Oatis - Ninkasi Brewing Company

SedateSix

Washington

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Not a huge stout or porter guy, really dig dipa's and ales but this brew got me. Pours a dark brown/black with a tan/khaki head. Chocolate and malt notes come to the nose. A nicely balanced stout that tastes of chocolate, coffee, and toffee and with a nice malt backbone. My favorite stout for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 21:56:13 | More by SedateSix

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ninkasi Brewing 'Oatis' an Oatmeal Stout @ 7.2% , served from a 650 ml bottle purchased for $8

A-pour is a dark brown almost black in the glass with a small tan head leaving a spotty lace film along the pint glass after every sip

S-dark roasted malts , hint of a resin hoppiness

T-starts sweet , roasted oats give way to chocolate malt middle , slight bitter sweet coffee finish

MF-medium carbonation , full bodied , ok on the palate ,

Ov-good beer , big beer ABV , nice good beer

sampled alongside Steamworks 'Heroitca' and R&B 'DarkStar' Oatmeal Stouts

prost LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 21:51:47 | More by LampertLand

lsummers

California

3.79/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a dark brown black. Can't see through this one, as I would expect for a rich stout.

Smells very balanced. Nutty roasted notes with chocolate and a touch of brown sugar. Some dark dried fruits coming though with a woody hop note.

Taste is like creamy dark chocolate with some burnt caramel and some very slight woody hop notes. I also get a slight bit of vanilla, but it's mostly a chocolate and toasted nutty note. The thing that detracts is a thin burnt taste.

Mouthfeel is great, just the perfect amount of creamy roundness and a slight bit of zing from the carbonation. Reminds me of something that has a more mineral water base.

Overall, A highly well balanced stout. The only thing wrong might be the thin and burnt tastes, and also nothing makes it stand out. It's a good example of a stout, one that I would love to have again. It just doesn't do anything exceptional or exceptionally different. Definitely try this one though, it could turn out to be a favorite.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 06:08:49 | More by lsummers

DoubleSkunk

Montana

4.01/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The first words that come to mind upon taking a sniff and a sip of Oatis are "milk chocolate truffle" and "malt-tastic", respectively. But this delightful beer's not all sweetness--they made sure to add a little hoppy bite to balance everything out. Aesthetically, Oatis is a dream--It looks and feels like cold carbonated molasses. Rock on, Ninkasi, rock on.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 05:09:34 | More by DoubleSkunk

Sark

Montana

4.13/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber

Appearance- pours thick, big luscious tan head, dark black with only the very edges emitting brown when held to the light

Smell- chocolate and roasted coffee and malts, hops are mellow

Taste- mild sweetness on the first sip, kinda like nougat, leads to a dark chocolate bitter midway, not much hop character in terms of bite, sweet down the back of the tongue with a little boozey finish

Mouthfeel- full-bodied, smooth, thick n'chewy, and a bit of bite on the finish

Overall- Quality stout that stuck to the oatmeal roots, smooth and chewy

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 02:24:44 | More by Sark

TheSixthRing

California

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours black with cola brown edging where light can penetrate. The head is a light tan color, a little over a finger thick and shows great retention. Lacing is strong and clings all over the glass.

Smell - Oats are definite on the nose, backed by moderate roasted malt aromas of chocolate and lesser so of coffee. Traces of bitterness at the tail end of the aroma.

Taste - Starts out with creamy sweetness and hints of fluffed chocolate. Mid-taste things take a turn for the bitter. Moderate notes of dark baker's chocolate emerge, then turns for a roasted coffee finish. Coffee bitterness level builds rather quickly if sips are quick in succession.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full body. Incredibly smooth and creamy.

Overall - This is a very good oatmeal stout, especially after it's warmed a bit and is drank with a fair pace. Drinking it with leisure is not recommended, as the true nature of the bitterness is hidden when sips come several minutes between, but even then it's a very solid brew. This is definitely an oatmeal stout I will be returning to in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 07:08:22 | More by TheSixthRing

Zorro

California

3.51/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light proofed black colored beer with a small light brown colored head that doesn't last.

Smells sweet with a chocolate and toasted grain aroma. Little bit of caramel and smoke in the aroma. Mild nut aroma.

Starts out mildly sweet and nutty with patent malt and smoke taste. Bitterness is moderate. Good flavor but not complex.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall an OK beer, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 00:51:55 | More by Zorro

Daktyls

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a deep dark color with a minimal mocha head that dissipate fairly quickly leaving minimal lacing around the edge of the glass.

S: Light notes of oatmeal and maltiness is present on the forefront with notes of mocha and chocolate coupled with some coffee.

T: Chocolate, coffee, and light malts dominate the flavor profile with toasted oatmeal and barley with malt notes.

M: This beer is on the thicker side with a minimal amount of carbonation that suits the style and flavors well. The taste lingers nicely on the tongue for a while before slowly fading away.

O: Overall, a great beer, quite delicious to enjoy in the winter, does a great job of warming the body in the middle of a New England winter.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 22:25:01 | More by Daktyls

magictacosinus

California

3.03/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Poured out of a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. No freshness date, but I do believe I've had this bottle for over a month now.

The color very darkened, which ranges from black to deep brown depending how close it is to the light. Not much of a head on this thing, although a ring remains atop not matter how long it sits in the glass. Bubbles abounded back and forth at first at the bottom and at the top, strangely enough, yet not too many were visible afterwards. Can't see too much carbonation otherwise. A valiant, albeit sloppy oatmeal stout in presentation.

The aroma hits a little bit closer to home - strongly sugared chocolate notes combined with a little bit of zest, roasted malts, and a sliver of oats underneath it all. The yeasty notes seem to come in and out here, and the sweetness caused by the alcohol considerably rises over time. However, there is sadly a slight burntness that goes with all of these flavors as it warms up, for better for worse. However, it doesn't smell too bad overall. I do wish it had more of the yeast/oat combo going on here that I love in this style, nevertheless.

Definitely not the same experience in the flavor, though. There's hardly any sweetness, or oat flavors for that matter going on here. At the front of the tongue, there's a bit of thickness and slightly roasted goodness that starts out, but it is quickly replaced by a combination of excessive carbonation, baker's chocolate, and burnt espresso grounds that go to an astringent, alcoholic finish. The difference between flavor and aroma here is day and night. While not terrible, it doesn't help that the body is a bit too thinned, and gives the impression of the same texture as watery coffee.

Doesn't really hold up as an imperial stout here, yet strangely, even with all of the coffee characteristics and lightened body, it doesn't quite remind me of a porter or a brown ale as well. This is most definitely a hybrid, and sadly, all of the flavors and thin body don't meld well together to me. The burnt notes definitely become distracting after some time. I tried a bottle from the same six pack as this over a month ago and it seems it doesn't seem to improve very substantially in the bottle, despite the higher ABV. I expected better from Ninkasi. Hopefully they can tweak this recipe or throw out a new one that I'll enjoy in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 08:00:45 | More by magictacosinus

cubancigar2000

Idaho

4.76/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

22 oz bottle

smell - what can I say, wonderfil, dont get any better. Lots of chcolate, toasted oats, Yumm

Taste - Porters to me need to be thick, strong in coffee and toasted grains and have a nice tan head. This one is on point

Ninkasi has more top shelf beers than any other brewer. This one is one of my favorites

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 19:00:31 | More by cubancigar2000

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Deep, dark, almost black. Massively dark with some nice deep reds and browns when held to direct light. Head is a light tan and starts off big and creamy. Drops to a small cap with some specks of lacing. Nice solid pour with a moderate carbonation.

Smell: Roasted malts. Lots of roasted malts. A nice oat compliment as well. Loads of chocolate, but not aggressive. Some cocoa and lighter, sweeter chocolate malts. A touch of dark chocolate and old coffee, but just a touch. Huge hit of oats. Some vague grassy notes in the back. Solid.

Taste: Cocoa-dusted oats. Seriously. Cocoa, lots of it and a big old helping of oaty goodness. Deeply roasted. Vaguely burnt with touches of char. Some caramel sweetness. Dark chocolate, nibs, some sweeter milk chocolate notes. So much oat. So much cocoa. Mild hit of coffee. Grainy and a bit grassy.

Mouthfeel: Borders on full but never quite makes it. So very smooth and creamy. Magical oatmeal.

Overall: A great companion for your morning breakfast.

This tastes like delicious food. Cocoa oatmeal is the wave of the future. This isn't the best oatmeal stout out there, but it's definitely the most like food. Bonus points for food.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 02:02:51 | More by Goblinmunkey7

mdaschaf

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a deep brown, practically black with a short, but thick brown head that maintained form for a good bit. Sporadic lacing forms on the glass.

S: A decent aroma, not really oaty as one might expect. Some chocolate, faint roasted malt and a little bit of piney hops.

T: Lots of chocolate on the flavor profile with a little bit of roast and faint pine, which starts to disappear a bit as it warms The oats come through as I let the beer sit a bit. Has a rather bitter finish.

M: Light to medium bodied, a little on the thin side with medium carbonation.

O: A decent oatmeal stout, I think i will stick to the hoppier Ninkasi beers though.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 05:48:03 | More by mdaschaf

RickS95

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Basically a black hole in a bottle. Completely pitch black, somewhat thick and I think light is actually sucked into it. The head is originally a dark brown, but evolves into a light brown, creamy mess. Nice lacing left behind.

Lots of roasty things. Caramel malts. A bit of coffee. You can almost smell the sweet AND the bitter.

Both the roasted barley and caramel malt really shine giving contrasting bitterness and sweetness at different times. Not much in the way of chocolate or coffee or anything else sometimes associated with stouts, but a good taster regardless.

Very creamy and smooth. Highish ABV that doesn't make much of a nose, so it'll sneak up on you. Complex in that the malt gives you some sweetness early before the roasted barley and hops hit you with some bittering balance in the finish. All the while the oats keep everything smooth.

A slightly different oatmeal stout that I'm used to in that it favors the bitter more than the sweet. This gives it layers and complexity and makes it pretty yummy. Overall, an easy drinker, despite the hoppy bitter finish and moderate alcohol, which you can taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 03:50:59 | More by RickS95

RJLarse

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought a bomber of Ninkasi Oatis Stout in a grocery store. Poured in to a pint glass.

Pours a black walnut color, opaque, with a bubbly and creamy beige head.

Smell is a roast charcoal aroma, with a hint of coffee.

Taste is a sweet coffee flavor, hints of dark chocolate, with a bitter ash aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is full-bodied and cloying, with a creamy bitter aftertaste.

Overall a very good stout. I would have this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 01:21:33 | More by RJLarse

dbossman

Nebraska

3.6/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark, dark brown with a steady two-inch head which eventually fades to a thin film; lacing isn't great

S: Roasted malts, chocolate, brown sugar, toffee, some toasted, slightly burnt malts; lots of oats; this smells pretty good though perhaps a bit too grainy

T: The oats dominate up front with chocolate, dark fruits, molasses coming up behind; but something isn't quite right-- a touch sour and a touch unbalanced

F: A bit thin for a bigger stout like this

O: It's an okay, oatmeal stout but it just doesn't quite come together

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 03:33:35 | More by dbossman

KajII

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

[Suggested Glassware: Nonic Pint]

The pour was a thick muddy dark black with a large (2-3 finger) tan creamy head that had great retention, receding slowly down to a medium cap with excellent thick sheets of spotty lacing.

The aroma was sweet and roasty up front with some burnt cereal malts, mild resin hops and a doughy leathery yeasty and had notes of molasses, dark chocolate, roasted coffee and a nice smooth oat presence.

The taste was extremely malty and a tad roasty sweet with hints of molasses and chocolate early on, becoming bitter sweet with a mild creamy oat presence and a nice dose off coffee towards the finish. The flavor stuck around for a good long while following the swallow, with a bold bitter roastiness left lying on the taste buds.

Mouthfeel was full in body with a smooth, dry texture and a very soft carbonation.

Overall this brew was tremendously tasty and possessed an awesome body along with a fantastic drinkability, which all together did a great job of concealing the somewhat high ABV...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 16:44:54 | More by KajII

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle from LetsPour.com. No bottling information given. Served in a Sweetwater snifter.

Pours dark near-black brown with one finger tan head that fades quickly and leaves only faint bubbles of lace.

Smells of sweet coffee, sugared oatmeal and light chocolate. I kept coming back to enjoy it.

A bittersweet milk chocolate flavor hits first. Followed by smoked malts, creamed coffee, dried dark fruit, raw sugarcane and a noticeable dose of grassy hops towards the finish. A tiny bit of alcohol peeks in and out.

Creamy medium thin body with sharp carbonation. Long smooth mildly bitter cocoa aftertaste.

I liked most aspects of this together but on thier own each of them lacked just a certain "something". A case of the whole being better than the sum of its parts for me. Nothing ground breaking but still enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 06:57:11 | More by ThickNStout

sam_bliss

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottled poured into pint glass

A- Dark caramel mocha color while pouring; almost black once sitting in the glass. A rather thin very light brown/orange head forms and doesn't last very long. But the second pour (22oz doesn't fit in my glass) rewards me with a huge thick head with superb lacing. As I sip, the line of foam from each new elevation is visible and the lacing descending from each foam circle reminds me of the Roman Coliseum.

S- Dark roasted malts with a touch of tall grass. Some warm alcohol feeling on the nose. The oats and toasted grains have a tiny floral hint for which I am excited to taste.

T- Oats (over)cooked in dark drip coffee. A tiny bit of citrus that is not present in the aroma. This beer starts with some sugar on the tip of the tongue but it is much less sweet than many heavy stouts - only a tiny bit of caramel shows through and the chocolate malts are bitter dark chocolate. Very dark chocolate. All on burnt toast!

M- Not super carbonated, but more so than the typical of this style. It's somewhat thick but leaves very little syrupy mouth coating; only a bit of an alcohol burn and bitterness linger on the middle of the tongue. The roof of my mouth is happy.

D- Not a beer for downing a whole six-pack. I'd say this is a nice option for a breakfast beer with toast and would also work well as an after-meal drink, maybe split a bomber with a friend.

O- I like it, but I have had better stouts. I wanted a dessert beer this evening and an oat stout seemed like the best option in my small bomber collection in the fridge. So I guess I was hoping for something sweeter, though that is only my bias. This stout has a very complex flavor and is perfect for chocolate lovers or those who like their coffee black.

It is hoppier than most stouts and features black coffee and unsweetened cocoa - these characteristics combine to make this far more bitter than one might expect. Not necessarily a bad trait, just an advanced notice!

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 06:26:39 | More by sam_bliss

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served from the bottle into a nonic glass

A- Poured black with a frothy mocha colored head with some big bubbles that left lots of clingy webbed lace

S- Big roasted malt aroma (not coffee like), sweet milk chocolate, mineral notes, and breadiness

T- Lots of burnt and roasted malt character, big herbal and earthy hop character, some sweet breadiness. This is a bitter stout

M- Smooth, creamy, undercurrent of prickly carbonation, finishes dry

O- This is a generously hopped stout, very assertive bitterness from the hops and also bitter charred notes. Easy to drink, this could be Black IPA, but it does not really have the chocolate and roasted coffee notes I really like in a stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 02:45:29 | More by Hoptometrist

thegodfather1076

Ohio

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: Simple label with an eye-catching color scheme. Really like the Ninkasi Seal!!

Appearance: Poured from a 22oz bomber into a 16oz English Pint. Pours out a deep dark brown almost black with a sponge-like slightly airy tan foam head that slowly settles into a thick foam coating. Head retention is a crazy 6min 35sec. Very good lacing and fair carbonation.

Smell/Aroma: Smells of roasted oats and malts with the malts a bit dominant. Coffee and dark chocolate are also very prevalent. Slight hints of dark fruit and grain are also detectable. I didn't detect any hop presence in the aroma.

Flavor/Taste: Tastes of burnt malt and dark roasted bitter coffee. Slight hits of that dark fruit and dark chocolate form that aroma can be detected but are dominated by the malt and coffee flavor. I again didn't detect any hops in the flavor either.

MouthFeel: On the light side of Medium-bodied that has a creamy finish.

Drinkability: Moderately carbonated and very smooth make this extremely drinkable.

Overall/Comments: A very solid stout with good flavor and drinkability. Classified as an Oatmeal Stout at 7.2%.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 06:47:04 | More by thegodfather1076

UCLABrewN84

California

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. A foamy lattice work of lace forms around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, toasted oats, and cocoa. A slight soy sauce aroma comes out as the beer warms up. Taste is much the same with the slight soy sauce flavor and a mild alcohol kick on the finish. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that tastes better than it smells in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 04:46:21 | More by UCLABrewN84

tronester

Oklahoma

4.15/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pitch black with a super creamy light brown head. Smells of freshly ground espresso. Taste begins with a bittersweet chocolate flavor, transistioning to some light caramel, and some juicy stone fruit in the finish. A leafy raw hop flavor at the very end with some matching bitterness. Mouthfeel is rich, nice low carbonation. Overall an excellent Oatmeal stout, I would love to have this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 22:46:37 | More by tronester

homebrew311

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown/ black with brown head that retains nicely. Opaque appearance and decent lacing. Nose features delectable roasted barley and oats as well vanilla. Taste is very chocolatey with heavy oat quality that also leaves a bready aftertaste. Nice all around stout flavor with great balance. Mouthfeel is smooth and moderately carbonated. Overall, nicely balance oatmeal stout that is more than worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 07:42:50 | More by homebrew311

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle. No date (received Winter '12)
Unmarked tulip

A: Pours pretty much pitch black. There are some reddish hues at the bottom of the glass. Two fingers of tan had. Really tight bubbled head. Sticks around.

S: Roast coffee. Dark malt. Dark fruit. Typical stout.

T: Its very cold so I don't get much on the tip of the tongue. Some bitterness, coffee and dark chocolate. Mid palate, totally different story. Good flavor. Lots of bitter dark chocolate. A touch of dark roast coffee hints. Creaminess, from the oats. Lot oatmeal stout. Close is somewhat dry with the roast, but it's not overly dry.

M: Medium leading to full (obviously, stout)

O: B+

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 13:02:28 | More by inlimbo77

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 1/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a very dark brown. Medium brown head and lacing. Aroma of roasted and sweet malt, coffee. Roasted malt up front, with light hint of coffee and a slightly hopped finish. Medium bodied for an oatmeal stout. Not remarkable, but solid and tasty. Worth a revisit. Great price point.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 23:20:18 | More by LiquidAmber