Belgian brewers sometimes opt for chocolate malts up to 1400 EBC (711 SRM) for color and flavor more often, they go for 900 EBC (457 SRM) or lower. Stouts available on the market suggest that Belgians are averse to pronounced roast-perhaps because they consider it too extreme a flavor or perhaps because, until recently, brown malt, black patent, or roasted barley was less accessible than chocolate malt. And sometimes-as with witbiers, abbey beers, and a range of other ales-they’ll add spices: In their own published recipe for Belgian stout, the Flanders-based Dingemans maltings suggests “a touch of coriander can be added” to the tune of 20 grams per hectoliter (or 3.8 grams per five-gallon batch).Īnother major differentiator in Belgian stouts is the malt. The penchant for higher carbonation means that Belgian stouts often have a sharper carbonic bite. Brewers typically re-ferment them in the package-i.e., bottle- or keg-condition-contributing to mouthfeel and shelf stability. Adjuncts such as dark candi sugar may boost ABV, darken color, and lighten the body for “digestibility.” Mash schemes tend to be multistep for wort refinement, despite the modification of modern malts. Examples include Troubadour Obscura from Brouwerij The Musketeers, Gulden Draak Imperial Stout from Brouwerij Van Steenberge, and more recently, Onyx from Brasserie Atrium.īelgian stouts are brewed by Belgians, after all, and as such often showcase their regular bag of tricks. However, you’ll find some that show crossover characteristics, where the brewer (intentionally or not) dances to a mash-up of Belgian dark strong ale and imperial stout-usually 9 percent ABV or above-to such an extent that “Belgian stout” becomes the only useful descriptor. The tolerance of such yeasts to alcohol-and the Belgian tradition of stronger specialty beers with higher starting gravities-mean that stouts tend to fall within the 7 to 8 percent ABV range. That recipe proposes Fermentis SafAle S-33 and acknowledges the yeast’s role: “This Belgian-style stout has big roast flavors reminiscent of chocolate and coffee, layered on top of the slightly tart dark fruits that Belgian yeasts can produce in spades.” It gets medium flocculation and tolerates up to 12 percent ABV, producing “moderate levels of esters without significant phenolic or spicy characteristics.” Meanwhile, Belgium-based Castle Malting in Hainaut publishes a suggested recipe for Belgian stout.
The American lab Wyeast apparently envisions a category for Belgian stout, producing a special strain listed as 1581-PC Belgian Stout. They can be more subtle, as in beers such as Brasserie Dupont’s Monk’s Stout or Leroy Stout from Brouwerij Leroy. These ester and phenol profiles can be prominent, as in beers such as Hercule Stout from Brasserie des Légendes and Buffalo Belgian Stout from Brouwerij Van den Bossche. Some of those Belgian ale yeasts get only low-to-medium attenuation, resulting in beers that are full-bodied, often with a red-fruit yeast character that accentuates perceived sweetness. Thus, Belgian stouts often present as relatively fruity or spicy (or both) compared to the subtle ester character of British versions or the clean profile of those made with American ale yeast. The Belgians have a tradition of using expressive yeasts that produce a wide range of flavor compounds. One major differentiator in Belgian stout is fermentation character. And in North America, breweries from Allagash in Maine to Elysian in Seattle have found success with something called “Belgian-style stout.” What Makes It Tick?
However, for savvier drinkers in Belgium-and those brewers inclined to look through history books and see beyond their borders-Belgian stout appears to have evolved and acquired its own characteristics. Other Belgians know it only in the context of the Flemish word stout-it means “naughty.” Many drinkers in the country-and some brewers-erroneously use the term “stout” to describe any black beer. In his seminal Great Beers of Belgium in 1991, Michael Jackson made almost no reference to stouts in Belgium. It is never a category in global beer competitions. Unlike Belgian IPA, Belgian stout has no BJCP style guidelines.
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