Invercargill brewery ‘pitch black’ stout

Rating:

image“Pitch Black Stout shouts stout … deep colour and rich hints of chocolate and coffee ,yet dry enough to want another pint. This is an excellent beer to match with chocolate cake and seafood like Bluff oysters. Can be served either chilled or at 10-15 º C for full hit of flavour.”

With a plethora of awards dating back to 2005 this minimally labelled stout derives from the most southern tip of New Zealand. Served in a beer tulip and pouring a light black with a slight ruby tinge when held to the light, the minimal dark tan head reduced almost instantly to patchy lace trails. From the first whiff of this we knew it was going to good, the aroma smells roasted and rich. We can detect lovely overtones of roasted chocolate malts, vanilla, dark chocolate, cocoa and subtle coffee notes. In the mouth it’s quite thin but never does it lack in flavour. Body is moderate with low carbonation. Big roasted biscuit malts upfront with subtle sweetness and velvety chocolate through the mid-palate. Finish eventually becomes dry with a delicious hint of licorice and a roasted coffee bitterness that lingers on the back end nicely. At 4.5% ABV it was a very approachable sipping beer. There’s no wonder why this stout has won medals on 5 separate occasions. Brilliant stuff.