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

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

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 350 ml bottle into a Half Acre tulip.

A- pours black with a huge 3" tan head. Big clumps, trails, and bubbles of lacing cover the glass.

S- lots of chocolate notes, slight roast and pine.

T- sweet roasted malts, chocolate, with a light pine bitterness.

M- light body and medium carbonation. Nice smooth and easy drinking beer.

O- good beer. Has nice chocolate and sweet malts with just enough bitterness to balance the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 03:45:29 | More by kawilliams81

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.79/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured 550mL bottle with foil wrapped top into 34oz mug. Oily brown pour, jet black in the glass with thick tan head that sticks around. Smell is creamy coffee with a bit of chocolate. Taste is like the smell; creamy and sweet at first, then roasted coffee and bitter chocolate, with a bittersweet finish. Mouthfeel is creamy and full. It's no wonder this is the top rated beer of its style on here.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 02:29:39 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

sethcroisant

Nebraska

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- impressive, dark head with persistent lacing

S- fruity and sugary. hint of roasted malts. scent is similar to their imperial stout.

M- perfect amount of carbonation. smooth and somewhat thick.

T- sweet and sugary right away that fades away and the roasted malts kick in. roasted malts linger as the bread malts sneak in to pull everything together. dry in the finish.

O- lives up to the reputation of Samuel Smiths.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:19:52 | More by sethcroisant

smokinyodas

Florida

4.99/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Picture yourself sitting back with the cigar in one hand and this beer in the other and let your mind relax into a world of simple pleasures, this is the quintessence of Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout. Once long ago, subjected to a sheltered life of Guinness stouts, oblivious of what the real world had to offer, I now know the true meaning of beer excellence and the cost it takes to be enlightened yet again and again. The questions in my mind spinning around like a hamster wheel on steroids. Is the cost worth the roasted malts, tan head, creamy sweetness, roasted coffee, chocolate flavors and a balanced taste so good it makes your tongue slap your brains out? Yes!

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 18:44:32 | More by smokinyodas

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

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

Absolutely dark, the appearance is certainly elegant, with such beautiful tanned neck. You can identify caramel and expresso. The taste is sweet, with slight bitterness, where you can tell the oatmeal and the expected caramel/coffee. The full, silky body also has high drinkability, with a very comforting, malty, bready, aftertaste. Absolutely excellent for a session drinking with your best friends.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 01:44:46 | More by HabiMendes

frankiepop

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is a good stout if you are a fan of the sweeter milk style oatmeal stouts. So what do we have here? We have a very brown black beer with a nice light contrasting creamy head with good sustenance and lacing.

i gave high marks on the aroma. I get a strong malt roast and chocolate note coming up.

This is a simple yet satisfying brew. What I love here is the classic oatmeal stout with a strong malty roast flavor and a chocolate. The flavor is strong and well-balanced.

The carbonation is mild. The beer is more creamy than thicker. This is a smooth drink but filling.

I think this stout goes with some London avant-garde very well. I suggest Derek Bailey's duo cd cd with Evan Parker. "Arch Duo"

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 18:55:05 | More by frankiepop

Knaub

4.81/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beer is simply amazing. Try it to find out. People who hate dark beers love this one... you will too!

It has a slightly fruity smell, that is low on malt and hop profiles, but has a nice oatmeal scent. There is a hint of coffee and bitter chocolate as well.

The taste follows more into the coffee and chocolate, bitter at first, sweet like butterscotch, and than bitter from the oatmeal at the end. The finish is dry and chalky, but in the best sense of the word.
It is hardy and satisfying, with no watery feeling to it at all.

The mouthfeel is pearly and rich from lots of carbonation and oil from the oatmeal.

Best beer ever. Highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 05:58:31 | More by Knaub

jucifer1818

Florida

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: a medium brown in color, almost approaching dark red in appearance. It has a very ample carbonation and a nice, fluffy head indicative of the style. Its a very welcoming looking beer
4.5/5
S: Simply amazing. this beer pulls your nose into it, and wont let it go. Soft, almost bublgummy aromas leap out of this beer (from the oatmeal), with slight caramel and fruity hoppy aromas working out ot make a almost perfect oatmeal stout smell
5/5

t: it hits you with a very breif smoked malt flavor, but quickly moves on to chocolate and caramel malts, and finishes with a firm but restrained hoppy bite that is very refreshing. their is somthign for everyone in this beer flavor, appealing to both the malt and hop lovers in a beautiful compromise that any beer drinker can enjoy.
4.5/5

Mouthfeel: the combination of this beer excellent head, carbonation, and full body lead to a excellent creamy mouth feel that is almost as enjoyable as the beers
4.75/5

overall: I summed the final ranking of this one in my taste comment. A beer with a rich reputation, and a well deserved on. I could drink pint after pint of this excellent, affordable brew and be happy all night.
a beer that picks no sides, that anyone can enjoy.
4.5/5

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 18:14:00 | More by jucifer1818

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A- Very dark brown, almost black looking, with no light coming through. Fluffy tan head that lingers around and leaves a lot of lacing.

S- Roasted malt, flaked oats, grainy bread, slight note of sweet bread.

T- Huge roasted malt flavors, grainy bread, rolled oats, hint of cocoa powder, mineral finish. A lot going on for a low abv beer.

M- Medium bodied, medium carbonation, slight carbonation tingle

O- Very good oatmeal stout. Smooth and grainy, extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 23:51:38 | More by stephenjmoore

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.23/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Giving this icon a day in the Chaney court.

Served in a Port City snifter.

A: Poured as black as night, with a slight off-white mocha head that looked pretty cool to my mind. Sticky!

S: Pretty fruity in the stout realm. Dark fruit that is, along with a nice malt back backbone.

T: How to describe this... hmmm...: Dark malt, almost in the Baltic Porter category, but not quite. A bit of licorice combined with dark chocolate.

M: Nice carbonation, sweetness, ridiculous lacing, etc. In a few words... very nicely done.

O: For about $3.99/bottle, this was a steal. Excellent UK import.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 05:41:48 | More by Chaney

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

550 ml bottle, no bottled-on date, poured into a pint glass.

A- Pours a dark brown with reddish hues, topped with a thick inch of creamy, cake-like tan head, which has excellent retention and leaves lots of lacing.

S- Mild aroma of chocolate, coffee and roasted grain, a bit of fruity sweetness.

T- Sweet milk chocolate, oats, mild coffee flavors, along with roasted grain and mild fruitiness. It's a nice balance of sweet chocolate and fruit flavors along with roast and hop bitterness. Also has a milky, creamy flavor to it.

M- Medium-bodied, has a wonderfully smooth, silky and creamy feel.

O- A great beer, it's very flavorful but also balanced and drinkable enough that I would recommend this very highly to someone who had never had a stout before, it's worth buying and then buying again.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 10:28:35 | More by WillCarrera

acsprouse

South Carolina

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

A- pours black. dark khaki head with retention and lacing

S- chocolate, roasted malts. Some coffee, rich and complex. Some dark fruits in there.

M- excellent carbonation for the style. Smooth thick but not overpowering. Silky but not milky

T- sweet malts. Its roasty, its chocolatey. But it has some bitterness. Its bold and it stands out.

O- the celebrated. Its perfection. One of the best oatmeal stouts i have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 08:14:03 | More by acsprouse

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.11/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

This Oatmeal Stout had a lightly thickened consistency and a black coloring. The head was thin and fizzy and lacked the creaminess I'd hoped for.

The scent is of sweet chocolate malts and some earthy notes. An interesting bock-like character is present in the nose with a strong barley scent.

The taste is malty and sweet with a bit of prune or date. A touch of chocolate, caramel and molasses stand out in a very smooth easy finish. Very well crafted I'm impressed by Samuel Smith again.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 22:22:46 | More by KYGunner