Midnight Oil Stout - Swamp Head Brewery & Tasting Room

chinchill

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewery. The pour was basically black, as expected given the name, The modest size tan head has very good retention and moderate lacing. The great aroma is dominated by a very appealing coffee aroma. Very little hops in the nose and mouth for an American stout, and also relatively low ABV -- being just descriptive; not pro or con on this. Some hops do come through in the finish and, more so, in the aftertaste.

O: for coffee lovers only, this stout is dominated by coffee flavor and aroma, but only mildly bitter. I particularly like the aftertaste which has a chocolate tinged coffee flavor without the unpleasant bitter/tannic component.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2013 22:11:36 | More by chinchill

Jerone

Florida

4.23/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark, black with a choco head that sticks around for a bit but fades eventually, leaves a bit of lacing too.

S - Rich dark roasted malt with some chocolate and espresso too.

T - Yum, dark roasty malts with some good coffee/espresso as well with some chocolate flavors too. No burnt malt flavor, just that good dark roast. Great balance and big flavor.

M - Medium body, slightly creamy, not thick bit not thin either. Carbonation is slightly below medium, just enough.

O - Good solid stout with lots of flavor, but nothing you don't want.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2012 03:52:20 | More by Jerone

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.8/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this one on tap at a local Whole Foods off of International Drive in Orlando.

A: Poured a pitch black color (or lack of), with no light passing through this suck at all. It had a huge 2-3-4(?) finger head that clung to the glass like Spider-Man. Looks mean!

S: It had a very muted, faint smell of fresh coffee grounds, burnt oats, and chocolate. Subdued, yet effective.

T: Very coffee forward, but with a fairly smooth finish overall. Sure, I got some lingering bitterness on my palate the more I sipped, but overall this was a steady drinker. Barely enough sweetness, but I appreciated that.

M: Creamy, medium-bodied, good carbonation, and with a ridiculous amount of lacing. It had an overall slick feel to it, probably as a result of the oats.

O: If you don't like coffee, you may not like this one, but I've gotta admit that there was a helluva lot of flavor here for such a low octane brew. Me likey!

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2012 19:38:44 | More by Chaney

Swim424

Florida

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this on tap at Proof

A-Dark black. Nice Brown head. hung around for a bit.

S-smells like coffee. Maybe a little chocolate. But mostly coffee

T-Coffee again. I always say I am not a fan of coffee but the stouts are always good. A little chocolate and oatmeal but mostly just coffee. A tiny bit of hops stick out but not much. Besides the coffee you have to be really looking for the other flavors.

MF-Thick and creamy. Nice flavor and aftertaste.

O-Very good. Not high alcohol and very good to sip. Highly enjoyable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2011 06:13:01 | More by Swim424

Spider889

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I think this was a guest tap at Cigar City while I was visiting...

A - Black with a khaki head.

S - Very roasty and dry. Simple but nothing to fault here.

T - Roast is in the flavor as well. Some nice semi-sweet chocolate notes and a light bitterness for balance.

M/O - Nice and smooth, but I was expecting something thicker given the name. Not bad at all.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2011 10:31:54 | More by Spider889

GallowsThief

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at The House of Brews in Jensen Beach.

A – Black as night on the pour. Light tan head that receded pretty quickly.

S – Big roasty malts. Coffee, mocha and oats.

T – A lot like the smell but the coffee flavor lens to as espresso taste. Big and bold. Think strong black coffee. Roasty malts of course. Mocha and dark chocolate. Tiny bit sweet at the end. No real bitterness despite the big coffee flavor.

M – Medium bodied with medium to low carbonation. Creamy coating mouthfeel.

O – Really dug this brew. Love coffee and this has it in spades. Creamy and tasty and pretty damn drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2011 03:21:40 | More by GallowsThief

kylehay2004

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: very dark, little light getting through. Nice milk chocolate head

S: rich roast aroma.

T: very roasty. This one has the aftertaste of a bbq or chewing on coffee beans which is great for me. Earthy and caramelized sugar notes.

M: very smooth and full bodied.

Overall: coffee infused beers are some of my favorites. This one is has more of a coffee taste than many others I have tried. More like a beer flavored coffee which is fine with me.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2011 17:26:13 | More by kylehay2004

JPBCrown

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap in the tasting room (which, by the way, is very nice and worth a visit!).

Appearance was great. I like my beer dark. A bit disappointed by the thin head...but hey, it's not crucial. Smells like dark coffee, chocolate, and oatmeal...and the same for the taste! I was extremely impressed by the coffee flavor in this brew. Not too overpowering, but not too little either. Still tasted like a nice, dark stout with an addition of coffee and chocolate. The mouthfeel was thinner than expected, but not enough to disappoint.

Overall, great brew. My first impression of Swamp Head was the Wild Night Honey Cream Ale...and I wasn't very impressed. But this makes up for that and more. I'll be visiting Swamp Head again!

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2011 23:58:59 | More by JPBCrown

Interfectus

Florida

4.85/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is my favorite stout. It's more of a desert than a beer, and even my Mom (who's not a beer drinker) thoroughly enjoyed it! It's a playful blending of chocolate, warm grain, and caramel flavors. Its creamy without being too heavy, and the mouth feel is a perfect compliment to the taste. The head is creamy and chocolaty. It'll fill you up, but I'd be perfectly happy if it were the only beer I had for an evening! It seems like it would be good at nearly every temperature. It's color is very dark (even black), but it is by no means bitter. I HIGHLY recommend this one!

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2011 23:00:43 | More by Interfectus

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-black with a thick tan head that thins out

S-smells like creamy mocha and oatmeal. the oatmeal scent is strong

T-comes in creamy with tangy oatmeal. transitions in to a strong taste of coffee which forms a long lasting after-taste. its not too exciting, but the flavors are strong and there are no negative tastes.

M-creamy light carbonation with a watery finish. reminds me of a nitro tap mouthfeel.

O-its a decent oatmeal stout. drinks fairly light. definitely a good beer, but i expected more. this isn't a must try.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2011 18:43:44 | More by AdamBear

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Really nice pour, very typical for the style with a deep dark black look to it and a nice head of maybe two inches that came up and over the top with some ease. Settling down it left a decent amount of lacing on the sides, but nothing spectacular though it did retain a good bit of the puff of tan on top. The aroma was nice, well blended mix of chocolate and roasted malts, hints of light coffee notes and a decent bit of dark fruit note carrying over. This was pretty much par for the course with the flavor. Started out very smooth with a rich and well defined chocolate note that dominated early before mellowing with a nice but of vanilla and coffee notes. Small touch of hops catching up right there at the end were enough to make it just slightly bitter, but overall it was a smooth, creamy and very session able stout.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2011 01:52:56 | More by mikesgroove

PorterLambic

Florida

2.9/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours black as pitch with a gorgeously creamy dark tan head that dissipates slowly to a ring and island.
Smell is malt, coffee, bittersweet chocolate and some dark fruit.
Taste ashy, coffee, malt.
Watery with a medium body and lightish effervescence. Slightly warming. Not nearly as good as I had hoped. Too ashy, much like an ashtray. As this is my first from this brewery, I'll look for some different brews to try and hope this one is just not for me.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2011 22:28:48 | More by PorterLambic

godfathermg57

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Tall Paul's Brew House

A: Black as a stout with a healthy tan head.

S: COFFEE! that's most of what i smell. I suppose that makes sense given the name. I don't detect too much cocoa or other stout-ey smells

T: Very much like the smell with lots of coffee. Taste is not very complex but it's refreshing enough

M: Certainly not thick like the name Midnight Oil might imply. Fairly light stout body.

D: Pretty drinkable so that's a definite plus.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2011 15:07:56 | More by godfathermg57

MisterE

Florida

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

on tap at the Red Onion Neighborhood Grill in Gainesville FL

A: served in a Yuengling pint glass, a deep impenetrable brown color with a thin one-finger head that lingers for a few minutes

S: rich, dark roasted malt and dark roasted coffee dominate

T: as with the smell, the barley and coffee beans have been roasted to the darkest extent without charring, leaving a sharp and smoky flavor

M: plenty of carbonation and a little thin

D: after more than one, the caffeine content is apparent, but the taste is still pleasant

notes: Midnight Oil is coffee stout brewed with french roasted coffee beans and will be enjoyed most by those who have developed a taste and tolerance for dark coffee

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2010 22:30:28 | More by MisterE

unclejimbay

Florida

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap @ Kickbacks
Appearance was pitch black with short head and rentention.
Aromas of roasted malt, dominate coffee and subtle chocolate.
Tastes of dark malts, coffee upfront, bitter and dry on the finish.
Mouthfeel is very light bodied for a stout.
Drinkability is solid offering for a lighter bodied dry styled stout. I enjoyed it.

Additional info;
I attended a Swamphead Beer dinner at Kickbacks here in Jacksonville Florida 12/13/2010. The lineup overall impressed me, brews were appropriatte to style and well done across the board. I most notably enjoyed the Hoe Hoe Hoe Wit, Tupelo Cream Ale, Stumpknocker APA, and 10-10-10 Whiskey Barrel Aged as standouts for the evening. Overall a very talented brewery across the entire lineup. I had chance to meet Luke the owner who was a great guy, and Craig the brewer who was passionate and open to share his processes. Both were knowlegdable and I am very excited about this new Florida Brewery.

Here is are most of the Swamphead brews that were offered at the dinner;
Hoe Hoe Hoe Winter Seasonal - a Belgian style specialty ale with cranberries, ginger and orange blossom honey
Wild Night Tupelo Honey Cream Ale
Cottonmouth Belgian Style Wheatbier
Stumpknocker American Pale Ale
Big Nose IPA
Saison du Swamp - Florida Style Saison with rye
10-10-10 Imperial IPA
10-10-10 Imperial IPA aged in Palm Ridge Whiskey barrels
Midnight Oil Oatmeal Stout with locally roasted organic fair trade coffee
Alderwood Smoked Porter
Chipotle Smoked Porter
Stumpknocker infused with Chipotle peppers
Catherine's Inspiration - Russian Imperial Stout
Catherine's Passion - Russian Imperial Stout infused with organic cocoa nibs and Midnight Oil coffee

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2010 16:18:47 | More by unclejimbay

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Pi on Broadway in Ocala.

A: jet black, nice frothy head that dissipated to a thin lacing
S: nice roasted nose, chocolate undertones
T: nice beer, roasted malt, oatmeal not incredibly noticeable but good balance
M: nice mouthfeel
D: good taste, could be a bit more grainy for my liking but all-in-all a decent beer

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2010 03:27:13 | More by wisrarebeer

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Lookin' good here. Black pour, albeit a bit thin looking. Head could use more smoothness or richness. Otherwise, delicious appearance.

Ok, coffee up front aroma. Not so much coffee grounds like KBS, more like faint aroma in a Dunkin Donuts shop. Rich, and fleeting. I kinda like it. Some dark roast and dark chocolate also. Bits of grass.

Taste is more balanced between the coffee, chocolate, burnt grass, and Italian plum. Smooth texture, wondering if oats are used. Smooth, but a touch thin.

Very drinkable, could see having this with football and burgers.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2010 21:21:08 | More by Mebuzzard

nickfl

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with a nice head of dark tan foam that settles rapidly and leaves decent lace. The body is an opaque black with virtually no light showing through.

S - An aroma of nutty coffee with some brown sugar and little else.

T - Slightly acidic, black coffee up front with a light grain bitterness. Some dry toast and more coffee comes out in the middle. Finishes with more acidic coffee and a little bit of molasses.

M - A slightly thin body, moderate carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - This is a very drinkable beer that isn't nearly as big or complex as its name implies. Some coffee stouts are rare, refined and deep but this is more of a good, honest cup of black coffee. The coffee character is quite pleasant, but it isn't something that bears deep contemplation. The oatmeal, on the other hand, seems to be missing in action; there is none of the thickness that I would normally expect from a beer brewed with oats. I genuinely enjoyed this beer even though it was nothing like what I expected based on the name and advertised ingredients. I was a little disappointed by the relative simplicity of the flavor and aroma, but that same lack of complexity makes it an oddly sessionable coffee stout.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2010 02:41:24 | More by nickfl

Gtreid

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Guest tap at Cigar City for Craft Beer Week. Poured into a tasting glass.

A: Pretty black, with some mahogany highlights. The pours creates a small tan head that left some webby lace.

A: Burnt coffee and malt. I would say roasted but this is beyond that. The coffee is forward and I get notes of slight chocolate, nuts, and earth.

T: Again, I'm afraid to say, burnt coffee. I just can't get past it. It's not really bad, just not what I was expecting. Some notes of light chocolate, wood, and slight char. Finishes dry but somewhat bitter from the over roasting of the malt.

M: Pretty light in the body. Nice amount of carbonation, but just a bit to watery.

D and overall impression: Drinkability is good, not great, the 5% ABV will help emensely. Overall, I am on the fence with this beer. I have had alot of coffee stouts, and this one is by far the most roasted one. Again, almost burnt. I will give it another shot at some time, but for now, it's just alright. Skal.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2010 21:10:11 | More by Gtreid

FLBeerGuy

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark black with a thin tan head that leaves slight lacing.
Smell is overpowering coffee, hard to smell anything else.
Taste is strong coffee, a little chocolate and some hop bitterness on the way down.
Mouthfeel is on the light side for a stout with more carbonation than you might expect.
This is very drinkable if you like a strong coffee stout (strong being coffee, not alcohol). Personally, it is too strong in the coffee end to make me want to have more than one.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2010 00:45:50 | More by FLBeerGuy

RomaniIteDomum

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours black with a brown cola-like head that dissipates to a nice little ring.

Smells awesome. I love heavy coffee stouts and this one doesn't disappoint. Great smell.

Nice coffee bomb with some hops actually hiding in the finish. Nice, but the coffee fades after a bit.

The feel is a bit light, unfortunately.

Pretty drinkable, actually. Good breakfast beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2010 15:46:30 | More by RomaniIteDomum

ktrillionaire

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Datz Deli in Tampa

A - Pours a deep brown with a wispy tan head.

S - The smell is a fusion of roastiness; the aroma suggests that the malt and the coffee was roasted to within an inch of its death.

T - Flavors of burnt espresso, as well as smoky-peat elements, dominate this brew; it is, however, not tremendously pungent.

M - Smooth and quite refreshing for a Stout, certainly, but at least a tad thin and undercarbonated, to boot.

D - Not bad. Swamphead seems to be really getting the ball rolling as of late.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2010 04:31:36 | More by ktrillionaire

tpd975

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Consumed at Stoogies and Stouts and Brewers Ball.

A: Pours deep black with a small tan head.

S: Aromas of roasted malt, gas station coffee, and chocolate.

T: Pretty damn flavorful. Nice light roasted coffee, roasted malt, and milk chocolate sweetness.

M: On the thinner side of medium, smooth with a slightly bitter finish.

D: Pretty good, not my favorite coffee beer, but pretty tasty nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2010 16:16:54 | More by tpd975

cosmicevan

New York

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

big thanks to LiquidDegenerate...swung through town and we had a raging bottle share and he left a growler of this behind for me to check out. THANKS! enjoyed in the 7eventh Sun tulip courtesy of jim as well!

a - brew poured a stouty black with a generous finger plus of grey tan head that dissolved quickly leaving massive walls of lace on the side of the glass.

s - nice clean roast and coffee

t - again fairly clean, big roast, coffee with some chocolate.

m - roast and char. surprised this is not a porter.

o - overall a nice beer. very light for a stout, but super roasty and fairly flavorful. very nice indeed. worthwhile stout. nice to have a beer that isn't 10+ % also.

Serving type: growler

04-01-2013 01:06:55 | More by cosmicevan

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

32 oz growler poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.

Thanks Mark for bringing this back from Florida for me!

A - Certainly no loss of carbonation from the trip is evident as Midnight Oil pours as dark as old oil, forming a dense, quiet mocha head. Firm and long-lasting, the pile rests on a beer that's darker than a black hole.

S - Deep and dark, Midnight Oil is ripe with bold roasted malts; dense dark chocolate, freshly brewed espresso - very prominent - and dry cocoa gives it a muddy, dirt nose that compliments very well. It smells incredibly bold for a standard stout, only clocking in at 5%. Toasted graham cracker and whipped milk follow in the finish.

T - Strikingly less potent than the nose leads one to believe, Midnight Oil is abounding elsewhere but here, it's pretty one-dimensional. Roasted, almost to the point of burnt, the malt doesn't offer any of the deep complexity the nose does. Bitter baker's chocolate, mocha, and cold coffee mash together in the background.

M - For how smooth and quietly this poured, I expected it to be much thicker in the feel. This beer is actually pretty medium-light in body for a stout. The roast characteristics provide a dry bitterness along the slick finish of this beer but it remains drinkable for the Florida weather.

O - While my immediate reaction is that the flavor is lacking, it's not so much the flavor's fault as it is just not a reflection of the intense, complex aroma. Chocolaty, roasted malt and coffee define this deeply dark beer. I definitely have to acknowledge that a stout much heavier or intense wouldn't remain constantly drinkable in Florida weather where as Midnight Oil would.

Serving type: growler

03-11-2012 20:45:06 | More by BeerFMAndy