THERE are few more picturesque scenes than the snow-covered Mourne Mountains. As flakes fell last week, the south Down peaks got a postcard-style covering which, as eye-catching as it is, can be a bit of pain for those trying to distribute the area’s fine beers.
However, a little bit of winter weather couldn’t stop what has now become something of a seasonal special from Mourne Mountains Brewery reaching the shelves. How long it stays there is a different matter.
Last year’s version of their Barrel Aged Stout went down a treat, with all those woody, whiskey tones. The 2017 edition is something of a different beast. The label on the side of the bottle reveals all and is best read in the voice of that guy that does all the movie trailers: “Last summer we filled some Irish whiskey casks with our delicious Export Stout…”
Anyway, once those barrels were drained, they were filled up again with stout which settled in for a lazy 12-month sojourn.
The result is a mellow, smooth, yet flavourful stout. It has a wonderfully rich aroma of molasses and toffee. The woody flavour is subtle but detectable but the overriding tastes are of dried fruit, a hint of treacle and, dare I say it, a bit of brown sugar. At 7.5 per cent, it has a wonderfully warming feel to it. You don’t have to be gazing over a snow-covered Slieve Donard to enjoy this one, bit it will warm your extremities with a bit of festive cheer.
ANOTHER well-received 2016 stout makes a reappearance this week just in time for those cold winter nights. Bullhouse Brewing Co’s Quest for the Milky Whey has been liberated from the whiskey barrels for a 2017 edition, and there’s a Star Wars-inspired theme to the always excellent label art.
This a 10 per cent imperial barrel aged milk stout, and you can grab a bottle to toast the Newtownards brewery’s successful crowd-funding campaign which reached its target at the start of this month. This will enable brewer Willy Mayne expand his current operation and churn out more wonderful and exciting beers in 2018.
