First whiskey barrel-aged stout from Northern Irish brewery

Lacada Brewery, the Northern Irish community owned brewing co-operative, has launched a unique Irish whiskey barrel aged stout.

The craft brewery, based at Portrush in county Antrim, developed the stout in an oak barrel once used to mature a 60-year old single malt whiskey. The new stout (ABV 7.4%) is part of the small brewery's Salamander Series of special brews and is conditioned in 330ml bottles and available at a recommended retail price of £4.20.

The brewery laid its traditional stout down in the huge whiskey barrel last July and started bottling the new beer at the end of January.

Laurie Davies, Lacada's experienced head brewer and a founding member of the small co-operative, who is originally from Cornwell, describes the new stout as being "well balanced and smooth with vanilla, coffee, caramel and, of course, whiskey tones". It has a dark brown colour. "It's proved extremely popular with everyone who has tasted the stout," he says.

Lacada was established as a community co-operative in May 2014 following discussions involving craft beer enthusiasts in the Portrush area, Northern Ireland's leading holiday resort.

A small group from Lacada subsequently visited micro-breweries in England and the Republic of Ireland to expand knowledge of brewing techniques and management skills.

Interest in the brewery expanded amongst the north coast communities as soon as others heard about the venture. Ideas and proposals became a constant feature, and discussion and consensual decision-making became the core of the brewery as much as the beer recipes, that were being revised and improved.

Lacada is derived from Liach Fada which means 'the longstone' and refers to a rocky outcrop about 300 yards east of the world famous Giant's Causeway in county Antrim.

The names of the three-strong core range of beers are all drawn from local features.

The Salamander Series brand, in addition, is taken from a gold, ruby encrusted salamander recovered from a Spanish Armada warship which ran aground at Lacada Point, near Portrush, in 1588.