Lump of Coal – Stout

8% abv
1pt .9oz bottle
Ridgeway Brewing
Oxfordshire, England

I have never had or heard of this Dark Holiday Stout. Reading the bottle is funny. It starts on the front with the statement, “Much More Than You Deserve for Xmas This Year…” And here is what’s on the back of the bottle, “Yet another bummed-out holiday? Lump of Coal Dark Holiday Stout is liquid consolation. It’s deep, rich, sweetly rewarding stout to take the edge off of that grim family gathering, that cheerless annual festival of alienation. This brew is as dark as it gets, as black as the lump of coal you’ll be getting for Christmas. Because, let’s face it, you’ve been pretty bad this year.”

Besides the funny stuff, this stout is not all that bad. I did not expect much. It may be a little over priced at $6.00 a bottle because it is just a ‘good’ stout. The body is black and carries a tan head. The aroma seems to be sweet malty like and the taste is slightly sweet with a good thick dark chocolate bite. It leaves a nice bitter note on the tongue and the carbonation is light overall as you would expect a stout to be. This would be a fun one to buy and place is a beer lovers Xmas stocking.