Swale Oyster Stout

Formerly brewed at Whitstable
Style: Stout
Maidstone, England

Sept 2002. For a brewery which only started in 1995 Swale has already made an impression with their succesful Indian Summer Pale Ale which has won much acclaim. Now, with their Whitstable Stout filtered through oyster shells they have produced a beer which - given enough exposure - should be given World Class status; a beer with so much depth and complexity it can match that of the Trappist beers of Belgium. Complex yet subtle, subtle yet rich, rich yet smooth, smooth yet with a buzz on the tongue. This has dark, plummy fruits at the back and roasty things at the front, the balance between them seeming almost divinely inspired. The finish is dry and salty with the hint of a sea breeze. This is not a high alcohol beer, this is not a grab you round the throat and spit in your eye beer, this is not a beer which can be great but is often bad, this is not a beer for which you have to wait until you draw your pension before you drink it, this is a user friendly, consistent, ready to drink now masterpiece. Get it now or be forever on the fringes of what is vital and new in the world of brewing. [4.4]
May, 2004 Bottle Conditioned. BBE June 2003. This is the last of my saved bottles of the original Swale Brewery’s Whitstable Stout. A glorious beer. A refreshing, light, yet creamy smooth mouthfeel. A divine coffee aroma. A splendid range of quality flavours - wine, coffee, chocolate - each clearly defined and somehow perfect, yet blending and harmonising like a world class orchestra rather than the local school band. Everything is here that would be in other stouts, but done with craftmanship and delicacy rather than crude impact. I was afraid I might end up downgrading this, fearing that my earlier experiences had been a novice’s enthusiasm, but this tastes even better than I had hoped. And now I wish I hadn’t drunk it, because I’m afraid the new owners won’t be able to make it as perfecly as this... [4.7]

(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!

Has an usually light body for a stout. No head and dark brown, not black. Smells fruity. Taste includes red winey notes with some sweetness you would see in a cream stout. My bottlewas aggitated so I poured the yeast on in. This added complexity and nuttiness. I am with Venom, it is plane rubbish to leave the yeast out of the glass. I usually pour mine in with any beer, unless it is a fine trappist or something. It only adds to the goodness! This is one of the top seven stouts in my book. Goes well with meteor showers and back roads.

Extremely impressive. Deep, dark color with nice beige head. Aroma is seductive, showing fair hop presence. Tasting is an experience that lasts 15-20 seconds. Starts with choclatey malt, then heads for an assertive roastiness, softens a little, hops come forward, dance with you tongue a little bit, then the malt comes back, marries with the hop for a synergistic finish. I would be an understatement to say that this was an enjoyable stout.

Just a great drinkable stout. Almost a tar like aroma and flavor. Very, Very smooth with chocolate malt flavors. A good session beverage.

Almost black with initial nice beige head and lace that died quickly. Roasty nose with hints of hops,chocolate, burning characol and currants? Smooth malt profile with flavors of wine,roast,chocolate undertones,bit of tartness and subtle hops. Very complex flavors,long finish and really seperates itself from any stout I ever had. Bravo!

Cask @ Blakes of Dover, 2 February, 2006
Loads of chocolte in both aroma (could smell it two feet away) and in taste. Ther are also burned sugar and licourice in there. Nice aftertaste.

Incredible roasted flavor with a thick chocolate flavor from the Maris Otter malts. I’m guessing the oyster shells add smoothness because there was an evident ’oatmeal stout’ sweetness that added to the drinkability. Bottle says ’pour in one motion to avoid disturbing the yeast’. Rubbish! The yeast added a nice subtle tart fruitiness that rounded this brew out nicely. A well made stout worth searching for.