Oh boy, how do I even begin to describe Garage Project’s Cabbages & Kings stout? Well, labeling it as the ‘Most Interesting Stout in the World’ would be a bit of an understatement, so we need to go deeper. Just like Leo in Inception.

It has a mild odor of oysters, mainly due to the fact that Garage Project did throw about 10 dozen oysters into the mix while brewing it, and it actually smells rather herbal. While it smells vaguely like cough syrup, rest assured that it tastes nothing like it.

Strong earthy and moderately herbal flavors dovetail with a mild hint of chocolate and smoked malt, and the odd streak of saltiness (thank you for your service, all 120 of you Te Matuku Bay oysters) to create quite possibly the most complex stout I’ve ever had. The mouthfeel was also extremely interesting, due to the fact that it wasn’t as milky or thick as all other stouts. As a matter of fact, it was a bit thinner, and it was a little oily in texture.

Combine that with the massively punchy ABV of 12%, and you get the King of the Stouts that is as eccentric as Nero or Peter the Great.