Irish Stout
ABV: 5.6%
Presentation: 6 packs of 341 ml brown bottles
Brewery: Half Pints Brewing Company
Country: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Werstiuk Avatar KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

After honing his chops as the head brewer at Regina’s Bushwakker brewpub for a few years Dave Rudge officially opened his own craft brewery in Winnipeg in August of 2006.  The fruit of that labour turned out to be the Half Pints Brewing Company, winner of several brewing awards already and continuing to go strong by producing original interpretations of traditional beer styles.  One of the first two flagship beers that helped to develop their reputation is the Stir Stick Stout, which continues to maintain its popularity and convert newcomers to the fold.

A fine specimen of Dry Irish Stout on its own, Stir Stick Stout contains a subtle extra ingredient that’s alluded to in the name, and brings it all to a new level.  More than just any old plain java, Half Pints adds a cold infusion of the prized and sought after Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee to the final maturation tank, a bean said to possess notes of chocolate and citrus to it.  Although roasted at and obtained from fellow Winnipeg business Black Pearl Coffee, the beans originate in the green mountains surrounding the town of Yirgacheffe in Ethiopia, a town so small that sometimes it doesn’t appear even local African maps.  Obscurity aside, this coffee comes with quite a pedigree, as the Ethiopians have been cultivating and brewing coffee longer than anyone else on the planet.  According to legend, around 850 A.D. an Abyssinian goat herder, in what is now present day Ethiopia, was said to have discovered what we recognize as the modern coffee plant through curious means.  It was by tracking down the cause of the peculiar behaviour of his flock, which would act nearly possessed when they would ingest the red berries of the indigenous Kaffa trees.

With that little aside out of the way let’s see what Stir Stick Stout has to offer.  Your favourite glass will do just fine to serve this in, even better if it’s a mug or pint glass.  A cool temperature rather than a cold temperature will allow for the intricacies found within to become more apparent, maybe wait 10-15 minutes before pouring it after you pull it out of the fridge.  This stout itself is a dense dark brown, it appears nearly black, however if you hold it up to direct light you’ll notice a slight translucency with deep oaky highlights.  Crowning it should be a fairly tall spongy beige head that will leave some chunky lacing as it settles and you start to empty the glass.  By this point there should be absolutely no surprise in coming across the robust coffee aromas that you’ll be encountering, along with some dry roasted malt and a pleasant blend of espresso and dark chocolate.  Moving on to the flavour, if you also can’t taste the coffee profile almost immediately then I think you may be drinking the wrong beer.  There will also be a bit of grainy bitterness and dark chocolate, however in the aftertaste things sweeten up with mocha highlights.  Transporting this all is a somewhat light mouthfeel, low carbonation, a bit slick at times but starts to feel fuller near the finish.

On the side of the label Half Pints suggests matching their Stir Stick Stout with a barbecued buffalo burger or sweet desserts.  I agree, the coffee notes will greatly accentuate grilled meats, especially with a bit of char, or even dishes with some blackened seasoning.  With desserts the same attributes will emphasize a more savoury nature, baked goods with prominent cocoa or dark chocolate, or act as a minor contrast to sweeter offerings.  Or even the next time you have a hankering for a cuppa joe with a friend, pull out a couple of bottles of this stout instead and see if it livens up the conversation more.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Burley Wine
Humulus Ludicrous
Phil’s Pils
Little Scrapper IPA
Sweet Nikki Brown

Other Coffee Beers:
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout
Rogue Mocha Porter
Mill Street Coffee Porter

Other Stouts:
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Guinness Extra Stout
Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout
St-Amboise Oatmeal Stout

Lateral Steps:
Lobkowicz Baron
Warsteiner Dunkel
Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter
Fuller’s London Porter

For The Adventurous:
Aventinus
Samichlaus Bier
Trois Pistoles

KGB

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 10%
Presentation: 650 ml brown bottle
Brewery: Alley Kat Brewing Co.
Country: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Werstiuk Avatar KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

“We have ways of making you drink, comrade.”  Or so states the label.  No need to take it personally or show your papers comrade, you’ve been cleared to try this locally produced Russian Imperial Stout, several times over.  In fact get ready for something special.  This KGB has everything to do with the ABC.

Now in this case ABC stands for the Aurora Brewing Challenge, a homebrewing competition hosted by the Edmonton Homebrewers Guild since 1999, and the 2nd largest of its kind in the country.  Plus ever since 2006 the Alley Kat Brewery has been brewing a beer chosen from the winner’s portfolio for mass consumption, along with the Sherbrooke Liquor Store jumping in to carry it in 2008 as an anniversary exclusive to the store, last year’s being the surprisingly successful Heatseeker coconut curry porter-surprising how tasty and how well it sold for such a unique beer style that is.

KGB is just as cryptic at first as the ABC, representing the old Edmonton-area powerhouse brewing team of Kevin Zaychuck, Glen Hannah, and overall winner of this year’s Aurora Brewing Challenge Bruce Sample, who chose this particular recipe and style from his personal brewing portfolio to represent himself and as a tribute to this classic homebrewing monopoly.  I know you’re a swift crowd and have already put together the fact that KGB represents the first initial of the first names of these fine homebrewers.

This particular style came to prominence in the 1700’s thanks to Russia’s Czarina of the time, Catherine The Great, and her unquenchable taste for strong dark beer.  What initially started as the commission of a British brewery soley for the Russian Imperial court became such a ragingly popular style that it was named after its initial customer.  I’ll go into more depth on this history in a forthcoming column.

Whether you are familiar with this style or not we are talking about an intense dark 10% ale brewed with 6 different malts and 3 separate hops.  In fact I was shocked and surprised to see such a hop bill for a stout, as it was enough to power your average hoppy India Pale Ale into a bitter pine sap and grapefruit rind orbit of bliss.  However with such an intense density of malt it’s all that can be done to simply balance it all out to prevent an overload of sweetness and astringent grainy bitterness.  The result is a magic show of sleight-of-hand, what you get also includes what you don’t see. Think of it as a stout and then some, and then some more.

Let this bottle warm up a good 10-20 minutes before cracking it open, trust me on this.  There is so much malty goodness to be had and enjoyed that it’s worth the wait.  While you’re doing this you can take the time to choose your favourite mug, the bigger the better.  Of course a pint glass will also serve well as a trusty stand-by.  When you pour it into your chosen glass be prepared to stare in the heart of darkness, true to form this stuff is opaque pitch black and impervious to light.  At first the head will be a tall dense dark sandy mound that appears with the pour, slowly settling down to a tight creamy beige cap that will linger for almost the whole time it takes to empty the glass.  A few lingering inhalations should deliver up some notes of a sweet mocha, light molasses, and dark roasted malt.  The flavour continues along this motif with sweet treacle at first, dry dark roasted malt, even a bit of smoke and wood if your taste buds are in tune, with the roasted malt rounding it all up as well, although if you’re really good you may even pick out some spicy herbal notes from all the hops that were use.  And even though it may look like thick gooey motor oil this KGB Stout has a much lighter mouthfeel than anticipated, mid ranged with low carbonation and a bit of stickiness that will coat the palate.  A great local introduction to this style for people who have never ventured this far to the dark side before.  It’s a limited edition, so enjoy it while it lasts!

Stouts tend to be great to pair with grilled red meat, and this Russian Imperial Stout is big and bold enough to match and harmonize with game fowl and animals too, so consider this the perfect bottle to bring along for dinner if your friend has a freezer full of deer or moose.  Another classic pairing is with oysters, dressed up or in their own briny goodness.  KGB will also be your best friend when it comes to dessert, paired with anything of a chocolate base, or gourmet and handmade chocolates and truffles.  Fruit-based dessert can’t lose either, especially dark berries from cherries, strawberries to blackberries.  Cheesecake anyone?  Don’t forget that this big bottle, so grab a good comrade and feel free to share!

The next steps in the cooler:

In-Style:
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout - Lost Coast
Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout
Lagunitas Imperial Stout
Peche Mortel - Dieu Du Ciel
Pike Entire-Wood Aged Stout
Brewdog Paradox

Other Stouts:
St-Amboise Oatmeal Stout
Bête Noire - Paddock Wood
Stir Stick Stout - Half Pints
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout - Yukon
Jamaica Stout
Pike Street XXXXX Stout
Rogue Shakespeare Stout
Spell-Binding Stout - Wychwood
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Rogue Chocolate Stout

Lateral Steps:
Brooklyn Monster Ale
Mill St. Barleywine
Olde Deuteronomy - Alley Kat
Double Double - Paddock Wood
Old Crustacean - Rogue
Jewbelation 12 - He’Brew
Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head

For The Adventurous:
Humulus Ludicrous - Half Pints
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A. - He’Brew
Tree Hophead

Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Style: Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 550 ml brown bottle
Brewery: : Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Country: England

Werstiuk Avatar KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

It is thanks to the founder of the beer importing company Merchant du Vin, Charles Finkel, that Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout even exists, let alone reintroducing to the world what had become an obsolete and nearly forgotten beer style.  Back in 1978 he had made it his mandate to seek out the exemplar version of what he defined as the two dozen major classical beer styles, all from traditional breweries found in the homeland of each respective style.  His quest was nearly complete when he realized that no one was producing an Oatmeal Stout, in fact the last consumer produced Oatmeal Stout hadn’t been sold since the turn of the 20th century.  This was when Finkel approached the Samuel Smith brewery in Tadcaster to devise a traditional recipe so they could once again reintroduce Oatmeal Stout to the world again in 1980 after 3 generations of its absence.  There are many other fine stouts of this style available these days, however it is Samuel Smith’s version that is used as a benchmark for it.

For those wondering, yes there are actually several different styles of stout, and are hardly like the “thick black molasses” or “motor oil” that many people stereotype them as.  The most well-known is Guinness which is a Dry Irish Stout, which also contains a small amount of oats.  Sweet/Milk Stouts are just like they sound, sweetened with lactose which is milk sugar.  Russian Imperial Stouts are extra strong and higher in alcohol content.  Oatmeal Stouts are also what their name claims, possessing a larger amount of oats (although still not overly substantial compared to the overall malt bill), which adds more sweetness to the flavour, and a rounder, silky smooth texture.  This style of stout even used to be prescribed to nursing mothers, not only for its high iron content but also for many other nutrients found within it.  I can’t personally condone this, but then again I’m not a doctor either (…although I always wanted to play one on television).  Still it was very popular in the 1800’s, almost as a liquid version of a multi-vitamin pill.

Here’s an ale you’ll want to pull out your favourite mug for, or any handy pint glass for sure.  It doesn’t have to warm up too much out of the fridge, yet a few minutes resting in your hands will loosen up the flavours a bit more.  Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout comes in a sturdy 550 ml brown bottle with gold foil around the neck and cap.  Not quite the stereotypical pitch black in appearance this Oatmeal Stout pours out a nearly opaque, a deep dark brown that will reveal a patch of garnet when held to direct light, while a thick spongy beige head crowns it with impressive retention.  Be prepared for a sweet aroma with mild roasted malt, even hints of treacle.  The mouthfeel is smooth, a little bit sticky at times, yet it is mostly silky and smooth.  Finally, the flavour is equally as sweet as the aroma reveals, the malt is roasted along with some cocoa notes, hints of licorice, a creamy milky sweetness with a dry finish.  Some acidity may be apparent too.

This Oatmeal Stout is decent with desserts such as cheesecake, buttery fruit pastries, and baked chocolate goods.  Curiously the Samuel Smith website recommends a wide array of food pairings to go with this stout, some that left me scratching my head, but to quote:  “Pizza and salad, Italian foods, steamed clams, grilled ahi tuna, lobster with drawn butter, steak, ploughman’s lunch, crumpets, shish kebabs, vegetable ragout and eggs Florentine, dark flavorful bread and aged Stilton.”  Also of note is that stouts in general go great with bivalve shellfish, especially oysters.  The slight acidity of this Oatmeal Stout also compliments lamb as well.  One last detail of note is that Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout is a vegan beverage, for those who take extra personal caution with what they consume.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Old Brewery Pale Ale
Taddy Porter
Imperial Stout
India Ale
Nut Brown Ale
Organically Produced Lager
(also an Organic Cider!)

In-Style:
St-Amboise Oatmeal Stout
Bete Noire - Paddockwood

Other Stouts:
Shakespeare Stout - Rogue
Andean Stout - Cerveza Jerome
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout - Yukon
Jamaica Stout

For The Adventurous:
Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout - North Coast Brewing
Trois Pistoles - Unibroue
Old Crustacean - Rogue