Durham Brewery White Stout

Durham Brewery White Stout

Style: White Stout

Alcohol Content: 7.2%

From: Durham, County Durham, England 

Purchased from: Beer Boutique, Putney, London, England

http://www.durhambrewery.co.uk/

The Durham Brewery was launched in August 1994 by two former teachers, Christine and Steve Gibbs.Thier initial brews came under the guise of the "White Range", a series of playful experiments using different hop varieties over a pale malt base. So successful were these experiments, that in 1999 the brewery upgraded to a 10 barrel production line and launched a range of bottle conditioned beers a year later. Thier adventurous bottle range is now available from the lightest 3.8% to the darkest 10%. By the end of the decade the brewery had outgrown their current premises and the brewery purchased some additional space to house their offices and a hospitality area.

A White Stout i hear you cry? Just like you, I was so intrigued when i saw the label, i just had to buy it. But what does the term White Stout actually mean? Well two hundred years ago, before the Porter brewers of London commandeered the term "Stout" to refer to a Stout Porter, the term used referred to a strong beer. It didn't have to be black in colour, just stronger than 5% ABV. Here is Durham's attempt at this traditional style, their White Stout.

Old School Celtic label

Colour: Pours a light copper or pale orange. A beautiful, thick white head is also present. It's so thick, it actually reminds me of a Mr Whippy ice cream I eat every time the sun comes out.

Aroma: This beer has such a beautiful nose that you could almost say its very similar to a German Weiss beer. Notes of spicy cardamom, cumin and sweet juicy mango will fill your nostrils and make you believe you are sitting on a beach in Goa. Personally, I think that this beer would work very well with spicy Asian food such as Kung Po Chicken or prawn Pad Thai.

Body: Even though this drink is clear, it actually feels rather heavy in the mouth due to the strength of the alcohol. This sensation mixed with the use of Columbus hops, causes a slight clogging on the back of your throat which can be a little unpleasant at first but this soon dies down to reveal a pleasurable drinking experience.

Taste: Notes of juicy blackberries and sweet mango dominate the palate on the first sip. This eventually gives way to hints of spicy cardamom and warming alcohol, followed a long, dry mildly bitter finish. Everything about this drink screams to me IPA! The strength and the sweetness of this brew remind me of the Kernel Brewery Columbus IPA I reviewed earlier in this blog. A drink of varying characteristics, that will add a spicy kick to any drinking session.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/kernel-brewery-ipa-columbus.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/east-london-brewing-foundation-bitter.html

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