Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout - Anderson Valley Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thickish and boldly roasted stout. Fine to share at end of meal, but was too much for earlier in the day or even with anything but dessert. Coffee in there. A tad sourish. Very dark. Bittersweet chocolate and nutty. Smooth but some grain on tongue.Dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2006 03:18:39 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Impenetrable mahogany topped with a light milk chocolate brown head that is both solid and stubborn. I'll have to wait before doing a lace check since the head is giving no quarter. When it finally does relent, the glass is surprisingly clean. The two major components of the nose are hops and chocolate, which suits me just fine.

This is a soft, moderately sweet, approachable, easy drinking stout that appears to have benefitted from the use of oats. It's as if the folks at Anderson Valley resolved all questions during the creation process with the question 'what would improve drinkability the most?'

The roasted maltiness doesn't venture into burnt or bitter, the sweetness is understated and doesn't impact drinkability, and the level of hoppiness is just enough to satisfy the hop lovers among us, but isn't so much that newbies will be turned off. The body is closer to medium than to full, is smooth as the day is long and is somewhat creamy.

Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout is a polished, well-rounded stout that, as far as I'm concerned, gives Samuel Smith's version a run for its money. It isn't quite flavorful enough or distinctive enough to be considered truly great, but it disappeared with frightening ease. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2004 00:00:44 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep brown/black, thick and opaque, no light getting through on this one. A nice one inch head faded somewhat quickly to leave a nice quarter inch layer of lace on the top. Very nice streaking down the glass at first, but as it warmed this ceased. Smell was very sweet. First hints are of roasted coffee, rich and very full. Nice aromas of sugar, caramle and the slightest bit of chocolate are up next.The taste was wonderful, albeit a little thin for a stout, but still the flavors themseleves were great. Coffee the biggest flavor here, followed by caramel and chocolate rounding the corners off, maybe even a touch of a smoked scent in there, very nice. Good carbonation, however looses a couple points for the thin feel. Very nice smooth finish, not dry at all. This one definatly asks you back for another try. This is very sessionable, goes down almost too easy, could drink it in a gulp almost, good call IMO.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2007 23:54:33 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

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

A: The pour is almost black with a thin tan colored head.

S: The nose is plenty roasted with some notes of coffee, sweet chocolate, and smoke.

T: The flavor is very roasty as well with a slight smokiness and lots of coffee. There is some bitter chocolate and a mild bitterness.

M: The body is medium with a moderate carbonation and a smooth feel on the tongue.

D: A solid oatmeal stout with good flavors and aromas that go down easy. Another good Anderson Valley beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2010 04:48:23 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

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

Reviewed from notes. On tap at Anderson Valley August 2009.

Pours a dark black with a bit of a bit of a dark tan head. Nose brings forward a good amount of roasted malt, a tad bit of smoke, molasses, and hints of coffee. The roast really stands out in the taste, which is really enhanced by the really nice and creamy mouthfeel this brings forward. Drinks really well and is one of the best American versions of the style that I have had.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2010 12:04:23 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

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

Appearance: Dark brown instant coffee appearance crowned with a head resembling chocolate milk bubbles.

Smell: Mostly mild coffee in the nose coupled with a bit of chocolate-dipped oatmeal cookie sweetness.

Taste: All the classic flavors are present: sweet malts, good coffee, earthen roastiness, and a bit of smoke. All flavors are nicely layered with a rich milkiness. Also, there's a gentle hoppiness that emerges near the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium, though nicely textured and wholly drinkable with decent amounts of carbonation. A good soothing beer.

Drinkability: The unaggressive nature, and overall smoothness of the oatmeal stout style certainly lends to an ease in drinkability. Do I "love" the beer? No, probably not. I do like it a great deal, though, as well as recommend it to others. Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2005 02:37:41 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.55/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a nearly obsidian color with a massive beige head that leaves a lot of lacing on the glass

Smell: Mocha aromas with a touch of brown sugar and maple syrup sweetened porridge

Taste: Starts with a rich mocha and chocolate flavor; mid-palate, the brown sugar and maple syrup sweetened porridge arrives; after the swallow, a hoppy/coffee bitterness with a touch of acidity blends to make for a satisfyingly complex finish

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation; smooth as silk from the oatmeal addition

Drinkability: If there is a more drinkable outmeal stout, one would be hard-pressed to find it

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2006 00:19:12 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque black with a 1 inch foamy dark khaki head that settles to a small cap. Foamy broken rings of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, toasted oats, and some slight cocoa aromas. Taste is of dark roasted malt, toasted oats, and some coffee bean and cocoa flavors on the finish. There is a mild roasty bitterness that quickly fades after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a light carbonation and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a solid oatmeal stout and one of my favorite Anderson Valley beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 05:01:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a medium size foamy head with average retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of black chocolate with some light dry roasted malt notes. Taste is also a well balance mix between some dry roasted malt notes with some nice black chocolate notes. Creamy texture is really enjoyable with some good carbonation. Very well done and well balance while still being easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2008 15:37:45 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.18/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ummm, Ummm, ummm. Tasty! This has all of the appearances to rate it 4.5 - 5.0. It looks nerly perfect in its black color, dense lasting head, and low carbonation. nlocks aromas of sweet cocoa, roasted, toasted grains, dark rich fruit, mild lactic tartness, and moderate coffee aromas. Tastes even better. Silky smooth chocolate and roasted malt. Just enough coffe flavors to give it some testicles. The oats really milds the flavors and texture. This has a big rich body, just short of putting it into a Imperial Stout category. Nice nutty flavors along with slight cherries woven into the alcohol. Finishes long, sweet, and modestly bitter. I beleive I'll have another.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2005 21:17:47 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is one of the better sweeter stouts I have had in a quite awhile,pours a deep brown not quite black with a nice looking almond colored head.Aroma is very earthy and of bitter chocolatetaiste is lightly sweet but not overpowering by any means with some nice earthiness and french roast coffee.A real nice brew on a cooler day like today,very nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2003 19:38:42 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The black-brown body of the Barney Flats is almost impervous to light; and capped by a creamy dark-tan-even-brown head. The retention is good, and it leaves some minor spots and splashes of lace about the glass.

The nose is rich with a combination of soft roastiness, dark and milk chocolates, softer cocoa, and lightly sweet fruits (apple, berries).

It's dextrinous medium-full body combines with a restrained carbonation to leave it silky smooth and creamy in the mouth.

The flavor delivers more fruit than the nose suggests, and it mixes nicely with the chocolatey malt base through to the swallow where the chocolate, coffee, cocoa, and scortched caramel really come out. It's balanced by a firm bitterness, leaving it a bit sweet in the mouth but drier in the finish; which lingers with a very nice combination of residual coffee and dark chocolate.

Overall, it's quite nice and very drinkable. It's not overly complex, but it doesn't really need to be. There's enough going on within the play between dark malt and yeasty fruit to keep you interested; and it's rich enough to keep you coming back to it without overwhelming you beyond one serving. Nicely done!

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2006 18:13:39 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Gale Sayers shaker pint glass.

Revisiting this beer to see how my perception of it has changed (if at all). It pours a seemingly straight onyx topped by over a finger of light brown foam. The nose comprises toasted biscuit, light roasted malts, toffee, toasted oats, and a few sprinkles of cocoa for good measure. The taste brings in more of the same, with the cocoa playing a stronger role, the roast darkening, and some light coffee coming into the mix as well. The body is a light-feeling medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a smooth, creamy feel. It seems a bit light and thin, but the creaminess (present in every AV beer I've had thus far) makes up for it, and then some. Overall, a very nice oatmeal stout. The thinness holds it back some, but it remains an enjoyable drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 04:46:22 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big, thick, cocoa brown head, and a color as black as the night. Aromas of chocolate, and espresso. Texture and mouthfeel are ideal for this style, one of my favorites: luscious, rich, and wonderfully roasty! Dark and bitter finish, but alive with hoppiness. Excellent balance, smooth and tasty, absolutely delicious. Beautiful and rewarding finish that goes on and on... This one is my #3 American oatmeal stout, behind Rogue and Bell's. Good job, AV!

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2003 18:47:19 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours a deep dark black color with a thick frothy dark brown head that slowly fades. The aroma is good. It has a nice toasted scent that boasts of crystal and chocolate malts. It is sweet smelling with a touch of hops. The taste is good also. It has a dry dark malt flavor that is slightly sweet and has a bit of hops in the aftertaste. The oats add a bit of texture to the flavor and mouthfeel. The mouthfeel is good. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a fine oatmeal stout. It has excellent taste and aroma; good drinker.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2004 00:54:28 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a shaker pint. At the time of this review, this beer is the #12 Oatmeal Stout on the beeradvocate.com best of styles lists.

Beer is dark brown to black with a little haze, thin tan head with low retention, apparent low carbonation, no lacing.

Aroma is sweet mildly with a little bit of roast. Smells good.

Beer is medium in body with a nice, mild malt and oat presence with a finish of mild to moderate bitterness. The overall beer is nice, good flavors, well rounded. I'd have this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 14:47:51 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out an opaque, jet black color with a bubbly, foamy, caramel-colored head that left sticky rings of soapy lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of oatmeal and dark roasted coffee. Then I began to pick up notes of caramel, sweet chocolate and some light floral notes.

T - Great taste of bitter and sweet. Bitter coffee, oatmeal and chocolate notes complimented by sweet caramel flavors.

M - It was soft and smooth with a slight sharp bite. A medium bodied beer.

D - A great oatmeal stout. Very easy drinking with no bitter aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2008 22:37:35 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is nearly jet black in color—traces of amber are visible near the edges of the glass when it is held up to the light. The beer poured with a finger high head that died down very slowly.
S: There are aromas of semisweet chocolate morsels in the nose.
T: The overall taste has a moderate amount of sweetness with flavors of chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. There are some hints of bitterness from the hops in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and very smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This is an easy drinking stout because it’s relatively light-bodied for the style and doesn’t have that much alcohol content.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2011 03:35:15 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A pitch black beer with a brown quickly dissipating head. Quite a roasted aroma to it, coffee and notes of biscuits. Quite smooth, finishes with a hint of acidity. A very smooth roast character, the brewer left out the astringency that can often be found in roasted beers. Not as thick bodied as some examples but still quite nice. As this beer warms up it develops some malty complexity.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2003 16:49:14 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap 12/8/10 at British Beer Company in Walpole, MA, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a short beige head that fades slowly and leaves a very thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains roasted malts, coffee, oats, lactose and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out bready flavors of oats and a hearty roasted malt character. Then some creamy and mildly sweet flavors of chocolate and coffee follow. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a solid stout worth drinking for a long time if you're in the mood for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2010 02:17:15 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This stout poured out as a deep brownish black color. The head was fluffy and tan. The lacing was decent for most of the time drinking this beer. The smell of the beer has some really nice roasted malt aromas blended with some interesting oats on the nose. The taste of the been is smooth and had a nice earthy roasted flavor to it. The mouthfeel was lighter than I expected. Overall this beer was pretty good. I can't say I'd go out of my way to have it again but I did enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 20:40:32 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.63/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

pours jet black with a creamy 3 fingers+ mocha head. Super lacing & head retention

Smell: roasted grain, bakers choclate, fruitiness

Taste Bitter choclate, fruittiness, grainyness, iron & slight hops edginess. Finishes fruitty & dry with a little alcohol twang

MF: smooth & great carbonation.

Pretty sessoinable. Great example of the style that really works. One of the best oatmeal stout's I've had, yummy& reccomended

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2006 04:02:38 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle

A: Dark black/brown with a nice tan almost capuccino colored head, very appetizing.

S: Sweet malts, maltose sugar, Milk Duds, fermented oats show their character adding a soft milk chocolate feel to the nose, very nice.

T: Pretty much the same as the nose, milk chocolate, malted milk balls like Whoppers, maple sugar, simple, but very tasty and pleasant flavor, yummy.

M: Smooth, creamy, a little thin, but overall very good and satisfying.

D: A very good stout from Anderson Valley. Drinkable, sessionable, a great offering.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2007 03:19:12 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

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

Pours a deep black color with a nice tan colored head. Some lacing developed through the drink. The aroma was of malt and smokiness. The flavor followed suit as the roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, oatmeal, and hops were nicely balanced and had a mellow hint of smoked flavor to it. This was definitely different from other oatmeal stouts.

The mouthfeel was smooth. The roasted malts and oatmeal lasted on the tongue for 20 seconds after swallowing. This is a medium bodied stout as it it slightly thinner than others but has a great flavor. Nicely drinkable and you won't get bored with this.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2004 01:25:35 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

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

Poured black with a thin, offwhite head that disappeared almost instantly to create a very thin lace, then nothing.
An aroma was present, but a bit thin for this style. It was chocolately caramel sweet with a hint of hops.
If you can get past the wateriness, which is certainly present, there is a good, complex taste, though a tad subdued for this style. Chocolate and caramel were blended with pale malts to make it flavorful, but very sweet. The alcohol is covered well.
Despite its somewhat watery qualities, it left a sweet sticky flavor behind. It's not quite as creamy and rich as the bottle claims.
It's not bad, but not something I would want a second of at a time. After I drank it, and came to that conclusion, I read that it is good for a dessert beer or a nightcap. That is true because of the overwhelming sweet, sugary aftertaste it leaves behind.
Overall, I thought that it was good, but know of oatmeal and other stouts that are just as good or better for less the cost.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2006 22:37:02 | More by jwc215