Foreign Extra Stout

Lion Stout

Lion Brewery Limited ABV: 8%

Lion’s outsize strength doesn’t disrupt its nimble balance. The Sri Lankan–born king of the jungle pours out like liquefied obsidian, flaunting a healthy brown head with a nose of creamy mocha coffee. The flavor calls to mind rich chocolate milk—full fat, none of this skim nonsense—with notes of figs and licorice and a smooth, medium-bodied drinkability that hides the beer’s boozy depth charge. This Lion may roar, but it won’t bite.

Extra Export Stout

Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers ABV: 9%

Brewers usually march to their own drumbeat, but this export stout was created upon the request of B. United International, the importers for this rustic Belgian brewery. De Dolle’s small-batch pleasures include the Dulle Teve tripel, the strong and dark Oerbier, and this well-fizzed, extra-strong export stout. It’s tart, dry, and as bitter as a traitor’s kiss, with appealing flavors of black licorice and deeply roasted coffee.