Winter is coming. Or should I say winter is well and truly here! Gale force winds, torrential rain and it is feckin’ cold to boot. Ok so it’s not a dramatic vast frozen waste land instead it is a slow and steady, damp, grey, soft ol’ day of a place. There is nothing better than waking in the middle of the night during a rainstorm. The sense of excitement from the sheer power of the weather combined with the feeling of safety as you lie there wrapped in the ‘Big’ duvet. But we can’t stay in bed all winter and so an evening remedy to this kind of weather is a comfy seat, a warm fire and a bottle of stout. Stout, with its rich roasted malt flavours, is the perfect winter drink and if you live in Ireland where all the seasons seem to be variants on winter stout is a national speciality. Over the course of this winter I will review more stouts than usual.

First up is the Winter Special Riasc Black from beoir chorca dhuibhne (West Kerry Brewery). This bottle was a gift from Pig-wig and having tried and enjoyed the brewery’s standard stout (or what they describe as a rich chocolate porter) Carraig Dubh I was very much looking forward to this beer which has a “picking of blackberries” in it.

It pours pitch black and has a slightly thicker consistency than most beers. So far so good but then the problems start! There was a tiny head which was the result of little or no carbonation. It tasted like beer which had not been given the time to bottle condition.

The bottle was opened straight from the fridge which along with the lack of carbonation meant that the aroma was subtle and lacking but as it warmed I could get wafts of cake, forest fruits, treacle, and chocolate. The taste was rich and smooth. There was a tartness from the blackberries which was at times jarring but overall not unpleasant.

Overall I felt the lack of carbonation let this beer down a great deal. This i felt was a flaw as opposed an intentional aspect of the beer. I would be tempted to buy another bottle to double check and If I ever do I will update my review.

1 (Beatles), 2 (Ministry), 3 (Suicidal Tendencies), 4 (Pink Floyd), 5 (NIN)

Aroma: 2.5/5

Taste: 2.5/5

Originality: 3/5

Overall: 2.5/5