Ventnor Brewery Reviews

Beese	3 Ventnor Oyster Stout Cask at The Pennsylvanian (JDW), Rickmansworth on 01/11/2008. Nice, but I might have had slightly higher hopes. There’s definitely the note of saltiness and ever so mild fishy hint. Body was a little thin, and it just needed a bit more umph... but overall quite a drinkable pint. Friday, May 8, 2020
Beese	2.3 Ventnor Hippy High Cask at The Watford Beer Festival on 10/11/2006. Ok bitter, a bit on the sweet side with a grainy finish. Wednesday, January 15, 2020
SaintMatty	3.4 Ventnor Old Ruby 500ml Bottle - Remember drinking this back in the day. Copper red in colour. Rye, caramel, berries and dried fruit can be detected in both the aroma and in the slightly sweet taste. Thursday, July 25, 2019
SaintMatty	2.9 Ventnor Hygeia Organic Ale 500ml Bottle - I remember this from back in the day as being a fairly bland bitter with earthy citrus notes. Rough around the edges but it had potential. Thursday, July 25, 2019
SaintMatty	3.2 Ventnor Admirals Ale 500ml Bottle - Had this back in the day. Not one of Ventnor's better brews, but not bad. Copper coloured with notes of malt and hints of dried fruit. Moderately bitter taste with earthy hops and dried fruit. Thursday, July 25, 2019
SaintMatty	3.3 Ventnor Golden Bitter 500ml Bottle - Used to have this beer a lot back in the day. Golden with some amber hints. Honey, apricot and some biscuity notes feature prominently in the aroma and in the slightly sweet taste. Thursday, July 25, 2019
SaintMatty	3.5 Ventnor Sand Rock 500ml Bottle - Recently discovered some old tasting notes regarding this beer. Dark brown with red tinges. Smoky aroma with notes of beech, ash and cherries. Smoky and fruity taste with beech, raisins and cherries standing out. Thursday, July 25, 2019
Jontyboon	4 Ventnor Wight Spirit Wednesday, February 20, 2019
SaintMatty	3.7 Ventnor Oyster Stout This beer has long been out of production but I tried it many times and remember it clearly. Had it both cask and bottled forms, but my review is for cask: Black with a tan head. Liquorice, fennel, rich chocolate and some hints of seaweed in the aroma. Rich and every so slightly salty taste with liquorice, plain chocolate and some slightly salty seaweed notes in the finish. It drinks like it is something much stronger. Sunday, December 30, 2018
oh6gdx	2.6 Ventnor Pistol Nights Cask (backlog). Golden colour with a small white head. Aroma is biscuity malts, some floral and grassy notes along with mild grains. Flavour is biscuity and bready malts with some floral, grassy and earthy notes to it. Sunday, February 26, 2017
oh6gdx	3.5 Ventnor Sand Rock Bottled (backlog). Clear very deep ambery black colour with a nice creamy brown head. Aroma is smoked wood, mild roasted malts, ashes, some sweetish maltiness too. Flavour is toasted malts, smoked wet wood along with some slight ryebready notes. Wellbalanced and still quite good in 2010, although BBE was years before. Wednesday, February 8, 2017
oh6gdx	3.1 Ventnor Oyster Stout Bottled (backlog). Deep brown colour, small off-white head. Aroma is toffee, some wooden sourness as well as liquorice and some mild smoked notes. Flavour is smoked, mild salty notes as well assome grains and mild toasted notes. Wednesday, February 8, 2017
TorbenJensen	2.4 Ventnor Oyster Stout Insufficient foam. A real oyster stout must be brewed on real oyster shells, but it’s certainly not many places this method is practiced anymore. This is an example of the real thing and I think also that both aroma and flavor is characterized by sea and salt water. The taste is slightly watery, clear touch of English licorice and a very soft, round and easy fullness. A somewhat different stout, which I do not quite know if I like. Saturday, October 10, 2015
Boudicca	3 Ventnor Oyster Stout Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Leighton	3.3 Ventnor Oyster Stout Bottle shared at the chriso pre-Christmas tasting 2014 - London. Pours clear brown with a frothy beige head. The nose has a hearty dose of old caramel, bread, dates. Interesting flavor, some tangy fruits, old wood, sherry, caramel, brown bread. Light bodied with fine, spritzy carbonation. Finishes with further tangy fruits, berries, rotting wood, oxidation, toffee. Pretty novel beer. Sunday, December 7, 2014
mR_fr0g	2.8 Ventnor Oyster Stout Bottle shared at chriso’s winter tasting 7/12/2014. Reddy brown coloured pour with a small halo of cream head. Aroma is dirty nutty, booze, vanilla, oak,. Flavour is stale amalts, grains, light raspberry, cardboard, praline. Palate is dull and lifeless, low carbonation. Little bit of mineral. pretty dull. Sunday, December 7, 2014
chriso	2 Ventnor Oyster Stout Friday, November 14, 2014
endless14	3 Ventnor Oyster Stout Thursday, May 15, 2014
ads135	3.5 Ventnor Oyster Stout You want there to be a subtle oysterness to this but you’d be hard pressed to find it. Very smooth mouthfeel, sweet to the point of cloyingness. Monday, June 3, 2013
berkshirejohn	3.4 Ventnor Sand Rock 500ml bottle from the Rose & Crown, Sandhurst where they were selling off display bottles from behind the bar - BBE Nov 04 - sampled 6/09/12. This certainly doesn’t look it’s age, pouring a clear glossy black with a reddish brown glint, lively carbonation and a ring of translucent head; the aroma has wood smoke and some sour apples; there’s lots of smoke in the mouth too, with some soft fruit; the only disappointment is the finish, which isn’t really there save a pleasant warmth. Thursday, September 6, 2012
sic1314	3.7 Ventnor Oyster Stout Was an interesting old fashioned stout. Dark and mysterious to pour, aroma of coffee and roasted malt. Flavour of the oysters in the beer, dark chocolate and aftertaste of dry coffee. Saturday, September 1, 2012
imdownthepub	2.8 Ventnor Admirals Ale Bottled, 500ml donated to the cause by Pat, cheers, where was the box though mate? Reddish amber with no head. This has been stored for some time and as ever with a low alcohol UK Bottled beer there is a mustiness that develops. Malt driven, reasonably smooth after a while, some vegetable, cauliflower notes. Basic. Thursday, April 26, 2012
tombyars	3.7 Ventnor Oyster Stout Sampled this interesting stout in the Last Post, Paisley (JDW) in October 2008. Cask, handpump dispense. Black mahogany in colour with a loose and thin tan coloured head. Nice aroma of roast coffee and melted toffee. Distinct oily texture in the mouthfeel and hardly any lacing. Dark malts give a complex range of flavours with roasted grain and mocha coffee notes at the start which then leads to a chewy buttery toffee and black treacle flavours. A dry almost liquorice note appears in the aftertaste with a slight hint of bitter hop resins. A superb stout and ideal for a session, well worth seeking out for, highly recommended. Monday, March 12, 2012
tombyars	3.1 Ventnor Golden Bitter Sampled this amber ale in Esquires, Glasgow (JDW) in September 2007. Cask, handpump dispense. Amber in colour with a thick creamy white head and good lacing. Slight toffee in the aroma with a thin mouthfeel. Digestive biscuit malt base with sweet woody redcurrant fruit noted. Slight metallic tang in the short hoppy aftertaste. Tipping over into the slightly sweet side of the scales in the bitter sweet finish. It’s not that bad - try drinking Greene King IPA as a comparison? A decent, refreshing summer session ale. Monday, March 12, 2012
MadIndian	2.8 Ventnor Oyster Stout Bottle from SJ. Dark brown pour. Sweet malt taste with hints off liqourice, citrus and chocolate. Thursday, July 14, 2011
madmitch76	3.1 Ventnor Oyster Stout 10th May 2009 Clear but very dark brown beer. Soft semi dry palate. Soft dark malt with that typical oyster fruit like tang. Crisp finish with some carbonated bite. Saturday, May 21, 2011
chriso	2.4 Ventnor Admirals Ale Bottle at Tom’s Tasting, April 2009. Amber colour. Disappearing head. Poor grainy and papery aroma. Cleaner mouthfeel but not much of note going on. Some modest bitterness on the palate. All in all, a bit dull. Monday, November 23, 2009
MesandSim	2.7 Ventnor Admirals Ale A Mes rate: bottle at The Cadster’s Spotify tasting. Decent rich amber colour. Head vanished as quick as it formed. Rather raw and yeasty and seems a little underbrewed or something. Off fruity notes do it no favours either. Other than that it’s reasonable. Sorry crap rate. Better than Toms tour de force however! Wednesday, July 29, 2009
thomat	3 Ventnor Oyster Stout Dark brown color with no head. malty and sour tones. Oak, sourness and some malt taste. Medium body with a dry, sour finish. Monday, July 27, 2009
SeanMacGC	2.4 Ventnor Oyster Stout Bottle, 500ml. Pours very dark, with none-to-little head. Weak aroma of faint molasses, and nothing too much on the palate either. Disappointing (not that it matters now!) Thursday, July 16, 2009
Ober	3.3 Ventnor Oyster Stout An almost black colored beer, with a dark beige head. The aroma of roasted malts with some dark fruits, with a little liquorice juice. The taste of roasted malts, dark fruits like prune, some flavors of liquorice juice. But overall a little thin. The aftertaste has sweets with a little bitter. Tuesday, May 12, 2009
DonMagi	3 Ventnor Admirals Ale Bottle thanks to Ian, had at the cads first london tasting. Alround rating: Pale malts. Sunday, May 3, 2009
harrisoni	2.6 Ventnor Admirals Ale Bottle at the Spotify tasting. Reddish copper colour. Bread on aroma. Bit oxidised in the mouth. OK, but not great, too oxidised. Monday, April 27, 2009
MesandSim	3.6 Ventnor De-Icer A Mes rate. Gravicask at Chelmsford Winter Beer Festival. Golden brown with no head. Wheaty aroma with some slight pig farm and plenty of malt. Wheat again in the flavour, lots of bread, slight spice and maybe some plastic but it’s not a spoiler. Excellent caramel malt and bitter hop finish. Excellent balance and plenty of character. Really smooth on the palate but with a little kick of carb. Pretty good stuff. Monday, February 9, 2009
berkshirejohn	1.1 Ventnor Admirals Ale 500ml bottle from Tescos, Andover. Gold with a fast fading white head; sour and stale malt aroma; thin, watery and acidic to start then becoming thin, watery and sugary. Very poor. Wednesday, February 4, 2009
bobinlondon	1.9 Ventnor Oyster Stout Handpuuled cask at the Waterend Barn (JDW) St. Albans. Black with an off white head.. Earthy, salty and ..... yuck! Thank god I only ordered a half. Monday, December 15, 2008
MesandSim	3.4 Ventnor Oyster Stout A Mes rate. Cask at Baker St. Spoons. A good looking pitch black with a reasonably impressive tan head. Sweetish fruity aroma with maybe just a hint of diacetyl and loads of blackcurrant. Rich dried fruit and sweet malt flavour with plenty of liquorice and some faint notes of rubber and plastic that thankfully are short lived and do not spoil it any. Pleasant chewy malt finish with a dash of brown sauce. A decent and interesting brew overall. Sunday, December 14, 2008
fonefan	2.9 Ventnor Oyster Stout Cask [ gravity ] at EBF 2008, Copenhagen, Denmark. Clear dark brown color with a small, virtually none head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, cold coffee, salty seewater, acidic notes. Flavor is moderate sweet and bitter with a average duration, nad a salty touch. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is flat. [130908] Sunday, December 7, 2008
MesandSim	3.3 Ventnor Pistol Nights A Mes rate: cask at the Market Porter. Hazy gold with a thin white head and very good condition. Fruity hop aroma with some good earthy malt and hints of barley. Similar flavour but let down just a little by a hint of plastic. Nice peaty, almost smoky finish. Good stuff other than the plastic. Thursday, November 27, 2008
rlgk	2.8 Ventnor Oyster Stout (EBF 2008). Cask. Dark amber, no head. Licorice aroma, malty, salty, some tar and some milk notes. Quite weak flavor, malty, tart, some licorice. Sunday, November 2, 2008
BeerViking	3 Ventnor Oyster Stout Cask/handpull at the Plough & Harrow, Hammersmith (JDW). Very dark copper-brown with thin white head. Light malty & lactic coffee nose is matched by a malty slightly sour body with coffee notes. More lactic notes and a hint of raisins and dates in the aftertaste. Very interesting old ale flavours, but something of an acquired taste, I suspect! Tuesday, October 21, 2008
OleR	2.7 Ventnor Admirals Ale 500 ml bottle. Medium-sized, mostely lasting dense offwhite head. Clear, deep golden colored body. Aroma of sourish bread, earthy hops and some faint fruit notes. Taste is light malty, light sweet with a bitter-acidic twist. Body is light plus. Lively mouthfeel. Short malty-bitter ending. High drinkability, lacks some attitude. Friday, October 17, 2008
Cletus	2.6 Ventnor Oyster Stout Pours mahogany/copper with an off white head. Smells of rummer, burnt malt. Tastes like oyster stew with lots of burnt malt and chocolate hints. I was hoping for more out of this. Thursday, October 16, 2008
harrisoni	2.7 Ventnor Oyster Stout Cask handpull at JDW, Folkestone. Black, very dark brown with lasting tan head. Quite a tart stout, some richness, bit of liquorice and sourness. It’s a little musty too. Thursday, October 16, 2008
hughie	2.7 Ventnor Oyster Stout Cask at Secklow Hundred (JDW), Milton Keynes. Very dark brown with a small off white head. Glue and sour chocolate aroma. taste is milk going off, almost citric in its sourness. There’s some coffee and ash and a curiously bland finish. Wednesday, October 15, 2008
larsga	3.3 Ventnor Admirals Ale Big offwhite fine lasting head. Amber body with light carbonation. Fruity caramelly aroma with hoppy earthy notes. Dryish roasty fruity earthy caramel taste with perfumy floral notes. Light sweetness, too. Roasted almond notes can be made out. Light palate, mid body. Dry floral wooden aftertaste with light citric notes. A very good session beer. (0.5l bottle, Centra, Oslo.) Saturday, October 11, 2008
turbothy	3.5 Ventnor Oyster Stout Half pint @ European Beer Festival, Valby. Very nearly black, no head. Very nice sour stout - acquired taste, but I has it ;) Tuesday, October 7, 2008
larsniclas	3.1 Ventnor Oyster Stout Cask at EBF08. Dark ruby red. Some milky chocolate in the aroma. Chocolate and coca in the flavour. A bit thin and sourish. Sunday, October 5, 2008
HenrikSoegaard	2.7 Ventnor Oyster Stout Cask at EBF. Frothy off-white fair mostly deminishing head. Black colour. Moderate malty and hoppy aroma. Strange oyster notes. Light bitter flavor. Average finish. Oily palate. Weird. Sunday, September 21, 2008
FatPhil	3.3 Ventnor Oyster Stout Cask (EBF2008) Beautiful sweet fruity plum aroma, and chocolate. Slightly flat palate, almost watery. Nice esters in the mouth, and some soft burntness. A gentle sweet roasty finish. More a porter than a stout, I’d say. Friday, September 19, 2008