Port Stephans based Murray’s Craft Brewing Co are once preparing for their annual Dark Beer Month this June, planning several new releases that will be available progressively throughout the the month, starting from Saturday 4th June. A total of eight beers – 3 bottles, 5 draught – have been brewed for this time of the year, worked into a schedule that will aim to highlight some of the brewery’s biggest, most audacious brews yet, aimed at balancing out the winter months.
“These aren’t ordinary beers”, said brewery owner Murray Howe. “[We have] Imperial Stouts, Coffee Stouts, Chocolate Porters, Strong Dark Belgian Ales, Brown Ales, Dark ESB’s, and even a Dark Gose”. In a similar fashion to last year’s successful month, there will also be two “Wild Thing” Imperial Stouts in the bottle, both the original and Murray’s Wild Thing Coffee Imperial Stout, both brewed by the beer’s original recipe-meister and Head Brewer Graeme Mahy. The Coffee twist has been described as a massive, intense beer with a strong dark coffee espresso and hints of chocolate and toffee from dark malts, created from the addition of 1000 espresso shots to a batch of the original Imperial Stout, which is already an aggressively rich brew with mocha and a hint of malt sweetness.
“I love this beer!”, shares Graeme. “There is nothing insipid about it…it’s well above the upper limits of flavour and colour for its class”. The brewer also describes the planned Black Gose as the brewery’s “most unusual beer yet” a “tart and slightly salty” German-style beer that has history dating back thousands of years, inspired by the recent renaissance in the U.S that’s bringing the Black Gose back, but twisting it so that “instead of the normal pale straw colour we thought we would darken it”. Murray’s edition of the Dark Grose will be the final release for the month, presenting with a chocolate aroma and flavour, with what is described as “tones of saltiness and coriander” and “a refreshing finish from the acidity of the lactobacillus” used.
In addition to the ‘Wild Thing’ Imperial Stouts, Murray’s third bottled beer for this month will be the Hell of the North, which is a strong dark Belgian Ale that is said to “push the limits” for flavour, presenting an intense drinking experience.
For more information on all beers visit Murray’s Brewing HERE
To accompany all these releases, those heading along to Murray’s Brewing will be treated to a series of live concerts each weekend, including a performance by Mark Wells Band on the long weekend. The brewery Chefs are also busy creating a huge line-up of comfort food to pair with the dark beers, including a whopping 1KG rack of Dark-Beer Marinated Ribs.
Murray’s Dark Beer Month Schedule
- ‘Wild Thing’ Imperial Stout 10% abv || in bottle || from Sat 4th June
- ‘Hey Porter’ Chocolate Porter 6.1% abv || on tap || from Sat 4th June<
- ‘Fly By Night’ Schwartzbier 5.9% abv || on tap || from Sat 4th June<
- ‘Wild Thing’ Coffee Imperial Stout 10% abv || in bottle || from Sat 11th June
- ‘Hell of the North’ Strong Belgian Dark Ale 11.5% abv || in bottle || from Sat 11th June
- ‘Angry Man’ Brown Ale 6.5% abv || on tap || from Sat 11th June
- ‘Dark Horse’ Dark ESB 5.5% abv || on tap || from Sat 11th June
- ‘Sebastian’ Dark Gose 4.5% abv || on tap || from Sat 25th June
All beers will be available from Murray’s Brewery in venue or online, plus leading craft beer venues throughout the month of June.
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