“Brewed using golden rolled oats, the finest available malted and roasted barley, carefully chosen English hops and yeast, this full body stout offers hints of chocolate and roasted coffee flavours with a smooth finish making it a winter favourite.”
This is our first entry for this Adelaide based, European-inspired microbrewery. After establishing the brewery in 2007, they have gone on to receive a long list of awards for their beers and the brewery itself. To the tune of 31 medals in only eight years of operation. That’s pretty damn respectable. Served in a snifter glass. The impenetrable black pour whips up a frothy three finger crown that gradually shrinks to a filmy overlay with reasonable lacing following it down. Some really dark and charred aromas here to be picked up. There isn’t really any dominant scent, just an arsenal of roasted aromas consisting of molasses, chocolate, coffee, licorice, crusty bread, cointreau, oats and carob. Really nice balance between the sweet and roasted. Surprisingly light in the mouth. An oily texture provides low Co2 and mild bitterness. The 5.8% ABV is also quite mild for a crafty stout but it does conform in to a smooth overall texture. Very approachable so far. It’s all standard flavours on the palate, but we’re still interested. Coffee, chocolate, roasted malts, molasses and a hint of licorice all combine upfront and carry over the mid. A touch of roasted bitterness comes forward, lifting the flavours before it descends in to a slightly charred, sweet and malty finish. Such a simple stout but damn it has been executed well. There’s nothing aggressive going on, just the four-to-the-floor stout aromas and flavours. If it’s a sessional dark beer you’re after then look no further. Light, tasty and surprisingly sessional. Fine offering.