Lindow The Black Lake Cheshire Stout, Cheshire Brewhouse

Lindow The Black Hole Cheshire Stout 4.5%

The stout comes from Shane Swindells’s Cheshire Brewhouse and takes its name from the black lake on Lindow Common in Wilmslow. It’s brewed with pale malt from Norfolk barley, Munich, crystal and chocolate malts, and roasted barley. The single hop is Pilgrim.

The beer is deep russet brown in colour going on black, with a herbal note on the aroma backed by creamy chocolate, espresso coffee and burnt fruit. Tart fruit builds on the palate with herbal hop notes and continuing rich fruit and dark roasted grain. The finish is bittersweet with a fine balance of herbal hops, dark fruit, chocolate and roasted grain.

£35 for a 10-litre bag in a box; £2.80 for a can. www.cheshirebrewhouse.co.uk