IT’LL come as no great shock to anyone that I’ve never been a fan of Dry January. I’m not saying I can’t do without a drink for more than a few days, it’s just that seems entirely the wrong time of year for it.
Granted, the idea of cutting out the booze seems to be a naturally progression from the excesses of the festive period. However, it’s still very cold, the nights are long and all the bright lights and decorations are packed away. So, to lift the mood you still need to be able to treat yourself a bit.
I saw tweet from renowned beer writer Matthew Curtis the other week, in which he said he was going ‘Dryish January’, which means not drinking from Monday to Thursday, but taking the weekend off.
That’s certainly an initiative which I can get on board with and by the time the weekend rolls round, I’m in the mood to treat myself. And what better way to treat yourself that with a couple of dessert stouts?
First up is Imperial Kirsch from Vocation. This name may sound quite regal, but it’s basically billed as Black Forest stout.
Back in my youth, when I discovered the wonders of a carvery Sunday dinner, I would always make a beeline for the generous wedge of Black Forest gateau in the dessert section. This stout brought all those memories flooding right back.
I’ve had Black Forest stouts before, but none with this richness of flavour. This one clocks in at a boozy 11 per cent, comes in a 440ml can and be snapped up in Tesco.
It has a lovely, oily pour and has rich chocolate and espresso aromas. It’s obviously a sipper, but a decent gulp to start with gives you those fruity and bitter cherry flavours. The whole thing’s been aged in Cognac barrels, which give it a nice woody smoothness and there’s a lovely sweet, cakey feel to it all.
Next up is the Walnut Whip stout from the Clancy’s Cans series by Ballykilcavan. It comes in a 440ml can and clocks in at 7.4 percent.
Like the sweet treat itself, this comes with a marshmallow-like sweetness and a smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel.
The walnuts add a nutty, and slightly bitter tang to it all with the vanilla helping to smooth out some of those sharp edges.
