Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout - Independence Brewing Co.

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle poured into an Efes tulip. Quick, beige head with clear, slippery lacing. Aroma includes coffee, roasted malt and maybe a touch of yoo-hoo. Interesting. Taste is deliciously smooth with no traces of alcohol. Some malt sweetness noted (yoo-hoo), light flavor of coffee. Tastes more like a milk stout. Either way, amazing for the high abv. Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 05:42:05 | More by KickbacksSteve

Augustiner719

Connecticut

4.55/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a very nice rich black brown color with a huge mocha colored head that leaves nice lacing and has great retention. The aroma is very nutty, some vanilla and tons of milk chocolate. Big roasted malts, just a hint of dark chocolate, but all milk chocolate on the palate. Big flavors of raisins and winter stone fruits masked by rich marshmallow like sweetness that blends all of the flavors together. Mouthfeel is spot on for the style. Really couldn't believe this was 8.5 percent abv after it's big silky texture and no alcohol burn. Really a nice made stout and perfect example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 04:17:55 | More by Augustiner719

EnojysAnyBeer

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Deep, dark brown color lets absolutely no light through in my mug. The head is latte-brown with great retention and spots of lacing.

S- Coffee beans, molasses, cocoa, and rhubarb-like hops with a distinctive bitterness

T- Think molasses cookies. Now think oatmeal cookies. Now imagine gooey dark chocolate chips. Yup

M- Silky and smooth with some gooey oatmeal drag

D- My favorite Independence brew to date but the only other one I remember was Austin Amber which was over-carbonated

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 22:20:58 | More by EnojysAnyBeer

Andreji

Colombia

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

So, again kudos aschwab for bringing this thing to Bogotá for me.

Now the convict hill wasn't what I expected but can take the claim it is even better. The bottling is deceitful because, whilst the bottle itself is very dark, one seemingly gets the feel the liquid within is clearer.

It's not- first thought as I started pouring it was "whoa, thick" because it literally looks like tar or car oil flowing, inactive, almost muddy just piling up in my american pint glass in which I tasted it. as it settles, the darkest head I've ever seen looks just as dormant as the underlying fluid, this is a brown-to-black head probably the colour you get from boiling soy sauce. it's extremely dark. and looks almost mousse-like, just stable and quiet, cakeish.

Smell is impressive. It's very sweet but has a balancing bitter feel at some point. I mean, this could easily fool you for a liquid brownie- I need say no more, because that's what this roasty chocolate deal is all about. fabulous smell, very very inviting for a stout. (ok maybe the bitter balance it has makes it rather like magic brownies and not so much your average...)

Taste is great. I'm a big sucker in this world for two things, the both of which this beer has:
1) A well handled sweetness. A beer can go all wrong here, but this thing is virtually a cacao melt with very clearly defined malts, nonetheless, and still a serious, balancing bitter and burnt aftertaste. It practically layers out through the tongue, and is complemented by a bigger than average (yet still mild enough to be an enhancer and not an overwhelm-er) alcohol feel on the palate & nose as you sip it.
2) A coherent smell-taste correlation. I tell ya, when a beer smells sweet and you suddenly hit a taste brick wall with super dry malts, I get a bit pissed. Not here, no sir. The smell is a prelude and heck, maybe an abstract on the beer itself. you know what you're about to indulge in (read above) and you'll love it.

And the mouthfeel? It's thick and oozy, but not as bad as its visual statement suggests. In fact, it can be a fair companion in warmer climates, because it is still reasonably dry if sipped cold, or boozed enough to hit you in winter.

For someone not so big on stouts, I have to say this is the second stout that has blown my mind in the past year (heck even exactly one year after the first, the DFH-WWS), and for my first (or among the first) texan beer, I certainly will hunt this treat down in the lone star state or beyond its borders because, I tell ya, it's worthwhile.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 03:29:04 | More by Andreji

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout has a fairly thin, tan head and a very dark brown appearance, with red highlights under light. A thin lacing sheen is left behind on the glass. The aroma is of sweet, dark-roasted barley malt, cream, coffee, and chocolate. The flavor is of all those, plus some astringency, coal, and a mellow hop bitterness across the sip. Mouthfeel is pretty heavy and viscous, and Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout finishes dry, sweet, and wonderful. This is a delicious beer, and the drinker just does not pick up the 8% abv. Overall, I rate it most excellent.

RJT

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 23:34:13 | More by RonaldTheriot

RuinationPress

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was poured into a tulip glass and was a very nice deep brown, almost black in fact. It's so thick, Superman couldn't see through this one! Guinness beware! I nice thick head to start that settles into a pleasurable thin head which leaves a lacing that makes the glass all giddy!

To smell this one, is to experience great pleasure. If the pugnant chocolate aroma doesn't get you, the actual oatmeal smell from the oats will. I took a sip as quickly as I could, but then had to sniff this one again. Wow, unusual to have a local craft brew come out with a stout this nice.

To taste this one is to experience an Oatmeal Stout that truly speaks for this style. The chocolate comes out immediately hits you and then the oats. Kind of like having a bowl of chocolate oatmeal! The taste of hops does not seem that prevalent.

The longer this one lingers, the more the oats come out. What surprised me, was that I seemed to get more of the hops as well. Very thick, but not so thick that it becomes a meal all its own.

Over all, I was more than impressed (if you couldn't tell!). I am a huge lover of Stouts and Porters, Stone's Imperial Russian and Oatmeal Stouts in particular, but this impressed me. Hidden away in the heart of Texas' capital, a gem of a brewery awaits those that are willing to seek it out. Not sure what the ABV is, but seems around 7-8%. Paired nicely with the chicken wrap, chips and queso I had for lunch.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2009 05:03:43 | More by RuinationPress

ballz50401

Iowa

4.45/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a snifter glass. No freshness info. Thanks to wagenvolks for the extra!

Appearance: Pours a viscous black with a very dark mocha head. Foam retention is above average.

Smell: A pleasent roastiness with sweet, dark caramel and chocolate. Notes of vanilla, coffee, and smoke.

Taste/Mouthfeel: A lot of milk chocolate and creamy caramel mixed with creamy espresso. Mouthfeel is super creamy and kinda remindes me of a creamy coffee drink.

Drinkability: A very easy drinking imperial stout. Would love to have more of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 04:00:19 | More by ballz50401

bisonkron

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A:Dark black/brown in Color. Very thin head with no lace, carbonation was a bit low as is most of Independence offerings.

S: very coffee/chocolaty. Had some chocolate milk there as well. Sweet caramel notes. still a bit grainy/earthy as well.

T: tasted of coffee/toffee/chocolate malts. Very chocolate milky. Had a bit of sweetness and earthiness there as well.

M: Very creamy/smooth. Not very heavy for a stout but still nice. went down easy enough.

O: Something I will go back to in the future. very much exceeded what I had expected from Independence.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2011 19:35:49 | More by bisonkron

94Sip

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: poured the very typical stout black color and mocha head. The nice thing about this one was that the head never totally dissipated, but instead maintained about a 1/4" thickness and stuck to the glass going down. Looked great for the whole drinking experience.

S: nothing overly aromatic that I felt worth noting. And not to take anything away from the beer as it was what I expected from a stout. Perhaps a bit of oat smells along with the typical roasted smells.

T: This is where this stout really excelled. For a high ABV beer you could not taste the alcohol or bite at all. The perfect amount of sweetness, but different that a milk stout. Like most stouts the tastes were great after about 15minutes of pouring and warming just a bit. Like others have noted, lots of chocolate - very consistent chocolate flavors. Also some very smooth coffee flavors - not bitter or dark roasted bite either. And at the end you get the oatmeal flavors. I kept finding myself wanting to leave it in my mouth to let the flavors last.

M: really good here. Just the right amount of viscosity and the fact that the head stayed with it only added to it. Also, the carbonation was spot on - better than most stouts.

O: one of my favorite stouts. Nice bold flavors and great when it is cold outside. Perhaps the only negative was there appeared to be some sediment at the bottom of the glass when I got to the end. After I drank the first bottle I left a few swigs in the 2nd glass because I didn't want the sediment. It made the last drink a bit strong and bitter.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 16:31:44 | More by 94Sip

omnigrits

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Also on tap at the new Ginger Man.

I've been wanting to try this one for a while, and I'm not disappointed. It pours dark, dark, dark with a tan head that shrinks a little too quickly but leaves good lace. Plenty of coffee in the nose and, of course, burnt malts. The chocolate that you you normally find in this kind of beer plays second fiddle here and the oat flavours are nicely balanced.

Not as sweet as some oatmeal stouts, and that's very much to my liking. I much prefer the drier, more bitter style. This is somewhere between a Stone RIS and a Bear Republic Big Black Stout. It's got something for everyone I reckon.

Mouthfeel is full but not too heavy. Again, nicely balanced. Independence have really hit the nail on the head with this one.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2009 19:59:33 | More by omnigrits

busternuggz

Arizona

4.4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured thick like oil from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.
Almost opaque black color with a nice 1/4" mocha colored creamy head, that retained a ring throughout drinking and left some spotty lacing.
Smells come through of roasted malt, smoke, dark chocolate, and a little bit of a creamy/milky character.
The taste is very rich and full flavored; dark chocolate and smoke foremost, with a great roasty character and a hint of creaminess on the end that lasts a while in the aftertaste.
The texture comes on full and robust and fades into a nice soft creaminess, with just a little viscosity.
For all of its bold flavor, very drinkable. I finished mine quickly, maybe just because it tasted so good.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2010 23:27:38 | More by busternuggz

fjordhook

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this on-tap at the draught house. Pours with a black color, minimal head, it looks almost oily. Smell was very creamy, hints of chocolate and coffee. The taste was creamy as well. Compared to other stouts, this was an easy drink. Even with a higher ABV, the blend was done well enough where it was hardly noticeable. Great beer from start to finish. Definitely worth a try if you enjoy stouts.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2010 23:59:53 | More by fjordhook

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This bottle was sent in a recent trade. Thanks, Daniel! 12 ounce bottle poured into an imperial pint.

A: Convict Hill pours jet black, with little to no light shining through. Head is thick and tan, and slowly settles to a couple of millimeters, retaining quite well.

S: This brew has one of the most roasted barley aromas I have ever experienced. Coffee and dark chocolate are also prominent, with little hop aroma.

T: Wow! This beer has a lot going on! Full-on roasted barley character, with notes of dark fruit, coffee, and bitter chocolate. A touch of burnt toast character is present, with an edgy bitterness. Hops are only noticable in the finish, and lend a dry finish.

Notes: Convict Hill is one big-ass oatmeal stout! You don't drink this beer. You chew it. Full bodied, with robust flavor and yet, still manages to hide the alcohol. Silky mouthfeel and a dry finish balance it out in perfect harmony. This is one of my favorite oatmeal stouts to date, and with I had more.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 04:37:43 | More by WYVYRN527

wagenvolks

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle into a Unibroue tulip.

Quite the stunning pour, Convict Hill pours with an oily, jet-black body into the glass--near opaque and sporting a sizable crown of dark tan head. The bubbles slowly retreat to a sticky ring of foam that clings to the tulip's edge. Aroma's no slouch, either. Rich oatiness adds a hint of vanilla, while a solid malt backing provides milk chocolate and espresso. Notes of raisin and other dark fruits in the background balance with a touch of earthy hops.

Roasty, dark coffee notes blend with Baker's chocolate and a grainy oat note. Mocha bitterness lingers into the finish and clashes with the hops nicely. Alcohol is well-hidden until the very end (plus that familiar warming sensation below). Mouthfeel is velvety smooth at first, but the carbonation picks up mid-sip to add a bit of kick to the finish. The medium-thick body is near perfect in consistency: luxurious on the palate, but never too heavy. This stuff is really good--maybe even better than on-tap, which is a rarity. Independence had never really impressed me until I tried this beer almost a year ago. I just might have to start revisiting some of their other bottled selections, because Convict Hill is one excellent Oatmeal Stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2010 04:56:26 | More by wagenvolks

Agold

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to lnashsig for sending this one. Poured into duvel tulip. The beer pours with about 1/2 inch of beautiful brown head with good lacing. The aroma is coffee, chocolate, and a bit of caramel sweetness. Really great start for this one. The flavors are great as well, although they are not quite as robust as they are in the aroma. The beer has a great creamy mouthfeel with a very fine quality to the carbonation. It is very pleasant to drink. I am a sucker for stouts and this one delivered.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 22:03:50 | More by Agold

StoneBrewFanatic

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours jet black into my snifter with two fingers of dense tan head that has great retention and sticky lacing.

S - Big Roasted malts, milky sweet chocolate, espresso, oats and a touch of vanilla.

T - Like the nose, big roasted malts, sweet chocolate and oats, bitter espresso, brown sugar and vanilla. It almost has an Irish cream type quality to it.

M - Very smooth and creamy, really coats the palate and is very well balanced.

O - This is a diamond in the rough that totally deserves more credit than it gets! Awesome oatmeal stout that comes in a 4pk for the same price as a bomber of something comparable.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 00:14:49 | More by StoneBrewFanatic

KKB

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A – This is just some pitch black goo, with almost no light let into the body at all. The head is a frothy wheat toast, albeit it is somewhat limited with only about a finger of height, though it does appear rather sticky—and this is proven by the goodly amount of lacing it leaves down the sides of my glass. Looks like a good brew right here.

S – Roasted malt, dark chocolate, and a sugary sweetness as well. Smells pretty good, though I’m a little disappointed. This doesn’t really have the typical smells of a good oatmeal stout. We shall see though.

T – But you know what, I have immediately eaten my words. This tastes great. I’m utterly partial to oatmeal stouts which doesn’t help and unbiased rating, but this does taste rather delicious. A lot of dark chocolate, you can definitely taste the burnt malt as well though, giving it a kind of cool interplay between bitter and sweetness that results in a rather fine beer. Not outstanding flavor, but still very good and very well crafted.

M – The mouthfeel is just about spot on, very close to what I hope for from any stout. The body is closer to full than medium, but it is still a little bit on the light side which is the only thing keep this mouthfeel from being perfect. Otherwise, just the right amount of carbonation (not much, which is consistent with a good stout), smooth if somewhat caustic on the taste buds. Nice mouthfeel.

O – I do recommend this little lady. I mean, if you are staring at Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout and this, obviously side with the former, but this is definitely worth a try. It is a very good oatmeal stout and deserves recognition as such. Job well done…After all this I JUST saw that it is a 9.2% ABV beer. What? This is incredibly well disguised. That’s going to get a good .5 added to the flavor for sure. Nice job indeed.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 05:33:08 | More by KKB

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the Draught House.

Pours dark brown with a cream-colored head. The aroma is roasted malts with some chocolate. The flavor is roasted malt, coffee, cream and some chocolate. The mouthfeel is medium to thick and is pretty creamy. Low carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2010 21:34:42 | More by Mora2000

MurphyMacManus

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Growler into pint glass

A: Opaque black with a short-lived tan head. I remember the head being better straight from the tap. Maybe my growler wasn't sealed properly.

S: Dark fruit, molasses, chocolate, coffee.

T/M: Bittersweet chocolate, raisins (?), more dark fruit, coffee, maybe molasses or brown sugar. Thick, chewy, viscous mouthfeel.

D: There's nothing wrong with it to take away from drinkability, but it is a bit strong for a session beer.

Serving type: growler

11-13-2010 06:41:01 | More by MurphyMacManus

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours out a black body with a quickly receding, bubbly, tan head.

Smell: Roasted, fire-singed barley accompanied by soft, sweet chocolate, ground coffee, and just a small hint of vanilla.

Taste: Roasty, malty tastes of slowly, carefully melted semi-sweet chocolate chips and coffee sweetened with vanilla-flavored sugar, though the chocolate perches on the tongue the longest for me. Light prune fruitiness. A slight earthiness perks up midway along with a roasty bitterness. More of that chocolate closes things out for the slowly drying finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Low carbonation making for an overall soft mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Though not the most attractive brew around, it's still a soundly sweet, mighty tasty stout and a nice surprise, as I had yet to try anything from Independence Brewing.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 19:10:57 | More by ChainGangGuy

sea206

Washington

4.22/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I enjoyed it from the bottle this evening with Camembert and dried Scallops and dried Salmon.
Very dark; black.
Toasty smell. Smooth, easy to drink, dark chocolaty yet creamy, hint of banana and orange peel. Best Stout I've had, I will seek this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 02:04:43 | More by sea206

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Decided that I was going to go on a fridge cleaning for the next week before I need to take a break for a while. Went with this mixed sixer last night in an attempt to clean out some lighter fare. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this was consumed on 11/03/2010.

Another new one for me I decided I just had to include last night as a night cap. Really dark pour here with a rich dark chocolate color that gave way to a huge head of tan that was nearly three inches high at one point before settling down and leaving jus a ton of lacing up and down the sides of the glass. Really just could not have looked much better aside from maybe a touch darker.

Aroma of rich dark malts, cocoa, cookie dough, hints of maple and brown sugar, very nicely done, warming did lead some of it to fade however and left just a touch of light vanilla and chocolate hanging in the air. Really full feel here with a nice and smooth creamy touch to it that really worked very, very nicely. Rich vanilla, caramel, maple and brown sugar coming through now again with loads of milk chocolate and a light touch of coffee in the finish. Not too filling and no where near to light, this one worked out quite well I have to admit.

Overall a really solid shot here from them. Served as a well placed night cap and I really could have easily had another when I was done. Good job all around.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 23:50:53 | More by mikesgroove

beergoot

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A good, black body with an excellently thick brown head.

Aroma hits you with chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, and caramel. There is a soft, grass like hop nose.

The taste is a rich, chocolate-y delight. Rich and complex with noir goodness. Bitter-sweet chocolate sweetness blends nicely with a medium bitterness. The mouthfeel is rich and smooth with a slightly sweet finish.

This is a well-made stout. Rich and delicious. Nicely balanced across the board. Worth the effort to find some.

Thanks to Tim from Houston for adding this into the beer trade...

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 01:45:20 | More by beergoot

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Received this as an extra in a trade. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - Poured a nice oily black with a very nice one finger thick mocha head that leaved very good side lacing and recedes into a nice fat quarter inch dense blanket.

S - Pleasant aromas of burnt, roasted malts and oats. Very light chocolate and coffee, oats are very nicely showcased.

T - Wow, alright. Another solid performance. More of those really nice almost burnt malts with nice roasty qualities. Some slight toffee like caramel sweetness with more of those powerful oats. The chocolate is there, faintly, and there is some nice bitter coffee finish.

M - Super smooth and silky and velvety. Its mid 80s and this is incredibly drinkable.

O - This is 9%+, no way. Delicious, very well done. As hot as I am I find myself quickly going back for another drink of this. Very impressed with this oatmeal stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 20:37:53 | More by rudzud

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour was pleasantly thick, black, with a nice finger of light brown head that laces well.

Aroma is decent, bits of chocolate, a hint of espresso, roasted malts.

Creamy oatmeal, dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, a dab of toffee and booze.

Feel is upper medium in body, but still sits heavy enough. Creamy texture, minimal coating and a cleaner finish. Carbonation is good.

Overall drinkability is good. A nice and tasty stout, slightly filling, but multiples wouldn't be too hard to put away.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 01:38:23 | More by EgadBananas