Try These 10 Michigan Beers: Stouts
The state of Michigan continues to establish itself as one of the top states in the country when it comes to the production of quality craft beers. Brewers like Founders in Grand Rapids and Bell’s in Kalamazoo continue to take home top national awards, while others like New Holland (Holland), Short’s (Bellaire) and Dark Horse (Marshall) continue to expand their distribution and put top quality beers on shelves across the Mitten State and beyond. We wanted to take a look at some of these great beers, and will be periodically featuring a list of 10 of our favorites by style, focusing on beers that are regularly bottled or canned for distribution and readily available at bottle shops and other retail outlets. For those who like their beer thick, dark and full of flavor – here are 10 of our favorite Michigan-made stouts!
New Holland Brewing Company, The Poet – an oatmeal stout that also gives off hints of coffee and chocolate, The Poet is a smooth and creamy stout that holds a 95 rating on ratebeer.com. Bottled year-round and available in six-pack bottles.
Founders Brewing Company, Breakfast Stout – widely regarded as one of the best breakfast stouts in the country, this stout has a rich and complex taste with chocolate and two types of coffee. This brew currently holds down a 100 rating on ratebeer.com and a 100 rating on beeradvocate.com.Available in six-pack bottles from October-December each year. Founders’ Kentucky Breakfast Stout and Canadian Breakfast Stout are also highly prized, but released in more limited batches and harder to procure.
Right Brain Brewery, CEO Stout – a stout that delivers with three distinct flavors: Coffee, Espresso and Oatmeal. Currently holds down a 95 rating on beeradvocate.com and can be found in four-pack 16 oz. cans across the state.
Rochester Mills Beer Company, Milkshake Stout – a smooth, creamy and incredibly easy-drinking stout that also has hints of coffee. Available in 16 oz. cans and also released in smaller batches with other flavors like Blueberry Pancake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Peanut Brittle, etc. Has a rating of 89 on ratebeer.com.
Blackrocks Brewery, North Third Stout – this Marquette brewery continues to make a name for themselves in the Upper Peninsula and beyond with great beers. This stout has full, roasted flavor but doesn’t overpower with strong ABV and remains incredibly drinkable. Available in six-pack cans as a winter seasonal, this stout averages a 3.81/5 rating on untappd.
Odd Side Ales, Mayan Mocha Stout – one of the most uniquely-flavored stouts in Michigan, Odd Side has blended chocolate, coffee and habanero here for a great-tasting stout that has a little kick in its finish. Holds down a 97 rating on ratebeer.com, available in six-pack bottles and also featured in a limited-run barrel-aged version.
Dark Horse Brewing Company, Tres Blueberry Stout – adding fruits to stouts is not something that always turns out well, but Dark Horse has nailed it with this blueberry stout that also presents hints of chocolate. Availabel in four-pack bottles, 98 rating on ratebeer.com.
Saugatuck Brewing Co., Neapolitan Milk Stout – this is a beer so sweet and delicious it could almost be considered dessert. Each sip brings one or more flavors of the vanilla, strawberry and chocolate in this milk stout, which is smooth and very easy to drink. Available in four-pack bottles around Thanksgiving each year, and owns a 95 rating on ratebeer.com.
Bell’s Brewery, Expedition Stout – a winter seasonal that was one of the first great examples of a Russian Imperial Stout in Michigan, Bell’s Expedition Stout hits hard with a 10.5% ABV but has hints of chocolate and coffee with a smooth finish despite being a little bitter up front. Has a 100 rating on ratebeer.com and a 94 on beeradvocate.com.
Short’s Brewing Company, Carob Stout – this beer has a great blend of chocolate and coffee flavors and earns a place on this list for its uniqueness despite being a relatively new arrival. Has a dry finish once it warms up a bit, and holds down a 90 rating on ratebeer.com.
