Fort George Brewery - The Murky Pearl

I'd share this beer with you,
but I'm shellfish...

I'm a man on a mission--a mission to try every oyster stout I can get my grubby hands on. Let's just say I'm a fan of the style. I know, I know, oysters in a beer sounds like a really bad idea, but it's not, trust me. Oyster stouts are just plain flippin' awesome!

When I saw that Bailey's Taproom had Fort George Brewery's The Murky Pearl on tap, I just had to get over there to try some. My wife was using the car, so I took the bus downtown. Always an interesting group of folks on public transportation. People of all walks of life--walks being the operative word. Not a lot of BMW owners riding the ol' number 17, I'm just sayin'. Of course, I drive the ol' reliable Family Truckster when it's available.

The beer was presented on the bar before me in a 20 oz. glass. It was a deep, dark black color with a beautiful, creamy tan head. The head dissipated at a moderate rate and had good retention.

Aroma was roasted malt, coffee and molasses, with just a hint of hops way in the background.

Taste was bitter dark chocolate, with espresso and dark fruit. There's a pleasant smokiness to this brew. The aftertaste delivers just a tinge of salty ocean flavor. Nothing overpowering at all. The oyster taste is very, very subtle, but still leaves something mollusk-y familiar on the palate.

Medium to full mouthfeel with low carbonation.

Man, I really am hooked on the oyster stouts and Fort George makes a damn good one! I'm loving this beer and would bring some home if I could. The Murky Pearl gets a BeerGuyPDX rating of 4 crushed cans out of  4.