When was the last time you ordered a stout that wasn’t Guinness? For most people, the answer is probably never. The Dublin brewer has such a grip on the category that, according to Euromonitor figures, it accounted for almost 94% of UK stout sales by value in 2022.
And while we have plenty of time for the black stuff, whether that’s the familiar Irish version or its stronger, slightly different Nigerian incarnation [read our fascinating piece by a Nigerian writer on how an Irish export became a Nigerian cultural symbol], it does mean an awful lot of other excellent stouts are being overlooked.
Which is a shame, because there’s much more to stout than Guinness, and plenty of alternatives worth exploring.
What is stout beer?
Stout’s story begins in 18th-century London, with another dark beer called porter. Named after the street and river porters who were particularly fond of it, porter was relatively cheap, less prone to spoilage than many other ales, and substantial enough to appeal to men spending their days carrying heavy loads around the city.
Stout developed from porter, eventually becoming a style in its own right. In the 19th century, the introduction of black malt – barley roasted at high temperatures until almost carbonised – helped give stout its distinctive dark colour and flavours that can range from bitter coffee and dark chocolate to caramel, nuts and even a little sweetness.
There are several different styles of stout, but two of the most familiar are Irish stout, known for its dry, bitter character, and milk stout, which has lactose (a sugar derived from milk) added to give it a sweeter, fuller, creamier finish.
Beyond Guinness: Other Irish stout brands worth knowing
Walk into most British pubs and, if there’s a stout on tap, chances are it’ll be Guinness. Occasionally, though, you’ll find one of its Irish rivals: Murphy’s or Beamish, both originally from Cork and now owned by Heineken.
Murphy’s is generally softer and less bitter than Guinness, with toffee and earthy notes alongside the familiar chocolate and coffee flavours. It’s an easy-going pint, although we find it a little less complex than its rivals.
Beamish, meanwhile, is sweeter and creamier than Guinness and has more going on than Murphy’s, with dark chocolate, molasses and a slightly nutty character. Of the three big Irish stouts, it’s our favourite.
But even these three barely scratch the surface of what’s out there.
Stout has been enjoying something of a resurgence in recent years, and with it has come a much wider choice of bottles and cans to drink at home. From traditional dry styles to richer, sweeter interpretations, there’s plenty worth exploring, particularly as the evenings get darker and colder.
So we went beyond the usual pint and tasted our way through a selection of stouts available to buy in the UK, from familiar names to smaller independent breweries, to find the ones actually worth buying.
Here are our favourites for autumn and winter.
6 of the best stout beers to buy in the UK
Mena Dhu Stout, St Austell Brewery
4.5% ABV | £2.20 for 500ml, Ocado
From the renowned St Austell Brewery in Cornwall, this is brewed with a blend of six malts, evident in its complex aroma of barley, coffee, and quite floral, lifted notes. On the palate it’s very well-balanced, with restrained bitterness. Chocolate and more coffee come through, with some smoke and liquorice on the finish.
Nightjar British Stout, Wye Valley Brewery
4.2% ABV | £6 for four 440ml cans, Asda
Nightjar comes from the Wye Valley Brewery in Herefordshire. On the nose it has rich coffee aromas – think a long black – with some barley and toffee. It has an incredibly velvety mouthfeel, with dark chocolate, black cherry and more coffee coming through with a pleasing bitterness.
Milk Stout, Bristol Beer Factory
4.5% ABV | £14 for four 440ml cans, Bristol Beer Factory
Very dark, with a good head, this stout is enriched with lactose, giving it a light, creamy nose. It has a smooth texture and flavours of caramel, molasses and chocolate (though not with the bitterness of very dark chocolate). There’s some coffee on the bittersweet finish. An approachable, sweeter style.
It’s also available in a nine-pint tin or a 72-pint cask, making it one to consider if you’re hosting a particularly large Christmas party.
Big Cat Organic Stout, Stroud Brewery
4.5% ABV | £4.15 for 440ml, Ocado
Brewed by Stroud Brewery in Gloucestershire, this starts with sweet, fruity aromas, and some vanilla, then lots of dark chocolate on the palate, along with stone fruit and coffee. A hoppier style of stout than the others on this list, and something that would appeal to IPA drinkers looking to move into darker ales.
Hobgoblin Dark Stout
4.1% ABV | £2.60 for 500ml, Ocado
A slightly lower alcohol stout, this has a delicate, restrained nose, which is surprisingly floral, with forest fruits. The texture is very smooth with lots of milk chocolate and latte coffee flavours. Not particularly bitter or complex, but this is a very pleasant and incredibly quaffable stout.
Gravedigger’s Biscuits Espresso Martini Stout, Turning Point Brew Co.
8.4% ABV | £3.44 for 440ml, Asda
There are a number of flavoured stouts on the market, but this was Slake’s favourite, though as the name and ABV suggest, we’re heading into cocktail territory here. There’s strong coffee and cream liqueur on the nose, and the taste does mimic an espresso martini, with just enough bitterness on the finish to avoid the sweetness becoming cloying. Should be served very cold.
More drinks inspiration from Slake
Find out how an Irish export became a Nigerian cultural symbol, or explore why the traditional Irish pub became a global icon.
And if you’re looking for more bottles in the form of wine to see you through the colder months, take a look at our supermarket guides: autumn/winter wine picks and Christmas wine picks, with plenty of ideas for what to pour, whatever the occasion.