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Black

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A Welsh nitro stout with roasted malt aromas and notes of coffee and dark chocolate. The hop bitterness is delicate, the texture silky and the finish slightly dry. It pours velvety black under a creamy tan head and comes in a 440 ml can as well as on keg, at 4.1 % ABV. It sits in the keg and can part of the Brains lineup.

ABV
4.1%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Roasted bitterness
SRM
dark35
PaceA Few

AWARDS

Bronze · 2025
SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, Cymru)
Keg Stout & Porter (6.4% and under)
★Bronze — SIBA Indie Beer Awards (regional, Cymru) (Keg Stout & Porter (6.4% and under))
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
roastedchocolatecoffee
roasted
chocolate
coffee
dark fruit
Aroma
The nose leads with pronounced roasted malt character, grounding the beer in toasted grain and burnt earth.
not found:hoppy,caramel,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Black

◎ Appearance

This stout pours a deep, opaque black with excellent clarity. A creamy tan head forms densely and clings to the glass with persistent lacing. The nitrogen carbonation creates a smooth, velvety mouthfeel that registers visually in the tight bubble structure and head retention.

jet blackcreamy tan headvelvety textureexcellent lacing

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with pronounced roasted malt character, grounding the beer in toasted grain and burnt earth. Dark chocolate and espresso coffee notes emerge clearly, layered with subtle hints of cocoa powder and a whisper of charred wood. The hop presence remains restrained, allowing the roasted malts to dominate without competition.

roasted maltdark chocolateespresso coffeesubtle char

◐ Taste

The palate opens with smooth, chocolatey sweetness that coats without cloying. Mid-palate reveals rich coffee bitterness and roasted grain depth, while the carbonation—delivered via nitrogen—adds a silken creaminess that masks the relatively modest 4.1% ABV. Bitterness at 35 IBU sits in the background, supporting rather than dominating the malt profile.

smooth entrychocolate sweetnesscoffee bitternesscreamy mouthfeel

◑ Finish

The finish turns dry and clean, shedding the initial sweetness to reveal a lingering roasted grain dryness. The aftertaste holds subtle coffee and dark cocoa notes for several seconds without astringency.

dry finishroasted grainlingering coffee
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
82
Taste
80
Appearance
85
Finish
72
Serve at 10–14°C

Slightly warmer than you might expect. 10–13°C lets the roasted malt, chocolate and coffee notes open up fully.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

Can be cellared 2–5 years. Develops dark fruit, leather and port-like complexity with age.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Black

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About Stout

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Stout?

Stouts are dark ales with roasted barley character, 4–8% ABV and IBU 25–45. Expect coffee, dark chocolate and toast flavors with a creamy body and dry finish.

Finding a similar Stout

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same roasted, chocolate, coffee character as Black will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all Stout beers in hopIQ →New to Stout? Read our guide →Browse United Kingdom beers →