Little Bang Dark Arts & Sludgebeast

Little Bang Brewing

Published June 24, 2019

Why bring one dark beer out for winter when you can release two? (OK, if we're honest, there's more than two in the Little Bang locker, but bear with us as these two have been released in cans within a week of each other...)

Dark Arts is the Stepney brewers' joint venture with SA's State Theatre Company. Apparently, the latter requested "a dark beer for a dark show", but by the end of the collaboration Little Bang "just wanted to give them some chocolates." The aroma suggests they were tempted to sneak in some nougat too as there's a creamy sweetness accompanying the chocolate on the nose. It's full and dessert like, with figs, fudge, vanilla and a dusting of cacao completing the scene.

As for Sludgebeast, it certainly has the appearance to match up to its name: in the glass it looks like oil buried beneath a layer of clay, such is the density of the head. Here, there's Port-soaked oak, coffee and cocoa at play, all of which are sacrificed on the altar of the beast and turned into something intensely chocolaty at first that transitions more into roasty territory as it crawls towards your gullet, as if squeezed from a tube. It's boozily warming without being overtly hot – there's too much smothering sludginess to allow that to happen, after all.

James Smith

Style
Chocolate & Imperial Stouts
ABV
6.3% & 12.0%
Bitterness
36.3 & 89 IBU
Name
Little Bang Brewing
Address

25 Henry Street
Stepney
SA 5069

Phone
(08) 8362 7761
Regular events

Wed: Quiz Night
Monthly: New episodes on their YouTube channel

Open Hours

Wed & Thurs: 5pm to 10pm
Fri & Sat: midday to 10pm
Sunday: midday to 6pm

Tours

Yes! Get in touch for details