Exeter Brewery has launched a new low-alcohol version of Darkness stout, one of its best-known beers. It’s in response to growing demand for full-flavour alternatives with lower strength.
Darkness Low is a 0.5% ABV stout based on Darkness, the brewery’s full bodied 5.1% ABV stout and multi-award-winning CAMRA favourite. It is now available to trade and retail in cans. Originally a cask and bottle product, a nitro-carbonated keg and can version is also now available.
Darkness Low delivers notes of roasted coffee, chocolate, and liquorice, finishing with a smooth smokiness more commonly associated with higher-strength dark beers.
The launch reflects wider changes in drinking habits, with low- and no-alcohol beers continuing to grow in popularity among consumers looking for moderation without compromising on taste.
“There has been a lot of growth in low-alcohol beer, and Darkness Low is our first entry into this sector,” said Exeter Brewery managing director Alan Collyer. “The response has been fantastic, and we are looking forward to adding further low-ABV products in the future.
“We wanted to create something that still felt like a proper stout rather than a compromise. Darkness has built a strong following over the years, so it was important that this version retained the richness and character people expect from it.”
