Tenby Brewing Co, Mor Du, 5%

Mor Du is a 5% ABV Welsh stout from Tenby Brewing Co, sold in 440ml cans. The name translates from Welsh as "black sea", a fitting reference for a brewery based on the Pembrokeshire coast and for a beer built around dark, roasted malt character. It sits within the classic stout family, offering a full bodied, dark beer with roasted and lightly sweet notes, rather than the lighter, hop forward style that makes up much of Tenby Brewing Co's core range.

Tenby Brewing Co has been brewing independently in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, since 2015, based at the Salterns Industrial Estate close to the town's beaches. The brewery was set up to produce full flavoured, independently brewed beers using water drawn from the local area, and has built its reputation on a range that spans pale ales, lagers and stouts, all brewed on a relatively small scale close to the Pembrokeshire coast. Mor Du represents the brewery's take on a traditional stout style, brewed alongside its better known pale ales as part of a core range that reflects both classic and more contemporary British beer styles.

In the glass, Mor Du pours dark, close to black, with a tan head typical of the stout style. On the nose and palate it carries the roasted malt character associated with stouts, with hints of coffee and chocolate coming through against a backdrop of dark, toasted grain. The finish is balanced rather than harshly bitter, giving the beer a smooth, rounded mouthfeel that sits comfortably at its 5% ABV, making it approachable without being thin. As with most traditional stouts, the darker malts used in brewing give the beer its colour and a lightly bitter, roasted edge that offsets any residual sweetness.

Stouts of this style are well suited to cooler weather drinking and to pairing with rich or savoury food. Mor Du works well alongside red meat, particularly slow cooked or grilled dishes, as well as with strong cheeses, where the roasted malt can stand up to a mature cheddar or a washed rind cheese. It is also a reasonable match for chocolate based desserts, given the beer's own coffee and chocolate notes, or simply on its own as an evening drink served at cellar temperature rather than fully chilled, which allows more of the roasted character to come through.

For drinkers who know Tenby Brewing Co mainly for its pale ales, Mor Du is a useful reminder that the brewery's range extends into more traditional, malt driven territory. It is a straightforward, well made Welsh stout from an independent coastal brewery, built for anyone who wants a darker, more warming beer without straying into the very high strength end of the stout category.