BeerCast #34 – The StoutOff

Our 34th BeerCast podcast is something of a variation on the usual theme – on this occasion we decided to run a comparison between different countries. The beer style up for discussion is stout – and we have two from the UK and two from the US. Leading the way for the home nations are Hop Back Entire Stout (4.5%) from Salisbury in Wiltshire, and Cameron’s Monkey Stout (4.4%) from Hartlepool. We then move to two dark offerings from over the pond, ramping up the alcohol factor immediately as we try Great Divide’s Yeti Imperial Stout (9.5%). Our final beer rounds off the show with a bang, as we get to grips with Left Hand Brewing’s Imperial Stout (10.4%). On the panel this week are Richard, Shovels, Grooben, and the Hopmeister Tom, who seems to have finally met his match with the US imports…

1. Hop Back Entire Stout (4.5%abv)
Hop Back Brewery, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
500ml glass bottle

Hop Back have become one of the most-featured breweries on the BeerCast – Summer Lightning is our reigning Beer of the Year, and we’ve also sampled their Christmas beer Pickled Santa, and last time out we tried their coriander beer – Crop Circle. On this occasion we taste their Entire Stout, a roasty dark beer far removed from their more renowned hoppy numbers. The Hop Back Brewery began life in 1986 in the basement of the Wyndham Arms pub on the outskirts of Salisbury, and have risen to become one of the UK’s most-awarded producers. Since moving to bespoke premises in Wiltshire they have gone from strength to strength, CAMRA beer festivals dishing out plaudits within two years – and at a steady rate ever since.

What They Say – “A rich dark stout with a strong roasted malt flavour and a long, smooth aftertaste. Suitable for vegans.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Grooben – It’s a stout but a smooth easy drinking one 8
Shovels – Hints of chocolate but it’s not as full as other stouts 8
Tom – If I was blindfolded I wouldn’t put it down as a stout 7
Richard – I wouldn’t pair it with food, it’s almost a bitter 6½

2. Camerons Monkey Stout (4.4%abv)
Camerons Brewery, Hartlepool, County Durham.
500ml glass bottle

The Lion Brewery has been established in Hartlepool for over 150 years and has been the home to Camerons since 1865. They had been taken over by the Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewery (who are now better known as Marstons), but in 2002 were bought back by members of the Cameron family, and are now the only independent regional brewery in the North East of England. They produce around 25 different beers, the majority of which are monthly specials that fit the season. Monkey Stout is their special for November – but it’s also available from the summer onwards as a cask ale. It takes it’s name from the infamous legend of Hartlepool locals who hanged a monkey they found clinging to a shipwreck, believing it to be a Frenchman.

What They Say – “The brew has a rich black colour and chocolate aroma. The chocolate malts give this stout a roasted taste with an excellent bitter sweet balance. This is a must try for all stout drinkers.” [Camerons marketing manager Yousef Doubooni]

What We Say…
Richard – Verging on an old-time milk stout 8
Shovels – Great but it’s maybe just a bit too sweet 7½
Grooben – Smells coffee-ish but it tastes smoothly sweeter 6½
Tom – A ‘Sunday afternoon fall asleep in your roast’ stout 6½

3. Yeti Imperial Stout (9.5%abv)
Great Divide Brewery, Denver, Colorado.
355ml glass bottle

Great Divide were opened in 1994 in the centre of Denver by Brian Dunn, who saw a gap in the market for a new microbrewery in the thirsty outdoors city in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. They have won 12 Great American Beer Festival medals (the first only 3 months after brewing their first batch). Great Divide produce 13 different beers, over half of them self-styled ‘big beers’ – Barley Wines, Double IPA’s, and Imperial Stouts – such as the one we’re sampling tonight. We’ve tried one of their beers before on the BeerCast, with our USA Special panel coming unstuck somewhat with the hefty Titan IPA, which unfortunately for all concerned was out of date. Thankfully this time we’ve got hold of one of their beers within the sell-by date – which can be an issue when buying American imports over here, unfortunately.

What They Say – “An onslaught of the senses. It starts with big, roasty malt flavor that gives way to rich caramel and toffee notes. YETI gets its bold hop character from an enormous quantity of American hops. It weighs in at a hefty 75 IBUs.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – Opens with sweetness then roasty tastes later 8
Grooben – Smacks you about the head but in a good way 7½
Shovels – Tasty but I couldn’t drink more than a bottle 7½
Tom – I’d file this under interesting and then never go back 1

4. Left Hand Imperial Stout (10.4%abv)
Left Hand Brewery, Longmont, Colorado.
355ml glass bottle

On Christmas Day 1990 Dick Doore was given a homebrew kit as a present by his brother, which began a passion for brewing. Three years later he moved to Colorado and met an old school friend called Eric Wallace. The two of them founded a brewery in November 1993 in a former meat packing factory in Longmont. Naming themselves the Indian Peaks Brewery after some local mountains, they were undone by copyright issues and renamed themselves after local historical Indian chief Niwot – ‘Left Hand’. Their mighty Imperial Stout contains Magnum and US Goldings hops, with Pale 2-Row, Munich, Crystal, Chocolate malts and roasted and black barley. And alcohol.

What They Say – “A traditional unfiltered Russian Imperial Stout. A smooth, warming stout with hints of raisins, black licquorice, coffee and dark chocolate. A variety of intensely roasted malts and the aggressive use of hops temper the pleasant sweetness of the beer.” [Official Website]

What We Say…
Richard – It comes and goes, has a much longer aftertaste 6½
Grooben – Smooth but too sweet to pick up the licquorice 6
Shovels – Subtle difference to the Yeti that makes it not as nice 4
Tom – I’m not enjoying the Imperial Stouts – they sound like something from Star Wars. I’m with the rebel alliance 1

Panellists – (from top left) Shovels, Tom, Grooben, Richard

BeerCast panel verdict
Hop Back Entire Stout (29½/40)
Camerons Monkey Stout (28½/40)
Yeti Imperial Stout (24/40)
Left Hand Imperial Stout (17½/40)

We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with our 35th BeerCast – an episode recorded by our London panel on the real ale treats to be found in your local branch of Marks & Spencer. Stay tuned for that, and in the meantime keep the emails and comments coming in. Cheers!