Swale Oyster Stout

Formerly brewed at Whitstable
Style: Stout
Maidstone, England

Serve in English pint

Dry charcoal heats a cancerous, watery body, but don't worry its benign...Milky in the back, this quaffable, creamy roastiness sadly bears no head retention...A few blackberries appear but its a bit too late...I don't think I'll revisit...

500 mL bottle served in pint glass. Bottle conditioned. No head (I poured gently as the bottle suggested). Black, but not opaque. Heavy looking but takes on a ruby porter look around the edges of the glass. Roasted, chocolate, molasses aroma. Hops are light as is the yeast. Red wine / port overtones. Smooth, oily; no carbonation. Hops disappear as each sip goes down. Starts sharp but mellows quickly. Flat cola taste and feel. Dark fruit tastes hiding in the back. I wish this one was more robust (more flavors and bigger body). I'd call this a porter before calling it a stout. Price ($4.99) is stupid ridiculous.

(bottle conditioned). Roasty, nutty, toffee nose with a faint floral hoppy aroma. Dark mahogany color. Light carbonation and a moderately heavy body. Pronounced roasted and chocolate malt character with a creamy mouthfeel. Mild bitterness balances with a sweetish, but salty? ending. Wonderful complexity and very strongly recommended!

No head from my bottle. Black beer drinks smooth with a definite English bite. I had no oysters to go with this beer. Overall a very plain yet unique stout.

UPDATED: JUN 4, 2003 This brew poured a medium sized head of fine to large dark brown bubbles. It has an opaque black body with some carbonation clinging to the side of the glass. Its aroma was that of chocolate. I was a little fizzy for a stout and lacked the coffee overtones. There was a raisin note in it but it was pretty smooth over all.

Black with a medium-sized white frothy head that mostly diminishes to a thin tan film. Aroma is of roasted coffee, malt, and hazelnut. Rather sweet flavor, like heavily creamed coffee, and semi-sweet chocolate. Mild hop finish. Excellent mild carbonation; thank God. Top notch. I'm glad I got to try this very solid stout. (I know the bottle says to drink chilled, but try it room temperature; more chocolate and cream characteristics come out).

Minimal tan head, dark brown body is nearly opaque, sweet chocolate nose. Coffee and chocolate flavors; quite smooth; mouthfeel is flat (bottle may have been off).

This beer poured almost black with a medium brown head that left little lace as it subsided. It had an aroma of malt, coffee and chocolate. The flavor was of malt, coffee and chocolate. The finish had a sweetness to it, yet astrigent, but a little light for this style.