South Shore Stout Review: Honolulu Beerworks

South Shore Stout is Honolulu Beerworks at its darkest and most malt-forward. This 6.2% American stout brings together roasted barley, chocolate malt, dark wheat and oats, with Columbus and Crystal hops providing a measured counterpoint. I like the shape of this recipe: the brewery gives enough detail to see why the beer should feel full and roasty without turning into a novelty dessert stout. My rating is 3.72 out of 5.

The official description calls out dark chocolate, sweet tobacco and burnt caramel, and the published recipe backs up that direction. The grain bill is doing the heavy lifting, while the listed 52 IBU gives the finish enough firmness to keep the sweetness from feeling one-dimensional. If you are deciding whether to try it, this is a robust but not extreme stout: richer than a dry pub pint, less imposing than a high-gravity imperial stout.

At a Glance

My verdict on South Shore Stout

The first impression is dark malt, not hops. The brewery describes the beer as black, full-bodied and balanced between a touch of sweetness, bitterness and roast. That is a promising blueprint for a stout with enough structure to sit beside dinner rather than only appear as a final dessert pour. The reported flavor notes are familiar but appealing: cocoa first, then a warm, darker sweetness with a touch of burnt caramel. Sweet tobacco is an evocative note, more dry and earthy than sugary, and should help distinguish it from sweeter chocolate-forward stouts.

A 52 IBU figure sounds assertive on paper, but IBU alone does not tell you exactly how bitter a beer will seem. Roast, residual sweetness, alcohol and body all affect the way bitterness lands. In this case, I would expect the hop contribution to frame the roasted grain rather than make South Shore Stout taste like an IPA. Our explainer on what IBU means in beer is useful context if that number looks high for a stout.

Honolulu Beerworks and the South Shore story

Honolulu Beerworks was opened in 2014 by Geoff Seideman and his wife Charmayne. The brewery describes itself as a neighborhood craft brewery founded in Kakaako, with an early focus on distinctive and locally sourced ingredients. Its current official About page describes a new taproom at 1632 Hart Street in Kalihi, in the same building as Lion Coffee. That history matters to this beer: South Shore Stout is not just a generic dark ale with a tropical name, but a stout from a brewery whose identity is tied to Honolulu and a deliberately local approach to brewing.

The brewery also says it maintains an experimental barrel-aging program. South Shore Stout itself is not listed as barrel-aged, so I would not assume oak or spirit character here. Instead, the straightforward recipe makes the grain bill the focus. That is the sort of beer I find interesting as a homebrewer: the brewer has to get the roast, body and attenuation into balance, rather than relying on a barrel, coffee or an added flavoring to create the identity.

I have visited breweries around the world, and the taproom is often where the local character comes through most clearly: a house beer that makes sense beside the food, the climate and the neighborhood. Honolulu Beerworks lists South Shore Stout on its own beer information page as a 15.5 gallon draft keg. That is the format the brewery page specifies; I did not find a dependable packaged retail listing for this exact beer. If you are on Oahu, checking the brewery taproom or current beer finder is the sensible route. For readers elsewhere, I have included genuinely available stout alternatives below instead of pretending this regional beer has nationwide delivery.

South Shore Stout ABV, IBU and ingredients

Honolulu Beerworks gives South Shore Stout an ABV of 6.2% and an IBU of 52. That puts it in a strong, flavourful range for an American stout. It is not marketed as an imperial stout, and the listed strength should make it easier to pair with food than many stronger dessert stouts. The brewery does not publish a calorie count on its beer page, so I am leaving calories out rather than guessing. The same is true for carbohydrates: no official figure is available in the primary listing.

The hop bill is Columbus and Crystal. Columbus is often used where a brewer wants a sturdy bittering contribution and a pungent, resinous edge; Crystal can bring a more rounded herbal, floral or woody character depending on how it is used. The brewery does not publish the hop schedule, so those are general ingredient tendencies, not a claim about a specific aroma or late-hop dose in this beer. The 52 IBU number is the firm public spec; the exact balance at the sip will be shaped by the malt, yeast and fermentation as well.

The malt bill is more detailed: GW 2 Row, GW Dextra Pils, Briess Chocolate, Briess Midnight Wheat, Crystal 120, flaked oats and flaked barley. Two-row and pilsner malt provide the base, while chocolate malt and midnight wheat build dark color and roast. Crystal 120 is a dark caramel malt, lending a route to the burnt sugar note the brewery describes. Oats and flaked barley help explain the full-bodied texture. For a deeper explanation of how the different grains work, see our guide to base malt, specialty malt and what malt contributes to beer.

This looks like a classic recipe with a careful balance, not a kitchen-sink stout. There is no listed lactose, coffee, vanilla, cacao nib addition or barrel treatment in the published ingredient list. The chocolate impression comes from the malt bill, which should make it a more beer-like, grain-driven cocoa character than the confectionery profile you might get from an imperial pastry stout. If you want to compare the styles, our primers on milk stout and imperial stout explain the differences in sweetness and strength.

Taste, aroma and body

Pour it into a clean glass and look for a dark, opaque body with a cap of tan foam. Honolulu Beerworks describes it as black, rich and luscious, with a full body. That combination suggests a stout with some visual heft and a satisfying texture, though the exact head retention and carbonation will depend on how it is served. A proper pour should leave room to appreciate the aroma rather than filling the glass to the rim.

On the nose, the public tasting notes point to roasted malt, dark chocolate and burnt caramel. I would expect the chocolate note to read closer to cocoa powder or dark chocolate than milk chocolate. Behind that, Crystal 120 and the roast malts can add a dark sugar impression. The sweet tobacco note in the brewery description adds another layer: it evokes a dry, slightly earthy malt character, not actual tobacco as an ingredient.

The palate should open on roast and cocoa, with caramel and a modest sweetness filling out the middle. Flaked oats and barley are the clues to a softer, more rounded mouthfeel. Columbus and Crystal hops then give the swallow a bitter edge, helping the finish feel composed instead of syrupy. That is the central appeal to me: a stout that brings several malt flavors but still has a clean counterbalance. It should be satisfying in smaller, thoughtful sips, yet not so big that it demands a tiny tasting glass.

For serving, I would start cool rather than ice-cold. A few minutes out of the refrigerator should make the aroma easier to read. Use a nonic pint or tulip glass, pour steadily, then give the head a moment to settle. If the beer seems more bitter than expected, let it warm a little and try another sip; cold temperature can mute the malt sweetness. Our guide to beer foam and head explains why that cap is part of the tasting experience, not just decoration.

Food pairings for South Shore Stout

This is a stout I would put next to grilled meat, rich savory food or a dessert that is not already intensely sweet. The roasted edge can work especially well with a burger, smoked brisket, short ribs or barbecue pork. The malt sweetness gives char and smoke something to meet, while the 52 IBU helps refresh the palate. Our guide to pairing beer with brisket, ribs and pulled pork has more ideas for building a whole barbecue menu around a dark beer.

For a lighter but still savory plate, try mushroom burgers, roasted vegetables, or grilled eggplant with a little char. The earthy side of roasted malt can echo mushrooms and browned vegetables without burying them. Aged cheddar or smoked gouda can also work, though I would keep the cheese portion modest so the beer does not become tiring. If you are adding heat, choose a dish with a little sweetness or fat to soften the roast and bitterness.

Chocolate desserts are the natural dessert pairing, but I would avoid piling sweetness on top of sweetness. Dark chocolate brownies, cocoa nib cookies or a bittersweet chocolate tart are safer than a very sugary frosting. The beer's roasted character can create a pleasant coffee-and-cocoa overlap with chocolate. Our pieces on the best beers to pair with chocolate desserts and how to pair beer with desserts offer a few other directions if you want to make it a full tasting.

How South Shore Stout compares with other dark beers

South Shore sits between an easygoing dry stout and a heavier imperial or pastry stout. Its 6.2% ABV gives it more heft than many sessionable pub stouts, but it stays well below the high-alcohol range where warming spirit notes dominate. The chocolate, roast and dark caramel sound like the center of the experience, with no published addition of coffee or flavoring to distract from the malt. Readers who want more malt softness might enjoy our oatmeal stout picks, while anyone debating the boundary between dark ale families can read stout vs porter.

For a stronger, more layered reference point, our Pinche Guey review looks at a barrel-aged Mexican chocolate imperial stout. That beer lives in a much richer, more intense lane. South Shore sounds like the more flexible choice for dinner, especially if the aim is roast and chocolate without a high ABV or overt barrel character. If you are after a classic rather than a local specialty, our Edmund Fitzgerald Porter review makes a useful comparison for roast and dark malt.

Where to buy South Shore Stout, and five similar beers

Honolulu Beerworks currently publishes South Shore Stout as a 15.5 gallon draft keg on its own beer page. I did not find an exact-match Saucey retail listing, so I am not going to suggest that the specific stout is available for delivery. Oahu readers should check the brewery directly for its current tap list and service information. If you are outside Hawaii, these five real Saucey-listed stouts and dark beers offer a practical alternative, from dry and classic to richer and more malt-forward.

For a stout that stays crisp and familiar, I would start with Guinness Draught. Deschutes Obsidian and Bell's Kalamazoo are good places to look for more pronounced American roast. Sierra Nevada Stout is another classic malt-led alternative. Founders Porter bends away from stout into porter, but the roasted malt and dark sweetness still make it a relevant neighboring style. The site has a longer look at stout beer brands and substyles if you want to widen the shortlist.

FAQs

What is the ABV of South Shore Stout?

Honolulu Beerworks lists South Shore Stout at 6.2% ABV.

What is the IBU of South Shore Stout?

The brewery lists 52 IBU. IBU is a bitterness measurement, but it does not tell you exactly how bitter the finished beer will taste.

What hops are in South Shore Stout?

The brewery lists Columbus and Crystal hops.

What malts are used in South Shore Stout?

The official malt list is GW 2 Row, GW Dextra Pils, Briess Chocolate, Briess Midnight Wheat, Crystal 120, flaked oats and flaked barley.

How many calories are in South Shore Stout?

Honolulu Beerworks does not publish an official calorie figure for this beer, so a verified calorie count is not available.

Where can I buy South Shore Stout?

The brewery lists it as a 15.5 gallon draft keg. Check Honolulu Beerworks for current local availability. I did not find an exact-match retail delivery listing, so the alternatives above are other stout and porter options.

References

• Honolulu Beerworks, South Shore Stout beer information page: official ABV, IBU, ingredients, description and listed draft format.
• Honolulu Beerworks, About page: brewery opening history, founders, brewing approach and current taproom description.