Category 13 Dry Stout Sweet (Milk) Stout Oatmeal Stout Foreign Extra Stout American Stout Russian Imperial Stout STOUTS

Bottles due to CO March 17 th QUAFF internal judging mid to early-March All sub-categories open CLUB ONLY COMPETITION – MARCH / APRIL 2012

WHAT IS A STOUT? Ale Dark and Bold Roast More roast character than a porter Wide range of sub-styles and room for interpretation High carbonate waters (like San Diego) ideally suited to making stouts

SUB STYLES

Aroma – Coffee-like roasted barley, some cocoa, medium-low to no esters, no diacetyl, low to no hop aroma Appearance – jet black to dark brown, can be opaque, creamy thick, long-lasting, tan to brown head Flavor – moderate roasted malt, some grainy sharpness, medium to high hop bitterness, light astringency Mouthfeel – medium light to medium full body, low to moderate carbonation, smooth, especially on nitro Notes – originally called “Stout Porter”, relatively low gravity for strong flavor, Guinness Draught is the prototypical example 13A – DRY STOUT (AKA IRISH STOUT, IRISH DRY STOUT)

Aroma – mild roasted grain aroma, sometimes coffee or chocolate notes, cream-like sweetness, low to moderately-high fruitiness, low to no diacetyl, low to no hop aroma Appearance – very dark brown to black, can be opaque, creamy tan to brown head Flavor – dark roasted grains and malt dominate, coffee/chocolate, moderate hop bitterness, medium to high sweetness (lactose), low to moderate fruity esters, low to no diacetyl Mouthfeel – medium-full to full body, creamy, low to moderate carbonation Notes – Mackeson XXX stout is the top commercial example 13B – SWEET STOUT (AKA MILK STOUT)

Aroma – mild roasted grain aroma often with a coffee character, light sweetness, low to medium fruitiness, medium-low to no diacetyl, low to no hop aroma, some light oatmeal aroma is optional (often from toasted oats) Appearance – medium brown to black, can be opaque, thick creamy persistent tan to brown head Flavor – medium sweet to medium dry palate, complex oats and dark grain, sometimes nutty or earthy, medium hop bitterness balances toward malt, medium low to no hop flavor Mouthfeel – medium-full to full body, very creamy, medium to medium-high carbonation Notes – 5-10% oats in grist, Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout is the top commercial example 13C – OATMEAL STOUT

Aroma – moderate to high roasted grains, coffee and/or chocolate, some lightly burnt notes OK, medium to high fruitiness, some versions may have sweet aromas with molasses or dried fruit notes, sometimes light alcohol, low to no hop aroma, low to no diacetyl Appearance – deep brown to black, can be opaque, large tan to brown head Flavor – tropical versions can be sweet without much roast, export versions can be moderately dry, roasted malt can be moderate to high, tropical can be fruity often with a rum- like quality, export versions have more restrained esters, more assertive roast Mouthfeel – medium-full to full body, very creamy, medium to medium-high carbonation, may be warming from alcohol Notes – basically scaled up version of dry or sweet stout for export, in tropical export markets it can be fairly fruity, Guinness Foreign Extra is a top commercial example 13D – FOREIGN EXTRA STOUT (AKA FOREIGN EXPORT OR EXPORT STOUT)

Aroma – moderate to high roasted grains, coffee and/or dark chocolate, some low burnt notes OK, low to medium hop aroma, often American citrusy or resiny varieties, esters can be up to medium intensity Appearance – jet black, can be opaque, large light tan to light brown persistent head Flavor – moderate to very aggressive roasted malt character, often coffee and dark or bittersweet chocolate, medium to high bitterness, hop flavor can be low to high showcasing American hop varieties, light esters, medium to dry finish, some alcohol OK Mouthfeel – medium to full body, can be creamy, medium to medium-high carbonation, may be warming from alcohol Notes – hoppy, bitter strongly roasted export style, Rogue Shakespeare Stout is a top commercial example 13E – AMERICAN STOUT

Aroma – rich and complex, malty with varying levels of roastiness, fruity esters, hops and alcohol, can have dried fruit notes, coffee, dark chocolate … options are all over the place! Appearance – dark reddish brown to jet black, opaque, large deep tan to dark brown that may have retention issues, sometimes ‘legs’ in high alcohol versions Flavor – rich, deep, complex and intense roasted malt character, fruity esters and dark fruit may be present in varying amounts, can have bittersweet chocolate or coffee, aged versions might have a slightly vinous quality with sherry notes, finish can vary from dry to moderately sweet, Mouthfeel –full to very full and chewy body, luscious, smooth warming alcohol, low to moderate carbonation Notes – intensely flavor, big rich stout, origin from export to Baltic States and Russia from England, Three Floyds Dark Lord is a top commercial example 13F – RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT

Presented at Quaff November 2011 General Meeting By Paul Gagnon CHEERS!