Upslope Foreign Style Stout

I don’t know about you, but I’m neck deep in stouts right now, this being the heart of stout season and all. There will come a time in the not too distant future when I hold my hands up and say, “dear God, no more rich stouts. Bring me an IPA or a lager.” But for now, I’m loving it. It’s cold; I’m craving a beer with some meat to it. I’m speaking figuratively, of course. Please do not put meat in my beer.

Anyway…Upslope is releasing its seasonal, limited Foreign Style Stout this month, and I was psyched to try it. While many seasonal stout releases work overtime for your attention (cocoa nibs! Bacon! Bourbon barrels!), this stout keeps things simple with a handful of malts, roasted barley, Patagonian hops, Irish ale yeast and, of course, snow melt.

The beer pours an inky black with hints of red around the edges and offers solid hits of chocolate in the nose. It’s a trick, though, because not much chocolate comes through in the sip. Instead, you get some fine roasted qualities and a rush of dark fruits, like cherry and raisins. Swish this beer around in your mouth, and it’s like sucking on a cherry pit.

The stout has a thick, almost chalky mouthfeel (but in a good way, I swear) and the aftertaste moves from slightly bitter to slightly sweet. I believe that’s one of the hallmarks of a little thing called “balance.” There’s nothing particularly exotic going on here, but it’s a far more complex foreign stout than, say, the ringleader of the style, Guinness.