The Darker The Beer, The Better

Summary

An avid beer enthusiast, particularly fond of stouts, shares their journey of tasting 563 different beers, with nearly 190 being stouts, and their experiences using the Untappd app to track and rate their beer adventures.

Abstract

The author recounts their introduction to beer in their youth, growing up in country Australia, and their progression from enjoying local brews like West End Draught and Coopers Pale Ale to developing a deep appreciation for stouts after marrying a fellow stout lover. They detail their extensive beer tasting experiences, highlighting the use of the Untappd app to catalog and rate the beers they've tried, which includes a variety of styles beyond stouts. The author expresses a passion for the rich flavors of stout and the joy of exploring new beers with their partner, promising to share future stories about their favorite beers, local breweries, and the unique beers they encounter on their travels.

Opinions

The author has a strong preference for stouts due to their depth of flavor and minimal carbonation.
They enjoy the wide range of flavors found in stouts, including smoky, coffee, toffee, maple, chocolate, and even coconut.
While stouts are a favorite, the author and their partner are open to trying various beer styles, including IPAs, pale ales, red ales, dark ales, Weissbier, and occasionally sours.
The author values the social aspect of beer tasting, using the Untappd app to connect with other beer enthusiasts by rating beers, tagging friends, and sharing experiences.
They are excited about future writings that will cover their top-rated beers, emotionally impactful stouts, local beers from their travels, and the breweries on the archipelago where they reside.

My love for a good stout!

A paddle, containing ale and stout, Tintagel Brewery, Cornwall, UK (Photo: Author)

I still remember my first taste of beer. I was pretty little and dad had given me a bottle to try, probably laughing at my face as the bitter liquid touched my tongue. I actually liked it! Which probably scared my dad and he didn’t let me taste it again for a long time!

I grew up in country Australia. The main beer of choice in this area was West End Draught, but it was brewing family Coopers who stole my heart and I drank their pale ale for much of my 20s and 30s.

Coopers Best Extra Stout and Coopers 2019 Vintage Ale, Frankston, Victoria (Photo: L Bolin)

A few years ago I met a man, a stout lover. We are now married (that is another story).

It is thanks to him I realized I’m a stout lover!

Since that point (only a few years ago) I have managed to try 563 different beers. Almost 190 of them are stouts!

And how do I know this? Because I have an app! Yes! It’s true! There’s an app called Untappd (I have no affiliation with them, btw). It’s like Facebook for beer lovers!

I have managed to try 563 different beers.

Stout at Frankston Beach, Victoria, Australia (Photo: Author)

Why do I love stout? It’s the depth of flavour and that it’s usually not very carbonated (I can’t drink anything fizzy). Sometimes a stout is thick and sweet — perfect for dessert! Flavours can range from smoky to coffee, toffee, maple, chocolate and even coconut. Delicious!

It’s not just stout though. My partner and I try lots of new beers, not just stouts. There are ales, including IPA, pale ale, red ale, dark ale, Weissbier (but rarely lager because it is not my thing), the occasional sour (usually only a sip because, yuck!). We check them in on the app, rate them, tag our beery friends, and generally have a hoot of a time.

What to look forward to in the future? I plan on writing about my top beers, the ones I have given a 5/5 for on the app, the stout that brought tears to my eyes, the local beers we have tasted on our travels, as well as the two breweries here on the archipelago I live on.

So many beery adventures to write about!

I hope you’ll hop on board!

~thanks for reading~

Lisa lives in Finland, writing, reading, and drinking beer in her spare time. If you’d like to follow along on her adventures: Newsletter, Instagram

The Darker The Beer, The Better

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