TEA (Traditional English Ale) - Hogs Back Brewery

Nothing like a cup of tea that is made up of barley, hops, water and yeast!  Unfortunately, crap acronyms do not make this an acceptable tipple to have with your breakfast.  Nevertheless, It looks quintessentially English with its cute label design.  This brew has 4.2% ABV

This pours a nice looking deep caramel/auburn colour and produces an initial bubbly white head, which rapidly drops to nothing.

The nose offers up plenty of lightly toasted English pale and crystal malts with hints of caramel, vanilla and bread.  Hops have an earthy, leafy, herbal whiff to them.  A very 'basic' bouquet; malt and hops without much else of note

The taste gives you the same as the nose really; plenty of sweet malts at the front which develops into an unpleasant, slightly acrid vinegar taste from the malt.  Hops are detectable with the aforementioned leaves and wet earthiness.  Lingers with a very mild bitterness, and some malt.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a good texture.  Pretty mild astringency, low carbonation and overall the balance is good.  Having said that, deep down, this is just a bog-standard brew with nothing to keep your attention for any longer than the duration of it being in your mouth... and that acidic vinegar harshness is too much to ignore.  Instantly forgettable to be honest

St. Peter's India Pale Ale - St. Peter's Brewery

St. Peter's are a brewery whose delights I have sampled before and enjoyed.  However, this is the first time I have tried their IPA, and this is apparently an improved flavour with a 'new hoppier taste'... Can't be a bad thing for an IPA.  This beer comes in at 5.5% ABV

Appearance is clear, golden caramel with a thin wispy head which quickly settles to a thin layer.

Aroma is a good mix of caramel and faint chocolate malt.  Bready, slightly toasted and with a ton of complex hops wafting above everything else

The taste initially gives you some of the sweet pale & caramel malt, with hints of bread and grain / cereals.
The hops then ramp up the 'IPA' factor; tons of complex flavours wash over the palate: spicy, resinous, citrus, grass and orange marmalade.  High bitterness in the finish, with a moderate bitter sweet, hoppy linger.
This is a good IPA; plenty of flavour and bitterness, but it is a tad harsh towards the end.

Carbonation levels are good, helping to give a smooth crisp feel to the palate.  Its well balanced for the style, and goes down well.  A very good IPA overall, and another success for St Peter

Nutty Black - Thwaites

Nutty Black is, at first glance, a stout (looking at the bottle from a distance anyway)...  But it is actually a 'Mild Dark' which has apparently won the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain four times.  Either way, I had never heard of this before and picked it up at random from Waitrose.  This has a very session-able 3.9% ABV.

Appearance is black with a ruby hue.  A brilliant tawny meringue head sticks around throughout and gives some moderate lacing.  Very nice looking.

The aroma is surprisingly floral, but there is some roasted malt aroma in there.  Not a great deal going on to be honest.  I can't get past the floral aroma, which is disappointing considering the style

Taste initially offers a complex mix of roasted malts; very smooth and creamy. There are hints of nutmeg and some cinnamon, but only very subdued.  Some soy-sauce flavour is also detectable before the hops finish off the palate with some mild bitterness, and sweet malt on the linger. 
The taste is not the best to be honest.  It has underlying 'vinegary' taste which is distracting.

It is smooth and creamy, with a full body and chewy texture which is the redeeming feature of this ale.  But... the carbonation is too prickly and astringency is too high.  Let down again.

Not great.  Disappointing on all fronts really.  I was expecting a lot more from this, but I imagine it must taste 100 times better on cask than it does in the bottle.  It could of done with some chocolate or coffee, with some fruity notes, but I could detect none of these.

Wychcraft - Wychwood Brewey

This evening, I have a bottle of blonde beer from the Wychwood Brewey.  Wychcraft is a 4.5% ABV beer, that is contains 3 different malts and hops, apparently...

The beer pours a golden orange colour. Delicate, wispy white head drops to a thin layer quite soon, and gives some lacing.

The nose offers up pale & amber malts, giving off honey, grain and plenty of bread.  Some fruit esters also detectable, with some floral hops also there.

The taste is delicate, but with plenty of flavour. Intial wave of those sweet malts, with wheat and grain flavours.  Honey, vanilla & peaches are detectable mid-palate before the strong hops kick in with plenty of citrus tangyness and hop flavour.  Finish is tarte, with a linger of sour citrus.  I am not sure if wheat is even included in the mash, but it tastes like wheat to me!

Carbonation levels are perfect; very delicate and help to bring the flavours out, but its let down by the moderate/high astringency.  Medium body and smooth texture.  Drinkability is ok, but nothing to shout about

Overall, I think the malt base works well, but is ultimately too weak.  The hops offer great flavour, but kick any other flavours in to touch.  I don't dislike this beer - it does taste good - but the balance is off, and as a result, it doesn't quite hit the mark



(Yea, thats right... I have 'upgraded' to a star rating system now)

Orange Wheat Beer - Green Jack Brewey

My first review of an orange flavoured beer, this is an orange wheat beer with a handy list of ingredients on the label in case the contents of beer is alien to you.  I am really not sure what to expect from this one, but it is intriguing.  ABV is 4.2%

The colour is a golden, orange straw colour which is very clear.  This is bottle conditioned, so the colour gets a lot darker and cloudier as you get to the bottom of the bottle.  A white head, not at a typical 'weizen' depth or frothiness, but is nice and frothy none-the-less, and offers a little lacing

The aroma offers up a ton of pungent floral, citrus hops with orange zest also present.  Some pale malt and wheat are there at the back, and some yeast is also there.

The initial malt base gives you hints of the pale malt and wheat.  Not a complex mix, but it quickly gives way to orange and grapefruit.  Nice and sweet, with a bitter hop flavour to finish it all off.  The linger is mildy bitter & tarte, with some orange and hop flavour sticking around.  Not an overly robust array of flavours, but it is enjoyable.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, with a moderate level of carbonation.  Astringency is on the moderate/high side, but it is very easily drinkable and refreshing.

This is an interesting take on a wheat beer which I enjoyed.  It is almost of mix of a typical wheat beer, and a golden ale.  The malt base is slightly overpowered by the heavy citrus and orange profile, but it has a good level of bitterness to give it some balance

Riggwelter - Black Sheep Brewery

Today, I have an English ale from the Black Sheep Brewery.  Riggwelter has 5.7% ABV, and features a seemingly deceased sheep on its label

Pours a very nice dark chesnut colour; quite clear and produces a tan coloured head.  Doesn't stick around too long, but offers some lacing

The nose offers up a complex mix of roasted malts - very sweet - with hints of chocolate, cherries, vanilla and alcohol

Taste is pleasant enough:  Plenty of roasted malt flavour which develops into sweet toffee and chocolate.  Mid-palate gives definite nuts with cherries, vanilla and sweet port-wine.  Finishes with pine hops and a mildy bitter linger, and the roasted flavours stick around for a while as well.  The alcohol level is just right and brings out the flavours nicely

The mouthfeel is full-bodied, warming and smooth.  However, it's slightly let down by the high level of carbonation and moderate/high level of astringency.

Overall, this is an enjoyable ale with some decent flavours and feels well balanced.

Salvator Doppel Bock - Paulaner Brauerei

My second Doppel Bock to appear on this blog, the first being the outstanding Celebrator.
This DB is from Paulaner, and comes in at a hefty 7.9% ABV

The appearance is auburn, quite clear, and produces an almost yellow head.  Head is thin and sinks quite rapidly.

The nose gives off toasted malt, caramel, aniseed and some dark fruits.  The alcohol is pretty strong too.

The taste has a typically pronounced malt base; biscuity, bready, caramel and toasted.  The aniseed is also there, with plenty of sweet, syrupy flavour, pears and dark stoned fruit.  There is barely any hop bitterness or chocolate of note, and the linger is too sickly sweet - the balance just doesn't seem right.  It is rich and warming, but it just seems to be lacking on all fronts, other than the alcohol which is too overpowering for me.

The mouthfeel is good, providing a full-bodied, lightly carbonated and a smooth/creamy texture that coats the palate nicely.  Astringency is low/moderate.  Quite pleasant indeed

Overall, this just doesn't hold a candle to the Celebrator and, although it is a decent representation of the style, there are better Doppel Bocks out there

75% - Average

Puck's Folly - Maldon Brewing Co

Today, I am drinking my final Maldon beer (thanks Mum & Dad for this one!), which is golden ale.  The label has a creepy little 'Puck' on it, which I'm hoping doesn't give my nightmares...  Alcohol content is 4.2% ABV.

Appearance is a very clear golden straw colour.  Hardly any bubbles rising from the bottom (none in fact), but there is a nice foamy white head, which offers some decent lacing.

The aroma is subdued, but there are detectable traces of floral, spicy hops. Faint, sweet malt is also noticeable and I can also make out some yeasty esters... almost German?  Not sure If my nose is besmirched from my weekend of heavy weizen consumption, but I can detect some very faint clove and banana... (?)

The taste is distinctively light and typical of a golden ale; The mild malt profile offers up delicate grain, cereals and mild caramel/honey sweetness.  The yeast is also there, suggesting hints of clove.  The hops are the centre of attention though; plenty of citrus, some spice, pine and a healthy dose of oily hop flavour.  Linger is mildy bitter, but the hops stick around long enough to remind you to come back for more.

The mouthfeel gives a moderate/high level of astringency, with very little carbonation.  The light body, and smooth character make this a well rounded and very drinkable ale.

My only qualm is the lack of nose, and the heavy amount of sediment.  However, this is very tasty, hoppy brew that begs to be quaffed somewhere in the English countryside.

Hacker-Pschorr Hefe Weisse - Hacker-Pschorr Bräu

My first review in a few days, mainly due to a cold and a heavy weekend of drinking, I decided to ease myself back in with a Hacker Pschorr weizen.  This specimen comes in at a decent 5.5% ABV

Well, the appearance is a murky honey colour.  Lots of bubbles coming up from the bottom of the weizen glass, and produces a typically thick, foamy white head.  Plenty of lacing and the head retains itself seemingly indefinitely

The nose gives definite German yeast, with the cloves more prominent than the banana.  Bread, wheat and some faint hints of sugary sweetness at the back.  Alcohol is detectable also.  No surprises really.

The taste starts of with some sweet malt, wheat and then the yeast takes over with the expected banana and clove.  Mild floral hops, apple and a hint of diacetyl finish this off.  Hardly any bitterness in the linger.  Nothing complex or robust about this.  The flavours seem to blend well, but it doesn't have the rounded character of other beers in this category

The mouthfeel is thin, slightly watery and feels weak.  It has a light/medium body, moderate astringency and delicate carbonation, that works well.

Overall, this is an average weizen that just doesn't pack enough flavour, and the malt profile doesn't provide enough weight.  It's easily quaffable, but it just doesn't keep me interested

70% - Average

Paulaner Original Münchner Dunkel - Paulaner Brauerei

Oh look!  Another German beer!  This time though, It's a Dunkel which made a nice change on the night.  Another from the Paulaner brewery, this a standard dark lager with 5.0% ABV

Auburn appearance; quite clear and produces a white fluffy head.  Good retention and lacing.

On the nose, the roasted malt gives off some sweetness, caramel, roast and nuts.

Initial taste of roasted sweet malt, which then develops into nutty, earthy/woody notes and some coffee.  There is also faint hints of chocolate and molasses at the back.  Mildy bitter finish; no great deal of linger

Mouthfeel is a tad watery again.  Feels good enough with mild carbonation and astringency, but nothing note-worthy.  Medium bodied and smooth

Overall, its a deeper and more robust brew than the 'Original', but its just not got the complexity to make you want more.
My palate was pretty screwed by this point most probably, so I may come back to this one day and try it without being completely pissed, and having my mouth coated with wasabi peas and salty pretzels!

75% - Average

Hacker-Pschorr Münchner Gold - Hacker-Pschorr Bräu

Scottoberfest again, and this is beer number... 4?  I had a few duplicate beers, and I'm trying to work from my half-baked notes, so on some items I am having to rely on memory, which is never good! 
This is a stronger export lager with 5.5% ABV

My notes on this one are pretty sketchy, but it goes without saying that it has the typical straw appearance, lots of bubbles, and a foamy white head.  Nothing out of the ordinary

Nose is malt, grain, biscuit and some gentle floral hops- all the usual clean, non-adjunct aromas you know and love from a German beer.

Taste is not too dissimilar from the 'Braumeister'; but it has more of an alcoholic punch... That's how much my notes tell me.  (Damn my lazy drunken brain!)

Again, the mouthfeel is clean, crisp and refreshing; moderate astringency and carbonation.  Balance is good and the flavours benefit from the increased ABV, offering a slightly fuller body

85% - Good

Hacker-Pschorr Braumeister Pils - Hacker-Pschorr Bräu

My second beer on our 'Scottoberfest' evening, this is Pilsner with 5.0% ABV

Appears a clear, golden straw colour with moderate amounts of carbonation.  Thick head with good retention and lacing.
Not a great deal of difference between this and the Paulaner Original; Malt, some biscuit and bread, and some faint hops at the back with a herbal note.

Sweet malt, bread, biscuit, grain and some herbal hops.  Finishes with some moderate bitterness, and a definite herbal, peppery taste.
Mouthfeel is light bodied, crisp and refreshing.  Moderate astringency and moderate carbonation.  Balance is better than the Paulaner Original, and isn't quite as watery

Overall, a more enjoyable lager which is very quaff-able and more-ish

80% - Good

Paulaner Original Münchner - Paulaner Brauerei

Over the weekend, I partook in a number of German beers during our annual 'Scottoberfest' gathering, with lots of German based drink, snacks, music and silly hats.  No prizes for guessing the name of the host, based on the less than tenuous portmanteau

The first beer in the line-up, was the Paulaner Original; a standard offering of German Helles lager, this comes in at 4.9% ABV

Appears a very clear, golden straw colour with lots of carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass.  Big thick white foamy head offers some good retention and lacing.

The nose gives hints of malt, biscuit, some mild sweetness and some mild grass and pine from the hops.  Quite subdued but inoffensive.

The taste is clean, but nothing exciting.  Initial sweetness from the malt.  Biscuit, cracker taste and some grain also.  Slight peppery note mid-palate and finishes with very mild hop bitterness.  This is never going to keep your attention too long - there is no great amount of linger, and the hop profile is forgettable.  However, for the style, it is what you kind of expect

Mouthfeel offers up a light bodied, crisp and refreshing feel.  It's a touch watery, but very drinkable.  Mild astringency and a moderate to high carbonation

Not a bad Helles, but It's nothing to get excited about

75% - Average

Struise Rosse - De Struise Brouwers

Another Belgium offering, this is an amber ale with 6.0% ABV

The beer pours a murky copper colour, with a small off-white - almost yellow - head which offers some light, delicate lacing.  Quite quickly drops to a thin layer, but when you beer is moved about in the glass, it whips up a yeasty looking thick head

On the nose, there are plenty of fruit esters from the yeast; tropical fruits, peaches and apples.  Some sweet maltiness, candi sugar, and a faint hint of pine hops.

Initial taste of toasted, sweet malt.  Some caramel, cracker bread and toast.  A bit of wheat is detectable also.  The heavy Belgium yeast then gives off  sweet stewed fruit, as detected on the nose, and a slight hint of chocolate as the beer warms up.  It's a good mix and works very well.
Finishes with a delicate taste of pine hops, and some mild bitterness.  Lingers with some of that stewed fruit and some of the sweet malt.  Gives a distinctly earthy feel to the palate, or 'Forest like' as the label suggests... whatever that means.  The label also says it has an 'elegant' aftertaste (?!)

Mouthfeel is clean, refreshing, medium bodied with delicate carbonation and moderate astringency.  The balance is good and it is easily drinkable.  Booze is very well masked, unlike its IPA cousin, the Elliot beer.

Overall, this is very good Belgium amber ale which is well executed and refreshing.  Strong malt backbone with clean fruit flavours, and some gentle hop bitterness to offer some balance

90% - Very Good

Struise / Mikkeller (Elliot Brew) - De Struise Brouwers

Delving back into the world Belgium beer, I picked up a bottle of Struise which comes with a hefty price tag.  Never had a Struise before, so fingers crossed they can impress
This is an Imperial IPA with 9.0% ABV.

In the glass, this beer appears a murky auburn, with some gentle carbonation producing a huge, frothy off-white head.  Great retention and its sticks to the glass like glue

The nose is sweet with hints of sweet malt, burnt sugars, melon, citrus and some other fruits.  Booze is detectable, but not overpowering.  Not a great nose, but quite intruiging...

The taste is really complex.  The beast delivers plenty of waves of flavour!  Straight off the bat, you get some of the sweet malts with some yeast; this quickly moves into a rich, creamy mix of burnt sugars/candifloss, melon, citrus fruits, and some pepper.  Very sweet.  This all then gets washed away by the hops which kick in at the finish with moderate/high bitterness, tarte fruitiness and a resinous, oily hop flavour.  It's a ballsy mix of flavours, that I can't decide whether I like or not....  Linger is long and bitter.

Mouthfeel is creamy, full-bodied, balanced with delicate carbonation.  Everything works well together, but the alcohol makes itself known throughout, and is quite overpowering.  Only mild astringency though.

Overall, this is a complex IPA that delivers plenty of flavour.  The high sweetness & bitterness work well together and produce a very unique feel.  However, it is let down is the nose which I found a little weak, and the high booze content...  It feels like it's double the 9.0% at times.  Don't think I will come back to this, considering the price

70% - Average

Farmer's Golden Boar - Maldon Brewery Co.

My 3rd instalment from the Maldon Brewing Company, this an Amber Ale with an ABV of 5.0%.
The previous 2 I've had were both very good, so here's hoping for this one

The appearance in the glass is a slightly cloudy amber colour, with a big soapy white head.  Plenty of retention and great lacing.

The nose is very complex.  Faint caramel malt, grass, citrus, peaches, apricot and a hefty whack of strong floral hops; evidence of the cascade hops that the bottle lists on its rear label.  Hint of soapiness as well.

The taste initially offers up caramel malt, with hints of honey and grain.  Mid-palate, the complex fruit flavour kicks in (red apple, pineapple, apricot) with some spice, pepper and citrus.  Finishes with plenty of oily hop flavour - pine, pepper, grass and more citrus.  Bitterness levels are moderate and linger nicely, despite a mild metallic feel right at the end.  Only a small hint however.

Mouthfeel is good; medium bodied, crisp and clean with a mildly oily feel.  Easily drinkable with light carbonation and moderate astringency.

Another good offering from the Maldon guys, this ale is bursting with fruity hop flavour, with just enough malt to offer some sweetness and keep the brew balanced.

85% - Good

Old Tom - Robinsons

Old Tom is a strong ale which comes with the 'Worlds Best Ale '09' award proudly emblazoned across the neck of the bottle, so this ought to deliver on all fronts

This is a Strong English ale, with an 8.5% ABV

The appearance is a dark treacle look with a deep cherry hue; gentle carbonation produces a delicate off-white head which slowly depletes to nothing, but offers some decent lacing

The nose is deeply sweet with definite port, roasted malt notes, dark fruit, a hint of citrus and hop at the back also.  Hops are very faint however.  The ABV is certainly there in all its glory, but is neither overpowering or unpleasant

Plenty of malt flavour, offering sweet hints of liquorice and some roasted notes.  Molasses, toffee and plenty of port then come to the fore - the port offering up complex dark fruit notes of grape, blackcurrant and prune.  Finishes with a mildy bitter, peppery linger on the palate.  Hardly any hop flavour is discernible.  Alcohol is predominant throughout, and is only just masked enough not to overpower the palate.  The bottle offers a 'Bitter / Sweet' gauge, with scores of 3.5 and 3 out of 5 respectively.  I have to say that the bitterness level is way lower than the sweetness level... at least to my palate it is anyway!

Mouthfeel is thick, yet smooth; Full-bodied and warming.  Moderate/high astringency and very low carbonation levels complete this hit and miss ale.  The balance just doesn't feel right to me.  If you don't like port, then you're pretty screwed, as this is the predominant taste over everything else.  Having said that, I like port, and I do like this.  But... Worlds best beer??  Pfft...

75% - Average

Banana Bread Beer - Wells & Young

Banana bread beer is another example that I have had abundant exposure to; exposure that I have thoroughly enjoyed.  I don't remember the first time I had it, as, to be honest, I can't stand fruit beers, and just think they are plain weird
Anyway, here it is, an English ale at 5.2% ABV which is readily available pretty much everywhere in my area

The beer is a slightly cloudy caramel, honey colour.  There is lots of fizz as it hits the glass which produces a very nice white head, which sticks around throughout.  Great lacing

The smell suggests evidence of Belgium yeast, with hints of banana and clove.  Some toffee and bread are also clear, with a slight apple note.  Not much hops detectable

The taste initially gives a nice malty sweetness with toffee and bread.  Mid-palate suggest hints of honey, vanilla, cloves and banana.  The finish is moderately bitter with resin and pine.  Linger is bitter sweet, banana and slight mineral taste at the back end.  The alcohol just doesn't seem strong enough though.  Think this would have benefited from a higher ABV..?  Maybe I'm just greedy!

Body is medium, slightly thin and wet with moderate astringency.  Clean, decent balance, but carbonation is a touch prickly.

Overall, this delivers exactly what is says on the bottle.  However, considering this is brewed with actual banana and banana extract; it just doesn't seem banana-ry enough.  The malt and hop profiles delivers clean and crisp flavour to the palate, if a little subdued overall.

80% - Good

Triple - Brakspear

This is an English ale which I picked up from a major supermarket.  Had it a few times in the past many moons ago, and vaguely remember liking it
This bad-boy is a 6.7& ABV, bottle conditioned beer, with serial number B99378.  How novel to have an individually numbered beer!

In the glass, this ale appears a deep coppery cherry colour, with a frothy off-white head which offers decent retention and great lacing

The smell is rich, sweet, syrupy - whatever you want to call - with toasted malt, caramel, dark fruit, mild citrus notes, some spice and lashings of booze.  Smells awfully inviting

Initial taste on the palate is fruit cake, sweet caramel malt; accentuated and punctured by alcohol which comes to fore instantly.  Very warming and rich.  This develops into raisins, prunes, nuts and spice.
Finishes with enough spicy hops to offer up some balance to the boozy sweetness.  Linger is gently grassy hop bitterness and a spicy sweetness

The mouthfeel offers a warming, complex, full-bodied feel which makes this endlessly sippable.  Hardly any astringency and carbonation levels are perfect.  Considering this is so sweet and rich, it manages to avoid being cloyingly sweet and coating the palate (Just about...)

This is something that would be great with a roast dinner on a cold winters day, or as an alternative to mould wine at Christmas!
85% - Good

HSB (Horndean Special Bitter) - George Gale & Company Ltd

If there was an award for the most boring label on a bottle of beer, HSB would surely be on the podium.  Never one to judge a book by its cover though, I picked up a bottle of HSB at my local supermarket.
This special bitter comes in at 4.8% ABV

The appearnce is a deep, clear copper with a slightly off-white frothy head.  Head lasts a while with some good lacing

On the nose, there is a good combination of yeast, malt, some mild caramel, fruits and a some mild floral hops.  However, there is a medicinal hint along with an unpleasant stewed veggie note at the back end.

Taste is mild and subdued, but delivers enough to make it stand out from the mass-produced bitters.  The yeast is evident at first, with some mild toasted malt.  Bread, caramel, and some faint fruity esters are then counter-balanced nicely by a moderate, leafy hop bitterness.  Linger is bitter sweet with a slight hint of diacetyl

Mouthfeel is smooth with moderate astringency, slightly prickly carbonation and has a medium body.  It's well balanced and very drinkable

I could easily sink a few bottles of these.  It benefits from being bottle conditioned, as I think the flavours would fall short had it not been.  Having said that, I can't say that the description on the bottle of 'Rich and Full-Bodied' is entirely accurate. This is a decent bitter, but is let down by the sub-par nose, and slightly off putting carbonation.

75% - Average

Maldon Oyster Stout - Maldon Brewing Co.

Oyster stout - never had it before, so I'm presuming this will taste like sea-water and have the consistency of jelly... No?  Oh well, perhaps I should give it a try then.
As luck would have it, I picked up a bottle of Maldon Oyster Stout, and it does indeed contain (or is infused with) oysters.
Unlike some Oyster Stouts, which are so-called simply because they emulate said style; this specimen does contain the sea dwelling mollusc.
So, this Oyster Stout comes in at 5.0% ABV, and is poured into a pint glass

The appearance is akin to Cola, with a frothy mocha head that manages half decent retention and lacing.

On the nose, there is... no sea-food (which is welcome), but a heady mix of roasted malts.  Chocolate, coffee, nutty and mildy fruity.

Plenty of flavour on the palate.  Like the nose, the malt provides sweet malt, with bitter chocolate, coffee and some yeast.  This develops into a nutty mid-palate with some raisin thrown in.  Finishes with a good amount of hop bitterness.  The linger is bitter, with some cocoa, and a faint salty feel.  Not sure if the salt is just my brain hunting for evidence of the oyster, but it feels as if something is hidden at the back...  Very drinkable.

The mouthfeel benefits from the oats, which provide a creamy feel and leaves the palate coated with a pleasant silky glaze.  Low astringency, little carbonation with a medium body.

Overall, this really is a good stout.  Like my first beer from MBC, it is well balanced with a good malt profile and delivers on the bitterness as well.  Could I taste the Oysters?  Did they add anything to the mouthfeel?  I don't know, but I am enjoying this stout so I don't really care...
90% - Very Good