New Australian Beer Is Made With a Perfumey Whale Gut Secretion

Add this to your list of weird brewskis to try in Australia (after the belly-button lint one, of course): a whale secretion beer. Robe Town Brewery in South Australia has just released a limited edition batch called Moby Dick Ambergris Ale, which is made with the whale gut secretion known as ambergris. 

Ambergris is a gray, waxy substance found in the intestines of sperm whales, where it probably helps move along anything sharp the whale might swallow. It was once a popular ingredient in perfumes, and remains very valuable, although the substance is illegal in many countries (including the U.S., where sperm whales are on the Endangered Species List).

The brewery describes the beer as having “a pungent, animalistic aroma, musky ethereal perfume, full body, caramel malt and fruity flavors, very balanced bitterness,” noting that the “aroma may not be for the faint-hearted.” According to a blog post about the new beer, the brewers found “a relatively fresh specimen of ambergris” two years ago on the local beaches of Robe and added it to a version of their amber ale. 

It’s being released in small batches this month at select shops in Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as at this year's GABS Beer, Cider & Food festival in Melbourne. Another run is planned for release in September.