Hopped and Bothered: Flying Dog Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout

Flying Dog Brewery -- Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout

Alcohol content 5.5% (sad face). This pours a dark black, like the briny deep (I'll stop with the puns right about now). The scent is charred malt and a hint of coffee. So far, about your average stout. Nothing special. No alcohol burn.

It tastes like an average stout. A pinch of chocolate. A lot of burnt malt. A bit of vanilla and cold coffee.

And then the oysters kick in. Yes. You read that right. Oysters. They add a pinch of dry salt to the end and offer a unique spin on an average stout. This would probably taste wondrous on tap, but from the bottle its a tad weak and lacking. The smokiness adds a bit to the oceanic effect, but it just needs more.

But it has oysters.

Buy if: you want something unique.

Overall: it really needs more of everything. More malt, more cocoa, more sea salt and oyster at the finish. Its a bit watery and just needs more power. A unique, memorable experience I would share only with a friend.

3 out of 5.

--Nick