There's something skulking in the deep, murky waters of the Murray in the Riverland. No one really knows what it is but, so the legend says, it will rattle you. People liken it to a bad dream – nay, a severe nightmare; your head hurts and the brain is shaken. “The Bunyip has struck!” are the words uttered the following morning...
In the case of this Bunyip, it's going back for one too many that would leave the head hurting: it's Woolshed's annual winter release, a Riverland (rather than Russian) Imperial Stout. Before release, the beer is cellared for six months until it is ready to be released in the dead of winter. Being a single batch, there are only 30 cases and seven kegs available, with the latter aged in bourbon barrels.
As for the barrel free bottled version, it pours as dark as the midnight waters of the Murray River with a solid mocha head from which dark chocolate erupts, paired with a creamy, sweetish aroma. It's very full bodied – sure to warm the coldest corners of your body – with huge cocoa flavours that arise from the abyss, followed by more chocolate and roasted malts, all combining in a finish that's slightly sweet with a subdued bitterness and a silky creaminess.
Matt King
Published June 2, 2017 2017-06-02 00:00:00
