O-Face Oyster Stout
Point Ybel Brewing Company

possibly my least favorite beer i had in here, which is to say just about all of their beer was great. this one was a little confusing to me though. through the very lively rich black pour i get some light brine and heavy roast, burnt coffee and black malt, appealing but without the english type of ale yeast evident that i prefer in the style. there is also a slight astringency to this which i dont quite get, usually the inclusion of the oysters adds some body and some richness, even creaminess, but here there is weird tannic acidity with the slightly oceanic complexion, seems more like a technical flaw in the beer than anything contributed by the oysters themselves, maybe mashed or sparged too hot, it has that vibe to it, and its there in the flavor too, sort of breaking down the body of the stout, which is part of what generally draws me to the style. i do taste a little saltiness and richness from them, but the roast is almost too dark, like the nuance they add is lost a little bit to the intensity of the dark grain, burnt tasting at the end with some bitterness there. i see the potential in this one for sure, but it is definitely in need of some fine tuning. i thought almost all the other beers we had in here were better executed, which means they are capable of improving this one quite dramatically. i hope to be privy to future batches...