Best Feature: distinct and alluring nose

Lighthouse Keepers Stout is one of best dark beers for a person who does not usually enjoy dark ales.  Brewed in Victoria, Lighthouse Keepers Stout pours a very rich dark brown almost black colour topped with a rich thick brown head.  The nose is a distinct mixture of coffee, dark chocolate and roasted aromas.  The mouthfeel is a medium body with some creaminess combined with average levels of carbonation.  The finish follows the aromas with a tasty chocolate coffee palate the gently remains on the tongue for some time.  A very versatile stout to pair with many foods - chocolate, BBQ, lamb, even light enough to enjoy as an after dinner drink. At $11.25 a six pack, this is a great deal for a true craft dark ale!

(4 out of 5)

Best Features: dark roasted flavours, great with chocolate!

Lighthouse Brewing in Victoria is one of the best kept secrets among the BC Microbreweries. Lighthouse Keeper's Stout is one of my favourite beers to cook with and to use when I am doing beer and chocolate pairings. Available in black cans, Keeper's Stout is very dark in the glass with a nice rich and thick tanned head. The aroma is a very inviting combination of espresso, coffee, chocolate and roasted. Although this is a dark beer the mouthfeel is not too heavy on the tongue and the lower carbonation level makes it very easy to drink. This is the type of beer a person can taste in stages; a sweet beginning, a chocolate middle and a roasted finish. An obvious food pairing for this beer is dark chocolate, but also try Keeper's Stout with hot and spicy food; chicken wings, curry, peppercorn steak or hickory BBQ sauce.

Beer Fact: Lighthouse Brewing was one of the first BC Microbrew to canned their beer in 2004. The website offers visitors a "virtual tour" of the brewery.

(4 out of 5)