Brains: Black (Wales: Stout: 4.1% ABV)

Visual: Guinness style opaque black with a creamy off white head.

Nose: Slight roasted nut, cream, liquorice and treacle. Very light.

Body: Bitter, roasted elements. Cream, slight sourness. Some hops Muggy flavours. Treacle.

Finish: Coffee. Charring is obvious as is the bitterness. Touch of chocolate.

Conclusion: A bad stout? Can there be such a thing, I’m afraid it seems so. The flavours are indistinct and dominated by the bitter and charred elements over the more subtle flavours.

It seems to be the stout offspring of Brains evil smooth line, and suffers much the same failings as that line. Fellow taster Chris says “Like Brains dark, but after your tastebuds get removed with battery acid, if fact, less Brains Dark, more Brains got beaten up in the dark” It seems no-one is impressed with this beer.

To finish with another quote

“The first bastard child of the unholy Brains-Heineken Alliance”