Back Road Stout
Millstream Brewing Company

Back Road StoutBack Road Stout
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From:
Millstream Brewing Company
 
Iowa, United States
Style:
Oatmeal Stout
Ranked #223
ABV:
6.7%
Score:
83
Ranked #23,433
Avg:
3.69 | pDev: 12.2%
Reviews:
181
Ratings:
384
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 31, 2024
Added:
Jun 19, 2010
Wants:
  10
Gots:
  40
The 'oatmeal' in the name is due the 5% oatmeal in the the grist of this brew. Oats give beer a real thick mouthfeel, something definitely desirable in a stout! Black malt and roasted barley give the beer its color, and coffee-like flavors. If you like thick full-bodied & smooth stout, this beer is for you!

22 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by frankiepop:
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Reviewed by frankiepop from Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Black black beer with hints of red hue. Tan cream head. Nice aromatic qualities.

Taste is a nice slow mellow stout. A gentle thumb up. A little sweet and chocolaty. It's not over the top. Nice smooth low carbonation that complements the subtle quality of this stout. I recommend it.

Goes down well with a nice dose of Paul Bley solo piano music or Pink Floyd. Take your pick.
Feb 17, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.63 by cgrunin from Texas

Jan 31, 2024
 
Rated: 3.5 by muswellbeerbelly from Illinois

Jan 27, 2024
 
Rated: 4 by Dope from Massachusetts

Dec 05, 2023
Photo of Jmsandberg17
Reviewed by Jmsandberg17 from Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz can pours an extremely deep brown-black with a thin layer of light brown-colored head that disappears quickly. Smells of dark roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, and syrup. Very rich dark malt flavor with tons of coffee, dark chocolate, and burnt malt. Subtle sweetness with a touch of alcohol flavor and a slightly sour finish that is followed by a moderate amount of burnt bitterness. Full-bodied with a smooth, almost syrupy mouthfeel with a little carbonation and a bittersweet aftertaste.

This was a good stout. A bit heavier on the bitterness and the char and coffee flavors than I'm accustomed to for an oatmeal stout, but it was still pretty nice. Would consider buying again.
Sep 23, 2023
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.94/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours pitch black with a fluffy light brown head. Smells of bright fruit and slight chocolate. Tastes of chocolate and slight fruit. Beer is medium bodied yet easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.
Oct 08, 2022
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bought from Micro-Brewed Club, I'm becoming impressed by their selections. They must have to drink a lot of beer to find the good ones.

In comparing peers, I try to have a primary rule for each style. And if a brew gets that primary Rule right, I usually end up giving it an above average rating. For an Oatmeal Stout, it must be soft in the mouth. Back Road is deliciously soft. And I rate it above its peer's average. Rule holds.

I gave this a good hard pour into my Samuel Smith nonic and foam and lace held for the duration. Smells are average. Tastes are full, balanced, yummy. Feel is as good as best.

As for my micro-review of Millstream... I'm impressed by their longevity. Their website claims they are 35 years old. This is pretty old to have survived that far from culture... but I accept 35 as truth. While not too much more than community brewers (other than longevity), Millstream gets very high Overall Hugs for not giving up on their mission of bringing culture to a remote place.
May 17, 2022
 
Rated: 4.24 by Bunuelian from Minnesota

Feb 13, 2022
 
Rated: 3.85 by Latarnik from New Jersey

Jul 04, 2021
Photo of Elemental19xx
Reviewed by Elemental19xx from Illinois

3.81/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.75
This is a very good oatmeal stout. The pour is a wonderful rich brown color with a nice head. On the nose it smells of chocolatey bread with mild coffee notes. The taste taste is coffee forward with malt, and cocoa powder undertones. The feel is thick but not as creamy as some stouts. The carbonation cuts through and is on the verge of being harsh but i kinda like it. I would not be downing a six pack, but 1 or 2 is great. I would certainly recommend this to a stout lover, not so much to someone who just drinks them once in a while.
Apr 16, 2021
 
Rated: 4.12 by bgillespie from New Jersey

Feb 28, 2021
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Reviewed by BFCarr from New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Pours deep brown/black with a whispy tan head that disappears quickly. Aroma is faint but there’s bits of coffee. Taste is roasted malts with really minimal bitterness. Feel is very full and smooth, oats doing their thing. Overall, it’s tasty and smooth, worth a try.
Aug 08, 2020
 
Rated: 3.67 by Manta200 from Kentucky

Jun 07, 2020
Photo of akaizer
Reviewed by akaizer from Virginia

3.71/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
From a bottle with a beer of the month club. Poured with a nice tan foam head that very quickly recedes away...leaving behind a very opaque dark brown brew. Scent is robust and malty with notes of cocoa, burnt toast, and dried cherry. Flavor is a bit sweeter than expected with an almost brown sugar flavor coming across. Plenty of cocoa bitterness throughout to help round it out. Perhaps even taste a touch of the dried fruit as well. Feel is surprisingly on the lighter side of medium bodied. Enjoyable, if a touch too sweet for my taste.
May 30, 2020
Photo of rclangk
Rated by rclangk from West Virginia

3.84/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
BOM 5/2020
BOM 1/2022
May 29, 2020
 
Rated: 3.93 by howardnss from Pennsylvania

May 17, 2020
Photo of MNAle
Reviewed by MNAle from Minnesota

3.74/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Aroma of sweet caramel, hints of coffee. Fine carbonation bubbles rising.

Deep black color with a tall, thick rocky mottled tan head, with good retention, leaving stringy lacing and a pitted surface as it does recede.

Taste is roasted coffee and malts, sweetish. Minimally bitter in the middle and finish. Beginning taste is, as I said, slightly sweet, with this carrying through the middle, but the finish is moving toward (but not quite reaching) dry. Nice tasting, pleasant, and easy drinking.

Mouth feel is smooth with moderate body.

Overall, a nice, well-done oatmeal stout. If you like your stouts more to the somewhat sweet side, this one is for you.
Nov 25, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by psmith161 from Indiana

Aug 26, 2019
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Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.66/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Had on tap. Very basic stout, look and feel were best aspects by far. Body is grainy black in appearance, with the feel being creamy, chewy yet decently light. Smell and taste are the same, malt, oat, barley and slight coffee. pretty bland, but drinks easy. Nothing wrong with this one, just boring
Jun 20, 2019
Photo of KS_Augsburg
Reviewed by KS_Augsburg from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I have to admit: got a thing for Oatmeal Stout. This one is a good example, bold flavor but not overly sweet. The Oat gives it a good backbone. Grain and Malt balance well with spice and other flavor components. Medium heavy, Medium weight, and would order again. On draft at Republic on Grand in Des Moines IA.
Apr 24, 2019
Back Road Stout from Millstream Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 384 ratings