Stout

Last time in Scotland, I tried to extend my stay by not drinking. Next time around, I plan to have a few more pounds jingling in my pockets.

I love Guinness, but am absolutely unfamiliar with Scottish stout. Care to enlighten me? What labels should I be looking for?

[Alexis_US]

Hey Sonsie,
I went looking for Scottish stout during this, the most monotonous workday ever, on the internet. The only one I have seen listed was made by Maclay. I am sure there are more, but it's a start. www.maclay.com

Alexis

------------------
We are the worm in the wood!
We are the rot at the root!
We are the taint in the blood!
We are the thorn in the foot!

Rudyard Kipling, "A Pict Song"

[dougie_l]

Stout is more of an Irish drink. The only other Scots one I can think of is Tennents Sweetheart which is sold in half pint bottles. Murphys which is Irish is another which is on sale in quite a lot of bars.Murphys drinkers will tell you that Guinness sucks. I can't recommend any of them as I prefer 'proper beer'.

[Alexis_US]

Murphy's is so different from Guinness, I can't imagine even trying to compare them.

Dougie,
What is your definition of proper beer? I am a big fan of Scottish beers, and wonder what you like? Would you consider yourself a connoiseur? I have noticed a lot of people mention Tennents and I was under the impression that that was a beer equivalent to Foster's or Budweiser: not too high on the totem pole, but flowing like water!
Just curious,
Alexis

[ArgyllNFLD]

Ah, Sweetheart Stout by Tennent's. So weak you could water your tattie patch with the stuff. That stuff did used to come in a can too - it had that ancient picture of a 'sweetheart' model on the front. A lot of people do homebrew Stout in Scotland. I once tried some made by this farmer in Banffshire - explosive stuff. However, personally, I'm from whisky country.

Alexis: Thanks. Found that site the other day, but forgot to bookmark it. Now it's enshrined forever on the S.com discussion board. I can refer to it in perpetuity.

Dougie: Hey, what can I say... I'm an improper wummin. I'm familiar with Murphy's. Guinness drinkers will tell you that Murphy's sucks, but I don't dare say that in Cork.

ArgyllNFLD: Weak stout? Is that like a small medium at large? Military intelligence? Thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to pass up Sweetheart, as I've no tattie patch here on the third floor. Unfortunately I live outside driving distance of all the homebrewing folks I know. Your stout brewing friends in Scotland are even further out of driving distance. Whisky... sounds like time for a new topic.

I brought back 4 cans of Sweetheart stout when i returned from Glasgow earlier this week... I like it, but i dont even think of it as being alcoholic. To me, it tastes like flat (un-carbonated) cola. Lovely stuff, but it's just like a soft-drink. You couldnt get a buzz off it.

Guys, what about Gillespies stout? That's the only Scottish stout i know of. It's lovely as well... i think it's nicer than Guinness, but IMO maybe not quite as nice as Beamish.

You are right, Alexis, about Tennents... its just the standard stuff you get. Nobody orders it cos they LIKE it... it's just ubiquitous and it's usually the cheapest, and it's wet and alcoholic and comes in pints, so that's it, really! I mentioned elsewhere about liking Tennents 70/-, but I am not all that bothered about brand. I drink heavy, but it has to be the fizzy cold kind, not these "real ale" types. My husband's pals are major beer connoisseurs (beer bores, i call them) and they think i am a freak and a Philistine for drinking the fizzy stuff.