Black Ball Metric Stout aged in Jameson whiskey barrels

To celebrate eight years of brewing in 2019, we produced eight exciting and innov8ing beers for our RACK EM’ UP Series. Eight Years. Eight Beers. Eight Collabs. First released in November 2019, our Black Ball Metric Stout was #8 in the series – but we couldn’t leave it there. In February 2020 we added it to our core range.

We decided, what with what’s happening on either side of the pond, to steer clear of imperialistic notions, old school vernacular and just go metric. We rammed the mash tun as full as we could with an excess of dark complex malts, added extra char for a slightly sinister twist and then aged everything in Jameson whiskey barrels from our friends in Midleton.

This is a big bold stout. There’s a touch of sweet vanilla in there from the oak, along with lots of cocoa and dark chocolate to combine with the smooth, spicy whiskey notes. It’s deep, dark, rich and rewarding.

Awards:
2020 World Beer Awards – Bronze

Description

Style: Metric stout aged in Jameson whiskey barrels.
Malt: Irish pale ale malt, chocolate malt, roast barley, wheat, CaraAroma.
Hops: Nugget.
ABV: 11.2
IBUs: 43

Tasting notes
Colour/appearance: deepest darkest black in the glass with a light coffee head.
Aroma: Chocolate. Fruity. Black cherry. Irish cream. And that’s before you’ve even taken a sip…
Flavour: a deliciously full bodied sipper, sweet and smooth on the palate at first, with spicy whiskey heat at the end. It gradually opens up in the glass, revealing lots of creamy sweet vanilla and fruity berries, particularly cherries and blackcurrants.
Aftertaste: a little char bitterness.

Food pairings
This is a beer to hold for the end of the meal. Break out that cheeseboard and go savoury with some funky Cnoc Dubh goat cheese from The Galway Goat Farm. Blues are also a wonderful match: try the well flavoured Boyne Valley Blue, another goat cheese with a distinctive flavour. With the stout’s sweet whiskey cream characteristics, it’s ideal for sweet things: have a drop alongside a Black Forest Gateau to bring out all the cherry and chocolate flavours or pour a snifter to have with a box of your favourite chocolates, especially if they’re dark.

First launched: November 2019, now part of the core range
Get social: #BlackBallMetricStout