Bayshore Oyster Stout, Flying Fish Brewing Co., Cherry Hill, NJ

The Bayshore Oyster Stout is part of a limited series named after the exits on the Jersey Turnpike (Oyster Stout represents Exit 1). I've never had anything from the Flying Fish Brewing Co., but I'm going to keep them in mind.

The concept of a beer brewed with oysters is a bit bizarre. Would people with shellfish allergies be able to consume this beer? Is the oyster like a tequila worm, waiting at the bottom of the bottle? Is this going to taste totally gross?

Good news - no visible oysters in my beer, and the taste is actually quite good. The flavor and feel of this beer is definitely the highlight. There is a very nice maltiness, with a creamy and smooth feeling on the tongue. The aroma of smoked malt is pervasive, as you'd expect. Basically, this is a very smooth and creamy stout. I get a minor hint of salt, but I really have to think about it to notice. The creaminess successfully hides the 7.0% ABV.

Rating = 3.0

Oddly, I'll be reviewing another Oyster Stout next week. I received two as gifts recently, having never had an oyster stout.

Penobscot Bay Brewery: Old Factory Whistle Scottish Ale

So I know it's a little boring, but I'm reviewing beers from the same brewery in back to back weeks. In last weeks review, I gave their only other beer a simple 2. This week, well this week was better, but not ticker tape parade better.

Penobscot Bay Brewery's Old Factory Whistle Scottish Ale came in a 22oz bottle (as did it's brother beer, the blonde ale) and when poured into a Sam Adams glass produced a rather thick head. The beer itself poured cloudy, but quickly cleared up into a dark reddish brown color. I didn't immediately notice a whole lot of aroma to it though.

Normally, I'm a fan of a scottish ale, but this one was just kind of there. The first sip wasn't all that appealing to me, but after that the beer went down quite easily. Carmel seemed to be the predominant flavor, and I think it's abundance caught me off guard. After adjusting to that first sip, I rather enjoyed the rest of the beer. I'm going to give this one a middle of the road 2.5, but I'm reserving the right to review it again at a later date. It just wasn't what I was expecting and I think that threw me off a little. Methinks that next time I'm in Maine, I'll pick some up for my fellow Beer Crusaders to try, as I'd love to hear their opinions..

St. Victorious Dopplebock, Victory Brewing Co., Downington, PA

So I didn't post last week, I was a bit under the weather, seems I got sick at Eileen's going away party. So the only alcohol I have been getting has been from the NyQuil. So even though I got sick, I had a fun time at the party drinking the Noble Pils and more importantly on the way home I visited one of my favorite liquor stores, Bauer Wine & Spirits where I found some Victory St. Victorious Dopplebock. I was excited to find the beer as Dopplebocks (aka Double Bocks) have always scored well with me in the past. I poured the St. Victorious into my usual stein and noticed the minimal head amongst the tiny carbonation bubbles. The beer tasted of coffee and left you with a bitter bite of hops and carbonation in the aftertaste. Although the beer is measured at 7.6% ABV, there wasn't an alcohol impact in the taste. The St. Victorious was good, but not great. I think if Victory had added some more chocolate malt to give it a richer taste to combat the bitterness I would have enjoyed it much more. That being said, I give the St. Victorious a 3.5.

Saranac Irish Stout, Matt Brewing Co., Utica, NY

Saranac, a brand of the Matt Brewing Co. in upstate New York, has been around for a while (over 120 years), making them one of the oldest breweries in the US. The Irish Stout is one of their newest offerings, effectively replacing the Saranac Stout in the lineup. Not sure if the Irish Stout is also going to go into the venerable Saranac Black and Tan...

The Irish Stout is entirely what you would expect. Dark, nearly black body, tan head, mild aroma of toasted malt. The taste is spot-on, with maltiness, smokiness, and only a tinge of metallic/sour aftertaste. The sourness is quickly covered up by a slight sweetness, with a pleasant smoky finish. Basically, the Irish Stout is what you would expect: good quality beer true to the style.

The Irish Stout easily outpaces the Guinness 250 Anniversary, which I recently reviewed. I'd much rather have a couple of Irish Stouts.

Rating = 3.5

Great label, too...

Penobscot Bay Brewery: Whig Street Blonde Ale

Who out there loves a good blond? Me? I've always been a brunette kind of guy, and the Whig Street Blonde Ale kept true to my policy.

I'm not a huge fan of blonde ales, mostly because I haven't found one that totally tickled my taste buds. Most, in my experience, tend to be decent, but not exactly the most flavorful beer in the world. This beer poured a decent clearish amber color with little head. It went down smooth (as most blondes do), but there really wasn't much too it (another trait of the blonde). It was very drinkable, but not something I'm going to seek out. Mostly, I see this beer as a warm summer afternoon drink.

This would normally be the spot where I give you the alcohol content, but its neither on the bottle, nor on the website. I can tell you though, I had two glasses in one night, and my lightweight self didn't feel a thing. I'm going to guess it's somewhere in the high 4%abv. Not that it was a bad beer, but it just really didn't do anything for me, so I'm going to have to give it a rather mundane 2.

New Feature

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Baltic Porter - Leviathan Series, Harpoon Brewery, Boston, MA

The Baltic Porter is part of Harpoon Brewery's Leviathan Series - big beers sold in 4 packs. Somehow, despite our appreciation for well-made beers, we've managed to avoid reviewing anything from Leviathan (at least, since BC's review of the Imperial IPA in 2008).

Traditionally, a Baltic Porter is kind of a cross between a traditional English Porter and an Russian Imperial Stout. Basically, a well-made, smoky porter plus high alcohol and big presence. For this one, the ABV of 9.5% leads the way. From the first sip, there is a warming sensation, tempered by a slightly sweet flavor. The roasted malt aroma and taste dominates, including a nice smoked flavor. There is no real hop aroma or taste, and the scent of fruit (cherries?) and dark chocolate are very prominent.

For a beer with such a high ABV, this one is very easy to drink. Smooth and silky on the tongue. Very nice.

Rating = 4.0

There are a bunch of other beers from the Leviathan Series, and I've got them on my list. Based on the Baltic Porter, I'm looking forward to seeing what else Harpoon has in store.