Thundershuck Alaska Oyster Stout
49th State Brewing Co.

every bit as compelling as their oyster pale ale by the same name, really impressive stuff, served by the can in the pub when i was in, creamy and lathered up feeling, high minerality, bold and roasty, rich but also dry, super well done, european to me at its core with a big of an english yeast note to my palate, great bitterness, not a ton of middle malt sweetness, and a lot of nuance from salt to protein to calcium, and i get things like pipe tobacco, black olive, dark chocolate, french roast coffee, molasses, and charcoal, really layered and good, but also super well integrated as the oysters go, not fishy even though they use the whole oysters not just the shells, which im not sure how common that is, but it does add an epic textural creaminess to this, and the whole thing is so smooth, long, and interesting without being nearly as challenging or exotic as it sounds, the mouthfeel makes it, but the flavor is great as well, definitely a brine component, but it doesnt break this down and make it thin. this is the kind of place i want a good oyster stout to come from, and they have delivered, a top example of the style for me in recent memory, not a novelty beer as weird as it sounds, drinkable and satisfying and even kind of healthy feeling to me. elite quality. our recent visit to the anchorage location was next level, these guys are killing it! neat that they package this too, definitely one to seek out...