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10 Beers To Try At Your Next Football Watch Party

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Josh Christie's writing has appeared in print in The Portland Phoenix, The Maine Sunday Telegram, and other publications and online as a featured columnist at Ratebeer.com. He also founded and writes for Brews And Books, a beer-centric site that shares news in the brewing, publishing, bookselling and beer worlds along with reviews and editorial content. He is the author of Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland and lives in Yarmouth, Maine.
Chad Polenz is best known for his popular beer website chadzbeerreviews.com and his column with the Albany Times-Union. He is an avid home brewer, and has visited dozens of breweries all over the world. He and Josh Christie are the authors of the most definitive guide to dark brews on the market, The Handbook Of Porters & Stouts, out now from Cider Mill Press and available wherever books are sold.
Looking for a playoff caliber line-up of beer recommendations for your game night gatherings? Score every time with this definitive list of porters and stouts. You won't ever find yourself third-and-long with one of these in hand!
For the perfect brew to pair with your finger food, try a Morke Pumpernickel Porter, or a Santa Fe Imperial Java Stout. The Czar Imperial Stout is a good strong brew for either celebrating or lamenting the end of a game, and Boulevard Bully Porters and Founders Porters are perfect for enjoying throughout the action, from start to finish.
A full list of our top ten recommendations is below—each one is a touchdown!
Related: Vegan Pizza Recipe For Your Next Football Party

Photo Courtesy of the Brewery Photo Courtesy of the Boulevard Bully Brewery
Boulevard Bully Porter
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.31

A dark-colored, medium-bodied beer with a prominent burnt, roasted malt aroma and flavor, and an equally prominent hop aroma, flavor, and bitterness.

Photo Credit of the Brewery Photo Credit of the Founders Brewery
Founders Porter
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.44

Between the flavorful but tame palate, the gentle mouthfeel, and the smooth finish, it's difficult not to throw this beer down as if it were a shot.

Photo Credit: Josh Christie Photo Credit: Josh Christie
Morke Pumpernickel Porter
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.97

This beer tastes like rye bread. Where one would expect the dark flavors, one gets a spicy rye with bittersweet chocolate and toasted nuts.

Photo Courtesy of the Brewery Photo Courtesy of the Alaskan Smoked Brewery
Alaskan Smoked Porter
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.108

The malts used in the brew are dried over Alaskan alder, which gives the porter its distinctive smoky flavor.

Photo Courtesy of the Brewery Photo Courtesy of the Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Brewery
Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.118

Waves of sweet malt, toffee, and roast waft off the glass, and is that a hint of smoke? The maple syrup flavor pleasantly lingers. This is a fantastic, world-class beer.

Photo Credit: Zach Fowle Photo Credit: Zach Fowle
Santa Fe Imperial Java Stout
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.217

Because their dark, toasty, burnt flavors often overlap, few ingredients work together so well in a beer as roasted malt and coffee beans. This stout is huge in coffee aroma and flavor.

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Avery Brewing Co - The Czar Imperial Stout
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.287

The taste is heavy on roasted malt and mocha, pleasantly balanced by the bitter bite of hops.

Photo Credit: Josh Christie Photo Credit: Josh Christie
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.373

The stout has brown sugar, coffee, and a hint of vanilla on the nose and the same elements on the palate. It's the love child of a stout and a latte with 6% ABV.

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Allagash Black
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.422

The flavor is a complex trip, starting with coffee up front before coming around to a mocha finish. The oats used in the recipe provide a silky smoothness not unlike an oatmeal stout.

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Casper White Stout
The Handbook of Porters and Stouts, p.425

The nose is butterscotch, white chocolate, vanilla cake, caramel, graham cracker, and shortbread. Full-bodied for such a lightly-colored ale, it has a nice, peppery finish. A hint of sweetness is balanced by a nice addition of hops.

Related: Crab-Stuffed Roasted Lobster Recipe For The Holidays

Josh Christie's writing has appeared in print in The Portland Phoenix, The Maine Sunday Telegram, and other publications and online as a featured columnist at Ratebeer.com. He also founded and writes for Brews And Books, a beer-centric site that shares news in the brewing, publishing, bookselling and beer worlds along with reviews and editorial content. He is the author of Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland and lives in Yarmouth, Maine.
Chad Polenz is best known for his popular beer website chadzbeerreviews.com and his column with the Albany Times-Union. He is an avid home brewer, and has visited dozens of breweries all over the world. He and Josh Christie are the authors of the most definitive guide to dark brews on the market, The Handbook Of Porters & Stouts, out now from Cider Mill Press and available wherever books are sold.
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