Trader Joe's Stockyard Oatmeal Stout - Trader Joe's Brewing Company

Etan

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Libbey stout glass.

A: Pours an opaque black with a light brown, rocky head. Almost no retention or lacing.

S: Lactose, coffee beans, smooth chocolate. Nice balance in the aroma.

T: Taste is dominated by pervasive coffee, chocolaty malt, and milky oats, with some bitter roasty notes and some hop bitterness integrated into the whole. Lactose sweetness comes out as the beer warms. Tastes a little watered down, but still very, very sweet.

M: Decent mouthfeel, although it's a little watery.

O: A tasty and easy-drinking oatmeal stout. The flavor profile seems a bit too weak and watery compared to other iterations of the style I've had, but the beer isn't bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 05:12:35 | More by Etan

brewcore

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a dark brown, not quite opaque. Yields a one finger creamy tan head. Dissipates to a long lasting sheet on the surface of the beer. Some good lacing.

S: Roasted malts and lots of chocolate. Considerable amount of sweetness coming through.

T: Dark roasted malts. Sweet chocolate. Almost overly sweet for the style, but the sweetness creates an easy drinkability in style I would not normally expect great drinkability from. Actually a pleasant surprise.

M: Very creamy. Light to moderate carbonation. Great drinkability.

O: Very impressed for such a cheap beer. Definitely served well as an oyster roast beer on the cheap. Will definitely return in future winters. By far the most impressive "Trader Joe beer" I have found.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 00:33:05 | More by brewcore

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Very dark red-brown, but not as dense as most stouts I'm used to drinking -- a light on the far side of the glass easily shone through. The head was only half a finger of tan froth, and the lacing fairly weak.

S: Not a potent aroma at all. There's a bit of sweet, toasted malt and floral hops, but you have to sniff hard to get anything more.

T: Plenty of sweet malt, and the sweetness lingers to the end, although coffee and chocolate flavors come through as it plays on the tongue. Hops are almost an afterthought, and only add mild, grapefruit-like bitterness.

M: Moist and smooth at first. Carbonation is fair. The finish a bit dry.

O: More like a low-intensity version of an imperial stout than a true oatmeal stout. Very drinkable, but not the top of its class.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 03:04:34 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

jpro

South Carolina

2.95/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Single 12oz bottle from Trader Joe’s. Poured into a pint glass...

A: Black; creamy, tan head; nice retention that leaves a few strands of lace.

S: Butterscotch; sweet malt and toffee; not much roastiness or oatmeal... bleh.

T: Sweet malt; just a touch of roast; seems really sweet.

M: Full bodied with moderate carbonation; has some zing and a nice feel.

O: Not impressed. Overly sweet, no roast or oatmeal... Drinkability is low due to lack of flavor - and the lackluster aroma doesn’t help. I’ll stick with the Mission Street stuff at TJ’s.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 15:32:05 | More by jpro

rodney45

New York

3.23/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep dark red only seen if held up to the light. Big tan long lasting head.

S: An odoriferous whaft of roasted barley, crystal malt, and honey. Slight lingering metalic scent, but barely noticable.

T: First notes are of malt, cereal grains, chocolate malt and whole wheat or pumpernickle bread. Slight cloying sweetness and a metalic dry aftertaste.

M: Medium to medium heavy body. Low carbonation.

O: Im surprised by some of the higher ratings this beer got. I wasnt completely impressed by it. It had an out of character sweetness, and a metalic finish that i couldnt, in good faith, score above an average 3. I actually like most of what trader joes puts out, but this fell short. However, i would buy this again, for the price of a buck a bottle, its a solid oatmeal stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 09:45:35 | More by rodney45

UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by 7/25/12.

Pours an opaque black with a 1 inch foamy beige head that settles to an oily film on the top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowlyy slip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of toasted oats, cocoa powder, and some vanilla notes. Taste is of toasted grain, dark cocoa powder, vanilla, and some coffee grounds. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good solid oatmeal stout that is a fantastic deal at $1 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 00:19:34 | More by UCLABrewN84

HeavyMetalBrew

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark amber color. Nice head. Clear.

S: Hops. Chocolate. Roasted notes.

T: Very malty. Some roasted notes and hints of burnt coffee. The flavors are good, but the sweetness dominates to the point where it becomes almost unbearable.

M: Syrupy at first, with a thin aftertaste. Some carbonation.

Overall: Honestly, this is a good beer, but it's far too sweet for me to handle.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 23:11:23 | More by HeavyMetalBrew

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

L - black with a beige head that hung around for a while, thinning to a layer and leaving thin trails of lacing.

S - roasted malt, toasted oats and chocolate.

T - roasted malt and chocolate upfront with a light taste of burnt coffee beans with a oatmeal taste coming in towards the finish.

F - medium bodied with a creamy feel.

O - a good oatmeal stout at a great price.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 00:51:28 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

DIM

Pennsylvania

2.35/5  rDev -39.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

a: This had a black body and poured with a medium sized, tan colored head.

s: Very sweet smelling, more sugar than beer in fact. There was some roasty, malty cocoa, but not much.

t: Just too sweet tasting. I found hints of bitter, roasted coffee, but artificial sweetener dominated.

m: Thin for the style.

o: Just not good, even for a buck a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 21:28:36 | More by DIM

homebrew311

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: pours black, dark lacing, decent head retention

S: roasted malt assault.... Smells like freshly ground roasted barley, chocolate and coffee are present, very nice

T: starts off with toasted pumpernickel bread followed by roasted barley. Plenty of chocolate, some bitterness.

Mf: big body, medium carbonation

O: this is a flavor packed oatmeal stout, great value and worth a try for anyone shopping at trader joes.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 04:15:30 | More by homebrew311

Treath

California

4.68/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A- Very dark brown, almost black. Has a creamy tan head that holds up. Good lacing.

S- Smells like black coffee, roasted oats/malts, a little sweetness.

T- Tastes like black coffee, dark chocolate, roasted oats/malts, bitter with slight sweetness at the end. Dark chocolate aftertaste.

M- Smooth and creamy, not too bubbly nor flat.

Drinkability- Semi-easy to drink. Better to savor the taste rather than chug it.

Overall, I think this is a great beer. Worth buying and drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 04:25:39 | More by Treath

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

brown color, essentially black with a nice sized head of tan foam that leached out over the top and settled down to a comfortable level after a few moments. Nice side glass lacing was apparent here as it dripped effortlessly over the top.

The aroma was rich with roasted malts and touches of caramel and molasses. Nice burnt and peat like aroma to it as well and the sweetness really started to come through nicely as it began to warm. Up next though was the show stopper, just a wonderful rush of roasted malt, sweet notes of caramel and a wonderful full bodied stout here. Nice touches of a campfire like roastedness really just out the slightly bitter edge

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 19:06:32 | More by mikesgroove

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Guinness stout glass.

Appearance: Pours a dark blackish brown with a little bit of ruby red on the bottom of the glass. Lots of rising bubbles and about two fingers of tan head that quickly fade away. Lacing is moderate.

Smell: A fairly strong roasty aroma of dark malts with some caramel and toffee. Hints of dark chocolate, coffee, oats, nuts, and a little bit of smoke. Smells pretty roasty and full for a smaller stout.

Taste: Very roasty and sweet. Lots of dark roasted caramel and toffee malts with some chocolate, coffee, oats, and vanilla. Also a little bit of brown sugar, molasses, and smoke. Taste is sweet but not over the top.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. Creamy and very smooth.

Overall: A very good oatmeal stout. Full flavored and well balanced. One of the better non imperial stouts I've had.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 07:16:53 | More by MattyG85

secondtooth

Indiana

4.22/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This top-notch brew was purchased in Nashville at Trader Joe's after seeing excellent reviews here. At a bargain price ($5.99/6pk), this is a serious deal.

Had the first of these totally warm, "pre-gaming" in the car before a SWANS show that night. Perfect. Best enjoyed room temperature.

Pours with substantial carbonation and solid 2-finger spoke-style lace. Nose is coffee and dark chocolate. Nice.

Taste is plenty of coffee and chocolate notes, with a smooth finish and virtually no overly burnt malt taste. Rich and full-bodied. An exemplary stout, this one's worth "stocking" up on. A great value and a really superior oatmeal stout!

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 20:24:34 | More by secondtooth

SouthLoopSuds

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark, a small head

S: Malty with hints of Chocolate

T: Full, chocolate and malty, fresh and clean finish

M: Full, crisp tasty!

O: I'd buy more of this, for the price you can't really go wrong with this beer. A value as far as i'm concerned!

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 01:12:10 | More by SouthLoopSuds

kell50

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a 6er from Trader Joe's. Poured in a Dogfish Head pint.

A - Pours oil black with a nice creamy tan head. About a finger thick, but doesn't stick around for too long. However, it does leave a bit of lacing behind.

S - Roasted malt on the nose and perhaps a bit of a burnt toast smell to it. Also a hint of dark, semi-sweet chocolate and faint coffee as I bring the pint up to my nose.

T - True malt, chocolate/coffee, and a touch of oatmeal on the finish. It's not overpowering or too thin on flavor either. Pretty nice balance to it. I really enjoy the full bodiedness of this one.

M - Medium bodied with nice carbonation. It is spot on for the style.

O - Overall, I really dig it. Definitely one of the best oatmeal stouts I've had, and for only $5.99 a 6 pack too! The quality of this one is totally above and beyond the price. This will continue to be a go to oatmeal stout for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 00:51:34 | More by kell50

zrab11

Indiana

3.43/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Pours a nice dark color with a nice 1 finger tan head

S- Has a light aroma of caramel and oats. Also has chocolate and some smokey aroma

T- has a nice chocolate oatmeal flavor up front followed by some roasted malts and finish's with a weird smokey flavor

M-Has a light to medium body with ok carbonation

D-Overall this beer was ok. It had a nice flavor up front but finished with a weird smokey flavor and was a little thin at times. I didn't expect much from this beer and it pretty much met my expectations

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 02:13:51 | More by zrab11

elNopalero

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Another Trader Joe’s contract-brewed six-for-six beers. A bit of a wild card. Was this really brewed by Goose Island at one time? Oatmeal stouts seem like a style that should be forgiving and easy to make—as someone once told me, if I’m going to start homebrewing I should begin with a stout because roast covers up mistakes—but that’s not always the case.

I poured this from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. It comes out a ruddy black-brown, with some light sneaking through around the edges. There’s a mild roast on the nose, and very faint hints of acidic/sour/tart/lactic ‘milk stout’ aromas that are definitely present on the taste. Tart finish, too. Not a big, bitter roast. More like muted dark chocolate: Mexican chocolate made with too much water might be a more apt description, as it’s thin and lacks characteristic boldness. Some oatmeal stout creaminess, but nothing like what I want from the style.

Effervescent. The milk stout sour/tartness dominates the finish. More sweet than sharp, this beer misses the mark for strong roasty/dark chocolate flavors but isn’t too bad for a buck.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 21:05:31 | More by elNopalero

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

2.6/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Presentation: Thanks to J Lindros for this one! 12oz brown pop-top, nice label, sadly no date.

Appearance: Dark (and I mean dark) walnut brown beer, held up to the light, it's nearly opaque, but there are some bright cola highlights. Tan cap with nice retention.

Smell: Odd. I say 'odd', rather than unpleasant, because this smells exactly like the boiling wort I have when homebrewing, especially if the hop dose is fairly low. Rich, sweet, and grainy, but not exactly 'beer-like'. Notes of rich, sweet, caramelly grain and lots of them. Hint of meaty smoke as well, as this warms (a bit odd for the style).

Taste: Sweet. Light notes of smoked meat. This is just a bit odd. Really sweet. And weird meatiness. I'm thinking this has to be a bit off. It's a bit off-putting really.

Mouthfeel: Fairly rich and creamy for 5% abv

Overall: I don't know if I got a bad bottle, or if this is how this one's supposed to be. I was really excited about my first Trader Joe's brew, but this is beef jerky and oatmeal...yikes.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 03:55:12 | More by BedetheVenerable

mentaltraveller

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

This brew was not bad. I was not expecting much. It pours a good black color, but a small and quickly dissipating head detracts from its appearance. This beer smells good; raisins, dark chocolate, oatmeal. There is no alcohol in the nose. This beer tastes very good; it is roasty, not too over the top, and leaves a pleasant finish. The major challenge to this beer is its mouthfeel. The carbonation is too much and too tight and it is very thin. This gives the beer a Coca-Cola-like quality that detracts from its impressive flavor. I probably would not buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 06:15:39 | More by mentaltraveller

avaldivia

California

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured 12oz bottle into a Pint Glass,

A: Very black. Nice, milk chocolate head. Great lacing.

S: Good roasted malts. A bit of a coffee and a chocolate scent.

T: Same as nose. Really good. Well done. Good roasted malt flavor. Nice full flavor.

M: Thick bodied. Medium to light carbonation. Very smooth.

O: A high quality oatmeal stout. I could definitely drink a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 07:40:10 | More by avaldivia

kojevergas

California

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Is it Gordon Biersch? Is it Goose Island? Who knows?

33cl brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a generic hefeweissbier glass in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Bottle acquired as one of a six pack at Trader Joe's in Los Angeles. Reviewed live.

A: Pours a one finger head of nice cream, fair thickness, and good retention. Colour is a solid nontransparent dark black. It's appealing.

Sm: Caramel, light oats, maybe some light chocolate or roast, and very light smoke. A mild strength aroma.

T: Oaty but not to the extent you'd expect of an oatmeal stout. Caramel is lighter than expected - which is a good thing. Some light chocolate and roast. Not very complex, but effective for what it's trying to do. Very well balanced, with a heavy dose of cream emerging in the latter half. Interesting and tasty. I like the contrast between the chocolatey malt in the first half and the pleasant smooth cream in the second. Superbly balanced all around. Great roast and coffee on the finish. I really like it.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Suits the flavours well. Good thickness and excellent carbonation.

Dr: Very drinkable. Very well priced. High quality Who knew Trader Joe's stocked such good beer? Wow.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 07:26:09 | More by kojevergas

Zorro

California

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark brown colored ale with a small brown colored head.

Smell is strongly malty with a band-aid scent that you sometimes get with lots of heavy roasted malt. Smells smoky with a lesser molasses smell.

Starts out Semi dry with a strong molasses and roasted malt flavor. Brown sugar joins the molasses and a little chocolate and vanilla show up. Well balanced and tasty, not sweet or over roasted.

Mouthfeel is thick as this style should be.

Overall one of the better beers you can get at Trader Joe's. $7 a six-pack and a very good bargain at that price too.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 00:38:33 | More by Zorro

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Black with faint brown edges and a thin cap of tan/brown foam. Fair head retention, a bit of spotty lacing. Roasty aroma with charcoal and caramel notes, a bit of toffee and cocoa. Low bitterness with more roasty and sweet caramel malts, toffee and bready. Smooth texture, though the carbonation could have been a bit finer. Enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 22:12:44 | More by DrJay

paxchristi

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz. bottle into my tankard.

Appearance: Black as night. Tan head that is finger tip depth that goes away within moments. Way below par for a stout.

Smell: This one is a bit more chocolatey than most OSs. It was quite nice, in fact. Usually the cocoa supports the coffee, but I'd say its the opposite with this brew-- coffee supports the cocoa. Pretty sweet in the nose with a faintly bitter note underneath.

Taste: Roasted malts take front. Its a very robust flavor in fact. In the middle are the chocolates and coffees-- though they were not very dark coffees-- lighter roasts come to mind. I was able to taste the oatmeal-- though I wish that it would have been more present in the middle to bring out that almost creamy middle that oatmeal stouts are so known for. A bit of a bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Pretty even carbonation-- though it seemed to lack at times. It seemed to work for the taste it seemed to be going for. Still stings the tongue a bit, and it lets the malts do the work-- which I think is what a good Oatmeal stout does. It should not be getting near flat but it should be only moderately carbonated in the mouth.

Overall: I could drink this stout all evening. It has an incredible drinkability to it, and I think its due to its balance. I'd be curious to know the quality of ingredients that they use, because I think perhaps that they take away from its intensity. I shop at Trader Joe's every week, and so I think I'll definitely get this one again when I want a good beer that I can get for about one dollar a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 17:29:09 | More by paxchristi