In the run-up to St Patrick’s Day, there’s a lot of talk about Irish Stouts – Guinness in particular. But we decided to battle some English Stouts from some pretty well-known breweries – three from the south and one from the north.
We’re lucky enough to have visited the Camden Brewery and Fuller’s Brewery in London and we’ve also done the brewery tour at Black Sheep Brewery in Yorkshire. We would highly recommend popping into any of their tap rooms (although I don’t think we’ve found a taproom we wouldn’t recommend).
But back to our beer battle. We got off to a great start with Fuller’s Black Cab Stout which had a lovely thick mouthfeel and a dark, roasty bitterness. Next up was the Black Sheep Milk Stout which was slightly fizzier and had a long, dry finish.
Having previously tried the Camden Stout on draft, we had high hopes, but we were a little disappointed. It was definitely better on draft. That said, it wasn’t a bad beer. It was very smooth with a quick finish, but it lacked the complexity of the first two.
Finally, we tried the Mackesons Stout. At only 2.8%, it was surprisingly flavourful and very well-balanced.
Being stouts, we’d had them out of the fridge a while before diving in, but they all got better as they warmed up, especially the Black Sheep which got creamier and sweeter. By the end of the battle, we’d both decided that the Black Sheep Milk Stout just had the edge over the other three (and we aren’t just saying that because it’s from Yorkshire).
The beers
Fuller’s Black Cab Stout 4.5% (London)
Brewer’s note: Brewed with the knowledge of London’s oldest family brewer, Fuller’s Black Cab is a rich, dark stout that transports you to a time gone by. London was famous for stouts in the 19th century – and we’re on a journey to make that the case again.
Brewer’s website: Fuller’s Brewery
Camden Stout 4% (London)
Brewer’s note: It’s okay to be big-headed. Especially when it comes to Stout. We use nitrogen bubbles to give our smooth stout its thick, creamy head and fresh finish. Packed full of character, this is our fresh take on a classic style. So, in the spirit of being big-headed, we think it’s the finest stout in the land.
Brewer’s website: Camden Town Brewery Webshop – Camden Town Brewery Webshop
Mackeson Stout 2.8%
Summarised from Wikipedia: This stout was first brewed in 1909 by Mackeson’s Brewery of Hythe, Kent to celebrate the 240th anniversary of brewing in Hythe. Whitbread acquired the brand in 1929 and by the 1950s, it accounted for half of Whitbread’s production and was brewed in London, Stockport, Kirkstall and Hythe. Brewing at Hythe ended in 1968. The beer was then brewed in Sheffield until 1993, followed by Castle Eden and Samlesbury plants until May 1999. Whitbread was purchased in 2001 by Interbrew (now Anheuser-Busch InBev).
Beer of the night
Black Sheep Milk Stout 4.4% (Masham, Yorkshire)
Brewer’s note: Our award-winning Milk Stout beer is made with roasted malts that are topped with lactose to provide sweetness and a creamy texture. The milk sugar perfectly tempers the bitter bite of the hops and makes the stout smoother and distinctively rich. The stout beer carries creamy coffee and rich chocolate notes on the palate to a dry but mouth-coating finish. It’s a balanced brew that’s infinitely drinkable. Milk Stout is proudly partnered with the Human Milk Foundation who are working to help more families feed their babies with donated breastmilk.
Brewer’s website: Black Sheep Brewery in Masham, North Yorkshire
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