Specialty Irish Stout Ideas?

[Microphobik]

Hi, I just brewed an Irish Dry Stout (more Murphy's than Guinness), and was planning on pulling of a gallon once fermented and add something to it in secondary. Both for variety and so I have more styles to enter in an upcoming homebrew competition.

Anyone have any experience adding specialty ingredients to an Irish Dry Stout, that turned out well?

Coffee seems like a good bet. Possibly age it on oak...

With a fairly dry beer like this it seems like the wrong ingredient would just add astringency.

Any ideas?

 

[lowtones84]

Jameson soaked oak?

Jameson soaked oak + coffee= Irish Coffee stout

 

[castillo556]

The Irish are fun, but their beer and food is boring. (although a full Irish breakfast is pretty intense)

Irish stout is a great style, but it is simple and doesn't really lend itself to well to thinking outside the box, IMHO.

 

[Microphobik]

Yeah, the Irish coffee idea with Jameson soaked oak occurred to me as well. Just wasn't sure if a 4.2% beer could support all that. But perhaps.

I also totally agree that the style doesn't support a lot of outside the box ideas.

Was hoping maybe someone had tried something that worked.