BCBR- Stout Cage Match!

Due to a long and twisting series of events that could not be foreseen and defy explanation - I came into the possession of both a Sam Adams Cream Stout AND a Schells Stout. This immeadiatly inspired me to do a combo taste test and review - or as it should be known in the future - a cage match.

The number one thing I look for in a stout is the "roasted flavors". Second is a pleasant blend of the overall flavor - a balance of hops and with the roasted malts. Finally, body comes in a close third.

The Sam Adams website claims that their stout, "...is a true cream stout, balancing body and sweetness with the natural spiciness of grain and hand selected English hops. Our Brewers use generous portions of roasted chocolate and caramel malts as well as unroasted barley to impart a fullness of body, a roasty malt character and rich, creamy head."

The Sam Adams Cream Stout is sweet right off the bat. Sweet in the middle and has a sweet finish. Balance my ass. This beer is a stout in the same way that Nestle Quick is chocolate. It does have some underlying roasted flavors - but they never cut through the sweetness. And, there is no bitterness to offset the sweetness or the malt. Even the aftertaste is sugary. Further more, it lacks body, giving it a thin mouth feel. What you are left with is a sweet thin beer with vague hints of coffee. In some ways it reminds me of the Young's Double Chocolate Stout, except not as good. Overall, this is a one note beer - sweet. The back label of this beer even suggests that "the resulting flavors pair perfectly with a bowl of vanilla ice cream."

The Schells Stout is a London style sweet stout, which is funny because the sweetness did not remind me of Coco-Puffs. According to the website, " A chocolaty espresso sweetness highlights our Schell’s Stout. Rich and creamy with a medium- to full-bodied mouth feel. A balanced bitterness is dominated by the flavor of the roasted barley." This strikes me as close to the truth. The roasted chocolate and coffee flavors are present early in this beer, with a little sweetness and a slightly bitter finish. The aftertaste is similar to coffee - which I find very pleasant. But, this beer still lacks body when compared to a Rhode Scholar Stout. I find this to be a good middle weight stout.

Often time Schells beers tend to run on the sweet side - as is the case in the Firebrick and Snowstorm (2007 and 2008). This is a stout that I remember as being sweeter, and is supposed to be sweet. So it may have benifited unfairly by being compared to the Sam Adams Cream Stout. Even so, it is clear to see that the Schell's Stout has a fuller, more complex and pleasant flavor than the Sam Adams.

So, I declar Schell's Stout to be the winner. (I know you are all shocked)

Please stay tuned for more BCBR, including the possibility of new and exciting authors.

Second Meeting on Sunday, Jan. 18

Hey Everybody, sorry for the delayed announcement, but we will be having our second Beer Club gathering this Sunday at my apartment in uptown Minneapolis starting at 5:30 PM. This coincides with the beginning of the AFC Championship game and while we will still focus on beer, the game will be on for our added enjoyment.

The address is 1456 Lagoon Ave. S., Apt. 204, Minneapolis, MN 55408. It is a white, Spanish looking building. You will need to call my cell at 615-319-2264 to get in. If you can't find street parking along Lagoon Ave., I recommend turning right on Humboldt and heading into "The Mall" area behind my building.

Additionally, I do not cook very much, so if we want food we can order pizza.

Alright, I'll see you Sunday.