You have discovered Celtus, an Estonian Beer and Spinning Plates, from Tiny Rebel Brewery. Let’s head to Ireland to discover a collaborative craft beer from White Hag and O Brother: a true liquid dessert known as Salted Caramel Stout.
Salted Caramel Stout – White Hag x O Brother collaboration beer
White Hag Brewery
Located along the Wild Atlantic Way on Ireland’s west coast, in Sligo, White Hag is an independent craft brewery focused on brewing innovative beers inspired by classic and ancient styles. The brewery takes its name from Irish mythology, where the White Hag represents Mother Nature and the union of earth, sea and water. This identity reflects the brewery’s commitment to creating pure, characterful craft beers.
Founded in 2013, the brewery quickly built a strong reputation thanks to its diverse international team and its successful range of hop-forward IPAs. It later expanded into sour beers, including creative fruited and spiced sours. Today, White Hag also runs an extensive barrel-ageing programme, with over 40,000 litres of beer maturing in oak barrels, reinforcing its position in the Irish craft beer scene.
O Brother Brewery
O Brother Brewing was founded by three Irish brothers — Barry, Paddy and Brian — who launched their project in December 2014 in County Wicklow. They established their brewery in Kilcoole, a small coastal town. Their mission is to brew bold, flavour-packed beers inspired by intensely hopped American craft styles.
The brewery is well known for its collaborative mindset, regularly partnering with fellow brewers and beer enthusiasts to create unique limited-edition beers. Since its launch, O Brother Brewing has produced more than fifty different beers across multiple styles and has earned numerous awards at international beer festivals.
Pastry Stout beer style
The Pastry Stout style — literally “dessert stout” — is known for its rich, indulgent profile with flavours of chocolate, roasted coffee and sweet pastry notes. Modern craft brewers often enhance these stouts with ingredients such as vanilla, cocoa, spices and caramel to create dessert-like beers.
Once considered overly sweet and gimmicky, Pastry Stouts are now highly sought after by craft beer fans looking for full-bodied, treat-style beers.
These stouts are typically smooth and low in carbonation, often brewed with lactose or dextrose to increase sweetness and body, since these sugars are not fully fermentable by yeast. The goal is to deliver a luxurious mouthfeel and a long, dessert-like finish.
Salted Caramel Stout tasting notes
The idea for Salted Caramel Stout was born during White Hag’s annual Hagstravaganza festival, where the two breweries decided to create a winter collaboration beer. Their objective was to brew a rich, warming stout inspired by sweet pastries — a true Pastry Stout.
This salted caramel stout is a dense, indulgent dark beer designed for slow tasting rather than as an aperitif. It pours completely opaque with a deep ebony colour from heavily roasted black malts. The aroma is intensely gourmand, featuring notes of caramel candy, caramel cream, vanilla crème brûlée, hazelnut and milk chocolate, supported by a gentle warming alcohol note.
On the palate, it is full-bodied and velvety, with a creamy texture. Flavours of freshly ground coffee, dried fruit, roasted almonds, coconut and brandied cherries add complexity and depth, leading to a long, smooth and dessert-like finish.
Food pairing with Salted Caramel Stout
This dessert stout can be enjoyed on its own or paired with caramel cake and other rich desserts for an indulgent beer and food pairing experience.
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Please drink responsibly.
