DOT as you mean to go on

For the second year running, in 2023, I drank more beer from DOT Brew than anyone else. It's a prolific operation, in fairness, operating mostly from two host breweries in Dublin while using its own facility to age blend some of the results into a plethora of different expressions.

We'll get to some of that in a minute, but first a simple double IPA called 3 Way Simcoe. It's a foamy beast, taking me a while to get it all into a glass, where it's a rich shade of orange and translucent rather than full-on hazy. I guess we can call that west-coast in these degenerate times, though the can does claim it's in the New England style. Citrus jelly, zesty and sweet, is the aroma, which is nicely inviting. On tasting I thought for a horrible second it was going to be all savoury: there's the precursor dryness and what turned out to be only a faint sesame rasp. In fact it's properly resinous and bitter, in a genuinely west coast fashion, with the Simcoe putting on its typically oily and dank performance. There's little by way of New England features, and certainly none of the negative ones, but there's a strongly sweet fruit side, along the lines of what's presented in the aroma. The 8% ABV is well hidden, and were it not for the slightly excessive fizz it would be very drinkable indeed.

On, then, to the more serious side. This was DOT's end-of-year release for the general trade: four big big barley wines, given different barrel treatments. A boxed 33cl bottle of each was around €15, so I'm expecting big big things. Intriguingly, they're marked as having been brewed by Francesco Sottomano, suggesting they were produced at Lough Gill rather than Hope or Third Barrel (edit: or indeed BRÚ. Thanks, anonymous commentator!)

The first is Barrel Aged Barley Wine Aged in Oloroso Madeira Single Malt Finish. There should probably be some commas in there but none have been supplied. It looks grim, pouring a flat muddy brown, with an untrractive oily sheen on the surface in mockery of a head. The aroma is very sherry, dark and unctuous, with considerable heat, even knowing that it's 17.4% ABV. The flatness isn't really a problem for the mouthfeel as it's thick and smooth, flavoured with chocolate, honeycomb, raisin and buttery pastry. The whiskey side is very apparent, not hot but showing all the lovely rounded warming oak and honey taste. Despite appearances, we're off to a good start. How do we change things up from here?

Second time around, the pour is just as gank and unattractive. This one is paler, red rather than brown, and is a Barrel Aged Barley Wine Aged in Oloroso Riesling Single Malt Finish. So, ordinary wine, then. It still smells and tastes predominantly like whiskey, though, but the malt side is dialled back; the chocolate richness present, but nowhere near as prominent, which is unfortunate. There's a sharper edge, suggesting a paler sherry, but which I guess is done by blending dark sherry barrels with a drier white wine. Not that I'd have thought of Riesling as flinty or sharp, although next to the Oloroso it seems to be adding that characteristic. This is very similar to the previous one but I don't think it's quite as good, missing the same warmth and softness, turning harsher as the ABV rises to 17.6% ABV.

They don't get any cleaner as they go along, so it's more of the same soupy mess from Barrel Aged Barley Wine Aged in Oloroso Ruby Port Single Malt Finish. Even though it's the strongest so far, at 17¾% ABV, it's less boozy, with a reduced whiskey effect. The port really shines through instead, sweet and juicy, offering red grapes and Christmas pudding. You only really get the spirit in its slightly hot aroma. Overall, though, it's extremely well balanced and integrated, delivering sufficient wintery warmth while also bringing a lighter, more subtle, fruit complexity, without any of the dregs it looks like it has. I think this is the best of them so far, and I'm expecting something quite different and distinct from the next one.

Peat and rum: together at last, said nobody ever. Our final beer is Barrel Aged Peated Barley Wine Aged in Oloroso Rum Finish. It's the palest of them all, but still pretty muddy and quite flat. At least now I know not to be taken in by appearances. We're right on the coast with the aroma: an iodine and salt mix that says peat but also seaweed. I'm guessing the barrel here was from actual Islay rather than an Irish distillery's take on it. The base flavour is the same chocolatey malt-driven strong beer, sweet and warm and calorific. On top of it, however, throwing very loud shapes, is that smoky peat effect, performing as a daft novelty and not really feeling like it belongs with the rest. Though a serious 18.2% ABV, this is the joker in the pack. A daring experiment, but the result lacks the grace and poise of the others.

I'm sure there'll be no let up in the pace of new DOT beers through 2024. Thanks to Shane and Matthew for keeping me on my toes.