Stouts of February

Original logo earned a cease and desist

Bearded Iris Waffle Talk 
Sampled: Feb. 11, 2018
Thanks to a coworker willing to part with a can, I got a taste of this sold-out anniversary beer. 
This stout marks a respite from Bearded Iris’ nonstop production of top-notch IPAs.

Imperial oatmeal stout with vanilla, maple syrup and lactose hints that this could be a tidal wave of sweetness. It isn’t, it’s downright sublime. But the oatmeal is enough to ward off any cloying sweetness. On the front end, Waffle Talk is dense, creamy and loaded with roasted malt character. But there’s a silkiness that works through the entire stout.

For my preferences, the best oatmeal stouts impart that feeling. The roasted malts throw off notes of dark chocolate and nuts, while veins of vanilla appear with every pass. I could debate the use of lactose, because it’s going to drive a stout into sweet territory but the flavor profile covers some serious terrain.

It should be noted that Waffle Talk ran into a cease and desist order from Waffle House for the can logo imitating Waffle House. They stickered over their original concept (see above). At almost 10 percent ABV, Waffle Talk is a stiff pour that manages to mask its alcohol behind the roast and the sweetness. Waffle Talk is quite complex, and I hope Bearded Iris puts various on this impressive oatmeal stout into more regular production.

New Heights Raspberry Truffle Navel Gazer 
Sampled: Feb. 14, 2018
If a brewer starts with a strong base stout, a few extra ingredients can easily push it into a grand direction. For Valentine’s Day, New Heights turned Navel Gazer into an essential pour, even at 9.2 percent ABV.

The stout has an excellent viscous feel on the palate that shares space with creamy textures and occasional biting bitterness, the latter of which doesn’t linger much. Many fingers of bramble fruit stick through the big roasted malt character. It never turns too sweet. For a one-off keg, it’s a decent big stout.

Braxton Brewing Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Milk Stout 
Sampled: Feb. 22, 2018
The name is a mouthful, and the beer follows suit. Based in Covington, Ky., Braxton eschews the simple roads to a more complex stout and with an array of bold flavors. Normally I skip milk stouts, but not every brewer can tout a collaboration with the makers of my favorite ice cream.

Braxton worked with Graeters, a Cincinnati ice cream chain that still produces its dense ice cream in two-gallon pots. The lactose sweetness doesn’t overwhelm the roasted notes, and the raspberry finds enough space for a dessert beer worth seeking out. At 7 percent ABV, it’s more approachable than most strong stouts, although every bit as decadent as a pint of Graeter’s small-batch ice cream.