This strong stout is filled with flavors of vanilla, coffee, and dark chocolate. Smooth in body but dry on the finish, it's hard to beat a good stout. Hammer & Sickle got its name from the history of the style. Stouts were common in England, but one beer-maker wanted to export his stout to Catherine the Great of Russia. In order to make the long voyage without spoiling, the stout had to have a high alcohol content.