808 Bark At The Moon is 9% imperial oatmeal stout from 808 Brewery, based in Oyama, in Tochigi, Japan. It’s part of their canned and draught lineup, though its availability is unknown at the time of writing. 808 Bark At The Moon is brewed using macadamia nuts, vanilla beans and coffee beans, and uses East Kent Goldings hops, though with so much going on, you do have to wonder if the hops are really needed? In terms of malts and grains, 808 Brewery used Maris Otter, pilsner, cara gold, light crystal, brown, chocolate, and flaked oats.
808 Bark At The Moon : At A Glance
Basics
- Alcohol : 9%
- Style : Imperial oatmeal stout
- Hops : East Kent Goldings
- IBU : N/A
Sale Information
- Availability : N/A
- On Sale : From January 2022
- Size : 350 ml
- Price : From 500 yen
Aroma & Taste
- Notable Aromas : Chocolate, coffee, cocoa, cream, nuts, and vanilla. Light black malt acrid aroma.
- Notable Tastes : Smooth body with flavour similar to the nose. When warm, slight alcohol heat but faint.
808 Bark At The Moon : Aroma & Taste
808 Bark At The Moon poured out a pitch black colour with a fluffy, slightly off-white tan coloured head on top that left some streaks down the side of the glass. The aroma was complicated in that there was so much going on at one time that the aroma veered quickly between everything. I picked up chocolate and coffee at first, though this went to cocoa and cream, before a nutty, vanilla aroma came through. Once 808 Bark At The Moon had warmed up some more, there just a light hint of acrid black malt and a touch of alcohol to boot.
Like all imperial stouts, 808 Bark At The Moon needs warming up before drinking if you truly want to appreciate all of its goodness. Don’t go drinking this cold now, else I will be around to address this issue.
Once you have let it warm up, you’re rewarded with a plethora of flavours that stand out much better. The chocolate coffee flavour combines with the creamy vanilla, and then sublimes into the nutty cocoa body to make 808 Bark At The Moon a delectable beer. It’s not so sweet that you’re be reaching for an epipen like an imperial pastry stout, but there is some sweetness present. The alcohol brought a warming sensation to finish off 808 Bark At The Moon, but though there was so much going on, there was a sense of balance to it all.
808 Bark At The Moon : The Bottom Line
808 Bark At The Moon was a very, very, very good surprise for me from 808 Brewery and will definitely be buying this again. Whenever it comes out.
808 Bark At The Moon : Where To Buy
808 Bark At The Moon can be bought online at the following places:
