NOTES: Draft @ J. Clyde in Birmingham
STYLE: Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 6%
APPEARANCE: Deep, dark, hazy chestnut brown
HEAD: Short tan head that fades away in due time
LACING: Thin, but respectable
NOSE: Good balance of sweetness (caramel and chocolate) and bitterness (dark-roasted espresso beans). There’s a hint of baked bread in the background and very little hop profile (which is to be expected with this style since the coffee bitterness adequately replaces the hops).
TASTE: The sweetness hits your palate first with a bread dough flavor taking over in the middle. The finish is all strong, black coffee with a touch of bitterness left lingering on your palate (just what you’d expect from a good cup of coffee).
MOUTHFEEL: The oats give this baby a silky-smooth mouthfeel. It’s medium-bodied…not too heavy at all and the gentle carbonation helps maintain the creaminess.
DRINKABILITY: This is a very well-crafted and straightforward Coffee Oatmeal Stout (or at least as straightforward as you can get with a fairly rare style). The coffee aroma and taste is the key aspect of the beer, but it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors. That, plus an excellent mouthfeel make this brew highly drinkable. A perfect cold-weather session beer.
RATING: 3.5 Hops
