An excellent Stout and an excellent Porter

I was in Arizona the last week of March for my son’s spring break and a visit with Lori’s parents. I always get in some biking and make a stop at Total Wine for some selections that I cannot find in Colorado. I made selections from local brewers and from items that I normally do not see in Colorado. The two listed below were excellent and I would rate both of them as “A” beers. I am partial to the darker beers and these two were very good. They had a lot of similarities (chocolate / cocoa and coffee / espresso) even though they were different styles. If you have the opportunity to try them, I easily recommend them.

Bell’s – Special Double Cream Stout

Bell’s is based in Kalamazoo, MI and they brew a number of different styles and I have tried a few of them. From my experience, you cannot go wrong with selecting anything they brew. Bell’s has also won a number of awards over the year and I think they would be warmly welcomed in Colorado. Special Double Cream Stout (6.1% ABV) is an American Stout.

Website description – “Special Double Cream Stout derives its name from its smooth, creamy texture, not the ingredients. Completely dairy-free, this stout blends eight different specialty malts to yield a remarkable depth of flavor. With only a touch of burnt notes, Special Double Cream Stout focuses on the softer, cocoa & espresso-like aspects of roasted malt.”

URL - http://www.bellsbeer.com/


Big Sky - Bobo’s Robust Porter

Big Sky Brewing is based in Missoula, MT and started brewing in 1995. Moose Drool has to be their biggest seller and I have enjoyed a number of their offerings. Bobo’s Robust Porter (6.2% ABV and 32 IBU) is a robust porter or an American Porter. Big Sky has a fairly wide distribution and if you are west of the Mississippi, you should be able to find it.

Website description – “A small bottle with Big Flavor! Brewed with 6 different malts and generously hopped, Robust doesn’t really begin to describe this beer. Smooth chocolate flavors with hints of coffee, caramel and vanilla. Hop presence is copious and is matched by rich Malt flavors. Malts – Pale, Crystal, Chocolate, Brown and Black, Roast. Hops – East Kent Goldings, Challenger.”

URL - http://www.bigskybrew.com/