Hello, and welcome back to the Eternal Hoptimists,
Well, here we go, it’s time to try the Brewdog beer that has been getting a lot of people talking recently as it is claiming (through some clever marketing) to be the nearest rival and better than Guinness.
However, in this review I am not going to look at a direct comparison, instead I am reviewing Black Heart as a standalone beer to see if it is one worthy of checking out or simply a gimmick that will sell in abundance thanks in no small measure to the aforementioned marketing from the team at Brewdog.
1. Name : Black Heart
2. Brewery: Brewdog (Ellon, Scotland)
3. Hops : Not specified
4. Grain : Barley & Yeast
5. Aroma : Pleasant aroma of caramel, chocolate and a hint of roasted coffee with a tinge of bitterness cutting through. This one is very appealing on the nose.
6. Appearance : Jet black beer in the glass with a tight, fluffy one to two finger white head.
7. Body : Thin body which if I am being honest is a touch watery.
8. Taste : All of the aromas detected are certainly present in the taste with notes of coffee, chocolate and caramel to the fore with a roasty edge which makes way to an ever so slight bitterness at the back end.
Well, what can I say other than I think Brewdog may well have a hit on their hands with Black Heart. Forget the direct comparisons, this is a pretty decent and highly sessionable stout coming in at 4.1% abv. The beer has a classy can design, looks good in the glass, has a very pleasant aroma and a good range of flavours that help this one to pretty much slip down.
Being somewhat critical I have to say that what lets Black Heart down is the incredibly thin body which does seem a touch watery, however I can perhaps overlook this as the flavours that I was hoping for are certainly there making this one a highly sessionable beer.
Currently, Black Heart is available in most major supermarkets at a very competitive price and can be obtained as single cans, in packs of four or packs of ten which again is a good move from Brewdog so that you can dip your toes into the stouty water before fully committing. I personally went for a four pack, drunk two cans then the following day went back for another. I can see this being a pretty regular purchase for me for whenever I fancy a stout session or starting on something light before breaking out the imperials.
Marks overall rating: 3.6/ 5.0
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