Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout - Stone Brewing Co.

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 picked up today at the Coop for about $6.80... poured into my shaped Sam Adams glass.

The pour was beautiful with a pretty reverse cascade thing going on.. 2 finger head is very dark brown.. even for a big stout... brew is very very dark... no light escapes... nice lacing.. dries leaving crusty bubbles.

Aroma is deep.. coffee and chocolate... smell improves immensely as it warms.. melted dark chocolate and cocoa nibs... yummy... even smells smooth and creamy... somewhat more stout characteristics appear than the expected chocolate.

Flavor is huge... I honestly was not expecting something this rich... The bitterness is also huge.. but it's not a hop bitterness.. more of an astringent (not in a bad way) cocoa presence... like a strong espresso with a couple squares of Hershey's dark melted and mixed in. Yeasty fruitiness raises its head slightly above water as it warms up a bit.. a little bit of dried cherry but still subdued and buried by the roasty/chocolate characteristics... a little bit black licorice note is barely distinguishable... mouthfeel is fairly thick but not chewy.. I like it.. very very smooth and coating... Despite reservations, I am leaving the drinkability fairly high not because I want another glass, but because I want another sip and I want "this" glass to last.

I don't know how this will age.. but I am going to pick up my share for the cellar and then drink these often until they're gone... really a very very good brew.. that said, I really hope the hop shortage is gone by next spring/summer.... I hope Stone comes out swinging with a massive triple IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2008 04:28:57 | More by JohnGalt1

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from tap into a sampler tumbler. Poured pitch black with a one finger dark tan head. Maintained phenomanol lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of roasted malt, chocolate, and oatmeal. The flavor was of roasted malt, chocolate, and alcohol. It had a heavy feel on the palate with low carbonation. Overall this was an excellent brew. It had a very nice aroma and well-balanced flavor. Glad I got to try this one on tap. Now I just need to find a bottle to compare...

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2010 20:42:00 | More by thagr81us

ccrida

Oregon

3.15/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Bomber poured into my Hommel snifter, the Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout is a pitch brownish black with a large cocoa colored head that is pretty quick to settle to but leaves decent foamy lace.

Smell is dusty chocolate and nougat, a bit like a Three Musketeers bar. As it warms, the rubbing alcohol aroma is so strong that it literally singes my nostrils if I bury them to deep in the snifter!

Taste is sweeter then I was expecting, caramel and chocolate, with lots of alcohol on the very bitter, lingering finish.

Mouthfeel is very silky, thank you oatmeal, with a heavier body that is thinned by the booze. The best part of this brew by far.

Drinkability is ok, this is an intense beer that is made for slow sipping. The astringency of the bitter chocolate (think baker's, not candy bar) is pretty harsh and quickly tires the palate. Not sure how the flavors will round out with time, but right now it's really boozy. I assume the bitterness from the chocolate will only amplify. I'll probably buy 2 more to see, but that's it!

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2008 06:56:45 | More by ccrida

largadeer

California

3.33/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Pours a ridiculously dark black; even the pour is black and opaque. Possibly the darkest beer I've ever seen. Not much carbonation here, and the head suffers a bit for it, receding to a ring quickly and leaving no lace.

Smell: Loaded with dark chocolate goodness, molasses, charred grains and a hint of dark fruit.

Taste & mouthfeel: Dark chocolate, like a 100% cacao chocolate bar; as the name implies, there isn't much sweetness here. Instead, it's all about the charred grain, cacao and burnt whole grain bread. The body is medium-full, not quite as full as I was hoping for an imperial oatmeal stout however. There's some heat in the finish, more than I was expecting from a beer of 9%, along with a slightly acrid bitterness. Hopefully this mellows in time, because with a bit more smoothness this would be a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2008 00:37:58 | More by largadeer

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A. Poured at cellar temperature from a bomber into a pint glass. Dark brown syrup with a light brown head. No lace.

S. Alcohol, Oats, slight bakers chocolate, light expresso.

T. There is a small hop bitterness followed by a strong boozy note accented by chocolate. Its not very good actually. Way too young.

M. Leaves a strong bitter alcohal lingering taste, like after drinking liqour.

D. This is average drinking at best. It only scores points for giving me a buzz, which I did in fact desire after this disappointment.

Age the hell out of this one!

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2008 22:30:38 | More by Stinkypuss

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours jet black with a dark brown head. In the aroma, sweet chocolate and a oatmeal sweetness. In the taste, chocolateand a small oatmeal, with a nice amlty backing. A smooth and big mouthfeel, and a semi sweet chocolate aftertaste. Big chocolate, sweet and dry, and hides the alcohol very well.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2008 03:42:27 | More by OWSLEY069

gford217

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours dark, dark brown out of the bottle and settles in as a nice pitch black in the glass. Head is dense and mocha-colored and fades fairly quickly leaving only a trace of lacing. Aroma is of dark chocolate and burnt/roasted malts. There are also some dark fruits and alcohol burn in the nose as well. Taste is big on the sweet malts as well with the significant bitterness of the baker's chocolate. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and has a little carbonation on top of the bitterness of the chocolate. This is a decent, but quite bitter, stout and the flavors are are a little too abrasive for me. This one could use some time to bring the flavors together.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2008 02:49:11 | More by gford217

jrallen34

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I drank this on tap into a tulip glass at the Map Room.

The beer pours black with a medium tan head. There is about once inch of dark tan head. The first half inch fades quickly, but the second half actually stays for ahilw. Good lacing.

The aroma is medium, and full of lots of sweet chocoalte. At the end there is light hint of hops.

The taste ia also super sweet, bordering on too sweet, but doesn't cross it. There is TONS of sweet chocolate, but that's about all I get. A little to simple.

The feel is on the lighter side without much of a finish.

Overall, it was decent for a chocolate beer, but nothing special.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2010 01:39:48 | More by jrallen34

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this bottle up at Thirsty's in York. Poured above cellar temp into my Boddington's tulip, shared w/ octopus 87.

A - A viscous looking ebony which cascades for minutes to make a medium brown head of approximately an inch. The head is comprised of very minute bubbles and a spotty film collects as lace and sticks well.

S - Rich roasted, mocha w/ extra chocolate syrup coffee aroma. Fruity, earthy ale aromas w/ mildly piney hops. The odor of baking cocoa and chocolate malts are strong

M - Viscous-again, slick and slightly bitter malt feel. The full rich roasted effect doesn't stop w/ a warming alcohol texture all the way down. slightly spice with a smooth malt complextity

T - A great thick stout w/ cocoa flavor. The edges have a piney astringency and a slight malt/cocoa bite w/ a slightly smokey flavor. The malt accents the very dark chocolate taste and the oatmeal smoothes out the bitterness of the hops and bitter chocolate, while still leaving it interesting w/ a pepper-like afterburn.

D - The drinkability is very good w/ bothe the bitter chocolate and oatmeal qualities playing off each other well. It is a 10% stout, though so I think splitting the bomber was the best option. It is intensely flavored as you would expect from Stone, this is interesting enough to make me want more.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2008 17:02:16 | More by Slatetank

dirtylou

Washington

4.22/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle, $5.99 from riley's perhaps

appearance: poured into my hopleaf tulip - very dark mahogany, dark as night. A fluffy chocolate head forms immediately bt then fades to a minimal chocolate ring around the glass. Any sort of movement of the beer recreates a big chocolate wave

smell: big chocolate nose, creamy and dark with bitter notes, citrus hops present beneath the dark chocolate waves

taste: rich and creamy with an abv presence that is far more subdued than the RIS. Toasted oatmeal is quite strong and the bitterness of the dark chocolate used in this brew is potent from start to finish. i detect notes of licorice and heavy dry roasted malts. I like this stout a lot and think the name pretty much describes this one to a T

mouthfeel: high bitterness, roasty dry body

drinkability: pretty high

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2008 00:30:49 | More by dirtylou

cokes

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Jet black bodied with a moderately tall rise of brown froth that stays a good long while.
Nose of roasted grains, dark chocolate, and scalded earth. A small caramel/black cherry sweetness rises, along with a hint of peaty Scotch booziness.
Roasty up front, but not in the acrid double-black-espresso-and-burnt-grill-residue way that some are (though espresso certainly is here in flavor, it is meshed as opposed to jutting out). There's a quelling and tempering creamy mildness that is imparted by the oatmeal. Like haf&half in coffee, it doesn't impart much flavor, but acts as a mellower. A minor sweetness pops up in wake, with vanilla-caramel-cherries and marshmallows. Chocolate arrives late, and delivers a bittersweet coup de grace especially as it warms, with the namesake bitter notion being more pronounced. It mingles with a modest pinetar hoppiness, and a quick flash of alcohol heat on the swallow.
Full bodied, oily, and satiny, and robust, but not obese. Carbonation struggles, but gives it enough perk to usher it through the mouth nearly recklessly.
The chocolate is tactfully done, as it is featured without commandeering the entire taste profile. Thus is a stout first and it is as versatile as it is drinkable. It's no mere grippy sweet, one-note dessert beer. It's subtler than expected, and very well done.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2008 07:00:41 | More by cokes

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.48/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I got this bottle in a trade with russpowell. Thanks Russ!

This pours a pitch black with a 1 finger head of tan foam. Head retention is so-so and there's very little lacing.

The smell has a good bitter chocolate nose...surprise! Oh, I also get some notes of coffee, roasted malt, and a slight citrus hop smell and quite a bit of alcohol.

The taste has a big dark chocolate bitterness up front followed by some roasted malt, coffee, good dark fruit, and some hop bitterness. Some alcohol peeks its way through as well giving me some warming.

It has a fullish mouthfeel making it silky smooth, the carbonation is on the light side of medium, and it finishes with a nice oatmeal taste that brings some dryness...pretty drinkable and tasty but...I don't think I'd seek it out again. Like they said in the "old" days, it just doesn't turn my crank. Try some and see what you think,

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2008 23:49:04 | More by Bitterbill

beertunes

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in 16oz goblet. Poured black, no light shows through, with a thick, medium brown head that dissipated quickly and left lots of sticky lacing.

A pleasant blend of aromas on the nose, coffee, roasted malt and certain earthiness I couldn't quite place being most noticeable. The flavors followed the aromas closely, with the coffee being most upfront, then the rest of tastes rolling across the tongue. No noticeable chocolate flavors remain, and there is just a minimum of hoppiness.

The body and drinkability were average for a big stout. Full body that coats the tongue and lingers. Nicely drinkable for a big beer, I can't see having more than one at a sitting though, worth trying now that it's sat a year. If I remember correctly, I liked this beer better when it was fresh. Certainly worth trying again if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2009 20:53:00 | More by beertunes

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a Stone bomber, $6.99 in OH. The beer is black with an unreal head, chocolate milk colored and thick, loads of lacing. The aroma is strong with chocolate, more than any chocolate-style beer I've had to date. The taste, however, is not as good as I'd hoped. While the chocolate flavor is nice, this is way more bitter than I'd expected. A little acrid perhaps. The body is smooth but not as silky smooth as I'd hope for an oatmeal stout. Overall a disappointment for me, I'd hoped for more. Grade A on appearance and smell though...

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2008 19:10:09 | More by TurdFurgison

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle split with my roommate. It's his birthday and I'll be nice

A: Jet black with a dark brown head that recedes slowly to a disk and over 30 minutes, a ring. Almost black highlights

S: Bitter chocolate, mild sweetness that's creamy in nature, mild plum/raisin-like fruitiness. Not a whole lot but still very appealing

T: If there was a truth in advertising award for beer, this would be a definite contender. Bitter chocolate oatmeal stout, you say? Well, that's what you get. Starts off with a plenty of bitter chocolate and ton of oatmeal smoothness. I know that's a description of feel but when feel makes its presence felt this much, it's almost an apt flavor descriptor. Unfortunately, there's a good deal of alcohol heat in this, especially as it warms up. Fizzles out on the finish with a mildly bitter finish

M: Ridiculously smooth and the rather low carbonation enhances that but the alcohol heat is waaaay too noticeable.

D: No trouble drinking this but in a year, I won't be sharing this

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2008 01:22:23 | More by DefenCorps

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.63/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

No light shines through this beast...nada...opaque black. Has a frothy mocha brown head that fades to a nice collar, good lacing.

Smells like...well...a bitter chocolate oatmeal stout. Has all those characteristics in equally distinguishable amounts. Also get some earthy, cocoa, alcohol and peanut scents.

Taste is pure decadence. Thick, chewy, subtle chocolate and oatmeal. Not going to overpower you with hops or chocolate, but still has plenty of those flavors. Simply a great beer, one of the best Stone offerings I have had. I wish I had more of these...my only minor complaints are that the alcohol is a bit fusel and that there could be a bit more chocolate and hop flavor. But overall a really, really nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2009 19:42:23 | More by twiggamortis420

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured split and poured into a Maudite tulip. 12th Anniversary, 9.2% ABV, Age at cellar temp. 55 degrees F or below, July 2008, ingredients.

Thanks again to Sweemzander for sharing this bottle!

A - Even with a tall pour there is almost no head created. Spotty clumps of dark tan bubbles float on top and slowly join into the ring around the glass. No light gets through this black beer.

S - Bittersweet chocolate kicks the aroma off to a good start with a heavily roasted and thick nose. Mocha and oatmeal fall behind with a gentle subtlety. A small hint of cold refrigerator comes out in the nose too.

T - Fairly bitter roasted malts and bittersweet chocolate really make up all of the flavor. Nuances of coffee, mocha, and molasses pull though with a hint of oatmeal.

M - Full-bodied and rich with a round, smooth feel and a soft finish that leads into a moderately dry, bitter finish.

D - The bitterness has smoothed out with age I'm sure. The mouthfeel helps this out but it's not enchanting. Good but not amazing.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2010 23:42:42 | More by BeerFMAndy

tpd975

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a nice bold deep dark black hue with an nice thick espresso colored head. The retention was good with some lace being noted.

S: Nice strong stout aromas. There is a big blast of roasted oatmeal and charred malt. A nice dose of bitter chocolate plays well with some green hops.

T: Nice malt blast right from the start. Roasty oat and char come forward first. A touch of sweet chocolate and coffee in the middle yield to bitter chocolate in the finish. This is a wonderful brew.

M: Rather medium in body for such a big brew. It is slick and oily though and goes down rather nicely.

D: Drank the entire bomber myself and what a joy it was. Stone had great success with this one. The chocolate was a nice replacement for the hops. I now have to score me another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2008 19:27:04 | More by tpd975

FosterJM

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

39th review on BA
Bottle to Stone Pint

App- It's black, dense and undeniably a stone stout. Has a one finger tan head that laced quite nicely.

Smell- It's chocolate and coffee and roast. Like smelling a dark heavy coffee. I picked up raisins for some reason but after an 08.08.08 and a Redemption from RR, my nose is probably shot for smelling.

Taste- Wow, way smoother than I thought it would be. This has aged quite nicely and isn't too rough or overpowering to the palate. A touch bitter due to the chocolate but I find it to be quite nice.

Mouth- It's balanced and easy to take down. This beer has some legs to it and annouces your having a stout but doesnt overload the taste buds.

Drink- After the first two beers of the night one is enough for me, but I think if it was two years ago when this was 1st released and I was camping, this would be better than Jack out of the bottle in front of the fire.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 00:55:03 | More by FosterJM

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.6/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed on 7/22/08. Bottle. Pours black with a small dark tan head that dissipates quickly. Aroma of bitter hops. lots of bitter chocolate, vanilla, and rich roasted malt. Flavor is rather bitter! (as advertised). Sweet, rich oatmeal malt, alcohol, slight slight bitter chocolate. I was really excited about this beer but it proved to be a disappointment. Much too heavy and alcoholic for my liking. This needs a bit of age I think. Not as much chocolate as I'd prefer and the sweetness/alcohol richness does obliterate some of the other flavors. Fun to try, but I don't think I'll purchase again (unless it's aged perhaps).
7/4/8/3/14 (3.6/5)

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2008 22:54:45 | More by LilBeerDoctor

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch and a half frothy brown head. Head retention is good, lacing is excellent. The aroma is impressive, it smells like roasted malt, semi-sweet chocolate, coffee, oats, caramel and some dark fruit. The taste is similar to the aroma, it tastes like semi-sweet chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, oats, caramel and molasses. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's creamy, a bit oily and very, very smooth. Drinkability is very good too, it goes down very easy and the alcohol isn't very noticable at all. Overall I think this is a very good beer. I'll definitely have to pick up some more of this!

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2008 23:09:49 | More by bluejacket74

RedDiamond

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Four days after their Big Wood festival, Stone's 12th Anniversary Oatmeal Stout was still available at Brouwer's Cafe. I sat down to a regal but overpriced 8-oz. draught served in a snifter. The beer was ebony black with an exceptionally dark rim of dirt-brown suds. The aroma and taste were a rich and complex array of chocolate and bourbon with a particularly strong bourbon flavor. The chocolate qualities seemed exotic - not your Hershey's drugstore variety - and lent an air of refinement.

I sensed some heat from the alcohol that was underscored by the edgier bourbon notes. Though this ale is already a year old, I'd still be inclined to cellar it further. Not that it isn't ready for consumption now. The mouthfeel is big and glossy and the beer is a pleasure to consume. But it's still a bit boozy. And while it made me think of The Abyss, it falls far short of that benchmark.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2009 04:59:17 | More by RedDiamond

AgentZero

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Nicely dark dark brown, almost black, with a big tan head which stuck around with some moderate lacing Nice looking.

S - Ton of chocolate, not as roasty as I would have thought, with an oat backbone and a touch of hops. Beer seems appropriately named.

T - Almost a chocolate bomb. Not quite along the lines of Chokolat, which I think is overkill, but this is very chocolatey. Oatmeal stout profile is in there, but chocolate dominates.

M - Full bodied, slightly flatish, I think this is how most beers this style tend to be, but it leaves it finishing somewhat empty and simple.

D - Pretty easy to drink, especially with how sweet it is, I'd like something with a little more bite though. Not sure I'd consider this an "Imperial Stout", high alcohol but taste just not big enough for me.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2010 00:47:39 | More by AgentZero

Brent

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The manger at the store where I purchased this assured me that it was cellaring well. It would be interesting to know what this was like fresh, as the chocolate had a muted character. The chocolate note married well with the oatmeal (I'm surprised more brewers don't take on this combination). Moderate bittering ran behind, and this, too, was pleasantly mellowed.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2010 17:52:07 | More by Brent

blackie

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: a roughish pour produces about a half inch of the darkest head I've ever seen, like a very dark chocolate milk, retention is quality, with a new head released by each tilt of the glass, the beer itself is black in color

s: dark chocolate nibs and chocolate barley balanced with a lightly astringent dark roasted barley...I should note that the chocolate is just about perfectly excecuted, adding dry depth but no or little sweetness...light french roast coffee, nice touch of smokehouse in the background, oatmeal seems to smooth everything out, some welcome ethanol heat, hops are there for sure but take a backseat to the slew of roast, nearing 4.5 territory

m: carbonation on the low side of medium, fullis but not overly heavy body

t: a chocolate-roast malt body and moderate flavors of dark chocolate make up the bulk of the flavor, the chocolate bitterness kicks in just before that of the hops, malt and chocolate completely envelop the hops as to disguise most of their their flavor, finishes roasty and very long...it's a little brusque to call a beer such as this "bland", but while it's certainly a quality beer and I really like how the chocolate and roasts are done, I did expect a bit more complexity from it, but I do appreciate that it pulls off "chocolate" without becoming a sweet candy beer

d: easy, an enjoyable bomber

bomber from Whole Foods Reston...I picked this up to see if I needed to get another to age, and I'm still not sure if I will...might just pick up an extra 080808 or IRS instead

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2008 03:32:17 | More by blackie