I was way off. Lion Stout is brewed half a world away, at the Ceylon Brewery in Sri Lanka. The brewery was founded in 1881. It was originally located in a remote hillside town in central Sri Lanka, surrounded by sprawling British tea plantations. Water to make the beer was supposedly drawn from a waterfall located near the brewery. The brewery was only accessibly by steep, narrow roads, which naturally created several logistical challenges in bringing malt up the hill and finished beer back down. Renowned beer scholar Michael Jackson (not the King of Pop) described a visit to the old Ceylon Brewery as his "most unusual beer hunting trip." During the late 20th century, as rural Sri Lanka became enveloped in civil war and ethnic conflict, truck drivers supposedly made the perilous run to and from the brewery under cover of night, when the roads were thought to be safer. In 1998, the company resolved these issues by opening a new modern brewery in the coastal capital of Colombo (not the 1970s detective). Around that same time, the brewery (which is currently known as the Lion Brewery Ceylon Limited) was acquired by the Carlsberg Group -- an international brewing corporation that owns of beer brands throughout Europe and Asia (including, of course, the world-famous Carlsberg Lager of Denmark).
The Ceylon Brewery was founded to provide beer for the British expatriates who colonized the island of Sri Lanka (which was then known as Ceylon) in the 19th century. So it makes perfect sense that the brewery built its reputation on brewing English-style ales. For nearly a century, the Ceylon Brewery's main product was an authentic India Pale Ale, brewed to the taste of British tea planters. By the 1960s the popularity of ales had waned, and the brewery converted to making a golden lager as its primary offering. However, the colonial tradition of the Ceylon Brewery still lives on in Lion Stout.
"Stout" is the modern derivative of an 18th century beer style called "stout porter" -- basically, a strong, dark beer. The stout style was born and perfected in the British Isles. Today, the word is virtually synonymous with its most famous example: Guinness. However, the stout style has also become a mainstay of American microbreweries as well as a favorite among beer enthusiasts throughout the globe.
Many American stouts are characterized by an overpowering roasted grainy flavor. In contrast, Lion retains a much more complex profile, reminiscent of a classic English stout. It is dry, peppery, and rich. Beer reviewers often describe the flavor and aroma of Lion as fruity and prune-like...but I have to admit that I did not pick up on this when I sampled the brew (note: I know nothing about formal beer tasting so I'm probably wrong). It finishes with a chocolate-like bitterness with hints of coffee. The unique and intense flavor of Lion can be partly attributed to the fact that Lion Stout is still produced without any kind of filtration; the full measure of yeast, barley, and hops go straight from the fermentation vessel into your bottle. Due to being unfiltered, the beer is dark and hazy with a deep tan head - rather than the bright, ruby-brown hue of a filtered stout
When I think of Asian beers, I tend to think of light, dry lagers -- Kingfisher or Taj Mahal from India; Tsingtao from China; Singha from Thailand; Sapporo, Asahi, or Kirin from Japan. A rich, dark Asian stout like Lion was an awesome surprise. If you've had your fill of Guinness, and you're looking for other world-class stouts bursting with character, look no further than Lion Stout.
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