The 12 Stouts of Christmas

As mentioned previously Bristol Beer Factory decided to release a special selection of 12-stouts for Christmas. They arrived this week and I've managed to drink them already (though three of them I've reviewed previously). I decided to present my review in the form of the well known Christmas carol.

12 Brown bottles sitting on my wall...

The first stout of Christmas I put in my belly 
was a stout made with raspberries 
Pours dark brown with a red tinge. Thin tan head soon collapses to a lacing. Tart and sweet raspberry nose with roast barley and a hint of oak smoke in the background. Very thick and smooth bodied with tart raspberry, rich malts and a hint of acrid roast barley. Gentle carbonation helps to prevent it from seeming too cloying. The Belgian yeast is clearly discernible too and a noticeable kiss of alcohol, which adds to rather than detracts from the beer. Long raspberry finish with chocolate lingering in the background. Would pair well with my friend’s recipe for raspberry chocolate cake. 


The second stout of Christmas I put in my belly-chili chocolate stout
Pours teak brown with a 5mm off-white head. Intriguing milk chocolate and tangerine aroma. At first very fruity followed by roasted barley and dark malt flavours. Light bodied for its ABV with a slightly powdery texture. A subtle chilli bite in the finish which builds as you go down the glass. Would love to try the chilli on its own!


The third stout of Christmas I put in my belly-vanilla milk stout
Dark black-brown with thick milky-coffee coloured head. Big sweet vanilla ice cream and lactose aroma. Lactose up front with plenty of sweetness, milk chocolate and a long sweet and roast barley finish.




The fourth stout of Christmas I put in my belly-hazlenut latte stout
Pours dark brown with minimal beige head that soon collapses to a lacing. Fruity and smoky roast coffee nose. Strong coffee up front almost detergent-like citrus comes second and a sweet finish. After the fantastic nose the flavour was a disappointment.



The fifth stout of Christmas I put in my belly-cho-o-late stout
Factoberfest 2011 Pitch black with a chocolate malt nose with spicy rasins with cocoa powder and a hint of peppermint. Very deceptive for its 5% with a chalky dry yet sweet finish.





The sixth stout of Christmas I put in my belly-stout with chocolate orange
Dark body, tan head. Spicy hops and orange pith on the nose. a little metallic at first, subtle orange, dark malt astringency and roasted finish. Would have liked perhaps a bit more orange in this






The seventh stout of Christmas I put in my belly-Imperial Stout
Midnight black with a temporary beige head. Vinous fruit, caramel, alcohol and a hint of lactose on the nose. Very thick and warming, molten chocolate with a slight lactic edge followed by a roasted barley and chocolate finish. fairly low carbonation. Its a bit brief in the finish otherwise superb.


The eighth stout of Christmas I put in my belly-Glenlivet Cask Stout
Pours red tinged black brown with a thin mocha head that disappears to a lacing after 30secs. On the nose we have sherry, vanilla, sultanas and a touch of vanilla. Fairly gentle carbonation and very thick in mouthfeel, Its very sweet with plenty of dried fruit with the whisky following on in behind bringing a warming complex slightly dry finish.

 
The ninth stout of Christmas I put in my belly-Laphroaig Cask stout
Pours brown almost black with a creamy tan head. Plenty of phenol on the aroma from the Laphroaig cask and a sweet edge. Dry barley followed by woody smoke, phenol and a complex roast coffee and chocolate finish.



The final three stouts were reviewed here.


The twelve stouts of Christmas I've put in my belly
12. Milk Stout
11. Bristol (dry) stout
10. Ultimate Stout
9. Laphroaig cask stout
8. Glenlivet Cask Stout 
7. imperial stout 
6. stout with chocolate orange
5. choc-o-late stout 
4. hazlenut latte stout
3. vanilla milk stout
2. chili chocolate stout 
and a stout made with raspberries

Bristol Beer Factory Stouts

Bristol Beer Factory's Stout Lineup

Bristol Beer Factory is a brewery that's only appeared on my radar within the past 6 months, despite being not far from where I was born and bred. After hearing good things about their beer son twitter I was glad to grab some bottles at West Country Ales after the Cheddar Brewery Beer Festival. I didn't have a chance to drink all of them at home before heading back to Northern Ireland; so decided to save their stouts for a special occasion. It being International stout day on Thursday seemed as good a reason as any!

Bristol Stout

Bristol Stout is the lowest in ABV of the bunch and modelled on a dry Irish style. My bottle was a particularly lively little number as you can see from the picture!  Black brown with caramel head, chocolate aroma, dry and roasted body, very smooth and chocolate malt finish. Its a very quaffable 4% and is certainly a beer for drinking by the pint.

Milk Stout

Milk Stout is a much sweeter interpretation, with added lactose, a sugar that ale yeast is unable to ferment leaving a sweet taste to counteract the bitterness of the chocolate malt and barley. A sweet vanilla icecream aroma from this dark brown beer with gentle carbonation, fairly sweet to taste with a touch of stewed plums and roast barley in the finish.A great beer for pairing with food, especially anything milky, think icecream and cheese (particularly blues); so perfect with sweet and savoury courses.

Ultimate Stout

Ultimate Stout is currently the highest ABV beer BBF produce at a whapping 7.7% ABV. Billed as an imperial stout this seems to me to be more of a foreign export beer, with lower bitterness levels but plenty of complexity and well disguised alcohol. Pours midnight black and aroma of coffee and chocolate. Fairly sweet and thick on the palate.

Bristol Beer Factory are currently in the midst of making their "12 stouts of Christmas" with all manner of exciting sounding combinations, chocolate stout, vanilla stout, chilli stout, raspberry stout, barrel aged stouts. These three beers are also included. They've actually just announced that they are available to pre-order and there are only 150 available. There's less than half left so you'll need to be quick! I've got mine baggsied so watch out for a further stouty blog in the New Year!

For more on Bristol Beer Factory see their blog or this great article from Will Hawkes of the Independent.

Bonus Review! 

Bristol Vintage 2011

BBF have certainly been busy little brewers recently as alongside the enjoyable Factoberfest at the end of last month and the 12 stouts of Christmas they have brewed their 1000th brew and to celebrate made a Vintage Ale which is hopefully to be the first of many. I got a chance to taste it at Cheese School yesterday. Its a complex malty little number which can only get more complex with time as the hungry little yeasty beasts chomp their way through more of the sugar. Its 6.6% and drinks like a 5% so be careful! Why not pick up a case when you order your 12 stouts?

Follow their Head brewer Chris and brewer Brett on Twitter

Update for December 2011:

12 Stouts of Christmas just arrived!

Watch this space for a blog!