Dara Dry Stout
Muddy York Brewing Co.

 

473 mL can from the brewery; dated Sep 12 2024 and served barely chilled.

Pours a dark brownish-black colour with reddish-purple highlights; more than two fingers of puffy, foamy, beige-tinted head erupts from the surface. It recedes at a brisk pace: less than five minutes later, a creamy collar and filmy cap are the only remnants, save for the lovely curtain of thick lace. Light roasty character on the nose - cocoa, medium roast coffee and a hint of dark chocolate, with just a wisp of smoke.

Mellow profile; well balanced, and fairly flavourful for only 4.2%. Milk chocolate and toffee early on, followed by cocoa and coffee. Roasty conclusion with dark chocolate bitterness receding into a dry aftertaste. Light-medium in body, with minimal carbonation which contributes to this stout's silky-smooth mouthfeel. Effortlessly easy to drink.

Final Grade: 3.85, a B+. Muddy York's Dara is a very good Irish dry stout, one that I plan to stock up on before next St. Patrick's Day if at all possible. For reference's sake: I'm not sure if I'd rank this as high as O'Hara's, but it's miles ahead of Guinness Draught and roughly on par with their Extra Stout. Anyone in the market for a session stout should keep this on their radar for sure.

April 9 2026