Joining the dark side

Since starting to drink beer I have found that I prefer to stick to the lighter coloured ales but earlier this month I found myself trying a milk stout at the CAMRA Bristol Beer Festival. The milk stout in question was by Crane who, by their own admission, are a small company but big on flavour. My only experience with stout is a Guinness I tried in Dublin. On the first taste I noticed the mouthfeel of the beer was fairly thin and the taste was quite bitter for me. Although I managed my first pint I needed to add blackcurrant juice to my next drinks orders. I thought all stouts would be like this as Guinness is one of the market leaders - and this did put me off. Putting that experience aside I was encouraged to give the milk stout a try and I was so glad that I did. This beer was nothing like what I was expecting. It was slightly sweet as well as creamy from the lactose and left a lasting coating over my tongue as the body was much thicker. I was surprised at how drinkable this stout was and how much I enjoyed it - definitely one of my favourites from the whole festival!

I'd been tweeting my beers that evening and noticed that Crane had messaged me recommending I try their CAKE stout. As it happened on my way home from the beer festival I came across a bottle which I opened up the next evening.

The pour of the CAKE stout is like nothing I'd ever seen before in beer. The texture was thick like pouring melted chocolate. The appearance was dark and glossy with a solid foam on top. After being recommended this beer by Crane I was excited to give it a try and the first taste was like a gooey chocolate heaven. It was sweet with vanilla notes but with just the right amount of bitterness to balance the flavour. I think that this beer has been given the perfect name as I felt as if I was eating a molten chocolate lava cake!

Considering I've always been a pale ale kind of girl I have been really surprised by how good stouts have become since my first encounter. The introduction of new infused flavours gives them wider appeal to new and current beer enthusiasts. I never thought I would be a fan of the stout but I feel I have been converted. Since then I have actively tried more stout beers and have found a few favourites.

For anyone who is nervous about trying a stout - try a milk stout first. You never know, you may really like it!