My move out to Kansas has been a very positive experience so far, but I must admit, there is one aspect of this transition that I wholeheartedly dispise – I have to relearn my beer flora/fauna (plant and “animal” [yeast] parts are dead so is this a bad word choice?).
I am a big fan of stouts. The richer, deeper and more bitter it is the better. But, dark beers are all welcome. Let’s take a tour of some of my favorite dark beers from my Cornell days and what I’m learning to love here in Kansas.
This first post with those beers that I’ve come to love from my East Coast days:
Long Trail brewery (Vermont), Double Bag. A very dark ale, Double bag is rich and smooth, astonishing for a beer at 7.2 % alcohol. Inexpensive but not dirt cheep, a good everyday beer for beer lovers.
Otter Creek brewery (Vermont), Wolaver’s, Oatmeal Stout. Otter Creek has pushed pass the b.s. market of organic food products and has set a new, and those that are inteligent would say “more correct”, standard for organic foods. Wolaver’s Oatmeal Stout is organic, inexpenive and at a bold 5.9 % alcohol is a solid everyday stout.
Middle Ages brewery (New York), Blackheart Stout. I only used to get this beer at good old Chapter House of Ithaca, NY – shout out, I miss you J-San (a local band head)! Smooth with a kick.
Smuttynose brewery (New Hampshire), Robust Porter. Robust is right, that’s for sure. A deep and rich porter with a melting feel as it goes down. If I remember correctly I think it was a little pricey. With a hint of nuttiness, an awesome weekend afternoon beer.
Brooklyn brewery (New York), Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. A whopping 10.6 % alcohol content, this pricey beer is only for those that are out to enjoy a really good beer. An initial midtone of chocolate and coffee, this stout ends with a heavy, yet smooth after finish as it drains down your throat. A must for a fancy Saturday night.
Oh, and by the way, there is one famous stout that didn’t make it on this list… flip’n Guiness. I hate that stuff, super dry, flavorless and watery – so there.
Myrmecoid - タロウ昆虫記 
Someone finally said what neeeds to be said about Guiness — Thank you!
And, I love your staphylinid images. I’m an ant guy, but have always found these slinky beetle intriguing.
Glad you feel the same way. To be more graphic and somewhat inappropriate, Guinness tastes like the nitrogenous waste of someone that had just consumed a delicious stout.
Noticed that you work on ants out of Illinois. I have collecting guests from an Aphaenogaster species, here in Kansas, that nests most commonly in dry wood that is still covered in bark. They are red with a pair of orange-ish spots at the base of their gaster. Any idea what species it could be or suggestions on literature for identification?
Thanks for checking the blog out! Hope to see you around these parts again!
You are too poor to be enjoying microbrews. Switch to PBR and Coors Light, yuppy. Actually, you should probably just be diluting lab grade EtOH with kool aid.