With another chilly weekend upon us and Spring still at least a couple of months away, we thought it would be a good time to indulge in a seasonal favorite: dark beer. By dark, we mean stouts, porters, black, brown, and red ales; beers specifically made and marketed for the winter months.
With dozens of microbreweries around the region, the choices are plentiful. This weekend, we’ll highlight a few around Aquidneck Island and beyond. A reminder – check the Alcohol by Volume (ABV) level of your beverage of choice. Several listed below, for example, the imperial stouts, have an ABV level of 12%, more than double the typical beer.
Rejects Beer Company in Middletown serves and cans several leading seasonal brews. If you love beer with a little heat as I do, seek out the Mole Stout (6.5%), a rich, spicy brew made with Cocoa, Cinnamon, and Chipotle Peppers that are sure to spice up a cold winter evening. It’s a “destination beer,” one you’ll drink more than once per season and one of my favorites during the winter months. Rejects is also pouring a smooth Winter Ale (7%), a hoppy, dark, red ale with a malty, fruity finish, with a portion of every purchase supporting Friends Of Newport Skatepark. www.rejectsbeerco.com
Ragged Island Brewing in Portsmouth has a pair of dark brews on tap. The Baulson Porter (7% ABV) is a traditional English porter “with an American twist.” It’s described as “deep brown ale with a roasted coffee aroma, rich toffee flavors with hints of chocolate liquor.” You can also sample the highly-rated 26 Pirates Imperial Stout (11% ABV). The dark stout has strong notes on chocolate with hints of raisin.” www.raggedislandbrewing.com
I recently ordered a glass of Barrel-Age Big Dumb Stout at Narragansett Beer’s Providence Brewery. Aged in bourbon barrels, the rich, chocolatey winter brew is intense at 12% ABV and is meant to be sipped slowly. It’s one of the best imperial stouts I’ve had in a long time. On the lighter side, the Fox Point brewery also features a traditional English Porter (5% ABV), a worthy dark brew to chase away the winter blues. www.narragansettbeer.com.
Middletown’s Taproot Brewing Company at Newport Vineyards has the full-bodied Chocolate Strawberry Milk Stout, a 6.0 ABV milk stout with notes of cocoa, strawberry and vanilla beans. It’s described as “smoky and roasted, with a smooth finish.” We look forward to sampling this one in the near future. www.newportvineyards.com/brewery.
At Newport Craft, the Malasada Stout, a seasonal specialty, comes in at 11% ABV. The beer is an imperial stout brewed with Milk Sugar and Cinnamon Bun Extract, reported to bring a nostalgic aroma of a freshly baked cinnamon bun, with “decadent notes of creamy cinnamon sugar.” Add it to your list. newportcraft.com/newport-newport-craft-brewing-beer.
I recently sampled a delicious seasonal stout on a visit to one of the region’s newest spots, Crook Point Brewing in East Providence. The Watchemoket Chocolate Stout, their first dark beer, has mildly sweet notes of chocolate and vanilla, is on the lighter side and goes down smooth, while retaining the characteristics of a solid porter. Highly recommended. https://crookpointbrewing.com/.
