This category, which also has some crossover with Specialty Beer, is at its basic definition beers that are aged in non-neutral wood. This can to produce an intentional wood-influenced flavor effect (vanillin, caramel, toast), or flavors derived from the alcohol previously aged in the wood if any (bourbon, scotch whisky, sherry), as well as the action of microorganisms living in the wood. A wide variety of base beer styles can benefit from barrel aging, although darker or more alcoholic styles have been popular choices.
Spiced winter ales are popular hybrids among U.S. craft brewers. Typically, they are strong ales that have had some spice added during the brewing process. True to their name, they make ideal sipping beers with which to ward off winters chills and get a dose of seasonal spices. This style is usually brewed before Christmas and brewers frequently make annual adjustments to their often-secret recipes in an effort to obtain that perfect symbiosis between spices, hops and malt.
Imperial stout is an extra strong version of stout, which was originally brewed by the British to withstand the rigors of export to Russia and the Baltic states. This style is dense, opaque black and strong in alcohol (6-7 percent), with a note of sweetness. Burnt cocoa and dried fruit flavors are typical. Russian imperial stouts originate from recipes that British brewers tailored to the tastes of the imperial Russian court. Imperial stout was almost extinct until recreated by the British brewer Samuel Smith in the early 1980s. The style has now been embraced by U.S. craft brewers as a winter specialty.
Simply put, this is a stronger version of a dry stout, with alcohol levels between 5.7 and 7.5 percent, very similar to foreign or export-style stouts. The initial malt sweetness leads to a rounded out, dry and balanced finish. Coffee-like roasted barley present in the aromas. A medium- to full-bodied mouth feel is common. Fruity esters are very low to non-existent. Strong stouts are well balanced with sweetness/bitterness of malt.
Flavored stouts are stouts, be they sweeter or drier, that have been flavored in some way. Dark fruits, coffee and chocolate are particularly popular, and the marriage of flavors should at best be greater than the sum of its parts.
This brew is a variation of sweet stout, with a small proportion of oats used in place of roasted malt, which has the effect of enhancing body and mouthfeel. They were originally brewed by the British in the earlier part of this century, when stouts were thought of as a nutritious part of an everyday diet. After having fallen from favor, the style was revived by the Yorkshire brewer Samuel Smith in 1980. They tend to be highly flavorful with a velvety texture and sometimes a hint of sweetness. Oatmeal stouts are now a very popular staple of the U.S. craft brewing scene.
Sweet stouts have a distinctive sweetness to the palate and often show chocolate and caramel flavors. They are sometimes known as milk or cream stouts. These beers obtain their characters by using chocolate malts and lactic (milk) sugars in the brewing process.
Dry stout is closely associated with Ireland in general, and Guinness in particular. These brews tend to be rich and dark with a definitive bitter note and a drying palate feel. They are classically paired with oysters, although any Irish stout drinker will tell you that a pint it is a meal in itself. Draught (draft) Irish stout is nitrogen-flushed to give it that tell-tale white creamy head that has made Guinness so recognizable. This process is also effected in cans and bottles with a nitrogen “widget.” The style is widely emulated throughout the world and is particularly popular with U.S. microbrewers and brewpubs, often as a more full bodied and dryer interpretation.
This style is an extra strong version of porter and is similar in style to top-fermented Baltic porters. Roasted malt should provide the flavoring character, with no apparent roasted barley or black malt character in the flavor profile. Imperial porters are dark brown to black in color and strong in alcohol (7-11%). Fruity esters should be evident, but not overwhelming, and should be in balance with caramel and cocoa malt sweetness and a low-to-medium hop bitterness. Some American examples evidence a more hop-forward character that differs greatly from the style’s origins, but are in line with the current “imperialization” trend.
Fortified porter and its sibling style, Russian imperial stout, were developed by English brewers to serve markets to the east. As these dark, strong beers gained favor, breweries along the Baltic trade route began brewing their own versions, and the porter lost its ale identity as these breweries used lager yeasts. The result is a beer that can resemble a very dark doppelbock, with alcohol levels between 7.5 and 9 percent. Black in color, the porters are very smooth with not much of the fruity characteristics you would find in a conventional porter. Roasted malts with dark sugars, caramelized sugars and hints of licorice show in the flavor profile. A hint of smokiness can also be present. Hop aroma is very low, maybe a hint of floral notes as long as they are not dominant. Medium- to-full bodied, and no sweet butterscotch or DMS in flavor or aroma.