The Twelve Brewers of Christmas 6: Ballykilcavan

Ballykilcavan looks to be aiming for all the trendy targets with its Clancy's Cans series. A fruited Berliner weiss was first, and they've followed that with a DDH IPA and a couple of pastry stouts.

Clancy's Cans #2, then, is the aforementioned IPA. It's a bit of a whopper at 7.5% ABV and does not present as expected. I normally assume "DDH", if it means anything, to mean hazy, while this is a pure limpid golden colour. It's thick, hot and bitter in a very west-coast sort of way, with an almost waxy tang adding to the lemon and bergamot flavours. I wasn't surprised to learn that American classics Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra are doing the work. The balancing malt is like golden syrup, and does a good job holding back the hop excesses without turning the beer sweet. This is one of those all too rare big-yet-balanced IPAs; solidly enjoyable and not trying anything fancy or clever. One expects a certain oddness from limited-edition small-batch beers. Maybe the normalness of this one is what makes it odd. Either way, I'll take it.

"Tiramisu Dessert Stout" is what we're dealing with for Clancy's Cans #3. This one is 7.8% ABV, so it's just as well I like my tiramisu with a kick to it. It smells of coffee and chocolate, which is promising, but the follow-through isn't great. For a self-proclaimed "dessert" beer, it's thin, roasty and rather dry. Fine for stout in general, but this sub-style demands a full body which isn't delivered. I liked the roasty bite, and there's a little chocolate, but you're on your own if you're looking for mascarpone or liqueur. So it's not a tiramisu dessert stout; it's an absolutely fine medium-dry extra stout, and should be happy with being that. If nobody else is saying it: maybe Ballykilcavan should have released a nice extra stout without trying to do anything gimmicky.

Regardless, we push on to Clancy's Cans #4, a "walnut whip stout", with vanilla and walnuts. That hasn't affected the head retention -- it's lovely and creamy looking, and the texture follows that up, aided by 7.4% ABV. There's a nice balance between the sweet and bitter sides: milk chocolate and custard bumps up against a dry and bitter roast. Brown sugar and mocha linger on the lips after swallowing. If the description "classic pastry stout" means anything, this beer is it. While inarguably dessertish, it's a proper extra stout to its core. As such, it's a delight to drink. I can't say it tastes much like walnut, but there's enough going on for that not to be a problem.

I guess Clancy is going to keep canning into 2021. The brewery seems to be having fun with them, and I'll gladly go along for the ride.