Beer of the Week: Dragon Stout

John Linn

​Unrepentant beer drinkers, rejoice! Each week, Clean Plate Charlie will select one craft or import beer and give you the lowdown on it: How does it taste? What should you drink it with? Where can you find it? But mostly, it's all about the love of the brew. If you have a beer you'd like featured in Beer of the Week, let us know via a comment.

Not all island beers are light, watery, flavorless things, at least if Dragon Stout is any indicator. I sampled it recently while touring Broward's roti shops, and I gotta say, it was great stuff.  

Unlike that better-known Jamaican beer, Dragon is a rich, dark stout. But that doesn't mean it's not as drinkable. On the contrary: When paired with some spicy curry, Dragon Stout might even work better than a light lager.

Its head is relatively thin despite a bit more carbonation than most stouts. And the flavor is sweet and fairly light. It's nutty and malty with flavors of coffee and caramel, making it a great fire quencher for hot peppers. There's even a slight, hoppy bitterness. It drinks very easy for a high-alcohol beer as well. Its 7.5 percent is pretty hefty, which might explain why the bottle is so small (9.6 ounces, actually).

Pick up Dragon Stout at Caribbean groceries and restaurants like Curry Hut and Lovey's Roti.