Mourne Mountains Brewery, one of Northern Ireland’s most innovative young craft breweries, has announced the launch of its latest seasonal special, a whiskey and vanilla barrel-aged stout.

The release is limited edition, with just 750 bottles available and follows the resounding success of the brewery’s Chocolat Chaud and Coast to Coast specials earlier this year and 2015’s First Noel and Pumpkin Porter.

The concept for the whiskey and vanilla stout was created via a social media competition the brewery ran to coincide with brewing month during Northern Ireland’s Year of Food & Drink, where it asked amateur beer connoisseurs to suggest a new flavour.

Brewery founder Connaire McGreevy explained: “24 year old Andrew Hamilton from Derry came up with the winning flavour, and so the whiskey and vanilla stout was born.

“We invited him into the brewery back in June to create the beer under the tutelage of our experienced brewer Tom Ray, and since then it has been resting quietly in Irish whiskey casks just waiting for the right moment to be bottled.

“This beer is completely unlike anything we’ve brewed so far and we’re pretty excited to hear what people think of it. Tom and Andrew have combined specialty grains to give this export stout a jet black colour and full malty body.

“Oaky vanilla notes have developed over the last few months spent maturing in the wood, as well as a sumptuous warmth from the Irish whiskey that has passed from the oak into the beer,” he added.

The 8.2% ABV whiskey and vanilla barrel-aged stout will be available from selected off licences, bars and restaurants throughout Northern Ireland while stocks last, and will form part of the brewery’s Christmas gift pack.

“This stout is a real winter warmer and will be a great addition to the three other beers in our Christmas pack.