Nimbus Oatmeal Stout - Nimbus Brewing Company

pwoods

Ohio

1.95/5  rDev -46.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Thanks Tayner for this brew.

12oz. stubby brown bottle poured in a pint. July(no year) is etched in the side... don't know if its born on or drink by.

A: Poured the deepest black with apparently very little carbonation. When it finally kicks in, it produces about 1 finger of tan, fizzy head that dies to about an 1/8 inch. Decent lacing.

S: Smells of that familiar English stout. Plenty of oats to go around. Grapes or plums also present, adding a nice sugar sweetness. Some sweetness might come from a touch of molasses and theres a definite coffee undertone.

T/M: Yack... maybe this was a drink by date. Body is much thinner than expected, even for an English stout. Tastes very strongly of sour? coffee. Don't get much of grainy malts but rather a fake sugar sweetness.

D: Not sure if this bottle of past it's prime.. but I really don't think so. Idk, maybe I was expecting a Samuel Smith's. Don't think I'll try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2007 04:08:41 | More by pwoods

yeastsipper

California

2/5  rDev -45.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Perhaps this beer was not given a fair shake as it was opened after some world class stouts. Needless to say, the Nimbus did not measure up.

Pours was weak and watery (watery being a common theme with this beer). The smell had some dry chocolate, maybe a hint of fruit and molasses, but in all honesty, no real smell of note. Taste was much of the same. Watery, watery, watery. Hints of flavors, but no real actual flavor. Just a really bad example of the style. It was watery and perhaps worst of all, just plain boring. Blah...

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2009 22:25:01 | More by yeastsipper

DogFood11

California

2.58/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Poured into the new sam adams wonderglass it formed a brown head that falls to a small island. Dark brown around the edges and black in the core.

First pull was very metallic and light bodied. As it settled down the taste came through more clear. Plenty of charred malts that turn the body of this brew extremely dry and chalky. The malt bill takes a backseat towards the finish and a wave of bitterness takes charge bordering on tart and not welcomed. Subtle coffee underbelly.

Notes: Not for me. Lacks a solid body and lacks in depth. A good oatmeal stout to me needs to be easy drinking but not at the expense of character. This is easy drinking but...

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2007 02:25:36 | More by DogFood11

ccrida

Oregon

2.68/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12 oz bottle poured into my large Gulden Draak tulip, Nimbus' Oatmeal Stout is cola brown with a tan head leaving nice lace.

Smell is very malty, caramel, but some sourish ash notes.

Taste is disjointed. It's roasted, but again, more ashy, sourish, caramel malt. Something about this one rough.

Mouthfeel is thin, dry, wanting.

Drinkability is lower, this isn't a very good stout. Oatmeal? No, the mouthfeel is weak. So is the whole beer, execution-wise. I'm not impressed!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 08:45:59 | More by ccrida

SaCkErZ9

Florida

2.73/5  rDev -25%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Received from tayner via Beer Powerball Week 4.

Pours from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Very unassuming. Coca Cola colored with no head, no lacing. Looks like a flat beer. This is the third Nimbus OS I have had so it cant be a bottle issue.

Aroma is coffeeish and slightly stoutish. Nothing impressive or outstanding.

More coffee in the flavor with some chocolate. Good bt of bitterness on the back end due to some hoppiness. Thin on the mouthfeel; way too thin for an oatmeal stout.

Sorry to say it, but this was a let down. Below average. Drinks easily enough due to its completely ordinary profile.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 18:35:26 | More by SaCkErZ9

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.75/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a dark brown, near black body with a scant, yellow-beige head.

Smell: Light, stark notes of roasted grains, chocolate, fruit, and oats. All of it very, very light. All of it very, very forgettable.

Taste: A faint sweetness overlaying a roasted barley scaffolding, a few meager hints of chocolate, and a dull, low fruitiness. Lightly earthy, faintly bitter English hops. Dry, kind of flavorless finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-light carbonation.

Overall: A mild, mild-tasting beer that's just plain boring. I wasn't asking for much, I wasn't, but, come on, Nimbus, give me something to work with.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 16:42:28 | More by ChainGangGuy

DontCallMeSurly

Wisconsin

2.83/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

12oz stubby bottle received via trade..

Pours with a decent viscosity, not too thick and not too thin. Even with a vigorous pour very little foam arises. What little bit does appear instantly recedes back into the blackness. Hints of roasted coffee emerge on the nose, but not much else. Taste is similar, although it tastes like watered down coffee. Very thin, not very interesting, and leaves a lot to be desired. Because of this the beer goes down pretty easily, and thus drinkability is up as well, but for less than ideal reasons. Honestly I'm kind of disappointed with this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2008 02:15:18 | More by DontCallMeSurly

mongodestroy

California

2.9/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours near pitch black with a tan head that dies down rather quickly leaving a decent amount of lacing. Drinking this the first time I was distracted by a strong astringent smell that also lingered in an aftertaste. The second one I had (the next day) had a more mild astringent taste which i attributed to an overdone smoke flavor. The typical chocolate and coffee profiles are found in this stout. I would have expected a little more head retention from an oatmeal stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2007 03:49:59 | More by mongodestroy

CharlesDarwin

Rhode Island

2.9/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

12 Oz Bottle via footy. Flat cardboard and white toast aroma. Light salted caramels. Faint roast. Spills a deep black-brown, with mahogany fringes and rim of tanned soap. Flavor is a static, wet, plain brown sugar and plum flavor. Old tasting. Bits of ocean flotsam. Finishes in the higher metallic range. Salted. Pretty weak stout base. Body is a nip thin. Soured coffee grains. Does not excel. A bit too still, but more carbonation would have blasted through the empty body of the beer, making it even less desirable.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2008 21:28:28 | More by CharlesDarwin

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I got this brew from tayner, Thanks Dana!

12oz bottle, date notched July, served in a standard pint glass.

L - black with a thin layer of tan bubbles around the edge of the glass.

S - lightly roasted coffee aroma.

T - light roasty flavor, thin oatmeal taste.

F - medium bodied with a thin, almost watery feel.

D - it's ok, I'd like to try a fresher one.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2008 02:08:37 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

ZenAgnostic

Texas

3.03/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance - Black body. Medium-light caramel head with decent retention.

Smell - Fresh yet acidic. Almost exactly like capers or green olives. I vaguely remember something about olive smell being related to infected beer. Well, here goes...

Taste - Very acidic. A bit of a bitter aftertaste. Less than a Guinness. Relatively light for a stout. Not bad. I guess it's not infected. Must just be part of the character.

Mouthfeel - Good smooth medium bodied mouthfeel. Not watery like some other more popular stouts.

Drinkability - More interesting than other stouts (such as Guiness) but the olive character (while not bad) is not exactly appealing. I'd call it an off taste that reduces drinkability, unless this was being paired.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2011 04:10:03 | More by ZenAgnostic

jujubeast6000

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed 12/29/2007 (Tap @ Old Chicago, Glendale, AZ):

Pours a dark blackish colored body, with a smallish tannish colored head. Has a slight coffee aroma, more chocolately, but not overly strong. Has a crisp watery palate. Some chocolate and coffee taste.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2009 18:15:24 | More by jujubeast6000

goatgoat

California

3.13/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours an opaque black with ruby highlights. Moderate coffee head falls fairly fast. No lace. Aroma is sweet with a roasted bitterness. Taste is fairly simple, sweetness overlaid with a roasted character. Not particularly chocolate or coffee, just roasted. Finish is bitter and long lasting, something a little off that I can't quite figure out. Mouthfeel is starts thin as it's cold but gets nice when it warms. Smooth and silky.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2010 19:22:56 | More by goatgoat

3.15/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle.

Clear brown at the edges, otherwise opaque, even when held against light. Medium sized, creamy brown head.

Aromas of flowers, chocolate and oatmeal greet the nose.

Taste is more towards bitter, but pretty well balanced, overall. Coffee and roast notes most prevalent. Just a bit grassy, lingers into aftertaste.

Medium body and medium carbonation. Quite dry.

OK, but nothing spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2007 20:36:18 | More by

HosP

Indiana

3.15/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Opened up a 12oz into a pint glass the other night.

A- Poured black. Bits of light around the edges. Thin dark tan head, quickly down to nothing.

S- Nose full of coffee notes and roasted malts. Not to complex in the nose.

T- Like the nose, coffee notes up front. Taste a little burnt in the middle. Blend into some roasted malts, get a little chocolate taste in the background.

M- Medium to fuller body. Low carbonation. Thick in the mouth and a little dry.

O- Average oatmeal stout. Flavors had a burnt taste lingering to them. Not to complex either. Still an ok drink, just not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 01:38:16 | More by HosP

merryjoulton

Arkansas

3.25/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very dark almost black color with a very tight head about one inch that slowly faded as the beer did. Smelled faintly of roasted malt and toasted oats. Tasted like a dark stout with hints of roasted toasted oats, fairly consistent with the aroma. Body is pretty good and not too heavy. It was a tasty beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2009 03:23:51 | More by merryjoulton

aristeros

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Purchased in a sixer. Poured into a pint glass. Might as well try the Arizona beers while I'm here, right? Pours a dark, mahogany brown with about a finger of off-white head. Some lacing.

Appearance is above 3.5, but below 4. Want to give it a 3.7 but it won't let me.

Simple nose, with roasted malts, light espresso, and baker's chocolate. A slightly acidic smell that I can't place but I've noticed in some stouts before that reminds me of strong coffee.

Roasted malt flavors. Coffee flavor predominates. Hops are there, but hidden on the back end. The oatmeal helps the texture along, though it's thinner and less 'chewy' than it should be. The carbonation is good for the style.

I will have another--five more in my fridge now, after all--but although there's nothing exactly wrong with it, there's also nothing that really stands out here and puts it on par with, say, Sam Smith's oatmeal offering.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2009 02:21:40 | More by aristeros

magictrokini

California

3.28/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Milky stout. Pours darker brown with a mediocre tan head. Sweet aroma of malts and cocoa, with milk! Taste is like Cocoa Puffs with oats and some coffee. Very thin mouthfeel. I mean, REALLY thin mouthfeel. This is a stout, right? Smooth, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2008 22:27:44 | More by magictrokini

Retsinis

California

3.28/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a few of these at a Whole Foods in Chandler, AZ while there over the new year's holiday. Review from notes.

Served chilled from a 12 oz. bottle, into a brandy tulip glass.

Appearance, pour is a very deep, dark brown, nearly black, but when held to the light, there are brown highlights that penetrate through. About an inch of head that rose, then faded and to just a lacing ring.

Smell is of a bit subdued for the style for me, but I pick up on the roasted malt, dark chocolate, and a bit of coffee with cream.

Taste follows the aroma's. Opens with sweet cream coffee, then roasted malt, cappuccino, molasses, and a tinge of dry bitterness on the finish.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, with good carbonation for the style.

Overall, a good oatmeal stout, though not as rich as I like. Easy to drink a few on a cold night.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 19:40:12 | More by Retsinis

seanbhudson

California

3.33/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE:
Pours an opaque black color with a small tan head that dissipates at an average rate. Small amount of lacing.
AROMA:
Not a lot of aroma. Earthy hops, alcohol, molasses and coffee.
FLAVOR:
Relatively light flavor. Roasted malts, unsweetened chocolate and slight earthy hops.
MOUTHFEEL:
Light to medium body with a watery texture. Soft carbonation.
DRINKABILITY:
Very easy to drink but so is water.
NOTES: BBCSD-0902-MikeM

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2009 02:29:40 | More by seanbhudson

mmciz

Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I didn't even know Nimbus made an oatmeal stout until I saw this bottle at BevMo -- it doesn't seem to be a rarity, though. Guess I just never bothered to look for an oatmeal stout from any Arizona brewer other than Beaver Street in Flagstaff. Because, really, unless you're up in the high country where there's cold and snow who wants a stout in AZ during 11 months out of the year?

It's in the 40s tonight, though, so let's give it a whirl...

A: Carmel-colored head about an 18 of an inch thick. The bubbles are a little shiny and there's actually a bit of lacing.

S: Pretty yeast-y for an oatmeal stout. I also get some black licorice.

T: There's a lot of oat-y-ness which is, of course, what we're looking for here, but not a lot of complexity beyond that. The Goldings hops are noticeable, too, especially on the finish and in the aftertaste -- it's British varietal but this beer it definitely tastes like a West Coast offering. Other reviewers suggest drinking it at room temperature and mine has only been out of the fridge for 10 minutes or so -- I'll try it again closer to room temperature to see if I get the chocolate taste others enjoy so much... That's a nice luxury since this is a cheap (and apparently readily available) local brew.

M: Thick and satisfying, to style but on the high end of the style.

D: It goes down smooth though the aftertaste would grate on me after more than a few.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 05:09:00 | More by mmciz

nanobrew

California

3.4/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I have had this beer twice.

A - Pours a dark, nearly black beer. Carbonation was nearly no existent, along with no head.

S - Really hard to find, with out really giving the glass a swirl. Smells like roasted coffee and prunes, very pleasant, only if it were more prominent.

T - First notes that hit were the roasted coffee bitterness and slightly fruity. As the beer warmed up, it seemed to get sweeter, more toffie like, with the prune flavor coming out more. very tasty.

M - For an oatmeal stout I thought it was a little then, coupled with the really low carbonantion, there was nothing special about this.

D - Not one I will be craving, but definitely a beer I could have one or two of.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2009 19:24:33 | More by nanobrew

NDPDuke

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a SA Perfect Pint (all I had available at the time)

Pours dark brown/black with a thin head on the top. Head didn't last long.

Smell is great. Smells of coffee, chocolate, and malt.

Taste is solid. Like the smell, you can taste the coffee, malt, and chocolate.

The mouthfeel is a little too thin for an Oatmeal Stout. Good flavor though.

The drinkability is kinda high because it is kind of thin for an oatmeal stout. To make it a great beer though, good be a little thicker and have stronger flavors.

Overall, a solid beer that is pretty easy to drink!

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2007 15:28:35 | More by NDPDuke

BlindPig

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- Thin tan head on a black body.
S- Big oatmeal and a bit of coffee in there too. Dry grass hops manage to make their way through also.
T-Big coffee malts. Oatmeal is there but takes a back seat in the flavors. Leaves a big coffee aftertaste also. A very slight hint of citrus hops too. Light bitterness on the tip of the tongue.
M- Smooth and silky feel to it. Medium body with low carbonation.
D- Way to strong in the coffee flavor for me. I prefer a bigger oatmeal flavor in a oatmeal stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2007 19:04:13 | More by BlindPig

tpd975

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle via trade from smellsofstout. Thanks Tomas.

A: Pours a nice bright coal black hue with a nice tall foamy mocha head. Okay retention with some nice spotty lace.

S: Aroma rather simple, but good. Lots of roasted malt, coffee, with a touch of smoke.

T: Roasty goodness up front, backed by gas station coffee. There is a bit of bitter chocolate and a touch of hops in the finish.

M: On the lighter side of medium, can't really pick up the carbonation that was apparant upon the pour.

D: Not earth shattering but good. Glad to review an Arizona beer besides Cave Creek Chili beer. Thanks Tomas for the huge box of beer!

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2009 19:48:56 | More by tpd975