Mena Dhu

Mena Dhu by St. Austell Brewery

Style: stout, stout porter 

Try if you like: Bath Ales 'Darkside', Guinness original, Fullers London Porter, dark chocolate, coffee, roasted vanilla flavours, demerrera sugar.

If you've read any of my previous posts, you'll know I have a soft spot for Cornwall and it's brewing output and when I visited Clovelly (actually in Devon - we 'skipped the border for a day) whilst holidaying in Cornwall last summer, I came across a half pint of this: the mighty Mena Dhu - St.Austell Brewery's signature stout. It is, simply put, sublime. It is everything a stout should be but, as Spinal Tap so elequently put it, turned up to 11. As far as I have tried, this is the perfect stout: thick, luxurious head, smooth and chocolately body with all those coffee and toasted malt notes you so crave from something so richly coloured and kissed by treacle. From amidst this mocha and hop infused fog flits the undertone of vanilla and smoke which is what gives this brew the elevation above many in its peer group. All of this and very little weight mean that you could go for a few before realising it. I enjoyed my half pint in the summer sunshine with the sea breeze wafting over my catatonic face and it didn't feel a joy out of place - who says stouts are for winter? If you can find this anywhere bulk buy the stuff. 

I have to congratulate St.Austell: they've produced something nothing short of legendary. I look forward to the day this gets some serious 'mainstream' attention.