Bête Noire Hirisk Stout
Kelham Island Brewery

Bag in box to beer engine. Smell liquorice, taste sweetish coffee but nice and bitter on the back end, drinks easily, hand pumped really nice with tight creamy head.

had on cask @ work at the Portcullis Bristol
mmm...nice black stout poured in the glass - misses the mark a bit in terms of head and lacing, but still a nice dark tasty looking brew

nose is a nice balance of stout like mocha character and a bit of dried fruit, perhaps some prunes - not quite as prominent as it could be though

taste is very nice - balanced bitter off-dry cocoa and coffee flavours mixed with a bit more of that mysterious dried fruit - alcohol is present but is quite nice, makes it more like a chocolate liqueur.

Tasted by a pint at the Swim Inn, a JDW pub in central Sheffield. Served by a hand pump w/ a sparkler.

A: the nearly black body carries a very creamy and tight beige frothy head on top that lasts throughout the drink, while carbonation status is unknown due to the darkness.
S: due to the thick froth, the smell gives not much hint more than a faint trace of roastiness, very mild coffee, and some hop resins; a swirl helps to bring out a deeper layer of aroma consisting of sticky dark fruits and chocolate liquor.
T: liquid form of treacle and sweet coffee prevail upfront, plus a mildly winey dark fruits (with a lightly sour touch to it); slowly developing at the back is a flow of earthy and almost tannic bitterness and a semi-rich and lubricating bitter cocoa, while its dryish, roasted bitterness seems to take over in the far end along with lingering dry hops, liquidy chocolates, some signs of licorice and roast nuttiness.
M&D: I suspect this is a real chocolate stout judging by the rich cocoa flavour in it, yet it's also got a sound fruity base; not bad in complexity, while the texture is also creamy smooth to result in a higher quaffability. Overall, this is an above-average stout that drinks dangerously well at 5.5%abv.