Burning Soul Stout vs Taos Mesa El Bruno Stout: Which Should You Drink?

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Burning Soul Stout

Burning Soul Brewing

United Kingdom · Oatmeal Stout

hopIQ rank #750

100%

Overall similarity

side by side, across 56 flavour tags

Taos Mesa El Bruno Stout

Taos Mesa Brewing

United States · Oatmeal Stout

HOPIQ TAKE

Burning Soul Stout if you want something that drinks lighter and won't stick around, Taos Mesa El Bruno Stout if you want a bit more weight and staying power. Both hit the same IBU target, so bitterness is a wash—the half-percent ABV difference and how each brewery handles the oatmeal base is what separates them. Burning Soul feels like it was brewed to be sessionable; El Bruno feels like it's got something to prove. Neither is wrong, just different philosophies.

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WHEN TO CHOOSE WHICH

Pick Burning Soul Stout when…

→You're drinking multiple beers tonight and don't want to get knocked off your feet
→You prefer oatmeal stouts that feel crisp and clean rather than heavy
→You want something sessionable that still delivers roasted character

Pick Taos Mesa El Bruno Stout when…

→You want a stout that feels genuinely creamy and indulgent
→You prefer beers with more body and texture you can actually feel
→You're settling in for fewer, slower drinks rather than a round

SIDE BY SIDE

	Burning Soul Stout	Taos Mesa El Bruno Stout
ABV	5.5%	6%
Bitterness	Noticeably bitter	Noticeably bitter
Colour	Dark	Dark
Style	Oatmeal Stout	Oatmeal Stout
Origin	United Kingdom	United States

WHAT IT TASTES OF

11 shared · 0 distinct

Both beers

roastedsmoothchocolatecoffeemaltycreamyfull-bodiedrichtoastybitter

STRUCTURE — HOW IT'S BUILT

Burning Soul StoutTaos Mesa El Bruno Stout

Bitterness

Body

TASTING NOTES

Burning Soul Stout

RoastedSmoothChocolate

Burning Soul's oatmeal stout drinks almost deceptively smooth—you get the roasted grain and cocoa up front, but it doesn't linger on your palate like heavier stouts do. There's a slight sweetness from the oats that keeps it from feeling austere, but it's restrained. At 5.5%, it's the kind of beer you can actually have a second one of without feeling like you're committing to the evening.

Taos Mesa El Bruno Stout

RoastedSmoothChocolate

El Bruno has more presence. The oatmeal is creamier, thicker—you feel it coating your mouth in a good way. The roast is a bit deeper, less cocoa-forward and more charred grain. That extra 0.5% ABV doesn't sound like much, but paired with how they've structured the malt bill, it gives the whole thing a denser, more substantial feel. This one wants you to sit with it.

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