Death From Below
Kings County Brewers Collective (KCBC)

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a quarter finger high light mocha-colored head that left a narrow ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of roasted malts are present in the nose along with hints of licorice.
T: The taste follows the smell and has flavors of roasted malts along with notes of chocolate malts and hints of licorice. There is a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels nearly medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. The roasted malts lend dryness to the mouthfeel.
O: This stout is rather roasty and dry. It also seemed a bit lighter in body compared to other beers in the style.

Serving type: can

Poured into a glass mug.
The appearance was a nice looking dark brown close to black in the pour. In the glass, it definitely leaned more towards a black color. A finger and a half's worth of tan foamy head sliding off at a proper pace. Not much lace, in fact, barely any.
The aroma had bittersweet dark chocolate shavings, smooth sweet caramel malts, nutty roastiness, earthy sweetness, coffee ground roastiness, and an ever so slight touch of briny/salty seashell character.
The flavor leaned into the roasty and bittersweet chocolate to coffee character. Earthiness shaped the backbone with some caramel sweetness. Mild sticky dark chocolate aftertaste with some earthy seashell character.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt good. ABV felt appropriate. Earthy to caramel and nutty finish with some dark chocolate.
Overall, as an oyster stout, I was actually looking for more briny/salty oyster shell quality. It's there but so faint, I almost feel that KCBC was trying to brew an Americanized version of this. Not a bad beer, just weaker on the briny-ness, I'd still have again.

 

On tap at the Rochard, NYC.
Pours a dark chestnut brown, nearly black color. Good sized foamy and creamy dark tan head that displays good retention.
Aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa powder, nutty, biscuity and dark toasted malts with a nice amount of a roasty quality.
Very creamy and smooth mouthfeel that highlights the toasty and moderately roasty malts. Very subtle chocolate sweetness, however, the bitterness of the roasted malts stands out. There is an ashy and slightly charred flavor, along with a dry finish. Furthermore, there is a briny flavor, from the oyster shells, that pairs really well with the light acidity of the black malts. Despite the low ABV, it is full bodied.
Simply put, a finely crafted oyster stout.

 

 

an amazingly well done oyster stout here. i went in this place with the impression for some reason that they were a one trick pony with the hazy stuff, but that isnt the case at all, they do so many things well, and this is another shining example of that. a low alcohol and rather traditional take on the style, rich and dark, full bodied, and brewed with a whole heap of oyster shells it sounds like, although i am unsure about when in the process they are introduced, i would love to learn a little more about how a beer like this is made. lots of body to this one, some from the grain, oats likely, but also some from the oysters too i would think, a mineral and protein complexion from them that makes this slick and full feeling, round and soft, nothing aggressive about it. flavor has just a light brine to it from the oysters, and a rather rich black malt complexion along with an enlish ale yeast pushing through, a little sweeter than others have been in my experience with the style, but the sweetness works here really well, extending it nicely, so smooth i dont really want it to dissipate any faster than it does. tastes and feels earthy, some cocoa and coffee notes from the dark malts, and overall a nuanced and unique brew, something i hope to be able to drink on again in the future. super impressive quality across the board in here!

 

 

The more variety of styles I drink from KCBC the more I like them. Chocolate sweetness and bitterness, roasty, dry, nutty, earthy. Great.