Southwark Old Stout
South Australia Brewing Co.

Southwark Old StoutSouthwark Old Stout
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From:
South Australia Brewing Co.
 
Australia
Style:
Foreign / Export Stout
Ranked #44
ABV:
7.4%
Score:
86
Ranked #18,211
Avg:
3.83 | pDev: 13.05%
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
39
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 04, 2024
Added:
Aug 07, 2002
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Ratings by RollingAlong:
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Rated by RollingAlong from Australia

4/5  rDev +4.4%

Jan 12, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 1.75 by BrisLoganite from Australia

Jan 04, 2024
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
375ml brown glass bottle with screw top from Sip N Save, Adelaide.

7.4% ABV.

Rich with roasted barley, dark malts, and malted milk ball-redolent sweetness. Not as roasty as something like Guinness Extra Stout, nor as sweet as many Caribbean export stouts, but it's full-bodied and approachable for its highish ABV.

Smooth, wet, sleek on the palate. Unrefreshing.

I guess I'd hope for more coffee-like bitterness and roasted barley, but this is a pretty straight up the middle export stout with obvious style adherence - there's no faulting it for sticking to tradition. Better than Australian brewed Guinness, and it does give Coopers Extra Stout a fair run for its money...call this the underdog in that fight.

A competent export stout with no off-flavours but definite room for improvement.

High C+ / ABOVE AVERAGE
Jan 20, 2023
 
Rated: 3.88 by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

Oct 21, 2021
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Reviewed by JacintoCupboard from Australia

4.07/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Typical black beer with a head that is beige to light brown. Pours a tight head and leaves ample lacing. There are some vegetal smells on the nose but otherwise the usual burnt toffee/chocolate/coffee aromas you'd expect.

Has a fair degree of bitterness on the palate and is thinner in mouth feel than comparable stouts. It seems to have less residual sweetness than its competitors but this might just be a perception shift given the bitterness. For my tastes it is pushed a little too hard in this direction. Still, an excellent beer.
Jul 10, 2021
 
Rated: 3.83 by Segelstrom from Pennsylvania

Feb 25, 2019
Photo of RichardLeahy
Reviewed by RichardLeahy from Australia

4.14/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Aaah, one of me faves! L. From a dark brown 375 ml bottle so hard to tell but looks appropriate. S. Malty, darkened grain, a touch of brown sugar sweetness. T. Follows the nose but I also get hints of coffee (not as much as some others) and cough medicine due to the high alcohol. Finishes dry with a lingering dark grain/coffee taste. F. Creamy and smooth, a touch of carbonation but not much. O. An authentic remnant of a time when Australians drank a lot more dark beers and a very good one. A heavy, but drinkable, old style stout with plenty of flavour and alcohol.
Sep 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.89 by Mobe1969 from Australia

Nov 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by NeoClassicist from New York

Sep 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Stuckey_Stuckey from Australia

Aug 09, 2014
Photo of doktorhops
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia

4.08/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Southwark Old Stout is a brew I've heard mentioned before by South Australians as the Stout that gives Coopers Best Extra a run for its money, and that is a bold claim as Coopers BES is indeed my favourite Aussie Stout. However I think my South Australian cousins may be on to something, and if so this will prove to be the Stout that finds a place in my coveted fridge door shelf alongside Little Creatures Pale Ale, Weihenstephaner Hefe, Founders Breakfast Stout and the mighty Duvel... oh yeah and Trappistes Rochefort 10 as well.

Poured from a 375ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Pouring was interesting - to get a head of any sort I had to agitate the bottle violently, though this is not uncommon with a heavy Belgian beer I'm surprised to see it happen with anything brewed in Australia. The body is opaque black with a minimal tan ring around the glass.

S: Some classic Stout aromas at play: Dark chocolate, espresso coffee and vanilla, plus a touch of rum make this quite a large and foreboding brew... not that anyone is complaining.

T: Espresso notes are bold and upfront with this impressive and hearty Stout. This is followed by the expected dark chocolate and vanilla characters (the above noted rum being absent). Just the right amount of toasted malt sweetness is present as well. The finish is a burnt ground coffee bitterness that balances out the malt.

M: A nice rich, thick body and a creamy carbonation sets this above Coopers BES and really makes it one damn fine Ale.

D: It's rare this day and age to find a bold heavy Stout like this from a Macro owned brewer (this beer is a Lion Nathan owned product) when many others are being watered down ad nauseam (e.g. Guinness Draught, Guinness Extra, Murphy's Stout, Carlton Black). Compared to them this is like a breath of fresh, or in this case heavy, air. Does it slay the mighty Coopers Best Extra Stout though? IMO - Yes, yes it does (said opinion may be based on the higher ABV of this particular tipple, don't judge me).

Food match: Cigars, dark chocolate and sharp cheeses would suit this knight in black armour.
Jul 15, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Kroehny_Loves_Hops from Australia

May 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by mungus from Australia

Jan 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by pin from Australia

May 21, 2013
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Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia

4.19/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
375ml stubby brown twist-cap bottle purchased from Steve's Cool Booze in Kingsford.

Pours a pleasant deep black-brown, with a firm, chocolatey head of bubbles that settle out to a persistent film. Lacing is speckled and spotty. Body looks quite pleasantly fluid, but holds what carbonation there is rather firmly. Overall, it's reasonably pleasant.

Nose is dusty with pleasant mild roast, some meaty characters, and a pleasant sweet spiciness. There's a depth to the darkness: plenty of sweetness to back it up: suggestions of toffee, raisins and milk chocolate, and even a suggestion of the extra alcohol, which gives some rich aromas of port. It's very pleasant stuff.

Taste is also good. Long but mildly roasted palate, leaves a pleasant toasty sweetness throughout its length. Browned sweet bread, nutella, chocolate, toasted nuts. This is backed up by a slight upkick in the darkness towards the end and a pleasantly dry and relatively crisp ending. Some of the deeper burnt toffee and sugar characters come through too, lending some complexity. It's far more exciting than I expected or remembered.

Feel is a touch light, especially for 7.4% ABV, but that does help with the crispness at the end, which is beneficial in my mind.

Overall, this is a cracking stout. Smooth and drinkable, but with complexity and richness of flavour. It's very well structured and dangerously drinkable. Easily the best dark beer brewed by one of the big boys here in Australia, and a very good beer in its own right.
Mar 30, 2013
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Reviewed by dansmcd from Australia

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - pours black under a decent tan head and spots of lacing.

S - mmm.. chocolate, plum, raisin, coffee.

T - follows the nose, good complexity, mocha, some hop bitterness, lot of dark fruit.

M - nice smooth full body, low carbonation.

O - really solid stout. Nothing huge or bold about it, just a tasty, well balanced brew.
Jan 05, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by szmnnl99 from Michigan

Mar 27, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by cdwil from Texas

Dec 29, 2011
Photo of eric5bellies
Reviewed by eric5bellies from Australia

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Drank on tap at Squires brew house Perth.

A - Pours a nice deep Mahogany colour, with a tanned head that lasts the distance and laces.

S - Nescafe like aromas with plenty of roasted malt.

Nice coffee flavours with maybe a hint of chocolate. The roasted malts are very well balanced with a hint of brown sugar. Smooth stout is this.

M - Medium to full body with low to medium carbonation.

D - A very sessionable stout. I put this just ahead of Coopers as the best mass produced stout in OZ. Because of the smoothness and the well hidden alcohol content.
Oct 07, 2011
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Reviewed by heygeebee from Australia

3.76/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pous a one finger tan head over a black-ish body, head does not last, and little lacing

Aromas are restrained - I think I have a problem I cannot smell aroma off stouts :-) A little roast malt, a little caramel.

Taste is dark chocolate / a little coffee. Warmly alcoholic. Bitterness is there, but not overpowering.

Mouthfell is good and chewy, not too oily.

Nice drop overall. Good winter find.
Aug 11, 2011
Southwark Old Stout from South Australia Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 39 ratings