BEER NAME?
Nitro Draught Stout
WHERE’S IT FROM?
Pirate Life
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT?
A nitro stout in a can with the same creamy, silky head you would expect from a tap?
Sounds too good to be true, but that’s the claim of South Australian brewers Pirate Life, using a fixed “top-hat” nitro widget design to deliver a “consistent, tap-quality pour” straight from the can.
The design has been in use in US and UK breweries since 2017 but Pirate Life says this is the first time it has been used in Australia, with the fixed nitro widget inside a specialised tin activating on opening to deliver a surge inside the can, ensuring a consistent pour and trademark silky texture every time.
The recommendation is to pour it vigorously into your glass and let the creamy head settle before taking a sip.
When you crack the 404mL can, you immediately hear the widget do its thing, releasing the nitrogen stored inside and shooting tiny nitrogen bubbles up through the liquid. The vigorous pour means it comes out a swirling liquid before settling into a deep oil-black in colour with a tight, creamy mocha-coloured head that leaves a thick lacing behind on the glass.
Made using using 100 per cent Australian malts — including Pale Malt, Wheat Malt, Roasted Barley — it gives off aromas of coffee and dark chocolate. Saphir hops keep the roasted notes from appearing too heavy.
Take a sip and it has that signature nitro smoothness and a creamy mouthfeel. It boasts a light taste with no noticeable bitterness, just those chocolate and espresso notes you would expect.
It comes to a clean, relatively dry finish without the sticky sweetness of heavier stouts.
Pirate Life general manager Mark Moran said the brewer dropped its first nitro in 2017 and had spent years honing the process before attempting to release one in a can. It comes as the sales of dark beer increases, up 14.2 per cent on last year, with nitro driving a significant share of that growth.
The Nitro Stout Draught was released just last week and is available through major stores like Dan Murphy’s and Liquorland, as well as on tap at Pirate Life Perth, so you can decide for yourself if it delivers on its promise.
SHOULD I SHARE IT?
With an ABV of 4.2 per cent, it is more sessionable that some heavy stouts.
WHAT’S THE DAMAGE?
$21.99 for a four-pack, $63.99 for a cube