Dun Hogs Head
Islay Ale Co. Ltd.

stamp says something about Sept 2016 but hard to read, 500ml bottle, 4.4%

Appearance (Look) = 6%
black, some khaki head

Smell = 24%
slight sour, faint hint of lactose, hint of roast

Taste = 40%
watery, astringent, sour, some roasted

Mouthfeel (Feel) = 10%
watery, atringent

Overall = 20%
eh. watery. sour. weak body. a tiny bit of interesting roast chocolate, but pretty much a boring typical British stout that CAMRA would support (it does and is proudly stamped on the bottle) Claims to be a wheat/barley stout and I'm not a huge fan of wheat beers. Not sure why anyone would make a stout with wheat nor if you are in Islay why you wouldn't use 100% barley.. Moreover, not sure why most UK small brewers find it incapable to try something bold and interesting.

 

Bottle-conditioned in a 500ml brown bottle, BB May 08, served cool in a straight pint glass.

A: pours a nearly black hue with a creamy and thick tan froth that lasts extremely well; light in carbonation as far as my eyes and ears can manage. Looking gorgeous.
S: a lightly phenolic, or peat-smokey, hint surrounds the "less unique" roasty note of a stout, very likely as a result of the peat-smoked malts in line with the tradition of making of Islay Whisky; a swirl awakens char, salt, thick oily tar, chocolates, and a surprising blackcurrent as well as flowery edge of hops at the back. Very enticing.
T: the effervescent foretaste gets immediately bitter, then turning increasingly dry and slightly chewy on the texture. Lots of charred wood, roasted barley, licorice, and coffee-ish flavour dominate throughout, while hop bitterness joins force with roast-barley's bitterness in the long but clean finish.
M&D: this is a light-bodied, mildly fizzy (very well bottle-conditioned), super easy-drinking and indeed more-ish stout endowed with a certain degree of complexity and tremendous depth of bitterness. This is more like an Irish Dry Stout to me than any English counterparts, hence this entry as such. Well worth a try!