No panic but a stunning streak reveals I’m a Stout Man. These stats don’t lie!

No panic but a stunning streak reveals I’m a Stout Man. These stats don’t lie!

There’s a website called The Stats Don’t Lie (TSDL). It crunches the numbers on horse-racing in these islands.

I have no idea how reliable TSDL is. But I’m on sounder ground when dealing with my favourite beer stats for 2025. And they reveal a stunning streak - it appears that I’m a Stout Man! No less than 14 stouts appear towards the top of the list. Indeed, the top three beers are stout.

I reckon I just can't ignore the results from 2025 (and previous years) and so I'll be concentrating in the dark side from 2026 onwards. Looking forward to some more relaxed beer-drinking in the months head as the sourcing, photographing, judging and rating, plus writing up has been very time consuming. A bit too much like hard word.

See my opening lists for next year below. It won't be just the dark side though. There are just too many superb Irish brewers to totally ignore the many excellent examples of lagers, ales and specials that are available these days.

Top Stouts 2025

Whitefield Irish Stout 7.5% ABV, 330 ml bottle, Bradley’s 

Rating: 95.5

Mescan Spéartha Dorcha Oyster Stout 4.7% ABV, 330 ml bottle Bradleys

Rating: 95

Elbow Lane Angel Stout 4.4% ABV, draught at Elbow Lane

Rating: 95

O’Hara’s Irish Stout Nitro 4.3% ABV, Tesco Midleton

Rating: 94

Dungarvan Black Rock Stout 4.3% ABV, 500 ml bottle #21 Coburg St

Rating: 93.5

Sullivan’s Black Marble Stout 5.1% ABV, 500 ml bottle, Supervalu Mayfield

Rating: 93.5

O’Hara’s Leann Folláin Extra Irish Stout 6% ABV, Tesco Midleton

Rating: 93

Rye River Nocturne Export Stout 6% ABV, Tesco Midleton

Rating: 92.5

Tom Crean’s Family Six Magpies Stout, 4.2% ABV

Rating: 92.5

Eight Degrees Bojanter Irish Stout 4.3%

Rating: 92

Brehon Ulster Black Oatmeal Stout 5% ABV, Bradleys

Rating: 91.5

Kinnegar Flying Saucer Foreign Export Stout 6.5%

Rating: 91

Wicklow Wolf Apex Oatmeal Stout 

Rating: 90.5

9 White Deer Stag Stout 4.2% ABV

Rating: 90

Infused with fresh oysters from Clew Bay. Mescan Spéartha Dorcha Oyster Stout. Beer of the Week:

Mescan Spéartha Dorcha Oyster Stout, 4.7% ABV, 330 ml bottle, Bradleys 

infused with fresh oysters from Clew Bay

Black as a dark sky when the stars stay home, this Mescan oyster-infused stout looks great. It smells pretty good, too, and, most importantly, tastes amazing with malty notes of chocolate and coffee and a mineral hint of the sea, thanks (probably) to the Clew Bay oysters!

It was brewed with water from Mescan’s own spring on the slopes of Croagh Patrick, using traditional stout malts, restrained hopping, and Pádraic Gannon’s locally grown oysters in the boil, and then fermented with Belgian yeast. This is quite the experience and Very Highly Recommended. Recommended serving temperature is 4-6 °C 

The name Spéartha Dorcha came about because Mescan supports the Mayo Dark Skies project. “Naturally, dark skies promote better ecosystems for our life and well-being. This beer was matured for months under skies free from light pollution and infused with fresh oysters..”

Mescan Brewery began as an idea in 2010 following a conversation between the founders, Irishman Cillian Ó Móráin and Belgian Bart Adons, about the strain of out-of-hours veterinary work. This led to a mid-life career change and new lives as brewers. They sold their first beer in 2014.

This stout was launched in Newport (Co.Mayo) last October, and the event included tastings of Spéartha Dorcha Oyster Stout and Croagh Patrick Seafood oysters. 

Clew Bay

Beer of the Week: Sullivan’s Black Marble Stout. "the true taste of traditional Irish stout"

Beer of the Week 

Sullivan’s Black Marble Stout, 5.1% ABV, 

500 ml bottle, Higgins SuperValu

"the true taste of traditional Irish stout" 

Black Marble Stout is a full-flavoured traditional Irish stout with roast coffee and fruit notes balanced by delicious hop bitterness. A dark, deep

Killarney Bourbon Barrel Aged Export Stout. A Very Highly Recommended Special and Beer of the Week.

Killarney Bourbon Barrel Aged Export Stout 

8.1% ABV, 750 ml bottle at the brewery

A Very Highly Recommended Special From Killarney

I was staying close to the Killarney Distillery and Brewery in Fossa recently and called in to get myself a few bottles of their superb Casey Brothers stout only to find out they don’t bottle it all. Disappointed at that (because it is one of my favourite stouts) but there was major consolation at hand in their large bottled special, this Barrel Ahed Export Stout, my latest Beer of the Week.

Deep black is the colour under a creamy coffee-coloured head. Aromas are mostly coffee and chocolate. But the big attention grabber is on the palate where the rather gentle punch is delivered, very smoothly indeed. Here the enhancement of the stout from its time in the bourbon barrel is pleasantly apparent. The roast of the malts and the contribution of the East Kent Goldings and Ariana hops plus the characters infused by the barrel, all come together in delicious harmony in a stout that is well worth buying.

I’m not too sure how many bottles of this Very Highly Recommended beer are still available; it was of course a limited edition but there didn’t seem to be a shortage when I purchased mine at the Brewery in mid-April (2024).

Produced in “Ireland’s largest independently owned and co-located distillery, brewery and visitor experience”, the process saw them first brew a small batch of imperial stout to have its flavours enhanced by spending 6 months maturing in Bourbon barrels under the care of Master Brewer Michael Bank and Master Distiller Kerr Petrie. Afterwards, the whiskey was transferred back into these casks to take on the flavours of the stout. That means a delightful bonus for both beer and whiskey drinkers.

Corkman Kerr’s journey began as an engineer, before he eventually moved into distilling, gaining experience initially in Scotland and more recently in Irish Distillers in Midleton before his thirst for new challenges drove him westward to Killarney.

Master Brewer Mike hails from the United States, where he has gained extensive experience working at Long Trail Brewing in Vermont, Ithaca Beer Company in New York, and Oyster Bay Brewing in Long Island.

As a respected member of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and the Master Brewers Association of the Americas, Mike has received numerous accolades. And already in Killarney, his beers have gained recognition such as gold for their Rutting Red Ale at the Brussels Beer Challenge and grand gold for the Spailpín Saison at the Frankfurt International Trophy.

This Export Stout is part of their 1092 Series, the series title is a link to the year when the local Annals of Innisfallen are believed to have been compiled. They, chapter by chapter, captured the story of progress through time and history. Killarney Brewery and Distillery hope to make their own bit of history year by year. Watch out for more of these specials.

Beer Of The Week: Rye River Nocturne Export Stout

Beer Of The Week

Rye River Nocturne Export Stout, 6.0% ABV, 500 ml bottle, Dunnes

In the dark of the night, a nocturne worthy of an encore.

Rye River's Nocturne Export Stout is a midnight-hued masterpiece that blends the rich intensity of espresso and dark chocolate, laced with wisps of smoke that engage the nose. The flavours are equally intense, with rich roast caramel gently blanketing the palate and lingering long after the final sip.  It is a smooth stout with a harmony of flavours that demands to be savoured, and it's sure to leave you craving more.

One nocturne worthy of an encore. Very Highly Recommended.

The Rye River brewery also does a Eventide Irish Stout at 4.5% ABV. I haven’t had an opportunity to try this one so far.

Much of the flavour comes from the speciality malts used: Carafa Special 2, Chocolate Malt, Munich 2 Malt, Pale Malt, Special W, and, yes, Smoke Malt.

Rye River uses just one hop, the American Columbus. This is not at all unusual. Quite a few breweries use it solo for a range of beers from IPA to Barley Wine. 

See Beer of the Week Weekly Index here.

CorkBillyBeers #6 .Craft Stout with Galway Bay, Heaney, Left Hand and Croatia's Garden

CorkBillyBeers #6

Craft with Galway Bay, Heaney, Left Hand and Croatia's Garden

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Galway Bay Ostara Irish Stout, 5.00% ABV, 330 ml can Bradleys.

Brewers Galway Bay are enthusiastic about this: Here is Ostara Stout, our take on the concept of ‘Dublin Stout’. Brewed to be complex but quaffable. We took some of our Imperial stout tricks and adapted them to a lower abv base recipe. The result has layered malts with some lovely soft chocolate notes finished with a nice hop zing to help clean the palate.

From the city that drank and exported so much stout in the early days, it is difficult to take the Dublin bit but not at all difficult to swallow this Galway stout. It looks the part, with black body and soft tan head, and also smells the part, toast and coffee.

Not too long ago, I doubt that many Irish drinkers deliberately smelled their stout before that first big swallow. 

The man in the bar had a small wine glass in his hand. But that wasn't wine in the glass. He covered the opening with his hand and shook the glass. Taking away his hand, he asked me to smell. As I do so, he said “Toffee Bar”. I agreed. Then he said: “Beamish”. 

And it was indeed the old Cork favourite (still going strong with many local devotees, including craft beer drinkers), the toffee bar aromas enhanced by the agitation and the shape of the glass. The man in the Kiln at Murphy’s Stout in Leitrim Street, was Marc Stroobants, a renowned beer expert from Belgium. I’ve been nosing my beers since that eye-opener ten years ago.

Thanks to M. Stroobants, I quite often stick my finger into the head in the glass and suck it. It often gives a clue to what I may taste later on. But sticking your finger into the head and sucking will sometimes get you some curious stares.

When Ostara hits the palate, the toasted notes of the malts (traces of coffee and chocolate) lead the way to a dry and lip smacking and palate cleansing finish. But I do feel there is something little bit lacking between the aromas and the finalé.

The name? Not too sure. Google tells me Ostara marked the Spring Equinox in German and Celtic tradition and there was a festival. But no mention of beer!

Highly Recommended.

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Heaney Irish Stout, 4.3% ABV, 500 ml bottle can Bradleys

I’m somewhat prejudiced here, prejudiced through practice that is. I’ve been enjoying this stout from the Heaney Farmhouse Brewery in Co. Derry over a few years now. And I know satisfaction is guaranteed! 

It is black, with a tan coloured head that loses volume pretty quickly. Stick your finger in the head (there I go again!) and taste the roast coffee and dark chocolate which are more or less what you’ll get from the aromas. No oatmeal here but the palate is rich and smooth, caramel and chocolate and that roasted malt finish, a dry one also, and lip-licking finalé. Satisfaction!

Heaney’s are always handy with food pairings and here they suggest slow-cooked meat dishes or a rich chocolate dessert.

Highly Recommended.

They say: For generations, our family farm has been a place of harvest and inspiration. Our beers are for after the graft. Rural thirst quenchers. Brewed and bottled by Heaney Farmhouse Brewery at The Wood, Bellaghy, Co. Derry.

 ******************

Excellent head 
on the Left Hand.

Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout Nitro, 6.0% ABV, 404 ml can Bradleys

“Experience America’s Stout. Milk Stout Nitro is a full sensory experience. Gaze at the mesmerizing cascade of all those tiny Nitro bubbles.”

Nitro is the key word here. They use nitro to get the bubbles going rather than “old” CO2. Then again Nitro has a 60 year old plus history to its credit, with most of the credit being claimed by Guinness and its widget.

And this Left Hand  does try hard to live up to its billing. “This portable draft beer experience is Good to Go straight from the can or served Like a Pro in a glass. From the bottle, Pour Hard to release the Nitro magic inside.” Pour Hard is also key! You do indeed stare at the rising bubbles and then see them fall back down the sides of the glass.

The body colour is black, the pillowy head, that really stays around, is tanned. There is coffee and cream in the moderately (if even that) intense aromas. The sensation on the palate is ultra smooth, creamy/milky, and that head coats your upper lip, a bit on the sweet side though. Initial roasty, mocha flavours rise up, with slight hop and roast bitterness in the finish. 

I like the theatre at the start and like the finish but the overall experience is all a bit moderate, a bit on the slight side, more butterfly than bee, a dance at arm’s length rather than a clinger. More shadow than substance. Give me Cotton Ball or Elbow Lane any day.

Still it is an interesting one, easy drinking,  and well worth a try and I fully understand why quite a few drinkers rave about it. Just not me. I have a Brewmaster nitro in the queue and I must also try and get the O’Hara’s one. Any other suggestions? 

Geek Bits

IBU 25

Malt: 2-Row, Crystal, Chocolate, Munich, Rolled Oats, Flaked Barley, Roasted Barley

Lactose is also listed in ingredients.

For the best experience, pour hard at 180 degrees into a 16oz glass. Different gas, different pour. Cheers! #PourHard

Firestone Nitro tip

To enjoy this beer (Firestone) to the fullest, you want to master the surge pour. Just invert the can three times, then pour hard into the glass. This way, you can experience the “theater of the pour” with a brilliant cascading effect and a creamy foam that makes drinking Nitro Merlin Milk Stout all the more delicious

Check video here.

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The Garden (Croatia) Stout, 5.7% ABV, 330 ml can Bradleys

First time trying a beer from Croatia and it comes with a hefty enough 5.7% ABV. It pours dark with a soft tan head that slowly sinks in the glass. Aromas are modest enough, mostly roasted coffee. I note a streak of acidity as it hits the palate but it is the coffee and chocolate that go on to make the running with a little, barely noticeable, sweetness. 

Lactose is listed as an ingredient here, presumably to add the sweetness.  The lactose (milk sugar) is not eaten by yeast. But the result here is rather modest. Indeed, the stout itself , though pleasant, is a modest effort overall.

It is produced by the Garden Brewery in Zagreb. “We’re lucky to have a huge garden, with plenty of seating and tables sheltered under the shade of more than 40 mature trees. There’s also an outside bar, a large lawn, an area for DJs and Live Music and events. When the sun is shining, there’s not much that beats an ice-cold beer in The Garden!”

In those circumstances and with the right company, and the Croatian football team on the TV, then this stout may well shine!

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A Quart of Ale± #15. Moving on over to craft with Stout

A Quart of Ale± #15

Moving on over to craft with Stout

Stout

Brehon Brewhouse Ulster Black “Oatmeal Stout” 5.0%, 500ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork

This small brewery is housed on the farm, just a short distance from the old homestead and set amongst the rolling drumlins of County Monaghan, just a few miles from the birthplace of Patrick Kavanagh, the inspiration for their India Pale Ale –  Stony Grey IPA.

Don’t know who inspired this Ulster Black but it is a star in this particular firmament. Black as a wet sod on a rainy day in the bog. The fleeting head has some of the colour of a well-dried sod. Aromas also from the dark side: coffee and dark chocolate. And that theme continues on the palate. But it is not exactly like other oatmeal stouts, not over-richly smooth. There is a balance, a harmony, that lifts this toasty stout well above the normal. All before a lip-smacking finish. Try it out for yourself! Best served around 8 to 10 degrees.

The brewers say it is “Ideal with game or strong red meat, smoked meats and hearty stews, desserts with chocolate, caramel or dark fruits.” I reckon they’ve tried them all! Me, I’d say it goes best with another one.

“Our aim is to create distinct beers that are brewed with care and affection.  Our brewer has created a range of well balanced and flavoursome ales that reflect the changing face of the beer market in Ireland.” 

I’ve tried a few of their beers, including that Stoney Grey, in the last few weeks and Brehon is certainly on an impressive track.

Black Sheep “Milk Stout” 4.4%, 500ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork

First of all let’s hear it for the Black Sheep himself.

In 1992, Paul Theakston took a daring leap into the unknown. As a fifth generation brewer of his family company, he chose to leave T&R Theakstons following its sale to a national brewery. Instead, he chose to champion independent brewing in Yorkshire and built his own brewery from reclaimed equipment in the very same town, Masham.

Black is the colour, of course, with a coffee coloured head (also tastes of coffee). And coffee too in the aromas, not so much the dark chocolate that the producers mention.No doubt though you get the chocolate and coffee on the velvety palate. Should be terrific with that chocolate brownie! Pretty good balance compared to some milk stouts and this one certainly has that second bottle appeal.

They say: A velvet, creamy stout packing notes of chocolate, vanilla and coffee. Brewed with lactose and a robust malt blend, this milk stout offers a satisfying sweetness that cuts against a light bitterness, brought together through an irresistible velvet texture. Aroma:Rich dark chocolate with subtle notes of coffee and vanilla.Taste:Vanilla with notes of chocolate coffee.

Ingredients: Hops, Malted Barley, Lactose, Torrefied Wheat, Water, Yeast.

Founders “Breakfast Stout” 8.3%, 355ml bottle Bradley’s of Cork

The coffee coloured head is on the shy side, barely existing for a few seconds above the black body. By the way, the label boasts that the head lasts forever, yet each of the three times I tried it, the head vanished quicker than a fancy dan winger ahead of a “bite yer legs” Norman Hunter tackle. 

Then I smell the coffee and the chocolate and soon I taste it, wrapped in the smoothness of the flaked oats, and I realise this is turning out somewhat better than anticipated from looking at the spoon-sucking infant on the label. 

It is indeed a “creamy and decadent sipper, perfect for everything from contemplative mornings to laid-back evenings”. Not too sure about that stretch but certainly a good pairing with extra time in the European Super Cup final. Quite impressed now from being a bit sceptical in advance. 

Now, what I do find hard to believe is the IBU of 50 on the website, even more incredible is the 60 on the label. Is there a tendency towards tall tales in Michigan? This little stubby - I think that’s what they’d call this bottle in Australia - proves for sure that there is certainly a tendency towards good beer there.

Galway Bay “Buried at Sea” Milk Stout 4.5%, 330ml can Bradley’s of Cork

It’s black - no big surprise. The head, coffee coloured, has  close to minimum longevity. Coffee and caramel in the aromas, though the impact is restrained. It is certainly refreshing on the palate, rich and chocolatey and with a smooth finish. Not bad at all, good stout and that sweet finish.

They say: Decadent and complex while remaining wholly refreshing and drinkable. This 4.5% stout is brewed with Milk Sugars and Chocolate to give rich flavours and body that goes down smooth.

Food pairings: Buried at Sea is great alongside glazed meats, steaks, yet finds its perfect partners in rich chocolate desserts.

• Speciality Malts: Oats, Munich, Chocolate, Crystal, Roast Barley
  
• Hops (32 IBU): Magnum, Cascade