Black Ball Metric Stout
Black Ball is a strong stout aged in Irish whiskey barrels; the 2025 release is a small batch that spent five years in the wood. The mash is loaded with dark malts: chocolate malt, roast barley, CaraAroma and wheat on a pale ale base, hopped with Nugget. Pitch dark with a light coffee-coloured head, it smells of chocolate, black cherry and Irish cream. Full-bodied, sweet and smooth at first, it builds to spicy whiskey heat and opens up to creamy vanilla, cherries and blackcurrants, with a little char bitterness at the end.
Tasting Notes
AI-generated sensory profile for Black Ball Metric Stout
Slightly warmer than you might expect. 10–13°C lets the roasted malt, chocolate and coffee notes open up fully.
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.
More from Eight Degrees Brewing
About Imperial Stout
Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives
What is a Imperial 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 Imperial Stout
hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same chocolate, full-bodied, vanilla character as Black Ball Metric Stout will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.