Sydney Street
The Gahan House (Gahan Beer)

 

 

Look: Dark brown to black. Two finger tightly bubbled tawny head. The had is still a solid 1/4 finger at 5 minute mark.

Smell: Light notes of milk chocolate and roasted malt.

Taste: Chocolate, burnt wood, mineral water, leather and roast malt.

Feel: Medium bodied with a sparkly effervescence not typically seen in oatmeal stouts.

A very solid offering. It could use a bit more sweetness for my taste, but a solid B to B+ beer stout fans shouldn't pass up the chance to try. It warms up very nicely.

Dark with a moderate, fairly long-lived head. Some lace. Pretty good depth of flavour with roastiness, coffee & chocolate, charcoal. But predominantly about malt, both on the nose and to taste. The oatmeal gives it a character different from many other stouts and makes it and interesting drink. Worth a try.

 

Tallboy from the LCBO; coded K1220 (Oct 12 2020) and served at cellar temperature.

Pours black as night, generating nearly a finger of smooth, creamy, light tan-coloured head that seeps off within five minutes or so. A modest collar of froth is the only survivor, with no cap and minimal lace generation; looks alright. It smells of caramelized sugars, chocolate and roasted grains, with hints of coffee, ash, and a faint suggestion of dark fruit.

A solid stout if I do say so myself - it's got a well-balanced flavour profile that starts off with notes of toasted malts, caramel, molasses and chocolate. They're soon joined by hints of plummy dark fruit and raisin, with suggestions of cocoa and coffee at the finish preceding a relatively dry aftertaste; just a faint twinge of ashiness lingers on. Medium in body, with mild carbonation levels that limply brush against the tongue; feels extremely smooth, with a fluffy-soft texture of the sort you'd expect from a good oatmeal stout. Quite quaffable, which when combined with its 5.2% abv, makes it seem downright sessionable - I could easily enjoy a few pints of this over the course of an evening.

Final Grade: 3.89, a B+. Sydney Street is a respectable oatmeal stout of undeniable quality - the mouthfeel is fantastic, with exquisitely well balanced flavours and a drying finish that leaves you raring for the next sip. I'd definitely recommend it to any BA with an appreciation for traditional stouts of relatively low strength - Ontario beer geeks in particular should procure this one quickly while they still can, because who knows if it'll be available here in the long term.

473 ml can served cold into a tulip. LCBO purchase for around $3.20 CDN.

Appearance - Dark chestnut brown nearly black with two fingers of long lasting tan head. Some lacing clings to the edges of the glass and a tan collar stays for a near eternity.

Smell - Roasty and reasonably aromatic with a subtle touch of dates. Otherwise just lots of roasted malt.

Taste - Quite assertively bitter and very much the flavor of roasted malts. Some char and a hint of smoke with a touch of leather.

Mouthfeel - Medium-full bodied and medium-light carbonation. Drinks nicely and easily.

Overall - A solid stout that just borders on too bitter and too roasted, but still a quality brew that is worth sampling especially as it is not local in these parts.

 

 

 

 

 

Tan two finger head with strong lacing. Black colour, dark fruit with chocolate nose. Tastes of roasted coffee, full-bodied. Dry finish for an oatmeal stout.

**
10/06/16
Bottle to snifter, coutesy of LL.

LOOK: pours dark black, medium beige head, lasts pretty long, then fades to a thick film.
AROMA: roasted makt, Dark chocolate, vegetable.
TASTE: oatmeal, beef stew, char, wood.
FEEL: creamy and dry, like an irish stout.

A nice smooth easy drinking stout.

**

On tap at the brewer pub in Halifax.
This is a very dark and rich stout with loads of dark roasted malts, a touch of char, and more smoke. The Smokey/burnt aspects, however, are not overdone, instead working well with over flavors of the dark grain load.
Medium body with light carbonation.

This is a gorgeous beer - it pours deep and dark, with plenty of foamy tan head - it looks very much like a cup of espresso. The odour is a bit of a letdown - wet, earthy, with hints of cocoa and ash. It really perks up when it hits your lips, however. Lots of coffee, dark chocolate and roasted malt make me a happy man! Overall, this is easily the best brew I have sampled from Gahan. My bottle proclaims it to be a "Brewmaster's Limited Edition", but I hope that's just for show. I would be more than happy to add this brew to my regular rotation.

Serving Type: 500 mL Bottle

A- Pours a translucent black topped by a 1/2 finger tan head with decent retention.

S- Dark chocolate and dark roasted coffee beans. A delicious combo

T- Milk Chocolate, along with the dark, roasty flavours from the aroma.

M- Silky Light-Medium body with Low-Moderate carbonation.

O- Although I haven't had a lot of Oatmeal Stouts, I can tell you that this is a great one. It offers up the classic roasty flavours of a regular stout with the added creaminess that the oatmeal offers.