I love a good stout. The world would be a sadder place if we did not have these dark, roasted/toasted, and chocolaty drinks. After long jogs, especially in the summer sun that is out now, I either want a light lager or a good stout (not the heavy stuff, but think a Guinness after a long day’s golf – for the golfers out there). I always buy some stout beers as well for my father, who loves a good stout and porter.
This time around, I bought the Shangaan Stout from Sabie Brewing Co and the more commercially available Striped Horse’s Milk Stout. Both, I drank after a long jog, and I can report back with rather radical certainty: Both go down so well after the jog!
I know this is a very strange way to judge a beer, but both these beers were at my disposal after the run, and I needed a beer! So, without further ado, let us get into the tasting notes from these incredibly delicious stout beers!
The Sabie Shangaan Stout
Recently, I visited the Sabie Brewery again for a second time. And I could not help but buy some of the stout they had. And that was a wonderful experience indeed! I loved the stout, and it again, like so many times, reminded me of my beers that I brewed so many years ago.
My first impression was that the beer was incredibly full-bodied. There was a strong chocolate taste, almost tasting like a piece of cake! We in fact had some chocolate cake made with this beer! The notes on my nose were incredibly deep roasted coffee, almost reminiscent of wine to some degree.
As the beer warmed up a bit, I got more and more toasted malt notes underneath all of the heavy chocolate. The taste lasted very long, which is something a lot of beers lack in. I love a beer that remains in your mouth long after you swallowed. There were hints of sweet, almost creating a syrup mouthfeel as I swirled the beer in my mouth.
The IBUs of the beer was very low for the amount of bitterness that I tasted, which was funny. The beer also did not have a lot of lacing, but the dark head after the pour was beautiful and indicated the incredible chocolate and coffee taste.
The Striped Horse Milk Stout
The Striped Horse Milk Stout challenges the very big commercial brewery SABMiller or South African Brewery who brews a similar beer, their Castle Milk Stout. I tend to try and stay away from these beers for my beer reviews, as they are nothing special besides the memories I link to them. For example, my dad and I always drink the Castle Milk Stout because we have so many fond memories around the fireplace when drinking this beer. Let us not divert our attention!
The beer comes in 660ml bottles, making it a nice and big beer in terms of volume. It is strictly speaking two beers, but after a long jog, it did not feel like it! This beer is very similar to the classic Castle Milk Stout, but it is also unique in its own ways.
The first sip was creamy, having a lovely mouthfeel to it. I immediately got coffee notes on the nose but also palate. It was really just a smooth beer. Even though it was not as full-bodied and heavy as the Shangaan stout from Sabie, it was seriously refreshing! If I can say this, it was an easy drinking stout. How easy drinking should a stout be though? That one we leave for the others to decide upon!
In the end, it quenched my thirst, and for the price of this beer (compared to other craft beers in South Africa) this is a steal. I would in the future much rather drink one of these post-run than any other lighter beers to be honest.
Postscriptum, or Let The Stout Challenge Begin
Recently, I have been having more stouts than usual. Rather than do them one-one, I will compare them with each other! Stout beers are awesome, and I love the rich chocolate taste in liquid form. Luckily for me, I have not had any bad stouts (yet). I would love to keep it like that though.
I hope that you have some nice stout beers lined up for your #BeerSaturday!
For now, happy drinking, and keep well.
All of the drunken tasting notes are my own, albeit inspired by the post-run clarity of mind. The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300.
Inside the Philosopher's Beer Fridge
| Boet Beer Brewing Co | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Boet Beer Lager | |
| 🍺 Boet Beer Easy Blonde | |
| 🍺 Boet Beer Pale Ale |
| Cape Brewing Company (CBC) | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Amber Weiss |
| Cape Collective | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Session IPA |
| Cederberg Brewery | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Voertsek IPA |
| Clarens Brewery | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 IPA | |
| 🍺 Hazelnut Brown Ale: Clarens Goes Nuts | |
| 🍺 Stout | |
| 🍺 Tondon Pilsner | |
| 🍺 Village Lager | |
| 🍺 Weiss | |
| 🍺 English Ale | |
| 🍺 Blonde | |
| 🍺 Mulled Apple Cider | |
| 🍺 Red Ale |
| Darling Brew | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Warlord Imperial IPA | |
| 🍺 Arrow Head Russian Imperial Stout | |
| 🍺 Long Claw Modern Saison |
| Devil's Peak Beer Company | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Jucy Lucy Hazy IPA | |
| 🍺 King's Blockhouse IPA |
| Drakensberg Brewery | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Cathedral Peak Pilsner | |
| 🍺 Champagne Castle Blonde Ale | |
| 🍺 Giant's Castle Stout | |
| 🍺 Amphitheater Red Ale |
| Hey Joe Brewing Co | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Session IPA |
| Jack Black Brewing Co | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Skeleton Coast IPA | |
| 🍺 Butcher's Block Pale Ale |
| Route 96 Brewery | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Zamalek Lager | |
| 🍺 Summer Blond | |
| 🍺 Africa Pilsner | |
| 🍺 Stout |
| Sabie Brewing Co/Hops Hollow Sabie Brewery | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Dravidian Draught IPA | |
| 🍺 Glynn's Gold Golden Ale | |
| 🍺 Safari Gold Marula Infused Blonde Ale | |
| 🍺 Cockney Liz English Bitter |
| Saggy Stone Brewing Co | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Bear Jam - Session IPA | |
| 🍺 Pale Weizenbock | |
| 🍺 Rocky River Pale Ale | |
| 🍺 Bomb Squad Lager |
| That Brewing Co. | Brews (All Brews Reviewed in this post): |
|---|---|
| 🍺 That Blond Ale | |
| 🍺 That Subtropical Ale (Delicious Monster) | |
| 🍺 That American Pale Ale (APA) | |
| 🍺 'el Juicy IPA | |
| 🍺 VESS KISS IPA |
| Imported (Non-South African) Beers | Brews: |
|---|---|
| 🍺 Bavik Super Wit | |
| 🍺 Duvel Tripel Hop Citra IPA | |
| 🍺 Maredsous Bruin | |
| 🍺 Trappistes Rochefort 8 |
Of all beer flavors, my best pick still remains stout. Not just because of the thickness but also because I don't have to pee every 45 minutes even after two bottles.
Cheers 🍻
Hahah, I love that reason! For sure. I will check if it is the same for me. Bodies are strange things! Have a cold one and enjoy it!
Cheers! 🍻 I wouldn't say I avoid dark beers, but if I'm somewhere I'd rather choose a pale or an IPA if they have it. I've tried a couple of stouts that were lagered in whisky casks and they were very good. But it seems to me, at least to me, that it's more like a dessert, I couldn't manage to drink a dark beer all evening. 😎 !BEER
For sure, it is not for everyone! You get some lighter stouts and porters that go down well, but there are also some big ones like you said regarding the ones aged in barrels. Those beers are incredibly heavy and feels like dessert in a bottle!
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BEER.Those are my kind of beers! I would prefer the first one - Sabie Shangaan Stout. I often find milk stouts to be a little too sweet and the lactose sugar to have a strange aftertaste. I don't mind them but I prefer a regular stout typically
I have not yet had milk stouts from overseas, only the South African ones, and they are not that sweet. Somehow, they make it incredibly bitter and well-balanced. But I can totally understand where you are coming from! Heavy stouts are for sure the best bet!
They sound better in your area than mine. I would prefer it to be more bitter