Sorry I missed you

I missed out on the DOT Brew seasonal megapack, largely through logistical issues, so I'm afraid there won't be any pre-Christmas epic run-down of barrel-aged beers with long silly names. Instead, you'll have to make do with the DOTs I bought singly in November and December, to wit:

Bright Lights Big City is the latest in the Teeling Distillery giftshop exclusives, and it was surprisingly pleasing to be able to pick this up from the actual distillery giftshop instead of the reception where the beers have been sold for the last 18 months or so. These little returns to normality are so appreciated. It's an amber ale aged in single-grain whiskey casks which were previously used for Cabernet Sauvignon and is a clear garnet red. I expected the wine would make a sizeable contribution and sure enough it's there in the aroma: oak and raisins. The texture and flavour are both lower key than I'd expect for 5.9% ABV. It's light and fizzy in the mouth and there's no whiskey spirit to taste. Instead it's gently fruity -- cherry and red grape -- with just a mild sawdust dryness in the finish. It's fine but I think a bit more malt and hop heft should be taking the place of the barrel's shortcomings. This is not how DOT normally goes about its business.

The red theme continues in a different direction with 4yr Old Wild Raspberry, the first in what I understand will be a new range of wild beers from DOT. The label says it's light and crisp, though at €15 I'm hoping for something more committed than that. In the glass it's a deep blood red colour, while the aroma is mildly funky, with a concentrated raspberry syrup vibe rather than sharp berry. That thick sensation continues through the texture and flavour, with more than a hint of Ribena about it. I expected highly-attentuated spritz but it's not one of those and I'd put it more at the dessert end of the meal than an aperitif. This isn't what I was expecting, and I don't think it justifies the price tag. It's not funky or complex and show little signs of spendy barrel ageing. I'll let it go as the first of a new series, but if this is to continue there ought to be fireworks next time out. 

Dessert proper is a stout. Last Night was brewed as an exclusive for Molloys off licences and is a 10% ABV imperial milk stout with coffee, cocoa and ex-rum whiskey barrel ageing. Hella festive. It is extremely black and doesn't really bother with forming a head. There's much less aroma than I expected, just some mild coffee roast, and it's unforgivably thinly textured for the spec. Alas that problematic nature follows through into the flavour. There's a tangy, sweaty sourness hitting up against sweeter milk chocolate; a vinegar sharpness and a cardboard staleness. It does the bare minimum for a chocolate/coffee stout but something has gone wrong here.

Oof! Maybe I dodged a bullet by not buying that big box. Barrel ageing is a cruel and capricious mistress, I guess. The results here do not show it in a good light.