Export Stout Patrons Project 40.05
Style: Dry stout
Brewery: Northern Monk
Origin: England
Size: 44cl
Alcohol: 6%
Price: 70kr
Systembolaget: 88947 (sold out)
After a chance meeting at a beer festival, founders Russell and Brian formed Northern Monk in a dark basement using £5000 gifted to Russell from his grandma. They grew rapidly and are now one of the most well-known craft breweries in England. They work with local artists and events to form the Patron series, with each range having 7 different beers. Our first beer on the night from Northern Monk was this dry stout. This is beer no.5 from their 40th Patron series, in collaboration with English fashion designer Dubwhy. But was it any good? It was a bit average if I’m honest.
This poured an opaque jet-black with a thick, creamy tan head that held for a fairly long time thanks to the nitro pour. The aroma was light yet layered, with some easy roasted coffee and dark chocolate at the forefront, and a hint of dark berries backing those up. On the palate, the smooth roasted malt and chocolate flavours again were first to be noted, finishing with a dry cacao powder bitterness. There was a touch of pine and spice from the hops, giving the stout an unexpected edge. The mouthfeel was fairly silky, again due to the nitro, but I thought the body was slightly thin.
Overall, I thought this was a well-made stout. In this day and age where big imperial stouts seem to rule the market in the genre, it was nice to see a slightly more subdued and refined take on the classic style. I liked this and would be happy to enjoy another, however the major stumbling block on this beer was the price. 70kr for this beer was simply not worth it, and you can unfortunately get better stout for half the price. If you don’t mind the price, I would suggest you go for it, but at 70kr it’s simply just too much for me to recommend wholeheartedly.