Obovoid Oak-Aged Oatmeal Stout - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A finger of brown head, solid black body. Laces a treat, strong surface retention.

Malty nose with some cocoa.

Superb balance-- surprisingly dry for an imperial stout. Strong cocoa presence on the front, leafy hops on the finish. Slightly bitter, barky malt in the middle.

Mostly smooth but some scattered prickliness on my tongue.

A good imperial stout if a bit dry. Not over-hopped, but slightly bitter. With regard to the description, I get no oak and only little oatmeal.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2012 16:12:22 | More by zaphodchak

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Wow, took a long time to get this one entered into the database, originally drank at March Madness 2011. Dark brown pour, almost black, tan head, 1" deep. Aroma was tame, even the oak portion of it, but still had enough gusto to be a pleasant experience, definite oat impact as the beer was better described as smooth than roasty.

Alcohol unfortunately was a little more than I would have liked to have had put down. What was 8% was every bit there in the mouthfeel, despite the oak and oatmeal, although to be fair, its not the first time oak has seemingly brought out the alcohol (fusel?) more than covered it up. Sweetness tempered.

A decent beer, kind of standard for boulder beer company. At $7 a bomber, probably not something I'd have any more often than once every couple of years. Which isn't to say its bad, but there's lots of stouts out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 02:44:46 | More by Beerandraiderfan

DarthKostrizer

California

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle purchased at Belmont station and due to me forgetting about it it was aged just over 1 year

Look: Black and totally opaque with brown rings around the edges with a 1/2 inch tan head and ok retention

Smell: Lots of oatmeal and oak on the nose with just a touch of coffee

Taste: Very muted oatmeal upfront with some roasted malt behind that. Touch of oak mid palate with some real nice coffee notes on the back end

Mouthfeel: Maybe a touch on the thin side and mild carbonation

Overall: Very drinkable yet a touch on the boring side. I would like to get a fresh bottle and re-exam this guy because I feel time may have hurt it a bit.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 02:35:59 | More by DarthKostrizer

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.22/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a really dark brown color off the bottle, but once in the glass it was absolutely pitch black with no penetration of light.
Almost a two year old bottle, with the date of bottling on the neck of the bottle.
Nice head, over two fingers worth, which dissipates very slowly. The surface of the head is off-white, whereas the rest of the head is khaki to dark tan in color.
Aroma is sweet, full of oats with definite notes of dark coffee and some chocolate malt balls.
Taste upfront is sweet, coats the palate very nicely. The wood character is evident in the back-end as the beer warms up. Not to mention there is also hints of chocolate notes, hints of bitterness in the finish along with the oakiness. Smooth, silky and perfect on the palate. Leaves behind a nice lace along the insides of the glass all the way down.
The alcohol is also well-hidden, there is no way to tell it is a high ABV beer. Drinkability is very good, although I would have liked this stout to be more full-bodied. Otherwise, a very good and solid stout. Always nice to see how age only helps develop a big dark beer to an even better level.
Definitely worth a try and comes recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 03:52:50 | More by CaptDavyJones

russwbeck

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Brown pour that rests in the glass dark and black. Hardly any head rises up, perhaps the beer was too cold or my pour was bad as other report a nice tan head on this.

S: Just a ton of oak, wood, and chocolate. Very big, imposing smell. Very sweet, not unlike licorice.

T: The oakiness from the smell is not as prominent on the taste, it mostly resides on the backend. Chocolate, roastiness, very dry finish. Not as sweet as I was expecting it to be.

MF: Medium to heavy body with lower than average carbonation.

O: Tasty, but I don't think it was all that great. Bottle says oatmeal stout, so I sort of wonder why this is under the RIS category, might have rated it higher if it wasn't. Just too many good RIS out there for this to have a high rating in this category.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 05:50:51 | More by russwbeck

cbak999

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter glass; deep, dark black with a tan head. Aromas of coffee and chocolate dominate, with subtle notes of oak. Other less noticeable aromas come from vanilla and nut. What I like about the beer comes from the oatmeal, and it's the silky, smooth sensation as you get as you consume. There's a good balance of all the flavors and the alcohol, as this 8% beer does not come off as boozy at all. The beer gets better as it warms up, and by the end of the glass, it was much better than at the first sip. I really enjoyed this beer, and it's likely that I will have it again down the road.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 15:17:02 | More by cbak999

DUBinMIA

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pours black with a 2in head with good foam and good lace

smell is initially roasted malt and a hint of vanilla with some light oak notes

taste is robust roasted malt some coffee flavor, no hops noted, light oak finish

medium body could be thicker for the style

Overall an ok beer... i was expecting more but its still a good one to try.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 00:23:09 | More by DUBinMIA

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Drank this beer 9/2 but the date on the bottle was 4/28, so it might be a little past its prime.

The color was a deep black with no ruby color.

A nice brown head formed that soon turned into a ring around the glass that lasted for the duration of the beer.

The aroma was of roasted coffee but did not have much depth.

The beer was fairly full bodied with a little bit of an oily mouth feel.

The beer was pleasant to drink and finished with a burnt coffee taste.

Overall the beer was okay but not outstanding. It was good enough to drink one of but it lacked much depth.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 03:00:36 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got this in a trade with DLucky many moons ago. Thanks!

From a bomber into a snifter.

APPEARANCE: A brown, transparent, pour yields a 1+ finger, medium looking, fluffy, light tan head with great retention. Black body and lover levels of carbonation evident. Head fades to a film clinging to the sides. A wisp and ring remain until the end and leave some decent lacing down the glass. Nice looking head, but too thin and transparent.

SMELL: Bigger nose. Roasted malts, milk chocolate and oatmeal notes for sure. Perhaps a touch of oak in there, but mostly roasted and chocolaty aromas on the nose.

TASTE: Flavorful. Roasted and smoky beginning with touches of caramel sweetness through the middle. Finishes with some nice mild chocolate and oak at the swallow. Medium but lingering aftertaste of bitter chocolate and oats with a nice roasted undertone. Very nice actually.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Very light on the palate, but also very creamy and smooth as well. Goes down smooth and finishes slightly dry on the palate. Too light for top marks, but the creamy palate is really pleasant.

OVERALL: This is a good, solid beer. Really enjoyed this one; perhaps more than the score indicates. A thicker pour and heavier body would definitely help the cause, but this is still a tasty and enjoyable imperial stout. Thanks again DLucky. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 19:36:00 | More by Jeffo

phiberoptik

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours deep black brown and is completely opaque once any amount has built up in the glass. Head seems to be a bit frothy, even after settling some. Tons of lacing though, all the way from where the head began.

Smells of oak, roastiness, tobacco, and a hint of clove.

I definitely enjoy the flavors in this more than the smell. You can taste the oatmeal, earthy burnt tobacco, and a definite bitter dark chocolate finish. My wife said it faintly reminds her of a clove cigarette.

When I poured it I have to admit I thought it looked thin but it coats the mouth very nicely and hides the alcohol well.

Overall this is a nice try and a steal for what I got it for.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 22:58:53 | More by phiberoptik

RickS95

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very dark, between dark brown and black. Head is disappointing. Kind of an offtan, but it's so small and lasts such a little time you're likely to miss it.

Roasted malts and bittersweet chocolate fill the nose. A nice smokey flavor is always present.

The bittersweet chocolate is prevalent and it's yummy. Aside from the dark malts, the only other taste is a bit of alcohol. As it warms, the woody oak flavor comes through.

Being an oatmeal stout, it's creamy like you'd expect. However, the creamy smoothness is soon overtaken by bitterness from the chocolate and heat from the alcohol late in the finish.

This is a good beer. Despite the alcohol making a presence in the nose and on the palate, it's pretty gentle for an Imperial. Easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 01:53:57 | More by RickS95

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Solid black body, medium tan head, leaving nice lace. Aroma is ripe with oak, vanilla, chocolate, roasty notes, slight dark fruits. More oak and wood in the taste, also with the vanilla and chocolate. Nicely rich, nice roasty character, and a slight bittersweet note on the finish. Nearly full bodied, creamy, not hugely coating, but nice feel nonetheless. Solid, well done oaked stout. I'd easily drink this on the regular.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 00:40:02 | More by EgadBananas

gatornation

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a black opaque color with a khaki head nice lacing on glass

S- is oak and wood with a with spice and citrus hops and vanilla bean and chocolate

T- was vanilla bean with a woody oak taste and coffee ,a touch of bittersweet chocolate,some alcohol heat

M- was smooth but not like an oatmeal stout it was more bitter with wood and alcohol heat

O for an oatmeal stout this was powerful with oak and coffee and chocolate..some dark fruits.one a season is enough for me

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2011 22:53:53 | More by gatornation

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I enjoyed this after the birthday tasting at my house -poured chilled from the 12oz into a 1/2 pint.

Black opaque like night with a 2 finger cap of sandstone, beading is like layers of bb's. The lace clings in a sheet. The smell is woody, odors of oak up front with nice cinnamon-like scent and dose of cocoa with some stone fruit -plum and dark cherry. The feel has moderate carbonation and subtle spice with mild tannic elements from the wood and textures of malt with slight sweetness but the stout has a very dry finish.

There is nice toasty taste w/ mild fruit tinges which are dry w/ subtle sweetness and the stout comes off as pretty dry w/ the sweetness subdued w/some of the feel coming into the taste as a spiced flavor with slight peppery quality and gentle toasted malt elements shining through slightly with dry and toasty the dominant flavor w/ subtle caramel, I mean it is not bone dry but lacks some of the sweetness you may expect from the style. The beer finishes woody and peppery. I think this is a good beer, overall satisfying stout with some wood elements that are enjoyable. A nice beer, but not a great one. I would possibly get this based on its taste, but it lacks a little in feel and aroma for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 13:38:43 | More by Slatetank

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Pat and Sarah for this Christmas gift. It's been in my fridge since then.

A: The stout is black, very imperial looking. An off-white head bubbled up significantly, over two fingers that have laced extensively.

S: The nose is just as imperial as the apperance, dark and murky. Chocolate, anise, coffee, oatmeal, and tannins all peak through. Vanilla is a key contributor from the oak aspect.

T: More oatmeal than imperial, the stout has a very smooth, sweet taste with chocolate, alcohol, and lactose in ample supply. The oatmeal aspect supplies that smoothness. Oaken vanilla is fast on its tail. As the two pass, rich imperial tannic flavors come through, a strong body. A smokey finish lends to the rustic feel. An admirable nightcap.

M: The mouthfeel is nicely roasted, dark with the proper accoutrements. I like the Imperial focus of the ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 01:47:59 | More by akorsak

nickfl

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours with one finger of light brown foam on top of an opaque, black body with amber-brown highlights around the edges. The head settles relatively slowly and leaves light lace on the glass.

S - Notes of vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, dark caramel and a hint of licorice overlap with spicy hops and a little bit of pine character.

T - Caramel and cola notes up front with a hint of smoky licorice. Some toasted oak notes and vanilla come out in the middle and a bit of coffee begins to creep into the flavor profile. The beer finishes up with more mocha and nutty roasted malt along with some vanilla and smoke. All of the dark flavors concentrate in the aftertaste with an emphasis on smoke, licorice, and coffee.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, and a fairly dry finish.

D - Fairly complex with a level of drinkability that is unusually high for a beer of this strength and style. The oak aging has definitely brought something worthwhile to the table with notes of vanilla and toasted wood, but also a more subtle quality that seems to add a little bit to the preexisting malt profile as well. I would be very interested to try the bourbon barrel aged version of this beer as I can see how that would work nicely with what is already going on here.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2011 22:28:49 | More by nickfl

LtCracker20

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Dark brown, almost black body with red hues around the edges. 1-finger khaki head with OK retention and good lace.

S- Chocolate and vanilla up front. Sweet dark fuits (plums, raisens), and a little of the ABV comes through.

T- Burnt chocolate flavor, vanilla, slight espresso with more dark chocolate. Little of the dark fruit flavor.

MF- Full bodied and creamy, but could've used just a little more on the body.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 00:51:51 | More by LtCracker20

codsmith

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours jet back with a nice single finger of off-white foamy head. Foam stays around throughout the beer and laces the glass nicely

S: Has a nice sweetness from the oak and a nice roasted and chocolate backbone. There is also a nice raisin smell coming off

T: It starts off with a nice amount of roasted and chocolate malt flavor, but finishes with a strange bitterness that kills the sweet flavor on the fore-front of the beer.

M: A bit over carbonated for the style and makes it sit a bit heavier than it should

O: Well-crafted beer. Seems a little heavy or full in the body from the over-carbonation. Bitterness at the end kills the smooth chocolate favor that is at the beginning of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 01:47:32 | More by codsmith

beerman207

Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Saw this marked down half price at one of my favorite beer stores. Time to give it a shot!

A: Dark dark brown color wityh a nice tan head that goes away quick leaving a nice skim coat on the top of the glass

S: Nose is chocolate malt, a bit of smoke, some oats, and maybe some dark fruit.

T: Wow. This one has a nice flavor - taste comes through first with the dark malts and fruit backing alongside. As it sits in the glass a while, the chocolate really dominates as the flavor. I can pick up a bit of smokiness in there as well. Some oak in there

M: Perfect carbonation for an oatmeal stout. Not very thick but I don't expect a thick beer for this style

O: Great offering considering I only paid $3.99 for a bomber of it. Definately worth a shot if you can get a chance to try it.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 00:34:08 | More by beerman207

Siggy125

California

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice deep brownish black in color with tinges of red towards the edges of the glass. Minimal carbonation and off white lacing.

I love the smell. The oak aging gives this like a floral nose with whiffs of baking spices. I also notice sight charring.

With the first sip, I was looking for the "floralness" that I smelled earlier but it was gone. Replaced by the typical roasted malts, toffee and a little bit of bakers chocolate. The flavors drop off to a slightly sour mocha and alcohol on the back end. Flavors didnt change much with increase in temp.

Good smooth mouthfeel from the oats. very drinkable. Overall, a good barrel aged oatmeal stout. I recommend this one if you feel like an easy drinking stout and not in the mood for a heavy monster.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 15:56:32 | More by Siggy125

Noxious26

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz brown bomber poured in a dimpled mug. Brought this back from our family trip to Orlando last week. Purchased at Knightly Liquors.

Absolutely obsidian black. If you hold it to a light you get a little cola brown around the edges. Light brown head is a solid 3/4" on the pour and recedes to a thin cap. Gobs of lacing left here and there sporadically.

Aroma is mostly darkly roasted malts. Hints of chocolate and charcoal.

Pretty smooth offering for the abv level. First few sips give you no trace of the alcohol levels. Becomes more apparent as it warms. Rich and smooth, you can really see where the oatmeal has rounded out the edges. Big burly malts dominate the palate with a burnt background and hints of chocolate. Aftertaste is subdued and relaxed, but long lasting tones of roasted malts and dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel is a little thin for an oatmeal stout (or RIS as stated in the style here). Carbonation levels are just right though.

Dangerously drinkable. This beer is 8% but drinks like a 4%'er. This will knock you on your backside if you don't pay attention.

Very nice offering. I'm a sucker for oatmeal stouts and I'm really glad I grabbed this one. Well done Boulder Beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 01:35:53 | More by Noxious26

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark brown almost black color with a creamy tan foam head with excellent retention. There is a decent amount of lacing.

S: Some mild amounts of oak, vanilla, bourbon, coffee and chocolate. Not overly potent.

T: The taste was much better than the smell. Starts out a tad sweet, with a nice amount of oak and vanilla. The middle and back end brings about some of the bourbon flavors.

M: Leaves a bourbon flavor and vanilla flavor on the palate. A nice medium body beer.

O: This is a pleasant tasting RIS. Not overly 'hot' which makes this extremely easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2011 18:24:15 | More by IronCitySteve

hosehead83

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a "bomber" bottle into a standard pint glass. Dark brown/black in color, with ruby highlights. Big, thick head of tan foam.
Aroma-Chocolate and coffee notes, dark roasted malt.
Taste-Dark roasted malt, earthy oak spiciness, chocolate, coffee. Creamy mouthfeel a little put off by oakey spiciness. Dry, almost peppery finish.
Overall, a bit on the thin side for an RIS, but pretty tasty and interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 16:03:27 | More by hosehead83

Nesued

South Carolina

3.08/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz bottle into my DFH snifter.

Appearance - Dark brown/black in color. A lively cream/tan head formed on the pour with good retension to a one-finger head.

Smell - Chocolate malt aroma is the first thing that comes to mind when I take a deep breath on this beer. Some coffee presence. Pretty much that's all I can get from this. I catch some woody character, but it's not in your face.

Taste - Opens with a sweet malty front end that gives way to a coffee/chocolate middle and a mild hop-induced finish. The oak contribution seems a bit mild. Perhaps more time "in country" would have imparted a larger contribution.

Mouthfeel - The oatmeal does give some nice body and a fullness to this beer. Good carbonation and a nice smooth feel on the palate.

Overall - An ok beer. Glad I tried it. Personally, I saw more in common with a porter than an RIS, but perhaps that's just me.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 23:36:26 | More by Nesued

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into an oversized snifter. Pours an inky black with a soapy tan head that quickly reduces to a few loitering bubbles.

Has a malty alcohol smell, overlaid with vanilla, with hints of coffee and chocolate. There's also an underlying sour fruit smell, which I am guessing is a product of the cask aging. Mostly, though, it is heavy on the vanilla extract smell.

Malty and yeasty, this is like a big chocolate-infused butter roll. The strong alcohol smell does not carry over into the taste. Rather, it is smoother, and thinner, than I'd expect from it's smell. Also, the vanilla in the smell does present in the taste, replaced instead with a cafe au lait taste. There's a minor sour bitter that finished this one off.

Medium to full bodied, the cask aging really smooths this beer out.

Fairly drinkable once you get a few sips in. Still, not one of my favorite oak-aged RIS.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 01:39:51 | More by TheHoppiest