Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout - Anderson Valley Brewing Company

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16oz Growler from Beverage World. Served at around 40-45F and allowed to warm.

Pours dark brown to black with a two finger brown head that leaves some lacing and recedes to a small cap.

Aroma is very roasty, chocolate, some coffee & dark fruits, caramel, minimal hops, good strength.

Flavor follows with strong chocolate notes, roasted malts, coffee, dark fruits, caramel, moderate sweetness, mild roasty bitterness, minimal alcohol.

Mouthfeel is light/medium bodied, smooth, slick, moderate carbonation.

Nice Oatmeal Stout. Great chocolate notes, very drinkable.

Serving type: growler

08-02-2012 02:11:02 | More by elgiacomo

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark brown with a big tan head... Has some reddish tinge to it. Looks smooth.

S: Not getting a lot here. Although that means no bad smells either. A hint of coffee and chocolate....

T: Oats really come through and are complimented with roastyness and smokiness.

M: Medium body which was a pleasant surprise given just about every other low ABV stout I've had is super light. Carbonation hits a little bit hard.

Overall a great beer! I like most stouts but this one really was better than many others. A good body, good flavor, great balance. If you're looking for a lower ABV stout this is a solid bet.

Serving type: growler

07-24-2012 21:06:25 | More by Jamesthebrit

TheDinger

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Growler to a pint glass. A decent, dark brown looking OS with a nice mocca head 1+ finger and a little staying power. Smell was a nice blend of chocolate, dark malts, figs and distant grains. A very nice surprise and plesant. Taste was not as pronounced and had more of the sweet, chocolate hit on the front. Again the oatmeal was burried and I wanted that to come through. Some hops on the end, but subtle. Feel was thin and a bit weak. Not a thick stout feel, but more of a brown. Decent carbonation. Overall- A nice take on the style and pretty good. Very sessionable stout which was a bonus. A little off on the oatmeal/malt taste but a solid effort. A definite must try and I will look for another-

Serving type: growler

06-07-2012 00:11:05 | More by TheDinger

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.65/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

32oz. growler from City Swiggers poured into a pint glass.

pours a nice, 2 finger mocha colored head with good retention. Beer is a dark, moderately thick, opaque black. Lacing is thick and spotty but sticks mostly close to the head. Nice for the style.

Aroma is coffee, chocolate, and some slightly sweet sourness. Moderately aromatic and plain and simple.

Opens sweet. Chocolate, mocha, and coffee beans. Some roasted hop ashiness far in the background. Lactose towards the end. Finish is slightly sour. Milky. Very enjoyable.

Feel is thin with moderate carbonation. Smooth and watery in the mouth with some slight bubbles going down. Finish is accented with a mellow, lingering aftertaste. Goes down real easy.

A real big surprise and very very sessionable. This one's a bit sweeter than I'm used to for the style but combined with the nice feel, that's a positive thing here. Worth trying.

Serving type: growler

12-17-2011 00:43:13 | More by SpeedwayJim

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle served in a pint glass.

A: Pours a deep brown almost black color forming a big and bubbled tan head. Good retention and only few lacings left in the glass

S: Strong smell of roasted malts. Strong notes of dark chocolate, chocolate malts, coffee. Quite biscuity. Earthy yeasts and some flowery hops

T: Strong on roasted malts, dark chocolate, coffee. In overall, a dry taste. Biscuity too. Earthy notes. Good bitterness which is more related with the roasted malts than with hops. Quite balanced and plasant, anyway

M: Medium and creamy body. Medium carbonation. Roasted malts aftertaste

O: Good drinkability. Great American Stout

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 11:59:22 | More by eduardolinhalis

sommersb

Tennessee

3.46/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

Tasted On: 05-03-2013
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 12 oz. can
Glassware: Tulip pint
Purchased: Received in a trade

Black and opaque beer, topped with a big 3 fingers of tan head. Retention is very good and the lacing leaves a nice amount of head on the glass.

Smells remind me of brown bread, toasted grains and molasses, although these aromas do not suggest any sweetness.

The taste is simple and straightforward, with roasted malts giving it a coffee-like bitterness.

Medium bodied, the finish is neither dry nor sweet, with an average amount of carbonation. Did not have the smoothness/creaminess I'd expect from an oatmeal stout.

Overall a solid stout here, but did not seem as exceptional as you might expect based on the reviews.

Thanks to DrewShal9 on the trade

Serving type: can

05-04-2013 03:19:20 | More by sommersb

Goosehunter75

Missouri

4.26/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours a dark chocolate with over 2 fingers tan head. Great retention and moderate lacing

S - Lots of chocolate and coffee. You can definately smell toasted malts as well

T - Tastes like someone melts M & Ms in a cup of coffee. Wonderful flavor. Sweet up front with a noticable bitter finish. Quite tasty

M - Medium body beer. Very smooth drinking. Sort of creamy feeling. Low carb

O - I really enjoyed this beer. Its a easy drinking stout with loads of flavor. The beer looks great as has a great aroma as well. Top notch.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 15:00:51 | More by Goosehunter75

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.86/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Can from Total Wine in Tampa. From notes.

A - Poured nearly black with a nice 3 finger fluffy light brown head. Minimal spotty lace and a film of retention.

S - Super malty as expected. Coffee was mild, roastiness was lovely though. Mild vanilla in there too. A nice aroma.

T - Sweetness up front with roast, nuttiness, caramel, some coffee, and some cola too.

M - Proper mild carbonation. Oddly thinner body than expected, but on the heavier end of light. Fairly clean finish with some bitterness.

O/D - A good oatmeal stout. Seemed weaker than aroma leads you towards, but it's enjoyable. Potential for greatness in this one, it just fell a little short.

Serving type: can

04-29-2013 22:24:03 | More by tbeckett

Falcynn

California

4.78/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A: Dark brown, almost black body, with a two finger wide tan head that retains well and leaves a very nice lacing.

S: Chocolate, malty, with some coffee in the background.

T: This stout is so smooth. I have to restrain myself from just chugging the whole thing down. Amazing roasted malty flavor with some sweet chocolatey notes. There's some hops if you go searching for it. This is probably the first stout I've had that I think would be great on a hot summer day.

M: Like I said earlier, this goes down smooth and it also finishes clean. I think I might've preferred just a bit more carbonation, but that's about it.

O: I've had plenty of stouts before, and I'm honestly not too fond of the style. However, a friend of mine told me to give oatmeal stouts a try, and if this beer is a good example of the style, then I'll definitely be on the lookout for more. Definitely a very sessionable beer, if you're looking for complexity, then you might want to look elsewhere, but if you just want some malt/chocolatey goodness, then this is your beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 16:03:12 | More by Falcynn

kangarooAdam59

Maine

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanx Blue Rogue:

Into a regular pint glass:

A: dark brown/black body with a slightly creamy looking/tan head - slightly concaves a bit and leaves some nice lacing

S: oatmeal up front, roasty coffee, slightly sweet burnt malt, dark chocolate

T: oatmeal flavoring and has a nice balance between sweet roasty/slightly burnt chocolate, I'm liking this, roasty aftertaste and finish

M: light to medium, sessionable, carbonation seems spot on

O: I tend to like stouts, but this one as an oatmeal stout is very good, holy crap, I'd have this one again in a heartbeat

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 03:20:16 | More by kangarooAdam59

IrishKevin

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from can into a tulip glass.

Decent head that lingered.

Smell: my favorite part of this beer: dark chocolate right off the bat with coffe and roasted malt.

Taste: Didn't live up to the aroma, but really good all the same. Great roasty flavor with full body, but still very smooth. Taste changed for the better as it mellowed in the glass.

Overall: Very solid oatmeal stout.

Serving type: can

04-12-2013 22:25:54 | More by IrishKevin

dar482

New York

4.19/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

It pours with a finger of light brown head, like a porter, yet more bubbly and foamy. The color is is a very black. There is also a slight bit of lacing.

The aroma has a slight bit of oatmeal, but decent roasted malts, chocolate and coffee.

The flavor is definitely of an oatmeal stout. It has a smooth flavor with a hint of sweetness, almost like a milk stout. It leans a bit towards American stouts, but has that milk stout. There’s a slight bit of chocolate. The beer definitely cuts away pretty quickly. There’s actually a slight hoppiness in there that excites the beer. Then again, it does remind me more of porter than a stout because of the chocolate flavor and clean feel.

The finish is clean and easy. The beer does not sit on your tongue. However, for its ABV, it does have a good mouthfeel. It’s a solid good beer. I would in the end almost compare it to a porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 06:00:22 | More by dar482

mwilbur

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured on tap into tulip.
A: Pours black as a moonless night with thin dark tan head. Good retention and excellent lacing ( abundant and lasts forever). Very inviting.
S: Dark roast coffee, dark chocolate, sweet roasted malt, and a hint of butterscotch and sweet cream. Excellent!
T: Follows aroma in context, but not quite in quality. A bit weaker here, but still solid.
M: Light body. Sweet and roasted with a dry and mildly bitter finish.
D: A nice, solid example of style. One of the better oatmeal stouts I've encountered. Excellent sessionability.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2013 01:32:28 | More by mwilbur

ShaneBasye

California

4.84/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

The Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout is one of my favorites. The first time I had it I was at the Bigfoot West bar in Culver City, CA. It was on tap. Everything seemed to be just right. The aroma, taste, mouth feel. It was a close to perfect Oatmeal Stout.

Taste: Rich, sweet with a proper amount of bitterness. The after taste brings out all the cocoa and chocolate flavors. Perfectly crafted!

Aroma: Strong, nutty, cocoa.

I recommend this stout for those who aren't too familiar with dark stout beer

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 23:15:44 | More by ShaneBasye

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

12oz can poured into a shaker pint.

Appearance
Black with 2 fingers of brown head. Good retention and hardly any light penetration.

Nose
Roasted barley, semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa nib and coffee.

Taste
Raisin, overripe plum and touches of concord grape. Semi-sweet chocolate and caramelized sugar. Some Cola and roasted barley. Touches of earthy, roasted bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, smooth and almost silky.

Overall
Unfortunately not as much chocolate and coffee as the nose lets on. The mouthfeel is a tad thing, but overall a decent Oatmeal Stout.

Serving type: can

02-24-2013 22:48:04 | More by justintcoons

endovelico

Portugal

3.84/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Pours black brew with thin head that quickly fizzles out. No lacing. No retention. Unperceived effervescence.

Aroma: Medium intensity. Pleasant round coffee and olives upfront. At the back theres chocolate, oaty notes.

Taste: Medium to medium low intensity. Not much going beyond the coffeeish, chocolaty, roasty and then olive taste.

Palate: Medium to medium thin. Low bitterness. Low carbonation. Watery texture. Dry finish. Finishe is slightly bitter. Earthy woody, yeasty byte aftertaste.

Overall: Pleasant. Lacking in complexity. Palate is the strongest point. Overall a call this a very good exemplar of the Oatmeal Stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 12:00:11 | More by endovelico

ElSid

California

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The Beers of California

#69

Freshness Date: None

A: The color of midnight with a cocoa brown head the width of a finger. The head levels out to islands of foam and also leaves behind nice lacing on the glass.

S: Chocolate oatmeal which brings to mind childhood memories of Nesquik mixed in with my Quaker oatmeal.

T: Silky smooth with cocoa nibs and a slight char edge, espresso and raisin notes which are smoothed out by the oat presence. Bready in the middle with earthy bitterness which culminates to a warm finish.

M: Bigger than expected and extremely smooth with moderate carbonation which is just the right amount.

O: A well balanced stout with nice oat presence. The flavors intertwine perfectly being interesting but not overwhelming making for a highly drinkable and sessionable stout. One of my cold weather staples.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 03:39:45 | More by ElSid

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a nonic pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a small mocha head that reduced to a thin layer. It is a pitch black color with no clarity or carbonation coming up through the glass. Looks traditional.

Smell: Bready oats, roasted coffee, chocolate, smokey notes, sweetness, and molasses.

Taste: Oh, this is nice. Really nice. All the scents are blended well in the taste.

Mouthfeel: Creamy smooth, drinkable, a little watery feeling, full bodied, and medium carbonation.

Overall: Pretty solid oatmeal stout. Seen it few years and now happy to finally have enjoyed it. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 05:44:46 | More by Flounder57

klkatz

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

yes... reddish black.. you know the color i'm talking about.... 4 on that... that's what i'm talking about...

smell - malty, chocolatey, syrupy, sweet, warty (for those homebrewers)

lots of nuances in the taste... like the smell... dynamic - sugary,

word... well done

here's my extra 10 characters

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 03:24:57 | More by klkatz

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- poured into a snifter. Pours pitch black, nearly opaque. Creamy tan head that has one-finger retention long after the pour, thick patches of lace follow down the entire glass.

S- dark bittersweet chocolate and caramel, a bit of smokey charcoal, some burnt cocoa

T- smoky roasted malts give way to silky chocolate and caramel notes, smooth oats mid-palate, the finish has just a bit if hops kick and is dry and bitter-sweet

M- medium body, moderate carbonation, silky and velvety mouthfeel with a creamy expulsion finish, this one is exceptionally smooth.

O- an extremely smooth sipper, good roasted chocolaty notes. One of the better I've tried of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 02:20:17 | More by Treyliff

hreb

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle served in pint glass, chilled but not cold. Beer pours a deep, dark brown, opaque as it enters the glass, with a medium thick brown head. Pretty good roasty aroma with a hint of mocha.

Flavor is bigger on coffee notes, with a heavy but not syrupy mouthfeel, a very light bitterness, and moderate carbonation. I tried this earlier at a cooler temp and found the carbonation way too heavy for the style, so serving closer to cellar temperature seems to be a clear win for me on this beer.

Overall: a really nice mid-ABV oatmeal stout. Extremely drinkable when not over chilled.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 05:53:07 | More by hreb

chinchill

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Bohemian Cafe. Pour was near black; left lots of sticky lacing on the pint glass.

Allowed to warm for about 10 minutes, but still had a relatively light aroma; featured medium and dark roosted malts with dark chocolate.

Taste: also not strong; more like an Irish stout in intensity than expected. Slight smoke but no burnt notes: just as I prefer. Marginal hops mainly keep the sweet/bitter balance spot on.

M: A tad light overall, with a very light finish; very smooth; ~ perfect carbonation.

O: Not the world's best oatmeal stout, but certainly excellent: Can serve as a gold standard in this category, being a virtually flawless rendition of a straightforward version.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 00:12:27 | More by chinchill

SerialHiker

Illinois

3.31/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours dark, dark brown…awesome cascade action leaving nice, thick khaki colored head…long lasting and very inviting…(3.75/5)

Smell: Oatmeal right off the bat…I’m gettin’ chocolate, lots of chocolate and some coffee…creaminess to this as well…nice...(3.5/5)

Taste: Chocolaty with mild coffee and cream flavors…a nice roasted malt and oatmeal base with toffee and caramel flavor accenting everything nicely…a very nice vanilla hint…what ever hops is in there is very subtle, not much bitterness to speak of…(3.5/5)

Mouthfeel: Medium feel, medium carbonation…it is a bit watery…(2.5/5)

Overall: The taste is good, but it’s a bit watery for a stout…the smell is nice and the look is great, but it definitely is missing that something that would make it more desirable…it’s drinkable but not outstanding in it’s field…middle of the pack…(3/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 04:27:36 | More by SerialHiker

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

3.7/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 355ml bottle into a Fullers snifter.

Pours an extremely dark brown/black colour, with a nice tan head.

Smells of very dark malts.

Tastes of those dark and burnt notes, with hints of vanilla as well as a subtle general overriding sweetness. Bitter hop finish.

Overall It's quite a good beer, not as sweet or full textured as I'd like though.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 21:18:34 | More by CwrwAmByth

RaulMondesi

California

3.25/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Haven Gastropub in Old Towne Orange, CA

Again, another great reviewed beer but Raul just isn't feelin it!

Too much carbonation, a bit too sweet, and just nothing special. I mean, Raul can definitely drink it and chill hard with tha homies, but he ain't gonna sip it over El Torro Bravo with the old lady and try to get nasty after.

Edit: as it warms up, I am getting more textures of flavors. Also, there is a more prounoinced presence in the nose.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2013 01:07:39 | More by RaulMondesi