Today St David’s Day Brains the Cardiff based brewery launched a new beer at their wonderful Crawshay Arms pub, which is in the grounds of the Brewery, the best pub in Cardiff has it does not have a till!

What is different about it from the other Brains keg ales, well It’s a Stout, and they have called it Black.

They see it as a direct competitor to Guinness but at a cheaper price point but with a slightly familiar Brains taste aimed at their regulars.

I used to drink Guinness as my backup beer if there was no Cask Ales on as you could always rely on it, so how would the pretender to the Irish throne compare?.

Well It tasted like the Irish institution on first sip but without the overly reliance on the moustache covering white head, but Black did have more to it, dare I say a great dark roasted malt taste that the Irish one does not seem to deliver any more.

And a better session beer I think at. 4.1% abv and hopefully they wont be brining out an extra cold version soon as that ruined Guinness IMHO

With a launch through selected brains houses this month and you may find it elsewhere within the year.

If you like a bit of the Irish black stuff then give Brains black a go, if you drink Brains excellent Dark on cask also give it a go, it’s got more of the blarney than Dark has, but would make a nice change.

We also had Welsh Black Beef cooked in Brains Black – a great combination served with rice with laverbread & leeks a great end to a good few hours tasting this new brew on our Saints Day.