Dark Horse One Oatmeal Stout Ale - Dark Horse Brewing Company

HattedClassic

Virginia

2.96/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance:
The beer pours a dark brown and obscure beer with very little brown head.

Smell:
I get notes of coffee and roasted malt and a bit of sweet oats as well as possibly some dark chocolate.

Taste:
I get hops and a bitter taste as well as a slightly watery taste.

Mouthfeel:
Medium bodied and unusually smooth with biting carbonation.

Overall:
An okay beer and it seem to have improved based on the Alstrom Brothers' review from 2004. I probably might pick one up the next time its released.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 21:51:46 | More by HattedClassic

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a shaker pint.

Appearance
Pitch black with 1 finger of brown head. There's some definite oats swimming around on the bottom of the glass.

Nose
Cocoa, semi-sweet chocolate, roasted barley and black licorice.

Taste
Caramel with a dusting of powdered cocoa. Roasted barley and semi-sweet chocolate. Hints of black licorice, smoke and char.

Mouthfeel
Medium-full bodied, silky and smooth.

Overall
A mighty fine Oatmeal Stout. Extremely quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 19:20:06 | More by justintcoons

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.51/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: bottle shared by baybum at a March '13 tasting. Thanks, Ray!

Sampled this in a very interesting vertical line along with Too Cream, and Tres Blueberry, and 4 Elf.

Solid black pour, with a small tan head, that sank to a ringlet. Roasty stout aroma, dark malts, toasted oats and barley. No surprises. This followed into the taste, roasty dark malts, toasted grains, slight coffee bitterness, ash. The body was about medium, kind of weak for an oatmeal stout, but I'd bet it would work well on nitro. A pretty basic but solid oatmeal stout overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 10:58:59 | More by Rifugium

centurian62

Michigan

4.71/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

I finally found an oatmeal stout that rivals The Poet from New Holland. This has an exceptionally clean finish and a great flavor. Unfortunately, I can't find it close to me but I did find it in Traverse City, MI and I'm glad I did. I'm saving a couple bottles from my 4 pack to let friends try it. I never have a fridge without Poet in it but if I am able to find One Oatmeal Stout nearby, I will make sure that it fills any potential void. Great flavor, great mouthfeel and overall a fantastic brew from Dark Horse!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 15:03:12 | More by centurian62

tdm168

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - very thick and deep black; thick, quarter inch of dark brown head that fades after a few seconds

S - chocolate, dark fruit, black licorice, coffee, roasted malts; this is a rather intense and promising aroma

T - chocolate, dark fruit, black licorice, piney bitterness, bitter roasted malt and coffee finish

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This is a nice offering. The flavor has incredible depth. The chocolate and dark fruit notes are impeccable. But the nuances such as the black licorice add tremendous character. The lightening touch of the oatmeal thins the body just enough to make this incredibly drinkable. This is definitely a stout that is worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 01:32:45 | More by tdm168

buck1futter

Illinois

4.56/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Alright been drinking this beer for a while, I have a 2011 bottle,2010, and the latest batch. Let's do it.

Poured in a Orval glass and Gulden Draak glass.

A- The aged little to no head, the newest about finger. Dark and thick. mocha head and lacing.

S-Newest lots of oats, dark dark roasted malt, little coffee, a little nutty. aged- chocolate, dark dried fruit, vanilla. Aged smells much better. mostly malt though.

T- New- Roasted coffee, some hops, lots of dark malts, a hint of choco. Aged-A very creamy chocolate the that is vague in potency. Coffe, no coffee bitterness though. really smooth. Man the beer hits you it not really big but full of flavor, then backs out a just sits and relaxes on your tongue with big choco and coffee, so mouth watery too, this beer ages so well.

m-medium body plenty of carbonation. aged- kinda think but goes down so well, no carbo, just mellow and smooth.

One of my fav. beers to age changes a little but 1 1/2-2 years this beer is fantastic. I usually try to buy a case drink some and then age some. good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 05:01:57 | More by buck1futter

BeerZack

North Carolina

3.81/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thick black beer with a one-finger light brown head that fades to a respectable ring. Smells of sweet caramel and roasty dark malts with hints of marzipan and vanilla. Sweet caramelly maltiness thats almost immediatley balanced by a bitter hops. The finish is a bit rough with the substantial hop bitteness and dark malts amplifying an astringency. 8% abv beer with medium-full bodied mouthfeel that doesn't come of sticky or filmy.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 23:48:34 | More by BeerZack

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.36/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a black color; the pour itself looks quite dark and viscous. The head is a one finger light tan shade. It fades relatively quickly, leaving only minute lacing on the glass.

S: I definitely get a decent amount of oats on the nose, backed by a ton of roasted barley. Hints of chocolate, vanilla, and licorice are also present. Good, if muted.

T: There's a mild smoked quality to the opening flavors that I find intriguing. Afterwards, it develops a dominant note of licorice with tones of coffee and vanilla on the finish. Moderately enjoyable, but the flavors could use more singular distinctness; they all seem to blend together.

M: This one is surprisingly heavy on the palate, backed by a good silky smoothness and tons of lingering flavor. If someone called this an imperial stout, I wouldn't think twice either way. Despite the score, I really love the texture here - but the problem is, it doesn't match up with the mellow flavors particularly well, so I can't give a great score here.

O: Nothing amazing, but it's a solid offering. It kind of reminds me of a mediocre imperial stout, and that's actually a compliment in this case.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 23:17:06 | More by ThisWangsChung

rlee1390

Indiana

3.76/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A-Black in the glass, one finger head.

S-Mainly roasted malt and oats. Not much coffee or chocolate.

T-Mainly burnt/roasted malt. Minor chocolate lacking the oatmeal sweetness I was expecting.

M-Medium bodied, not much carbonation.

O-The sweetness of an oatmeal stout is not present at all. A tad too burnt as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 21:07:07 | More by rlee1390

tut2528

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: pours like a black hole with extremely minimal head formation. there was a bit of film created that hugged the edges of the glass that was dark bron in color.

S: enormous sweet chocolate, roasted malt, and even a decent amout of vanilla and some butterscotch. definitely not what I was expecting from an oatmeal stout.

T: toasted oats really comes forward, slight molasses, slight tobacco, milk chocolate, subtle cofffee and a vanilla finish.

M: medium bodied, leaves a bit of a toatsed oat feel on the palate, not really all that carbonated

O: thought this was a pretty decent decent beer to be honest, yet quite interesting... its sweet in smell yet pretty bold in flavor in a decent amount of complexity for its style.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:53:20 | More by tut2528

Sokko

3.74/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sweet aroma dominated by a nutty chocolate smell. Pours almost completely black with a nice dark brown head. Has a decently thick, syrupy texture. Creamy and softly carbonated. Has a pleasant sweet, burnt oat, coffee taste with hints of chocolate. Overall, a good stout. Not a big wow factor in terms of taste, but a solid porter nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 23:22:38 | More by Sokko

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Dark black with tan tint, 1/4 inch tan creamy head, nice lacing.

Smell - Roasted malts, plum, rasin, coffee, chocolate, sugars, very roasty and woody.

Taste - Big upfront mix of roasted malts and bold coffee. Some dark fruits along with molassess and brown sugar come also. Chocolate and a little wood, smoked flavor comes out at the finish.

Mouthfeel - Lots of malts and coffee coat the tounge. Sugars and more roasted malts hit the palate. The finish is roasted and bitter, and a little big of chocolate sweetness. The aftertaste is a little bitter and dry, and malty.

Overall - Solid, flavorful, tasty and easy to drink. Right on for a good oatmeal stout. Really malty and smokey, and coffee bitter. Worth a drink for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 00:50:34 | More by wvsabbath

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.16/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.

Appearance: Pours a dark oily brownish black with a moderate amount of bubbles. Solid three fingers of deep tan head with decent retention. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing around the glass.

Smell: A dark and sweet roasty stout aroma. Roasted malts with big hints of dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, toffee, oatmeal, toasted bread, grains, biscuit, and nuts along with some burnt molasses sweetness. Also some hints of smoked malt, wood, milk, and cream. Mild hints of earthy hops and some dark cherry, fig, and raisin. A pretty solid stout aroma.

Taste: A solid dark stout taste with a good balance of sweetness and roasty bitterness. Dark roasted malts with a taste of dark and milk chocolate, caramel, toffee, coffee, toasted bread, oatmeal, grains, cream, milk, biscuit, and nuts. A fair amount of sweet molasses and a little smoke and wood. Light undertones of dark cherry and fig. Light presence of earthy and herbal hops towards the finish. Solid taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very creamy and silky. Moderately sweet and slightly sticky. Very smooth.

Overall: A pretty solid oatmeal stout. Lots of roasty taste with a nice creamy smoothness. Its what you expect for the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 06:44:46 | More by MattyG85

hornsup

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 poured into an Intuition pint glass

A:pours a beautiful opaque black with a deep mocha colored head that is gorgeous....only issue I had was the head disappearing too quickly..little rentention.

S: Smells like oats, sweet chocolate, vanilla, raisins, ROASTY TOASTY

T: Tastes alot more like a milk stout, oatmeal flavor is slight, the chocolate is great and the sweetness is really dialed back from the smell. Milk chocolate is present with alot more smooth vanilla notes over a winter bonfire flame.

M: Solid mouthfeel, little chewy, dry aftertaste

O: This is one of my top 3 oatmeal/milk stouts I've ever tasted. I acquired it in a trade and am going to assume that Dark Horse went back to the drawing board over the past few years and changed it up. Its soooo smooth and the balance is uncanny. I am going to trade for this again..and soon.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 04:14:30 | More by hornsup

SometimesIfart

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours deep black with a one finger mocha head. Left minimal lacing.

S - Dark coffee, lots of chocolate, burnt malt.

T - A whole hell of a lot of dark coffee and chocolate up front, but no oatmeal. Bit sweet as well.

M - Slick medium body with moderate carbonation.

O - Overall, pretty solid, although a bit one dimensional. I'd have again.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 02:06:11 | More by SometimesIfart

brock146

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pitch black beer with a Hershey bar colored, pinky finger sized, head.

S- Roasted malts and coffee hints

T- Very deep roast, black coffee with sugar and no cream.

M- Oatmeal makes this beer very smooth and creamy. I'd go all the way to saying it has a silky mouth feel.

Very good oatmeal stout. One of my favorites for the price. However I can see how some people many not like it. The roasted malts used by Dark Horse in their stout series have a much more dark, black coffee taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 18:45:22 | More by brock146

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

3.63/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours black as night with a small, 1 finger head. Head is chocolaty brown and retains very well. The head settles into a thin, dense layer on top of the beer. Lacing is ok.

S- All deep, dark, roasted malts. Pure roast flavors and slight coffee flavors mixed together. Fairly one dimensional and simple, but fairly enticing.

T- This is just like the scent, except toned down a notch. Starts off with a big roasted malty bang that persists throughout the drink. Biggest note is a bitter coffee flavor that appears midway through. Bitter flavor sticks around until the end, then lingers on the palate for a little bit.

M- Thick, and a little creamy. Standard heavy stout feel, but not too heavy to session with. No detectable alcohol heat. Pretty smooth compared to other stouts, with moderate amounts of carbonation.

Overall, nothing special, but pretty good. The best aspect of this one is how smooth it is going down. It is creamy and smooth, and despite having only a slightly above average flavor profile, the scent is pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 01:21:01 | More by boilermakerbrew

Tone

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a black color. 1/4 inch head of a tan color. Decent retention and decent lacing. Smells of alcohol, sweet malt, slight roasted malt, hint of oatmeal, and a hint of hops. Fits the style of an Oatmeal Stout. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with a low carbonation level. Tastes of roasted malt, alcohol, sweet malt, slight oatmeal, and a hint of hops. Overall, dominated by alcohol in aroma and body, even though it is only 7% according the the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 20:50:46 | More by Tone

haddon

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

had this on tap at Lexington Beerworks.

pours black with a 2-finger of tan on top.

Lots of chocolate and coffee with roasted malt. Chocolate and licorice with Roasted malts and Coffee and oatmeal

Medium in body with a moderate carbonation and a smoothness on the tongue.

my first sample of Dark Horse. I'm impressed.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2012 04:51:04 | More by haddon

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle says this is 7% ABV.

A: Deep, dark black with a fluffy, pillowy medium brown head with great lace and decent retention.

S: Dark, bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, smoke, roasted/smoked malt, wood, charred meat. Phenomenal.

T: The roasted and smoked malt comes through right away. There's a bit of salted/cured/smoked meat and definitely some charred wood. A bit of booze as the beer warms.

M: The creamy texture is there as it should be in an Oatmeal Stout. Medium body with high drinkability. Can be cloying as it warms but that seems to be typical for Oatmeal Stouts.

O: A very good beer. They hit on most of the great qualities that this style can have.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:06:02 | More by Gatch

metter98

New York

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is absolutely jet black in color; no traces of red are visible near the edges of the glass when it is held up to a bright light. It poured with a thin dark tan colored head that quickly died down and left a thin film of bubbles covering the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are aromas of roasted malts in the nose along with some notes of dark chocolate and hints of licorice.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell—accentuating flavors of burnt and roasted malts—and has a slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a low amount of carbonation. There are slight amounts of warming from the alcohol.
O: This is a nice stout if you like lots of flavors of roasted malts, although I didn't notice any smoothness from the oats in the mouthfeel. No traces of alcohol are perceptible in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 14:25:15 | More by metter98

fredmugs

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of the better oatmeal stouts I have ever had. The beer looked great but lacked in aroma. The taste more than made it up for it. Smoooth and if a beer can be too drinkable this would be it. I could have drank that beer all night. Recommending this to everyone and I hope I can find it in 6ers.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2012 15:02:51 | More by fredmugs

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle from Siciliano's, 12oz into a tulip.

Just about black, with a milk chocolate like brown head. Good retention and great lace. Nose has roast on the front end, with some sweeter caramel and vanilla notes in the middle. Sweeter chocolate as well. Roast oats upfront on the palate, moderate chocolate and drys/thins out on the back end, finishing with roast again. Body is thinner than I appreciate for the style, but alcohol is hidden. A nice oatmeal stout for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 01:59:20 | More by liamt07

wedge

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

My bottle says "Alc. 7.0% by Vol."

Pours a deep black color crowned with a fat, cocoa head that fades to a slim ring. Thick, rich roasted malt, smooth chocolate, oats, and underlying toffee. Loads of heavy, chocolaty malt over some dark fruit, vanilla bean, and coffee. Some char and bitterness add an edge to an otherwise silky stout. Medium bodied, but pretty velvety and oily which fluffs it up a bit. Very nice! A bit over-roasted perhaps, but delicious nevertheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 22:53:54 | More by wedge

DrinkMoreBigBeers

Michigan

3.65/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pours out thick pitch black and produces a one finger dark mocha head that dies off fast. Alcohol legs and average lacing with moderate carbonation. Careful like most DH beers this has a load of yeast sediment in the bottom of the bottle.

S - The nose is nice robust, coffee, slight chocolate, and lots of oats, some smoke. The oats leave a nice soft presence and I can not detect the booze at all.

T - Real rich robust on the palate with chocolate, coffee, oats, tobacco, raisin, lingering bitterness on the tongue. No alcohol. Quit a bit of molasses as this one builds on the palate.

M - A slight creamy medium full bodied beer with carbonation that tingles the tongue. Its dryness does dry your mouth out.

O - A well crafted Oatmeal Stout that is slightly muddled and off in the finish for the style. I get the oats but its finish is not quit what I look for in a oatmeal stout. Not a bad beer at all, but one I will not be in a rush to go back and get. Still enjoyed it though, Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 01:30:31 | More by DrinkMoreBigBeers