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

brandon911

Texas

4.88/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served into an oversized wine glass.

Poured a fairly large and dense tan head that dissipated fairly quickly. The beer itself was a very dark, opaque brown, verging on black.The smell is delightful. It's a lovely mix of coffee, malts, oats and nuttiness. It's a creamy, heavy stout with just enough carbonation. It tastes fairly malty with huge notes of coffee and chocolate and a little sweet, oat background with a smooth, fairly bitter finish. Overall this is one of my favorite beers and as a result have tried several other SS brews, all of which have been great as well.

Serving type: growler

11-22-2011 06:38:08 | More by brandon911

Samuel906

California

3.45/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hmm... Up until now, Samuel Smith's dark beers have been spot on for me across the board. Not to say the Oatmeal isn't good, but it was just very mild and underwhelming compared to their others. Reserved nose, some chocolate and oats. There's a lot of people claiming tons of smokiness in this and I really don't get it. Mild chocolate and toasted oats. I would like to taste more oats to be honest. Body is smooth and silky. This is a very easy drinker, delicious and true to form.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 06:35:01 | More by Samuel906

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Dark chestnut, almost black; huge tan, frothy head; long lasting, great lacing

Aroma: Strong roasted malts; dark chocolate; espresso; very light hops

Taste: Very creamy on start; good taste of nuttiness and oats from start to finish; chocolatey aftertaste lingers on the end; very well balanced with sweet and hops; delicious

Remarks: probably my favorite British beer

Did not score A, T, S, M at that time; disregard those scores

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 22:23:17 | More by IchLiebeBier

dmgeng

Indiana

4.36/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is the first brew that I tried to copy with homebrew.

A - Deep brown/black/maroon color. Pours thick with dark creamy head with good lacing.

S - Strong malty smell with a roasted, grainy, oatmeal smell.

T - Great flavor having a robust character with a malty, roasty, chocolaty, and some like toffee/caramel taste. There is some faint bitterness from the black malt and hops but is very malt heavy and sweet.

M - Robust mouth-feel with low carbonation. Silky feel and a lingering sweetness that makes it a great winter beer.

Overall, this oatmeal stout is the gold standard in this style. It isn't as heavy as a RIS but it is a tasty brew. It has everything for the dark beer drinker. It's also a nice change of pace if you are used to drinking dry stouts like Guinness. I would strongly recommend this to anyone that likes darker beer.

Glass- Stein

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 15:04:22 | More by dmgeng

joshg

Illinois

4.86/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

I still remember the first time I tried Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout. Fifteen years ago and still nothing has surpassed it at the top of my beerymid. Perhaps it's my affinity for stouts but I can never get enough of this beer. It's a constant struggle each trip to the store not to go back to this and force myself to try something new on the shelf.

Heavy enough to keep you warm during the cold months yet smooth enough it's still during during the dog days of summer.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 05:22:28 | More by joshg

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

4.24/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- Pours a near black with slight ruby accents into my CCB sniffer glass. 1 finger mocha/tan head that doesn't stick around too long. Lacing does make an effort to hang on with everything its got.

S- Roasted aroma. Not huge, but very appetizing. Malted barley and oats. Hop notes on the back end, but still lets the malt control the aroma. Smells like an English breakfast.

T- Just like the label says- smooth malt up front with a delightful bitter-sweet finish. Very delightful. Not overly complex, but the flavors are robust- oats, toffee, chocolate, wood, vanilla. Flows well together. Woodsy hops finishes it off until the next sip. Just a big time effort here.

M- Thought it looked a little thin in the poor, but deceivingly viscous. Creamy full body. Smooth upfront with delightful attenuation in the finish.

O- My fav from this brewery. So well done. Found this in my sis-in-law's fridge and I couldn't be any more happy to take it off her hands since she had never heard of Samuel Smith. Gets better and better as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 01:59:34 | More by Bosoxfan20

MistahBeah

Massachusetts

4.71/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Black with lots of tiny bubbles rushing up to form a nice khaki head. About a fingers worth. Nice lacing. Looks a little bit like cola

Aroma: Sweet chocolate. Good amount of molasses. Slight roasted coffee to balance the sweetness. A tad grainy. Overall very nice. I really like it

Taste: The oats do their job here. Very sweet but nowhere near cloying. Very smooth, well-rounded flavor. Big chocolate - more sweet than bitter - with creamy bittering coffee. Never gets more of one than the other. Very consistent. slight earthy hop finish. Bittersweet chocolate coats the pallate for a pleasant aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth, big flavor but very fefreshing. Not drying as some oatmeal stouts can be. Not that the abv is high but I was honestly expeccting lower than 5% with how smooth it is. A tad watery which isn't necessarily bad just a little offputting for a stout

Overall: Probably one of the smoothest stouts I've had. Very well balanced. Really nice flavor. Would recommend. Wish they came in 6 packs because I could easily put away 6 of these in an eveneing. Highly recommended either way. Very refreshing

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 23:04:06 | More by MistahBeah

HistoricalMan

Wisconsin

3.76/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured gently from a 355ml (12oz) bottle in to a tasting glass at my local brewpub.

Appearance: Dark with two finger of creamy khaki-colored head. Moderate lacing.

Smell: Heaps of molasses and dark fruit, bitter coffee, roasted malts, and a hint of bitter chocolate.

Taste: The molasses dominates the palate followed by raisins, figs, coffee and a hint of creamy sweetness coming from the malts and chocolate.

Mouth: Smooth with a medium body. It goes down well.

Although not my favorite, a great oatmeal stout with a wonderfully complex arrangement of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 05:20:57 | More by HistoricalMan

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