Belgian Stout

Belgian Stouts are beers that do not get the attention they deserve, either in Belgium or in the United States and other countries. There are few real guidelines regarding what a Belgian Stout should taste like, although there is agreement on what they should look like, due to a notion among many Belgians that any black beer is a Stout.

What Makes Belgian Stouts Belgian?

Belgian Stouts, like other stouts, are black in color with dominant flavors of chocolate, coffee, roasted grains and caramel. Part of what makes Belgian Stouts different is the use of Belgian yeast, which provides pronounced fruit and spice notes. Belgian yeast strains are also quite alcohol-tolerant, so higher-alcohol stouts are possible. Most fall into the 5-8% ABV range, but many, like De Dolle Special Export Extra Stout, Hercule Stout, Buffalo Stout and Gulden Draak Imperial Stout, come in at 9% or higher. Some brewers have also used a blend of clean and wild yeasts, as well as barrel-aging to create unique flavor profiles. Beers like Guinness/Timmermans Lambic & Stout and La Rulles/Tilquin Rullquin are examples of these. Each is a blend of Stout (for rich, malty flavors) and Lambic (which imparts tartness and complexity). They are a good example of the “whole exceeding the sum of the parts.” We are starting to see more style blends gaining traction in Belgium and that’s good news for all of us.

Yeast is not the only thing that makes Belgian Stouts Belgian. The use of caramelized candi sugars, step mashing, bottle-conditioning and selected malts all contribute to the Belgian character. Roasted barley and black malts are staples of many stouts, but their strong roastiness can prevent Belgian brewers from achieving a balanced beer. So, chocolate malts, debittered malts like carafa, and caramel malts like Special B are often used instead. In this way, the beers are softer on the palate and lack the astringent bitterness associated with British and American stouts.  

Does Guinness Brew a Belgian-Style Stout?

While Belgium has a history of stouts going back to the 18th century, it was in 1944 that an adventurous Antwerp brewer named John Martin convinced Guinness to brew a special new stout for the Belgian market. Martin proposed a stronger beer with fewer hops, lower bitterness and more intense flavor to suit Belgium’s changing tastes.

Guinness agreed and the result was Guinness Special Export (sometimes called Guinness Antwerpen Stout). It is a strong-bodied 8.0% ABV black beer with rich malt, restrained roastiness, and hints of butterscotch, molasses, vanilla, and dark fruits. It is brewed at St. James’s Gate in Dublin to this day. To many, this Guinness product solidified the legitimacy of Belgian Stout.

North American Belgian-Style Stouts

More and more, brewers in the U.S. and Canada are making Belgian-style Stouts. Some of them are quite good. Some breweries, though, think they have made a Stout “Belgian” by just throwing Belgian yeast into an American or British stout recipe. Belgian yeast will get you partway there, but using different malts, step mashing, sugar and spice additions, fermentation techniques, and conditioning methods must be considered if you’re looking to make a great Belgian-style Stout.

I am a big fan of Belgian-style Stouts and was quick to make one shortly after we opened in 2016. It is called Onyx and we still make it to this day at Bruz. It is popular because it’s rich, well-balanced, complex and very drinkable, even at 7.7% alcohol. Our latest Belgian-style Stout is Cooper’s Stout, named after our big black brewery dog, Cooper. Cooper turns 14 soon, so we matched his age with our alcohol content – 14.2% ABV. Despite being a big beer, Cooper’s Stout is pretty drinkable, with well-hidden alcohol. It is balanced in that it doesn’t overwhelm you with either roastiness or hops. It just tantalizes you with its awesome complexity. Thank you Dave Olson for this gem!

Many Options These Days

Today, there are many more Belgian-style Stouts available from a myriad of breweries in Belgium. Some of the top Belgian brands include:

Some of the leading brands of Belgian Stout

  • Buffalo Belgian Stout – Brouwerij Van den Bossche

  • Hercule Stout – Brasserie des Légendes

  • Guinness Special Export - Guinness

  • Monk’s Stout – Brasserie Dupont

  • Troubadour Obscura – Brouwerij The Musketeers

  • Gulden Draak Imperial Stout – Brouwerij Van Steenberge

  • Stout Leroy – Brouwerij Leroy

  • Ardennes Stout – Brasserie Minne

  • Stouteric – Brasserie de la Senne

  • Back to Black – Brouwerij De Ranke

  • Extra Export Stout - De Dolle Brouwers

  • Barbe Black – Brouwerij Barbe d’Or

  • Lambic and Stout – Guinness/Timmermans

  • Rullquin – Brasserie de Rulles/Gueuzerie Tilquin

  • Lienne Noir – Brasserie de la Lienne

  • Bellevaux Black – Brasserie Bellevaux

  • Brusseleir - Brasserie de la Senne

  • Kempisch Vuur Haverstout – Brouwerij Pirlot

  • La Corne de Bois des Pendus Black – Brasserie D’Ebly

  • Oesterstout – Scheldebrouwerij

  • Wolf 8 – Brouwerij Wolf

Top American versions of Belgian-style Stout include:

Cooper’s Imperial Belgian Stout - Rich, complex and 14.2% alcohol

  • Black – Allagash

  • St. Klippenstein – Allagash

  • Cooper’s Stout – Bruz Beers

  • Onyx Stout – Bruz Beers

  • Avarice – River North

  • Dark Truth – Boulevard

  • Take the Black Stout – Ommegang Game of Thrones

  • Smoked Belgian Stout – Flying Dog

  • Belgian Yeti – Great Divide

  • Deadly Sins: Sloth – Midnight Sun

  • Folklore – Stillwater

  • Evasion – Taxman

  • Double Stout: Belgian Edition – Green Flash

  • Belgian Imperial Stout - pFriem Family Brewers

  • Short Batch # 10 Belgian Stout – Smuttynose

  • Salted Belgian Chocolate Stout – New Belgium

The beauty of brewing non-traditional styles of beer is that the brewer can be more creative if she is not tightly restrained by conventional style guidelines. Belgian-style Stouts are a great example of how adventurous you can get by taking a fresh look at traditional styles.

Charlie GottenkienyComment