I love oyster stouts. Like I love milk stouts, and IPA’s. Personally I think you need to be a fan of the styles in general. OK jackass you are saying absolutely nothing. Yeah, yeah…but what I am actually saying makes sense. Read on.
Porters and Stouts as a style in general aren’t for everyone. Most of us inducted into the world of craft beer (read: pretentious a-holes) also thoroughly enjoy IPA’s. Whereas in truth, the majority of beer drinkers really aren’t too hip to the style. See, I am making a point, but where I am going is somewhere else.
New Jersey. Dear God help us all.
I wanted to openly state my love of the style first and foremost because even examples of the style that really aren’t that good, to me, are still pretty good. Good examples, are amazing. Amazing examples could potentially lead to prolonged erections. Hellooooo ladies. What I have in my glass today is Flying Fish Brewing Co’s interpretation of an Oyster Stout.
Black is the new Beige
The bottle description tells of the history of clamming in New Jersey, which for some reason craft brewers always tend to think gives a beer purpose for being made, or identify it with the region in which it was made, or influenced. Well, OK, I admit I am a bit of a fan of that practice actually, and it does make the beer have a sense of purpose. Something you won’t see from the Big 3. Yes, I am spending a lot of time talking more about beer in general for a reason. This beer is only an average example.
Which brings me to what my impression was. It’s good, but that was really my only initial thought, which is a problem. There wasn’t anything memorable about it, and I was really looking forward to trying this beer because of how impressed I was with Flying Fish’s Bier de Garde***.
Well balanced without any of the high or low notes competing against each other, and overall wasn’t offensive at all. Translation, if you are someone new to the style, or new to craft beer, this would be a starting point because it won’t overly offend the palette, however, nor will it leave you a memorable impression. I typically argue if you are new to a style you should look for the best example so you know what the style is really supposed to be. Something to gauge others by. However, porters, and stouts are sometimes difficult for some to approach.
So I am making an exception today. For those who are fans of the style, you won’t mind drinking it at all, but you won’t be left with any real impression. For those new to the style, you will have the opportunity to sample something that is balanced, and well made.
Ignore the flavor profile description on the bottle in this case. They speak of English chocolate…yeah, I got none of that. Roasted malts, burnt actually. This reminded me more of a porter than a creamy stout. However, one thing that I caught, and maybe it’s because I really wanted to like this beer, but if you look for it, you could almost taste a briney nature. Then again the label also recommended pairing with oysters, and I have no problem visualizing a night of many beers and crusty, slimey things. This could be a case of wanting to taste something that really isn’t here.
See what I mean, this beer isn’t bad, it just leaves you like the girl you never introduced to mom, but would have had she not left the taste in your mouth of beige.
***Now before anyone goes and flies off the handle allow me to explain. I write my impressions of a beer without doing extensive online research, and for good reason. I don’t want anyone else’s words to spill over into what I am writing. I want my impressions to be my own, just an honest impression that I write down. THEN, I go back and cross reference material for accuracy, spelling etc. That’s when I noticed it. Flying Dog made the Bier de Garde I so enjoyed. Why didn’t I just correct myself earlier, or remove the reference all together? Because I seriously thought Flying Fish made the other beer I was referring to and it was influencing my impression, and overall let down with this beer. This piece would be complete drivel without that one point left intact. Had my anticipation been different, my reaction could have been different.
I will always correct myself in this manner when writing about a beer. Otherwise I am spewing someone else’s thoughts.
