Bellarine Mussel Stout

Brewed by Bellarine Brewing Company
Style: Stout
Bellarine, Vic, Australia

Serve in English pint

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UPDATED: SEP 2, 2008 Dark, dark brown almost black in colour with a dark, thick choc-orange head. Nose displays milky chocolate with dry bittersweet roast. Palate shows much of the same, is medium bodied with what seems like a degree of smokiness in the mid-palate...maybe... Finishes with dry roast and toasty malt.

If I had have known this was actually brewed with mussels, there’s no way I would have picked this up. Mussels, really? How do they do that? Aaaaanyway, I’m glad I gave it a crack. There’s a strong chocolatey, coffee aroma but there’s also an unmistakeable briny, sea water scent. No mussels, thank god, but it’s a strange combination, mocha and brine. Nevertheless, the aroma the highlight of the beer, if for no other reason that it’s something truly different. The taste is more coffee with a hint of chocolate. It could be a little bit heavier on the palate, and a little longer at the end, but nevertheless it drinks very well. Overall, this beer is, oddly, greater than the sum of its parts. I’ll definitely give it another go.

Pours a black with a tan head. Sweet fruity taste with a slightly salty finish.

Bottle - Murky dark brown. Big tan head. Medium carbonation. Roasted malts, coffee, liquorice, smoky. A little salty. Medium bitterness. Can’t say I can taste mussels Qute nice.

Aroma is chocolate, chalky, roasty, cocoa, and ashy dirt, all well-melded into a muddy, earthy, chocolate aroma. Pours a fizzy black to brown with no head. Taste is slightly vinous, chalky, sweet cocoa and fizzy, with a doughy sourdough/pumpkernickel loaf essence. Finish is slightly dry and a bit sour with some chalky cocoa. yum!

Very deep browny colour with thin tan foam. Deep, dark & mysterious nose; notes of moist rye bread, scorched earth and prune. The palate is medium bodied and delightfully savoury. Dark rye bread theme continues, aided by a little spice and a touch of salt, medium bitterness on the back palate and good length. Idiosyncratic, intriguing. Would love to try some with a big hearty stew.

Nice and really roasty stout. Medium bodied. Not terribly complex but the bit in the tail really gives it an added kick.

From a 330ml bottle on 9/8/2010. Has quite a strong aroma of coffee, brown sugar and a touch of sea water (I guess mussels smell of sea water). Tastes of roasted malt and liquorice, and has a sharp, lingering salty finish. An okay stout, but not particularly complex or special.

Darkish beer, with a nice coffee, nut aroma. A coffee taste, but from a person that has never liked coffee - this is very subtle and quite good.

Pours black with ruby highlights and a large lasting head. Nose shows a fair bit of cocoa and plenty of roasted coffee. Pretty hard to find any evidence of the mussels. Coffee transfers through as a flavour exceptionally well, mixing with some dark chocolate. Once again, it’s hard to find what effect the mussels have. Carbonation is a bit too high in my opinion.

deep beer, quite salty with a coffee/toffee flavours that are very strong. not for me, but others with me enjoyed it