When you’re stuck at home in the snow, what’s better than beer? And what beer is better for snow days than stouts? None. So we’ve gathered local and not so local stouts to compare.

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Beers we rated:

1. Marvolo Imperial Chocolate Stout by Commonwealth Brewing (Virginia Beach)
The beer has a black body with one finger tan/creamy head that is always sticking around (exactly like a Guinness if you want a definitive picture) and has a bitter chocolate aroma with hints of roasted malts. Creamy, light to medium bodied, smooth, all aspects you expect thanks to nitro cask, and the beer balances a dark, bitter chocolate vibe with roasted, even coffee malts and finishes sweet and dry. Simple yet effective beer that could be enjoyed on its own as either a “meal in a bottle” or possibly “dessert beer”.

2. Widow’s Wager Tropical Stout Ale by Oozlefinch (Hampton, VA)
We loved our base tropical stout recipe so much that we decided we had to bring it back! This time, we thought the rich chocolate, creamy base would benefit from a heaping addition of vanilla beans. The decadent blend of dark specialty malts and mash techniques provide this beer with a creamy, robust body without the roast character. The vanilla shines through on the aroma followed by a slight rum undertone from the piloncillo sugar. We are thinking this might be a perfect dessert beer to pair with the approaching fall evenings!

3. Little Red RooStarr Coffee Cream Stout by Starr Hill Brewing (Charlottesville, VA)
Little Red RooStarr Coffee Stout is a full-bodied milk stout brewed with coffee from our friends at Red Rooster Coffee Roasters in Floyd, VA. Malt sweetness, chocolate and caramel notes dominate the flavor, while roasted coffee notes add balance and round out the aroma.

4. Cowcatcher Milk Stout by Smartmouth Brewing (Norfolk, VA)
Named after the device on a locomotive that clears the way, Cowcatcher always runs smooth. This milk stout is as black as night with a thick tan head. One whiff and you’ll notice the aromas of rich cocoa and dark-roasted coffee beans. Swish it around your palate to savor its full-body and smooth mouthfeel. It boasts a warm pumpernickel-bready flavor and finishes with a touch of bittersweet chocolate.

5. Double Chocolate Stout by Youngs (England)
Pours black with two fingers of khaki foam. Head retention is good. Aroma is milk chocolate, cocoa nibs, and roasty, toasty, earthy, nutty malts. It carries a light bitterness to the aroma, but it fades away as the beer warms a touch. Flavor profile is milk chocolate, cocoa nibs and caramel layered over roasty, toasty, earthy, nutty, caramely malts. It carries a distinct and notable bitterness, with the chocolate working to sooth that a touch. It becomes more balanced as the beer warms. Mouth feel is lightly creamy, with a medium-thin consistency. At warmer temperatures, the consistency thins out a touch with a more still texture as opposed to creamy. Overall, chocolate notes are pleasant with a light-bodied dark beer underneath.