Dark Beer Tour of Australia

10/04/2026

🍺 Dark Beer Stop | Bacchus Brewing Co.

📍 Location: Capalaba, QLD
🍺 Beer Tried: Imperial Wake Up Buttercup Porter
🍺 ABV: 12%
🏭 Brewery: Bacchus Brewing Co.

📝 Tasting Notes:
Sweet and indulgent with sensational flavours of peanut, rich chocolate, and distinctive coffee. The complexity continues to build as the beer warms, allowing the layered flavours to become even more pronounced. At 12% ABV, it delivers a pleasant warming character and drinks very much like a dessert in a glass.

A big, flavour packed porter that rewards taking your time.

🔥 Would we order it again?
Absolutely — this is one I had been saving for the right moment, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I would happily purchase this one again.

👉 Your turn:
What is your favourite dark beer that I should try?

06/04/2026

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard!

Rob McMichael, Tommy D Rcc

06/04/2026

🍺 Dark Beer Stop | Sunshine Coast Brewery

📍 Location: Sunshine Coast, QLD
🍺 Beer Tried: The Porter
🏭 Brewery: Sunshine Coast Brewery

📝 Tasting Notes:
A great example of a traditional porter with strong coffee character supported by subtle cocoa notes and a well balanced bitterness through the finish. Smooth, drinkable, and true to style.

🏨 Venue Vibe:
The venue is situated in an industrial building, a little off the beaten track but definitely worth taking the time to visit. After spending time with Peter (Head Brewer), talking all things dark beer and the history of the brewery, he introduced me to their Rye ESB (review to come later). It was so good I had to take some home along with some additional Porters.

🔥 Would we order it again?
Absolutely — this one was good enough to take a few extra cans home to enjoy at a later date.

👉 Your turn:
Classic porter or ESB — what are you choosing?

05/04/2026

🍺 Dark Beer Stop | Sunshine Brewery

📍 Location: Sunshine Coast, QLD
🍺 Beer Tried: Chai Porter
🏭 Brewery: Sunshine Brewery

📝 Tasting Notes:
Instant chai spice hits up front before settling into an excellent example of a traditional porter. Mild coffee and chocolate notes flow through the palate, supported by a smooth mouthfeel that makes this an easy and enjoyable dark beer.

🏨 Venue Vibe:
A very welcoming venue with a relaxed atmosphere. A big thank you to Daryl and Craig for hosting us, always great to chew the fat with passionate brewers who clearly love what they do.

🔥 Would we order it again?
Absolutely! A standout porter that we will definitely be returning for.

👉 Your turn:
Chai in a dark beer — yes or no?

03/04/2026

🍺 Dark Beer Stop | Artisan Brewing

📍 Location: Fremantle, WA
🍺 Beer Tried: Waffle Oatmeal Porter
🍺 Style: Oatmeal Porter

📝 Tasting Notes:
Not quite what I was expecting with a name like Waffle. I had visions of sweet toast and maple syrup, but that’s not what presented in the glass.

Instead, this is a solid and well structured oatmeal porter, where the malts take centre stage. Flavours of chocolate, gentle malt-derived bitterness, and restrained sweetness, silky smooth body, finishing mostly dry.

A sound example of the oatmeal porter style,just not the dessert like profile the name might suggest.

🔥 Would we order it again?
Yes — a well balanced porter that stays true to style, even if the name hints at something sweeter.

🍻 From the road:
Another find from my time in Fremantle, WA and more to come.

👉 Your turn:
When a beer name suggests dessert, do you expect sweetness?

03/04/2026

02/04/2026

🍺 Dark Beer Stop | Innate Brewers
📍 Location: Spearwood WA
🍺 Beer Tried: Dark Rift Black IPA
🍺 Style: Black IPA

🍻 From the road:
Well this is one of a few that I collected during my time in Fremantle, WA. Keep an eye out as there are more to come.

📝 Tasting Notes:
Dark brown in colour with a tan coloured and solid head. On the nose it presents very much like a traditional IPA with fruity citrus aromas leading the way. On the palate it delivers a pronounced citrus hop profile with significant bitterness, balanced by a mild malty backbone and subtle burnt coffee undertones. A nice crossover style that blends hop character with darker roasted complexity.

A great option for those who enjoy the hop punch of an IPA but still want a darker edge.

🔥 Would we order it again?
First time trying this style and I was pleasantly surprised and will definitely venture down this path again

👉 Your turn:
Black IPA… best of both worlds or confusing the issue?