12 oz single from Green's on Buford, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a standard black body with some initially good head but the retention is not great. Lace is minimal, but we do get a ring on the surface of the beer. Light roast greets the nose and taste, and to be honest this beer never gets too demanding. In that respect I like it, and the drinkability of the beer remains good throughout the bottle. Light lactose and licorice combine nicely to give a smooth mouthfeel which is no doubt enhanced...
Notes on beers in the style
Oatmeal Stout
Schlafly Coffee Stout
12 oz single. Amazed at how light the pout on this is. No hint of any kind of blackness from a typical stout, rather the body is akin to a red or amber ale and lacks depth in the look. Head is minimal. Actually looks like cold tea. Nose has a strong coffee aroma and the tastes reflect that. However, not much depth at all, and definitely quite light - even watery. Mouthfeel is correspondingly weak and disappointing especially considering this is supposed to be (apparently) an oatmeal version...
Tröegs Java Head Stout
12 oz single. Nice deep brown/black body with plenty of high, mocha head. Head color is particularly pleasing. Roasty and dry in the nose and the roast continues in the initial tastes. Some light, teeth coating tannins come forth quickly with some alcohol in there too. SA little organic tree bark and a green, fresh hop note also present. Perhaps a touch of smoke in th aftertaste. A bright beer that gives the impression of being drop-hopped. The oatmeal doesn't make its presence felt in the one...
New Holland The Poet
12 oz bottle, thanks to Grant for the chance to try this one. Jet black body but the head is rather poor and somewhat white in color. Retention is not great either and of course, neither is the lace. Some spotty film on the surface of the beer. I thought that the head might be better than this ultimately produces. No mistaking this an an oatmeal version of the stout genre. Very smooth in the mouth with some residual sweetness created by the grain. Leaves a nice coating on the teeth and tongue...
Scratch Beer 15 – 2008
12 oz single. Some of these Scratch brews seem to be stylistically challenged which may be a function of the BA database or perhaps a function of the beer. Either way it could lead to some confusion and disappointment. This appears to be a coffee infused stout as opposed to an oatmeal version. Pour is the requisite black with brown highlights. Fair enough. Head is average, but lace is disappointing. Nose is roasted malt and some alcohol. Tastes are HUGELY coffee based and the oatmeal stout...
Wolaver’s Oatmeal Stout
22 oz bomber received as an extra from Brad007. This turned up in a package on Wednesday and darn me if I don't go to Green's on the Friday and see a six pack of the stuff freshly arrived as a new entrant to the GA market. Shared this one with the usual suspects down at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Standard dark brown pour with little lace and some creamy, spotty residue on the surface of the beer and around the glass. Brown ale type malty nose without the harsh bitterness that can...
Schlafly Oatmeal Stout
12oz single, possibly left over from the CEO/Old Farts BIF - if so, thanks Vancer. Black pour into the sampler glass with some orange/red highlights in the bottom of the glass. Head and (sparce) lace are bone white. Thin body and non-descript nose. VERY light on taste. Lacks bitterness, smoke, caramel or significant malt/chocolate notes, this is a pretty average example of the style by any stretch of the imagination. Especially lacking considering this is an "oatmeal" version rather than a dry...
Trader Joe’s Stockyard Oatmeal Stout
Picked this up as a 12oz single from Trader Joe's. Nice looking pour with a high, mocha colored head, but relatively poor retention and not much lace. Very good dark brown body with some sharp, garnet highlights. When the head has gone the beer takes on the exact appearance of a coke; including the mild streams of carbonation. Typical for the style, but I detect more lactose notes. In fact, I might even go as far as to ssay that if this were a blind tasting I could have mistaken this for a...
Oatmeal Stout
12oz single - part of a recent trade. Thanks. Dark, dark brown body with very little head and no lace. A few reddish brown highlights near the bottom of the glass. A bit flat in the glass, not much life. A nice, rich alcohol in the nose. A little prickly carbonation that takes away from the smoothness of the body. A little mild roastiness, but not a great deal - somewhat thin. Some mild smoke. A little sweet chocolate but not much. The overwhelming feel of this beer is somewhat flat. It is...
Chocarrubica
Thanks to Simon for the opportunity. Haven't really got a clue what was going on here. The beer opened with a mighty "pop" which sounded promising, but unfortunately that was the best of the experience. Poured a dark brown, porter-like color which (at least from looks alone) reminded me somewhat of the Ommegang Chocolate Indulgance. Some decent head (for a few seconds) that fell away quickly to not much. A little lifeless. Aroma was mildly rancid, with a lingering old socks note. Drinkability...
Kinmount Willie Oatmeal Stout
500 mL bottle, Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. Dark, dark brown body with some slightly lighter brown highlights and the extreme edges. Initial head fades to gives a small film on the surface. Very nice beady and cereal based nose in the beer. Good sweetness in the aroma too. A little too muh carbonation in the mouthfeel for me - it's a wee bit prickly for the style. In terms of the taste there seems to be a little bit of smoke in the flavor, but the oatmeal/cereal comes through...
Winter Ale Special Edition 2006-07
12 oz single, Mac's downtown, Atlanta, GA, USA. Having had the 05-06 Winter offering and really enjoyed it, I was keen to get hold of this. Not my favorite style, so I was equally delighted to find it as a single at Mac's (saved me buying the full sixer). Drinks well below the % ABV. A nice black pour with decent head and lacing. Standard aromas, but the taste was really quite smoky. I wasn't expecting such a smoke intense flavor, it was really surprising. The usual coffee/grain/chocolate...
Tröegs Oatmeal Stout
Thanks to BeerBeing and SilentSabre. Good bitterness. Lots of oat character. Dark brown pour with a nice head and some good lacing. Real earthy character that revealed oatmeal charateristics. Significant cereal character in the nose, really nice. Not much sweetness nor is there much smoothness - this is a stout with some rough edges - as it should be.
8 Ball Stout
12oz stubbie bottle bought as a single at Riverside Beverage, Chattanooga, TN, USA. Appearance is EXACTLY like a Coke. Same black body with some brown highlights. ZERO head or lacing and a little bit of constant carbonation. Nose has a little licorice and smoke, a small amount of alcohol and chocolate. Very thin mouthfeel with a little prickly carbonation. Almost no tangible body. Slightly bitter with a dry cocoa taste. A little powdery. Weak and insipid. Disappointing all around.
O’ Ryans Oatmeal Stout
Well I suppose it depends on what you are looking for, or indeed expecting. This is a decent beer in terms of appearance, aroma and taste, but it falls hopelessly short on mouthfeel for the style, and to be honest if you take style into account for its other attributes, it is also a little below par there too. Black pour, very still looking with a thin film of head. Disappointingly very little lacing too. Typical stout characteristics in the nose and tastes, with a mild chocolate roasted malt...
Saranac Oatmeal Stout
Dark brown body with some attractive ruby red highlights at the bottom of the glass. Decent if somewhat small tan head, and a little lacing but not very significant. Very thin body and a weak mouthfeel. Aroma is farily non-descript with a little bit of chocolate. Taste has some chocolate notes, but it is dry like cocoa powder rather than silky like a creamy chocolate. Dry finish. Lack of roasted flavors is distinct. Not at all what I am looking for in a stout. Lack of body, lack of smoothness...
Oatmeal Stout
Really enjoyed this brew. Standard dark pour with a nice looking, bubbly tan head. I allowed it to warm significantly before tucking in. Roasted flavors, but very, very light and therefore super-drinkable. The mouthfeel was thinner than expected, but surprisingly this did not detract from the experience. Rather than making it feel thin, it just added to the drinkability. Not huge aromas, but what there are are simple chocolate and butterscotch standards. Nice, slightly off-base version of the...
Young’s Oatmeal Stout
A work of art. This is a beer that is very unusual in its ability to stay perfectly within style (and be classic example of the genre), and at the same time be able to transcend the style and have a huge appeal even to those who do not especially like Stouts. Does that make any sense? Well, what I am trying to say is that this beer is so good, I'd be very surpised if anybody disliked it, even those not especially fond of the style. Lovely, "noisy", bubbly, thick, viscous pour with a beautiful,...
Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout
550 mL clear bottle, Arbor Beverage Depot, Douglasville, GA. $3.99. Jet black and pours with a beautiful frothy, thick head. The head is almost a strawberry blond in color and is persistent. The overall aroma is sweet, with the predominant taste being sweet maltiness. There is very little bitterness. A really creamy, full mouthfeel and mild aftertaste completes the experience. The sweetness is definitely the major factor here. Not a brutal stout like some can be, but a gentle, caressing brew...
Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout
This is clearly a quality product, but you really need to be a solid stout fan to enjoy and appreciate it fully. I'm not a huge fan of stout in general, and as a result my scores may be a little on the low side. Regardless of that this is one hell of an impressive looking beer. As black as any I can remember, with a truly brown head. The mild bitterness that this gives, truly coats the roof of the mouth for an unmistakable stout experience. The after-taste was much more mellow. The whole...