Don’t be afraid of the dark: Why you should embrace stout, porter and black beers this winter

Many drinkers can be put off by the colour and flavour descriptions of dark beers, but they are missing out. Here’s why.

Australian beer drinkers – don’t be afraid of the dark this winter.

Now is the time, particularly in the chillier climates, when many craft enthusiasts like to look beyond lagers, pale ales and IPAs for the roasty, toasty delights of brown ales, porters and stouts.

But there are also plenty of drinkers who are wary of taking the plunge, according to Dennis de Boer of White Bay brewery, put off by the colour (from the darker malts used to create them) and the typical flavour descriptions of dark beers.

“Talking to a person who hasn’t had a dark beer before, you generally have to use robust flavour descriptions,” de Boer says. “Things like dark chocolate and coffee and roast – all of those are pretty bold flavours so I think if someone isn’t particularly keen on any one of those flavours, they will just assume that’s what the beer is going to taste like.”

De Boer, who makes a Velvet Schwartzbier as well as the Onward Ever Onward and Dolce Noir Imperial Stouts for White Bay Brewery, says that fresh ingredients and a balance of flavours are the key factors to making a good dark beer.

Dark beers such as stout can contain a wide variety of rich ingredients and flavours.

“We brew a whole slew of different styles of stouts so if we are making a beer with coffee or nuts or granola in it we are always looking for a nice balance between all the flavours,” he says. “They should all be present, but it shouldn’t be leaning heavily into any one single direction.”

DeBoer recommends that drinkers curious about dark beers should try a “gateway beer” like the Modelo Negra Amber Lager before leaping straight to an Imperial Stout, which can feature all manner of weird and wonderful flavours (Bright Brewery’s new Compost Cookie Imperial Stout has chocolate, butterscotch, marshmallows, pretzels, oats, potato chips, coconut, coffee, walnuts, vanilla, cinnamon, sultanas and hundreds and thousands) and an ABV in excess of 10 per cent.

He’s also up for a dark beer no matter what the weather.

“I still think there is a stigma among drinkers that a dark beer goes well in cold months,” he says. “But if you go to the Caribbean, most people there are drinking 8 per cent Guinness Foreign Export Stout, so I think they go well year round.”

Here’s Michael Taberner from Craft Cartel’s recommendations to help you turn to the dark side.

White Bay Balmain Velvet Schwartzbier

White Bay Balmain Velvet Schwartzbier

A great introduction to dark beers for fans of traditional or gateway lagers in the warmer months, because, well, it’s not a far leap in profile. Lower in hop and malt aromas and flavour profiles than other dark beers, this is closer to the bitterness you get in a dark chocolate or black coffee. Pairs well with earthy soups like a mushroom and lentil winter warmer.

Hop Nation Karma Oatmeal Stout

Hop Nation Karma Oatmeal Stout

Smooth. Creamy. Rich. Unlike a milk or dessert style stout, Oatmeal Stouts are not too sweet. This makes for a perfect third wheel to join you on the couch with that block of chocolate. Use this as a great benchmark to compare wilder, sweeter or versions of the style to. Hop Nation do more adventurous too – with a beer festival dedicated to all things sour, funky, and wild in Melbourne on July 23 on sale now.

Wolf of the Willows Persistence III – Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2022

Wolf of the Willows Persistence III – Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2022

A barrel aged beer is one that has been aged for a period in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood. In this case, they have been aged in hand selected Rye Whiskey Solera Barrels from The Gospel Whiskey (Australia’s only dedicated Rye Whiskey distillery). Through persistence, these guys have been able to produce a beer that has come on the other side with a decadent flavour of dark chocolate, cherry, licorice, and espresso.

Visit smartcraftbeer.com.au to join the SMART Craft Beer Club and access the following offers.

● Offer 1: 10 of the best beers delivered monthly for $69 + shipping

● Offer 2: Winter Warmers dark beer style pack for $49 + shipping

● Offer 3: Beer of Origin State Packs from $49.95 + shipping