Don't be careful what you wish for

In my previous Whiplash post I hankered after more dark beers from the brewery. And the brewery has swiftly obliged with today's four. Be assured that I am very aware of my influencer superpowers and promise to only use them, as in this instance, for good.

The first one, Dark Steering, is in the criminally under-represented style of schwarzbier. There's a properly German tall stack of foam on pouring, at least at first. That collapses disappointingly quickly. The body is appropriately black, with auburn highlights, while the aroma offers hints of sweet cola and bitter liquorice. A sip didn't give me anything to write about, so the main observation here is that it's one for gulping. With a hearty mouthful on board, I was struck first by the beefy texture and low carbonation, closer to a doppelbock than a lager of just 5.2% ABV. The style's hallmark herbal bitterness is present but plays second fiddle to a toasty roasty dryness that forms the second half, after the big malt departs. I think I'd prefer it lighter and crisper: it's a little too heavy for my taste. That's a mere quibble of preference, however. It's very well made and I welcome any and all schwarzbier to the Irish market, however idiosyncratic.

Getting heavier and more serious is an export stout of 9% ABV called <cue Brando> The Horror. It got off on the wrong foot with a lively and sticky pour, the nicotine-stained foam overflowing the glass. Then the aroma is a little off-putting. It's brewed with smoked malt, and phenols are present in the aroma, but there's also a thin and slightly vinegary sharpness. I'm sure it's merely a coincidence of features, but it smells a little infected. Thankfully the flavour sets us straight. It's big and rich all the way through with no nasty over-attenuation or sourness. Instead, rich dark chocolate forms the base, the sweet side balanced deftly with a shot of heavy-roast espresso. And then the peat is layered on top of that: real turf fires and a tot of Laphroaig for a different kind of warmth. I've had plenty of supposedly smoked big stouts where the weight of dark malt has suffocated the too-subtle smoke; and others that have gone overboard and end up like drinking TCP. This treads a middle path and is enjoyable as both a high-quality near-imperial stout, and a smoked beer. Fans of similar things from Dutch masters like De Molen, Kees! and Emelisse can expect that sort of quality from this. If smoke isn't your thing, however, this is not the beer to convince you otherwise.

A second set of dark beers followed this pair, first to hit the shops being the Fungie-tribute brown ale The Ocean Wide, brewed with the famous Kerry dolphin's favourite maple syrup. It pours as though nitrogenated: the tight head of tiny bubbles taking a while to settle. I don't know that I'd pick maple syrup specifically from the aroma but it does smell very sweet -- some sort of syrup is involved for sure. 6.8% ABV is much stronger than these usually are, and makes itself felt here in a stout-like density. The flavour is a bit pastry-stout too: jam and toffee, and that sort of intense sweetness that's almost harshly bitter, like saccharine. The core elements of brown ale are there -- chocolate, caramel and milky coffee -- but they're masked by everything else going on. The brown malt doesn't really get the chance to shine that it deserves. Overall, I enjoyed it, but would prefer something calmer and more balanced. I guess grief does funny things.

Lastly for now, a dubbel they've called Saunter. I thought it was a little overkill to include real dates in a style of beer which often has dates in the flavour profile anyway. It's also an almost quadrupel-esque 8.3% ABV. The pour looked well at first, though the head faded quite quickly. The body is the garnet colour of a lighter dubbel, rather than full-on brown. I started thinking quadrupel again when I tasted it, however. It's dense and quite boozy, with sticky sherry or port being the first impression. A more typical dubbel-like plum-pudding breadiness forms the middle, and there's a slightly odd sour berry tang, which I guess is the date. Other complexities you might find in the mix here are cola nut, burnt toast, aniseed and black pepper. Or you might not. There's plenty to explore anyway; if you don't like it at first -- and I was hesitant -- keep sipping and you'll find something worthwhile. While it's fun and interesting, describing itself as "Belgian" is a bit cheeky as the Belgians don't make them like this, and I think I prefer the classic examples. Irish dubbel is an easy field in which to excel.

All four of these were worth waiting for, and I hope they find their market out there on the crowded shelves. Perhaps some of Whiplash's haze-loving followers will discover the brewery has other strengths.