Ridgeway Foreign Export Stout

Ridgeway's Foreign Export Stout is an 8.0% ABV dark ale from Oxfordshire, England, brewed in the foreign extra stout tradition. That style began as a stronger, more heavily hopped version of everyday stout, built to survive long sea voyages to warm export markets. At 8%, it sits well above a standard session stout, and you should expect a fuller body and a more concentrated flavour than the 4 to 5% versions. The style usually delivers deep roasted malt character: dark chocolate, black coffee and burnt toast, often with a layer of dark fruit such as raisin or plum and a hint of treacle. Bitterness is generally firm, coming from both the roast and the hops, which keeps the sweetness from turning heavy. Expect a thick, rounded mouthfeel with gentle carbonation, and a long finish where roast and bitterness linger and a little warmth from the alcohol shows. Specific aromas and flavours will vary from batch to batch, so treat these as the style's typical profile rather than a tasting panel's verdict on this bottle. Serve it cooler than room temperature but not fridge-cold, around 10 to 13°C. Straight from the fridge, the roast flavours go muted and the body feels tight, and as the glass warms the chocolate and dried-fruit notes come forward. A tulip, snifter or stout tulip glass suits it. The tapered rim concentrates the roasted aromatics and gives the head room to settle. Pour it gently, since there is no need to decant a bottle like this. At 8%, a 330 ml or 500 ml bottle is best treated as something to sip slowly or share. At the table, the roast and bitterness work well against grilled and barbecued meats, braised beef, sausages and smoked dishes, and the dark-malt sweetness holds up against jerk spicing. For cheese, try a mature cheddar or a blue such as Stilton, where the saltiness plays off the stout's sweetness. For dessert, dark chocolate, chocolate tart, coffee cake or vanilla ice cream all go well, and a splash of the stout over the ice cream is worth trying. This is ready to drink on release, but strong, high-ABV stouts generally keep well when stored upright in a cool, dark place. Over a year or two, expect the roast to soften and the fruit and sherry-like notes to grow. Hold one back if you want to see how it develops, and drink the rest while the roast is still sharp.