Dark Beer Tour of Australia

20/09/2026

🍺 CHEEKY MONKEY IMPERIAL IPA 🍺

🏭 Brewery: Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co.
🍺 Style: Double Dry-Hopped Imperial IPA
📊 ABV: 8.0%

👀 Appearance:
Pours a deep golden amber with a creamy white head and a light haze.

👃 Aroma:
Bold tropical stone fruit aromas, backed by citrus and a resinous hop character.

🍊 Palate:
Juicy tropical stone fruit flavours lead into grapefruit. A touch of malt sweetness before a firm, resinous bitterness takes over.

💧 Mouthfeel:
Full bodied and smooth, with a gentle warming touch from the 8.0% ABV.

🔥 Finish:
Dry and assertively bitter, with lingering grapefruit, pine and sticky hop resin.

🍺 Would we order it again?
Absolutely. A big, bold Imperial IPA that delivers plenty of tropical fruit before finishing with the strong bitterness and resinous bite that we expect from an IPA. 🍺

06/09/2026

🍺 HAPPY FATHER’S DAY 🍺

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, stepdads, grandfathers, father figures and the great dads who are no longer with us but remain forever in our hearts.

Here’s to the dads who taught us to work hard, enjoy the simple things and never miss the chance for a good road trip, a campfire and a cracking dark beer.

We hope your day is filled with family, laughter and a well earned cold one. Cheers from Eric and Maz at Dark Beer Tour of Australia! 🍻🇦🇺

05/09/2026

🍺 WHALEBONE BREWING COMPANY – EXMOUTH, WA 🍺

Whalebone Brewing Company is an absolute must visit when you’re in the Exmouth area.

The venue has a relaxed, rustic character, built like an old shed and decorated with boats, whale bones and plenty of interesting pieces. We’re even led to believe sections were built using timber from an old Navy jetty, adding another layer to its unique story.

It was quiet when we first arrived, so we settled in for a feed and a full tasting paddle not only to sample their dark beers, but to explore everything Whalebone had to offer.

The food was fantastic! From pizzas to burgers, the menu has something for everyone. There’s loads of seating for groups of all sizes, the venue is well laid out, and the large kids’ play area makes it a great option for families.

After plenty of travelling and working, we had been craving some live music and Whalebone delivered that for us last night with its dedicated live music stage.

Maz sampled the Ningaloo gin range, which was a very welcome addition considering I drag her through breweries all around this beautiful country! I was keen to try one of their spiced rums, but that might have to wait until next time.

Fantastic food, great drinks, live music and a venue packed with rustic character. Whalebone Brewing Company is definitely worth adding to your Exmouth itinerary. 🍺🍕🎶🐋

05/09/2026

🍺 DARK BEER TOUR OF AUSTRALIA 🍺

📍 Tasting Location: Whalebone Brewing Company, Exmouth WA
🍺 Beer Tried: Mrs Brown
🏭 Brewery: Whalebone Brewing Company
🍺 Style: Brown Ale
📊 ABV: 5.1%

📝 Tasting Notes:

👀 Appearance:
Pours a rich chestnut brown and a creamy light tan head.

👃 Aroma:
Roasted malt and caramel lead the way, accompanied by biscuit and a gentle nuttiness.

🍫 Palate:
Smooth layers of caramel and nutty biscuit combine with a restrained bitterness that keeps the malt sweetness beautifully balanced.

💧 Mouthfeel:
Medium bodied and smooth, with gentle carbonation and an easy drinking character.

🔥 🔥 Finish:
Clean, crisp and highly refreshing with restrained bitterness.

🍺 Would we order it again?
Absolutely. Mrs Brown is a smooth, malt driven brown ale packed with caramel and nutty character. Highly refreshing and a very enjoyable pint under the Exmouth sun. 🍺

03/09/2026

🐎 ROBE RIVER RODEO 🐂

An exceptional display of horsemanship from the talented cowboys and cowgirls at the Pannawonica Rodeo. Plenty of skill, courage and nonstop action, what a fantastic event to experience!

There’s no sign of a dark beer here, but luckily we came prepared and have a few tucked away in the esky. Keep an eye out for some new reviews over the next couple of days! 🍻

01/09/2026

Dark Beer Tour is on the move!

30/08/2026

🍺 NORTH WEST BREWING CO. – KARRATHA 🍺

Sitting in Karratha’s industrial area, North West Brewing Co. has a welcoming atmosphere and a fantastic setup.

It was very quiet when we arrived, with only a couple of tradies stopping in for a knockoff pint on their way home. By 5:30 pm though, the place was heaving! Footy on the big screen, pints flowing and the food was sensational.

Now to the beer!

The North West Stout is a mid strength stout at just 3.5%. I was slightly worried that with a low ABV it might miss the mark on flavour, but that was definitely not the case.

It’s a great example of a dry Irish style stout, delivering plenty of cocoa and burnt coffee flavour. The mouthfeel was beautifully smooth, with a creamy head that held right through to the final mouthful. It carried slightly more bitterness than your average Irish stout, but that suited my taste perfectly.

At 3.5%, it also meant I could comfortably lean into a few while catching up with some age old friends.

We worked our way through several of the NEIPAs and IPAs as well, and they were all excellent. A special mention has to go to the Hazy Dog - a cracking beer!

Great beer, great food and a venue that certainly comes alive as the afternoon rolls on. North West Brewing Co. is well worth calling into when you’re in Karratha.

28/08/2026

🍺 We tasted batch one yesterday, and now batch two is out and going to be a staple on the menu.

Billycart Brewing Co. and Burra Bakehouse have added golden syrup to the latest version of their Breakfast of Champions Pastry Stout, along with extra toasted coconut and a little less vanilla.

We can’t wait to get our hands on this one!

Pastry Stout #2 is now on tap and in cans.
After a couple of sessions tasting croissants, eclairs and pies with the girls at BURRA BAKEHOUSE in Yungaburra, we modified the recipe of our latest release.
We increased the toasted coconut, decreased the vanilla and threw in a bit of Golden Syrup. We hope you notice the changes.
Enjoy

27/08/2026

🍺 DARK BEER TOUR OF AUSTRALIA 🍺

📍 Tasting Location: Port Hedland, WA
🍺 Beer Tried: Breakfast of Champions
🏭 Brewery: Billycart Brewing Co.
🥐 Collaboration: Burra Bakehouse
🍺 Style: Pastry Stout
📊 ABV: 6.3%

📝 Tasting Notes:

👀 Appearance:
Pours a golden brown , topped with a smooth, creamy golden head.

👃 Aroma:
Sweet malt rises first, followed by inviting layers of cocoa, vanilla and nutty.

🍫 Palate:
Rich, sweet and unmistakably dessert like, with cocoa taking centre stage. Subtle coconut, vanilla and a nutty character.

💧 Mouthfeel:
Smooth, creamy and full bodied, with a velvety texture that carries the indulgent dessert flavours beautifully.

🔥 Finish:
Sooth, creamy and lingering, leaving behind notes of cocoa, coconut, vanilla and gentle nuttiness with every sip.

🍺 Would we order it again?
Absolutely. This is a rich and indulgent pastry stout that convincingly captures the flavours of a freshly baked chocolate, coconut and nut-filled treat. A must try for anyone who enjoys dark beers on the sweeter, dessert like side.

20/08/2026

🍺 DARK BEER TOUR OF AUSTRALIA 🍺

📍 Tasting Location: Port Hedland, WA
🍺 Beer Tried: Milk Stout
🏭 Brewery: Beerfarm
🍺 ABV: 4.5%

📝 Tasting Notes:

👀 Appearance:
Pours almost black with a creamy tan head.

👃 Aroma:
Roasted malt and cocoa, with the inviting aroma of a freshly poured latte and a gentle milky sweetness.

🍫 Palate:
Smooth chocolate and coffee flavours combine with rich roasted malt and a rounded sweetness. The sweetness softens the roasted character without making the beer overly rich or heavy.

💧 Mouthfeel:
Medium bodied, smooth and velvety, with soft carbonation and a creamy texture.

🔥 Finish:
Smooth and moderately sweet, with lingering cocoa, roasted coffee and a mild malt bitterness.

🍻 Would we order it again?
Yes, absolutely. This is a great example of a well balanced milk stout. Smooth, creamy and slightly sweet without drifting into dessert stout territory.