Flying Dog Pearl Necklace
Originally released as a limited edition during November of last year, Flying Dog has decided to produce Pearl Necklace year round. The proceeds from the beer will continue to go to Oyster Recovery Partnership (ORP) — the goal of which is to plant at least 1 million baby oysters back into the Chesapeake Bay.
A dry stout by style, Pearl Necklace is brewed with oysters from Virginia’s Rappahannock River. What information I could find on oysters harvested from this river let me know that they have an understated saltiness which would explain why this 5.5% brew is much less briny than others of this style that I’ve had in that past. That said, the oysters still come through nicely, giving Pearl Necklace a subdued mineral component that goes well with it’s smooth character.
Appearance
Pearl Necklace pours a dark brown with a short-lived light tan head that fell to a thin collar.
Aroma
The brew is dominated by a solid bit of roast malt, light coffee and cocoa while the oysters bring a light mineral quality.
Taste
The first thing I noted was that the brew wasn’t as salty or briny as other oyster stouts I’ve had. It does, however, have a natural hint of mineral to go along with the solid roast malt, coffee and light chocolates that comprise the main flavor of this dry stout. This medium bodied brew also has a hint of vanilla that softens the coffee character a bit. As the it warms in the glass, the mineral nature of the oysters comes out more toward the end of the semi-dry finish. It’s an easy drinking brew.
Overall
For those of you out there that may be interested in supporting this cause or just intrigued by the prospect of trying an oyster stout, but are worried about the whole oyster thing, fear not. This dry stout has a subdued amount of oyster to it that is clean and fits the beer wonderfully — it’s not going to overwhelm your palate with any sort of seafood flavors. Pearl Necklace is a good brew contributing to an even better cause.
Rating:3.75/5
This is a review of a promotional sample received from the brewery.