Shade Mountain Oatmeal Stout - Selin's Grove Brewing Company

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

An old, but never tired, standard at SGB that I have never taken the time to review. Sometimes you take good things for granted!

A-Deep dark brown that leaves small amounts of light through around the edges. Topped by a tight, medium tan head that receded to a small cap and left hefty lacing.

S-Rich and roasty with a note of a sour twang. Hints of coffee and toffee in the background.

T-Rich and meaty roasted malt with a bit coffee. Sweet caramel and toffee notes come out upon warming. A mild hop bite finishes things off.

M-Medium body with a super smooth and creamy texture. Mild bitter bite and long lasting flavours abound.

D-what's that you need a quality oatmeal stout? Good thing this is on then! Wonderful stuff. Smooth, luscious with an excellent full body of flavour. This is just about everything you could want in a regularly offered, everyday drinking stout.

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-12-2008 06:44:35 | More by Deuane

sorryaboutbrooks

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is one of the best Oatmeal Stouts I have ever had. This beer was served to me on tap and on nitrogen. What really stands out in the beer is the mouthfeel. Between the combination of the Oatmeal and nitrogen serve, a beer can't "feel" much better than this.

The beer goes down smooth and has full flavor to it, but not too strong or overwhelming. Seems to have a slight slight hint of chocolate flavor, but I'm not sure if that is intentional or not.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-18-2008 03:31:43 | More by sorryaboutbrooks

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

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

On tap via Nitro at the brewpub.

Pours black with some garnet highlights around the bottom and about a finger width's of creamy tan head. This possesses great retention that leaves spotty lacing and some oily, brown residue down the sides of the glass. The aroma is roasted malts, chocolate sweetness, oatmeal, coffee, and maybe even just a touch of dark fruit tang hidden back there.

The taste is a great balance of chocolate and caramel flavored sweetness and some more bittering notes of coffee and roasted malts that really play off each other very well. Finishes with more of the sweetness lingering on the tongue. The mouthfeel is lovely with a smooth and incredibly creamy feel from the nitro pour.

This is just a fantastic Oatmeal Stout and is just another in a long line of fantastic beers from the SGB. And I love that it is almost always on when I visit. Great stuff!

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-20-2008 16:37:38 | More by Kegatron

ggaughan

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at the brewpub on a recent trip. The beer poured a deep black color with a thick, creamy off white head that gave nice lacing and good carbonation. The aroma was of dark chocolate and roasted coffe. The taste was equally dense and fragrant with some hops to boot on the backend. Just an overall solid stout, another from Selinsgrove.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-18-2006 02:16:11 | More by ggaughan

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Another trip to Lewisburg means that another visit to this gem of a brewpub was in order. I had wanted to try this during a prior visit, but they didn't have it on. Luck was with me on this visit.

Per the beer menu: "Roasted barley is the trademark of a stout, a bittersweet separation from its cousin porte. Our deep black stout is made with a grist containing 15% organic oatmeal to create its remarkable silky texture."

Dark, dark, *DARK* black in color, with a silky, creamy-smooth head. All sorts of lacing of the glass with distinct rings. Sweet in the nose with the roated malt aromas mingling nicely. Top-notch flavor. Chocolatey sweet up front and starts to dry out in the middle. There's an undertone of a coffee note as well, with flecks of Quaker oatmeal dancing in and out. Dry and sweet aftertaste. Serving this through the nitro tap just makes it all the more rich, creamy, and palate-pleasing. At 4.8%, this is something I could drink all damn day. Another winner from a brewpub that's making its way up my list of favorites.

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-15-2006 19:55:57 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: On tap at the Selin’s Grove Brewery during a quiet Saturday afternoon visit.

Appearance: Dark black body with a nitrogenous impregnated tan colored head. Finely dissolved conditioning is very supportive. Archetypal looks.

Nose: Heavy on the roasted malts and chocolate stout. Soft aromas lick the edges of the glass but hang nicely above the thick head.

Taste: At only 4.8% this one is a real treat and packs plenty of flavors into its well attenuated body. Milky coffee, roasted malts, espresso, dark chocolate and some carbon covered grain. Very smooth, the transient flavors have seemingly invisible seams.

Mouthfeel: Fluffy deep blanket texture with an incredibly smooth and inviting feel. Lipsmacking stuff.

Drinkability: The Nitro dispense aided both the smooth feel and light body but more than anything the quaffability excels.

Overall: Highly enjoyable and not that bad a substitute for the previously anticipated White Horse Porter which sadly was not available. The Shade Mountain Oatmeal Stout is another favorite from Selin’s Grove, a great outfit that produces some highly accomplished brews, & this is definitely one of them. Recommended.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-05-2005 07:41:01 | More by TheLongBeachBum

jakester

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at the brewpub. Not sure if this was nitro or not. I didn't ask. It seemed like it was, but you never know. There was only one stout on at the time.

Comes as a near opaque black with a very tight one finger head of really tiny bubbles. Looked like nitro to me. Great lacing on the glass for the duration of the beer.

Aroma is of dark roasted coffee, dark brown sugar, slight piney hops, and dark grains. The smell of this stout made me want to sip ASAP. Very inviting aroma.

Taste is of sweet dark coffee, deep and rich. There is also a just detectable tartness, kind of like sour apples(?), pleasant, but maybe not to style. Also taste herbal/earthy hops way in the back. Still, this is a very smooth oatmeal stout. Even with the tartness, (astringency?) lactose comes through.

Mouthfeel is luxurious, incredibly smooth cask like carbonation, with a sweetness that is not cloying at all. The finish is fairly short, with a sweet/tart aftertaste.

There were several locals there while I was there, and one of them had this all night long. I can see why, this is a slammer!

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-04-2005 16:40:58 | More by jakester

rdrummer

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I have had the oatmeal stout on a number of occasions. It is a great beer every time. It pours a rich, black color with a creamy, white head that is large, long-lasting, and adds lacing to the pint from top to bottom. This is one of the best things that Steve makes.

It has a mixture of grain and roasted maltiness. There is a hint of ripe fruitiness as well. The taste is sublime with an very heavy flavor of roasted malted, grain, and that elusive undercurrent of some kind of fruit. There is also a hint of dark chocolate although there is no chocolate in the brew.

The beer is heavy and very creamy in the mouth. I never start with the oatmeal stout when I come here, because I know that I won't taste anything else. It is that good.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-09-2004 15:36:02 | More by rdrummer

SchmichaelJ

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had high expectations for this oatmeal stout at the small, quaint and historic Selin's Grove Brewing Company. This brew did not disappoint. It arrived at my table as a beautiful, deeply black pint with a very well-defined head. I must have stared at the demarcation between black liquid and creamy beige head for a few minutes. The smell was undoubtedly of roasted, even burnt malt, with the subtlest hint of hops. The taste of this stout blew me away at first. I don't think I've ever tasted beer this fresh. It was so very smooth and creamy, and the bitter roasted taste seemed almost perfect with my cravings for beer at the time. It also complemented my curry chicken salad very well. The mouthfeel was full and hearty, as expected, but I was very impressed with the creamy smooth texture. I'd highly recommend the Shade Mtn. Stout as a first introduction to the excellent brewpub located in upstate Selingsgrove, PA. I'm unaware of a location where one might find a superior oatmeal stout brewed in PA in such small quantities. A wonderful beer, overall.

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-18-2003 00:02:18 | More by SchmichaelJ

oline73

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this at the Brew Pub. Served in a sample glass.

Appearance: The beer pours almost black with a layer of thick off white head. The head fades to a thick ring around the pour.

Smell: Smoke and some roast with a dark fruit note. I was surprised to find not much sweetness at all in this beer.

Taste: Just as the smell lead me to believe, there is hardly any sweet component to this beer. Tons of roasted malt and smoke. I also got some dark fruit and a burnt malt flavor. The finish reminds me of a camp fire.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is a bit thin with tingly carbonation and a very dry finish.

Overall: There is a ton of burnt malt here, really roasty. I don't think I need more in the future, but It was still pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2012 01:30:17 | More by oline73

merc7186

New York

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer on tap at the brewpub poured into a 5oz sample glass.

A: Dark Brown Hue, Passes Very Little Light, Off White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Dark Roasted Malts, Mild Coffee, Mild Chocolate

T: Dark Roasted Chocolate Malts, Coffee, Mild Nutty, Oatmeal

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Smokey

Overall, a pretty solid Oatmeal Stout with lots of flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2012 18:42:02 | More by merc7186

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber color, almost black. A nice, creamy, off-white color one-finger head that remains throughout most of the beer.

The scent was of light roasted malt, notes of coffee.

The taste was of roasted malt, with some notes of chocolate and some faint notes of coffee.

Full body, very creamy and smooth, low carbonation.

This was a really nice beer, the balance of the flavors was perfect and was pretty easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2012 13:36:05 | More by BeerCon5

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at SGB served in their typical "footed pils" type of glassware. This brew appears brown in color with a creamy tan cap. Awesome retention to the cap of froth that sits atop of this brew. As it slowly fades, it leaves a webbing of lacework all over the glass.

The smell of this brew is chocolate malt, sweet with a light note of fruity hops to alcohol inclusion. There is a minor note of minerals noted throughout the body which adds some depth to the brew's nose. At times it smells a bit green and yeasty but not overly done and distracting. Some herbal hops are evident as the brew warms up.

The taste is chocolate malt with a note of yeast meets alcohol providing a bit of a young character to the brew. There is a moderate to mild contrasting bitterness which comes from the hops and some mineral character that balances out the sweet chocolate notes.

This is quite an easy drinking brew that is medium bodied and modestly carbonated. It is quite smooth and creamy in the feel that is very enjoyable. It is fairly clean and balanced and has the right amount of alcohol to let you sit and enjoy a few of these.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2011 20:26:39 | More by stakem

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On cask at SGB on 6/20/10.

A - Emerged from the beer engine as a dark brown liquid with burgundy highlights around the edges and a full finger's worth of bubbly tan froth on top that disappeared, leaving no traces of lacing at all.

S - Roasty malt character with a pleasant cocoa aroma and some lactic notes. Pretty subtle otherwise, but quite nice overall.

T - Roasted malt with cocoa notes. Definitely not as acetic as the nitro version. Hint of caramel sweetness in the middle, followed by a nutty malt character. Finishes with a slight earthy hop bitterness.

M - Medium bodied and really smooth mouthfeel, perhaps a tad watery overall, but still retains a creamy cask feel.

D - I think I actually prefer this on cask. Shade Mountain is easily one of my favorite Oatmeal Stouts out there, and it was a pleasure to sample it on cask for the first time.

Serving type: cask

06-30-2010 00:51:41 | More by ffejherb

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at the brewpub.

A-Pours a medium brown with some amber highlights at the bottom of the glass, with a frothy tan head.

S-Sweet notes blend with a medium roastiness and a bit of a sour note in the background.

T-Quite tasty. Roasted malt, some sweetness and a slight bitterness in the finish.

M-Silky smooth. Great body for the style and ABV.

D-A very sessionable oatmeal stout.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2009 05:33:43 | More by sholland119

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled from Growler.

Poured a dark black color with brown edges and a small sized off white head. Aromas of chocolate, roast, caramel, and a little oaty. Tastes of chocolate, oats, coffee, and roast. Thinner body.

Notes from and tasted on 12/16/07

Serving type: growler

11-17-2008 01:51:43 | More by hopdog

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is the second half of a growler purchased yesterday at the Brewery. It also represents my 200th review of a Pennsylvania beer.

A: The stout has lost all of its carbonation, in fact most of it was gone last night when I opened the growler. Regardless of that, the stout is pitch black, looking like freshly brewed coffee.

S: The aroma is burnt malts, sweet oats and just a hint of gingerbread that I did not notice yesterday.

T: The stout does not disappoint taste-wise. The oat grist adds a sweet flavor that manages to meld nicely with the strength of the roasted malts. The roasted flavors come out at the end of the sip, providing a slightly bitter finish after a sweet start. The roasted malts also manage to impart a slightly sour angle that contrasts nicely with the sweetness.

M: Delicious. The growler has lasted approximately 24 hours and I am surprised that it did. The oatmeal adds such a sweet depth to the stout that it seems like a natural match.

D: Selinsgrove is only 1 hour from Harrisburg, well worth the trip for a stout of this calibre.

Serving type: growler

03-04-2007 19:33:27 | More by akorsak

francisweizen

Australia

4.47/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Another magnificent brew from the fine folks at the Selin's Grove Brewing Company. A dark, nearly opaque black brew with a nice head of espresso coloured foam. The aromas are of a lightly toasted oatmeal, roasted malts, chocolate, malted milk-ball malts, and more. The taste follows through with some lovely roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, caramel, and vanilla flavors. For such a low abv brew this one really delivers with some intense stout flavors. The mouthfeel is smooth, creamy and blissful and the drinkability is awesome as well. Another winner in this brewpubs line-up of winners.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2005 16:35:27 | More by francisweizen

tnornhold

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Steve and Heather do a consistently great job on this one. This is an easy drinking, smooth and extremely flavorfull stout. I would describe the flavor as hard toasted and a bit earthy, much better than the normal coffee-like flavor in a lot of stouts. It has a certain sweetness to it also. A great brew that you can still taste in your mouth long after the laste sip(and that's a good thing).

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2003 20:01:21 | More by tnornhold