Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout - Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)

jdklks

Nevada

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes:

black, though not impenetrably so, with brown edges and a light brown head.

smells of coffee beans and dark fruit sweetness.

taste is very sweet up front with the dark fruit coming through. afterwards there is a hint of coffee and chocolate. a subtle, not overwhelming flavor.

very smooth and on the light side of full-bodied. i would like it to be a little thicker than it is.

it is very drinkable, especially for a stout, though like i said, it is thiner than a lot of stouts which may add to that.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2009 05:28:17 | More by jdklks

Misfit138

Tennessee

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Ordered on tap at the Nook in Huntsville, Alabama

A- Nice very dark, almost black with on inch head which was light brown.

S- Hints of caramel, malts, oats and perhaps some chocolate.

T- The flavor is very balanced, taste much like the nose. Very good.

M- The mouthfeel is what it should be for a stout. Somewhat heavy and smooth.

D- Easily one of the very best stouts out there, period. I could drink a few of these whenever. I recommend this to anyone, even if they don't like stouts.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2008 15:59:39 | More by Misfit138

Bouncingsoul1682

Virginia

5/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Among all the beers I've tried...this is still probably my favorite which says a lot. Deliciously dark stout, organic, oaty flavor that is just plain and simple. I've sampled plenty of oatmeal stouts and they honestly can't hold a candle to the magic that samuel smith puts into ever pint. It set a new standard for my enjoyment of stouts in general...as a side note, i haven't had a bad beer from samuel smith yet and i've sampled all but maybe two of them it is truly a fine brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2006 05:08:56 | More by Bouncingsoul1682

RummyRedbeard

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

(from blog - Written September 28, 2012)

Appearance – Pours dark dark brown with a nice sized creamy tan head. Leaves a good amount of lacing.
Smell – Sweet, chocolate, slight coffee.
Taste – Sugary, mocha, vanilla, coffee, oatmeal.

Sammy Smith Oatmeal Stout is like a scoop of coffee ice cream. It is like a sweet piece of velvety chocolate cake with coffee icing resurrected as a beer. Since I think I overdid myself expressing just how damn sweet this beer is, I should also add that it drinks like a Smooth Criminal (lame I know.) An overall amazing beer, looks amazing, smells amazing, tastes amazing and feels amazing.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 01:07:44 | More by RummyRedbeard

Neorebel

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This classic brew pours a pitch black color, and is topped with a tall, creamy froth. Near perfect appearance for the style. The aroma is sublime... cereal grains are intermingled with sweet chocolate and some light fruit esters (green apple & pear). Fortunately, the flavor is just as fantastic. Along with the aforementioned aspects, we also get some molasses, raisin and a trace of crisp bitter hops. The finish is quite earthy & roasty, with a light mouth feel. Thoroughly enjoyable and complex.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 15:45:20 | More by Neorebel

Steamer

Missouri

4.69/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Tiny cascading bubbles transition to a thick, tan three fingered head with the consistency of a pillow. Dark brown with red hues around the edge of the glass. Love the look. Smell: Licorice, bitter chocolate, sough dough bread. Classic stout flavor.. well balanced, malty, rich and goes down smooth. Mouthfeel: Dry, medium to heavy texture. Overall: No better stout in my opinion when you want a break from the high ABV versions of the style and you just want that straight up, traditional, dark ale goodness.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 01:01:03 | More by Steamer

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.41/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a deep brown, basically black, with two full fingers of khaki colored fluffy foam. The foam takes a bit to settles, leaving a nice rocky layer across the top of the beer and on the edges of the glass. There is a decent amount of lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is chocolate, soaked bread, and bit of caramel, and a touch of vanilla. It's smells alright. The bready nature of this beer is the dominate scent. The rest are just underlying players in the game.

T: It starts out sweet with bread notes and chocolate in the mix. I get that caramel and vanilla in the middle. As it moves the back end it gets sweeter, but it's still very bready.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's sweet and silky. It's a bit thin, but spot on for an oatmeal stout. The flavors coat the palate and slide off nicely. Nothing lingering for too long after the beer is gone.

O: This is an alright beer. It's not exactly my favorite style, but it's ok. I can respect this beer for what it is, but I don't see myself buying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 20:52:04 | More by trxxpaxxs

JamesQuaff

California

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Samuel Smith Becker pint.

Pours a lovely brown/black with a generous 2 finger cappuccino colored head that leaves gobs of thick lacing. The tiniest bit of light comes through so you can see it's not just an opaque syrup.

Very nice aroma. Caramel, roasted malt, dark fruits, bittersweet chocolate. Smells slightly Belgian.

Roasty caramel/chocolate sweetness up front, followed by a nice hop bittering, with a slightly long grainy/doughy finish with a hint of oats. I keep going back for the finish, it's my favorite part.

Mouthfeel is rich and creamy without being thick. Carbonation is perfect. So sessionable. Goes down so smooth it's almost scary.

I've tended to avoid Samuel Smith's for a long time due to a number of bad experiences with lightstruck beers from the clear glass bottles. This bottle came in a boxed 3 pack, all in the darkest brown glass bottles I've ever seen. After sampling all 3, my opinion on this brewery is now completely changed. Quite possibly the best oatmeal stout I've had.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 19:49:01 | More by JamesQuaff

ScottyS

California

4.58/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Bought one 550 ml bottle from local BevMo, cool old fashioned looking bottle... Looks like a tonic bottle or some kind of old fashioned remedy.

Poured into a Stone Brewing pint glass. This beer is dark with a thick frothy head that dissipates slowly and clings to the side. It smells great, like most stouts but I am not detecting any oatmeal in the scent... maybe my nose isn't that fine tuned.

It is heavy stuff, but goes down very smooth, and I think I tasted the oatmeal underneath all of the coffee, chocolate and other sweets in this brew. Finished the whole bottle in thirty minutes and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is definitely my go-to stout from now on... it blows Guinness out of the water.

I wish i could find stuff like this on tap in the states, but I know there is not much chance of that happening.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 17:34:38 | More by ScottyS

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

4.21/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Picked this up last week at Top Hops, having never had this classic before. Even though I couldn't taste the oatmeal in this, this was a great beer and a much more easygoing Stout than I was accustomed to. The flavors and mouthfeel almost made me think that this was a Belgian-style beer but alas, there was just enough of a roasted taste and texture to remind me that this indeed, was an Oatmeal Stout.

The pour to this was a dark brown with just a hint of garnet around the edges. Not a lot of head to this and even less lacing, but that probably had to do with the carbonation. Although it was present, it wasn't overpowering and the mouthfeel of this beer almost felt like a relatively light soda. There was some oat to be felt, but it was overpowered by roasted malt, bitter chocolate, licorice, vanilla extract, and dark fruits including currant, plum, and cherry. There even seemed to be a hint of yeast in here, helping this feel like a Belgian rather than a British beer. Because the bubbles weren't that present, only a bit of scrubbing could be felt after every sip and the dark fruits faded into an espresso-like bitterness in the aftertaste.

Not many Stouts can be considered session beers but this fit that bill. Although I only bought one bottle, I could have had another during my sitting since this went down pretty easily and smoothly. I expected this to be a bit more filling and strong but even though it wasn't, I enjoyed it a lot and can see why it's rated so highly. There's a lot to like here and something in it to appeal to everyone. Nearly every aspect of this beer lends to it's status as a classic.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 14:19:46 | More by JerzDevl2000

JesseMurdock

Hawaii

4.58/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Served lightly chilled into a shaker glass.

appearance: dark inky brown with a light mocha head that quickly recedes most of the way.

smell: dark fruits, bitter chocolate, alcohol.

taste: delicious. first flavor is deep roasted malts with a nice chewy hint of oats. leaves a rich flavor of dark fruits, chocolate nibs, and coffee.

mouthfeel: very silky, low carbonation, allows the flavors to really come through.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 07:04:38 | More by JesseMurdock

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

550 ml bottle into imperial pint glass, bottled on 8/3/2012. Pours crystal clear almost opaque dark brown color with a nice 2 finger dense and fluffy light tan head with incredible retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of caramel, cocoa, molasses, oatmeal, dark bread, toast, light apple, floral, and earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of malt notes with some light fruitiness. Taste of caramel, molasses, cocoa, oatmeal, toast, roasted malt, dark bread, floral, and roasted earthiness. Light floral bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, molasses, oatmeal, cocoa, toast, roasted malt, dark bread, and earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of dark malt notes with moderate hops; with great flavor robustness and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent oatmeal stout. Very nice balance and complexity of dark malt flavors; and very smooth to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 07:43:49 | More by superspak

barczar

Kentucky

4.16/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours an opaque deep brown with amber highlights and a frothy half inch tan head that slowly dissipates, leaving thick sheets of lacing.

Nutty, toasted malt, oats, light roast character, and dark fruits form the initial aroma. Dark fruit becomes more prominent as it warms, along with light caramel sweetness and subtle floral hop character.

Chocolate dominates the flavor profile throughout the initial sip, with roast malt accompanying it in the slightly dry finish. Becomes roast dominant in subsequent tastings. Underpinnings of bruised cherries and dark berries add complexity. There's a nutty tone in the aftertaste. Tobacco emerges as it warms.

Body is fairly full, chewy, and smooth, with carbonation on the low side.

More dark fruit than expected. Chocolate is a lot more evident in flavor than in the nose.
Today character is not overpowering. Very solid beer. Would've rather the fruitiness not be present. Not sure of bottle age, so could be a factor.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 16:40:15 | More by barczar

McNealc31

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hints of burgundy adorn the edges, other than that, it's an all black stout. The oatmeal really is the star here. Along with flavor, it adds heft to the velvety texture.

The mineral flavors from the English hard water are there, too, but it just adds to the character. Quick hit of hops at the end, but the roasted and smokey flavors take over in the finish.

There's a very good reason this is a classic.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 01:10:01 | More by McNealc31

KelsoSaaz

New York

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

Poured into nonic pint

A: Pours an opaque black, that shows hints of deep brown when held up to light. Very fine, khaki, 2 finger head with crazy amounts of ring lacing.

S: Dark chocolate, sweet malts and hints of earthiness.

T: Roasted malt goodness! Sweet and smooth with hints of bittersweet chocolate and dark roasted coffee beans. Earthy flavors finish with slight roasted bitterness and a slight acidity.

M: Smooth as silk and not at all heavy in the mouth. Low carbonation.

O: One killer stout. Sam Smiths shines as a world-class brewery with this one. I usually pick this up as a treat once in a while, but I could have this all the time and continue to love it day after day. Highly recommended, even for people who don’t favor the black stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 02:54:19 | More by KelsoSaaz

BillyPirate

Arkansas

4.16/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Serving Type: Poured from a bottle into a Samuel Smith pint glass.

A: Disappointing. Even with a vigorous pour, the head is minimal and quickly recedes to a thin film with poor lacing. Suitably dark.

S: Underwhelming. Barely able to discern any prominent notes of anything so rather than guess, I will simply say the bouquet is basically nonexistent.

T: Definitely the strong suit. Impressively complex with a highly complimentary blend of mocha, chocolate and oats. The finish is mild, sweet and extremely pleasant.

M: Superb feel. The oats are deliciously chewy and the carbonation is spot on.

O: What this beer lacks in head retention and aroma it makes up for with superior taste and mouthfeel. Very accessible for an oatmeal stout and overall a great offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 15:56:19 | More by BillyPirate

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Sammy Smith Oatmeal Stout. Poured it in a nonic pint.

Fluffy light mocha-colored head sits proudly after gushing up past three fingers in height. Still looking at a solid two and a half inches on top of an inky cola black. Makes me want to slam it back.

Oaty and roasty. Rich, dry, and malty. Picking up nuances of ground coffee, molasses, and cocoa powder. Massive roast offers up some great char aroma, without the smoke. Not so high in intensity, because there's a slight creamy nose that marries all of the stout-y notes in with each other.

Clean and creamy smooth. The roast is very dark, but never biting. No astringencies to note. Subtle hints of cocoa, coffee, moist devil's food cake, and dark honey. More of that molasses in the maltiness. Brittle toffee and burnt sugars comprise the rest. Lightly spicy sizzle, accented by the carbonation, gives evidence to some Noble hopping. The oats do contribute to the bitterness, which is still pretty low. The mouthfeel is amazing, however. Creamy and mouthfilling. Elegant and welcoming. This beer is going 'gone' and pretty damn fast, too.

A celebratedly awesome English stout. The claim-to-fame for versions using a lot of oatmeal. The revivalist. The one, the only; Samuel Smith.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 01:29:27 | More by thecheapies

CASK1

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Bottle poured to a tulip glass on St. Patrick's Day.

A - Beautiful beer! Nearly black with ruby highlights. Thick light tan head that stays to the bottom of the glass.

S - Rich and complex. Dark roast malt, bittersweet chocolate, hints of coffee. Light grainy undertones. Low earthy hops, but the roast malt is the star.

T - Similar to aroma. Rich, dark roasty malt. Prominent chocolate, burnt toast. Oats come through as a light grainy complement to the roast malt. Moderate hop bitterness balances the malt perfectly.

M - Medium to medium-full body but remaining highly quaffable. Medium carbonation helps balance the malt richness.

O - Really sorry I waited so long to try this one! One of the best stouts I've had. This is sure to become a regular beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 20:19:12 | More by CASK1

Ilafan

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +12%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

As anyone can tell by my high rating numbers for this beer, I really am a fan of Smith's Oatmeal Stout. The number one seller for me is the richness of its taste. I really enjoy its full mouthful, and that coupled with a caramel, chocolate, and coffee-like flavor, makes me happy when I pour a glass of this into my favorite mug. The head is full, and the latticework is enticing. Darn good beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 23:43:50 | More by Ilafan

notchucknorris

California

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a deep brown color with a fluffy light brown head. Fades to a thin film over the beer.

S: Tons of molasses, dark chocolate mixed with a dark fruit aroma that's a mix of fig and raisin, cola, earth, chocolate covered banana and rich dark bread.

T: A rich, roasted grain and bread flavor throughout, faint roasted malt, cola, chocolate malt and some molasses. Just a hint of dark fruit as well. The mouthfeel is velvety as hell and makes this feel way bigger than it is. A fantastic stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 02:32:21 | More by notchucknorris

wac9

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

i cant add anymore to whAt is already here i was afaid to try this because i thought it may be heavy or i just wont like it but i do the part it being bittersweet well if that bittersweet i wish all beer tasted like that in the end if your looking to drink this beer forthe frist time my review wont help but the thousands other will pour a glass and read a review enjoy

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 02:16:51 | More by wac9

ChugMan

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Food Pairing - Fresh banana turned out to be a bad choice, just amped up the bitterness and muted nearly everything else. Don't do it!

A - Dark but not quite opaque brown. Large pillowy head with excellent lacing
S - Soft, sweet, bready, inviting
T - Smooth and not nearly as complex as many American contemporary stouts, but what it does it does right. Some fig, faint chocolate and molasses. The aftertaste of oats is especially soft and pleasant.
M - Refreshing, but a bit on the thin side for my taste. A little soapy but not bad. Fairly creamy finish.
O - Very drinkable and a good choice for beginners. Years ago, this beer was my introduction to beer made by people who care, and I'm glad to see that it holds to this day.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 23:54:08 | More by ChugMan

SmashPants

Australia

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle: very solid 550mL embossed brown bottle. An old-school medicinal-style label - a quirky and, to be honest, awesome package.

Appearance: deep jet black with hints of ruby-brown highlights against the light. A perfect one-and-a-half finger tan head sits on top. Good retention and fantastically heavy lacing top the appearance off.

Aroma: one of my least favoured aspects of any stout. Always very demure, and this one is no different. Has a good combination of malts, however, no matter how light. Coffee, chocolate, caramels and some light spices to back up. Quite nice.

Taste: good quality malts again, a bit sweeter than the nose. It still has a bite, but has a creamy smoothness as well.

Aftertaste: lingers for a good long while, but a touch of bitterness hanging on. Also some of those heavier malts at the back of the mouth, which is a rare thing.

Mouth feel: the mouth feel is spot on. Medium-to-heavy, thick and creamy body. A low carbonation helps it glide down, and the creamy head offers just enough bitterness. Perfect.

Overall: sure, it's expensive, but it's a bloody good beer. You get what you pay for in this instance. It'd be nice if Australians didn't get quite so bent over when it came to beer, imported beer and, really, commodities in general, but hey. This one is worth the extra.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 23:55:08 | More by SmashPants

DenverLogan

Colorado

3.84/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from bottle in Belgian Scotch Silly tulip glass.
Big aroma of milk chocolate, hot chocolate, dark chocolate.
Near black with substantial amber-brown head.
Modest to light carbonation and mouthfeel.
Flavors of light chocolate, minerals, dark roasted malts...rust.
OK...I've had this brew for perhaps 30 years...always a modest body and flavorful beer. Perhaps the standard bearer for oatmeal stouts...tasty and respectable on a consistent basis.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 04:50:59 | More by DenverLogan

Biermiester

3.65/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

A - when poured into a pint glass this beer looks great, dark brown/black appearance is amazing.

S - a little disappointing I really had a high expectation on this one. Sweet smell not to over whelming but still the look doesn't fit the smell.

T - not what you would expect, very nutty, sweet taste, pretty good but not knock out.

MF - darn good

O - I like it, and you will too. It is not one of those stouts that will have you telling your friends but it is good enough to drink on a cold night.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 00:42:51 | More by Biermiester