Oatmeal Stout - Mendocino Brewing Company

ElijahRivera

New York

3.89/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Picked up a six pack of this seasonal for only $3.99(leftover seasonal stock) at Oliver's in Albany, NY.

A-Solid black opaque. The head is thick, creamy, and almost milk chocolate in color.

S-Sweet roasted grains, some cocoa, and some coffee. Everything that you would expect and want to be there.

T-The taste starts with the sweet caramel malts, and almost buttery smooth oatmeal flavors. Then the bitter roasted malts come in, and it finishes nicely with cocoa and coffee flavors.

M-Medium to full body with appropriate carbonation.

O-A really decent oatmeal stout with the full range of rich flavors that you want from the style. It seems to be well balanced, and is really hitting the spot during this chilly Spring night after a long day in the sun. I have nothing bad to say about this beer; and, at a price like that, how could I complain?

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 02:00:31 | More by ElijahRivera

silverking

Florida

4.34/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

It pours almost black, but in reality it is a very dark brown. It sports a mocha head with moderate retention and excellent lacing that cascades slowly down teh sides of the glass. The aroma carries hints of smoke and dark chocolate. Lots of burnt malt detectable. The taste follows suit. Slight smokiness with a lot of grain. bitter chocolate in teh finish with a slightly sour aspect. the mouthfeel is a little light, but the carbonation follows suit nicely. Very nice beer. hearty, yet surprisingly mellow.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 21:50:46 | More by silverking

HalfFull

California

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle served up in a large globe glass. Pours an inky black with a thin dark brown cap. Light retention yet decent lacing follow.

Aroma is strong on roast and chocolate though not overdone. Low carbonation requires some agitation to renew a surface film so as to appreciate the malt depth and reveal a touch of chocolate sourness. Warms to add a subtle smoky character.

Taste is smooth and creamy with a decent feel that belies the lack of apparent carbonation. Coffee and chocolate with just a light roast character on the taste. Bittersweet chocolate offers a decent lingering finish.

Overall a good and quite straightforward stout. Oats add a creamy feel and finish but the light carbonation limits the love here.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 02:14:15 | More by HalfFull

flagmantho

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: rich dark brown hue with a thin layer of frothy tan foam atop. Great color, but head leaves something to be desired.

Smell: rich coffee and chocolate aroma with just a little bit of roasty malt sourness at the end. Quite nice.

Taste: a nicely balanced blend of coffee, chocolate and general roastiness. The end is a little bit bland, but I don't think it detracts too much from that initial great taste. I quite like it.

Mouthfeel: I would not have guessed from the head, but there is a lusciously creamy carbonation in this beer. Good stuff.

Overall: I'm pleasantly surprised by this beer. I wasn't expecting the world, but Mendocino has delivered a serviceable, indeed quite tasty, Oatmeal stout. I'd definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 04:58:53 | More by flagmantho

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Small bar-pour head, but it sticks around and leaves a near blanket of lace. Near black color where no lace penetrates (even on the edge of the glass).

Mildly burnt malt aromas; it's borderline toasty. Closer to Porter than Stout in the smell.

The flavor is more true to form--more burnt bitter malt. Like many stouts, this one is thin, perhaps thinner than most. Mild finish of over-roasted malt, but it lingers forever.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2012 18:14:04 | More by smcolw

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a tulip shaped pint glass. Thanks are owed to SDDanC for this extra in our recent trade. Thanks man! The brew pours black in color with a finger of brown froth sitting atop. The cap slowly fades leaving some patches of lacing effect sticking to the glass. Around the edges, some lighter brown to ruby coloring is seen with a bit of clarity. A light swirl revives about a half finger of froth back to the surface.

The aroma is very pleasant with a fresh kilned grain quality. Nice and roasty with a hint of baker's chocolate, espresso and earth. The more I smell this, the more a bit of fresh grainy quality emerges from this that I can only assume to be the oats that mixes with the minor chocolate quality and really formulates a nice compilation to the aromatics. Well done.

The taste starts off with a similarity to the nose. Bitter roasted grain emerge first blending into a bit of mineral quality and some sulfites. A light fruity alcohol ester before going back to a burnt flavor of grain. Whereas the aroma almost had a sweet milk chocolate aspect to it, the flavor here is instead more like bitter cacao. It has a bit of an earthen aspect that while enjoyable in it's own right, does not live up to the expectations let on by the aromatics.

This is a medium to lighter bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. The alcohol is well integrated. I have a couple gripes about this brew. The first being the mineral quality present in the flavor profile was not that enjoyable mixed with a hint of sulfite. The other gripe I have is in the body of this brew, it is lacking just a bit and seems lighter than it should for being advertised as an oatmeal stout. I would have liked to seen a bit more fuller or smoother body from the oats. Otherwise this was a pretty good brew. The nose on this brew is an absolute beast, I would get it again just to smell it it is that good.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 03:24:17 | More by stakem

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is opaque black, though a hint of light passes through when held to a lamp. Two fingers of thick, tan head left a buttery ring around the edge and a thin, spotted lacing.

Smell: It is a run of the mill oatmeal stout: roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, and that oatmeal creaminess. It has been quite a while since I drank a stout so I am very eager to take a sip.

Taste: Oooh — nice. The roasted malt and coffee bitterness are balanced by oatmeal, burnt caramel, and chocolate. However, the roasted bitterness does linger after each sip. After it has warmed considerably, it begins leaning toward medicinal rubber. Thankfully, though, it never passes the point of no return and remains enjoyable.

Drinkability: Solid stuff. It is not extraordinary, but it is pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 06:02:14 | More by TheQuietMan22

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a bottle at Northern Soul in Hoboken, NJ

A: Pours an opaque black in color with some very subtle hints of dark brown and amber when held up to the light. The beer has a finger tall light tan head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of roasted malts, milk chocolate, and coffee.

T: There is a light to moderate flavor of roasted malts with some light flavors of milk chocolate and coffee but very little bitterness or sweetness to the brew. Slightly lighter flavors of oats towards the finish.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly creamy.

O: Very easy to drink and enjoyable with a very pleasant mouthfeel to go along with nice flavors and aromas. Well balanced. Glad I found this one (not on the menu) when I peeked into the fridge behind the bar.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 00:06:59 | More by dbrauneis

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Deep dark black not much to say. Head was fairly good not perfect since it fizzes to a mild lace ring yet lacing is decent.

S - Fairly balanced stout showcasing the mild chocolate and balanced coffee you would expect. Stronger than Guinness which is great.

T - Very balanced milk chocolate and subtle roast flavors. Oats are nicely balanced and unlike the imperial stout this stout is balanced, sweet, and delicious.

M - Medium bodied, creamy and a delicious stout.

Overall worth picking up. Simple, complex, and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 04:01:16 | More by DrDemento456

scootny

New York

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Darn near black. Seriously opaque. Fluffy, thick, rich head. Slow fade to a nice covering. Good amount of lace. Aroma is surprisingly sweet. Lots of roasted grains underneath with a bit of dark fruitiness. A touch of diacetyl. Taste is smooth and roasty. Burnt toffee and charcoal. Coffee flows through like a velvety latte. Finish has a nice firm earthy bitterness. Feel is on the lighter side with a gentle but crisp carbonation. Good solid brew

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 07:07:43 | More by scootny

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- pours dark black, almost opaque. Very thin dark tan head that dissipates quickly to leave no head or lace.

S- dark roasted malt, smoky camp fire, bacon and cheddar cheese spread, grainy oats.

T- the smoky notes follows the nose, almost tastes like smoked bacon, then turns slightly sweet with notes of fig, prune, and chocolate, and oats. Finishes very sweet with noticeable hops.

M- medium body, low carbonation, and slightly creamy mouthfeel

O- a bit sweeter than the average oatmeal stout, which makes it enjoyable, but a slow sipper. Still worth trying!

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 03:05:03 | More by Treyliff

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a conic pint glass.

The beer immediately smells more "oatmealish" than any oatmeal stout I've had. A good hearty dose of oats, followed by the roasted, bitter coffee underneath. I want to say there's a hint of bitter hops in the nose as well.

The taste of this beer does not follow the aroma. There's more of a roasted, smokey character first, with drier, dark coffee notes in the finish. But some oats, faintly.

The beer finishes dry and chalky.

Let's not forget what it looks like! I cannot really judge appearance first thing, but half-way down, a huge sheet of foamy lacing coats the glass. The mocha colored head, chunky and foamy, has dissipated to a few random patches with a bubbly ring around the glass. The beer itself is a deep dark coffee black with a good cola-brown hue in the light.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 17:27:31 | More by JuicesFlowing

TheSixthRing

California

3.65/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a near pitch black with cola brown edging and a tan, finger width head. Retention is subpar, but leaves behind a significant, sticky lacing.

Smell - Rich chocolate. Slightly bitter notes.

Taste - Starts with rich chocolate, as notes of roasted coffee poke through. Slightly unbalanced. Not much in the way of hop character, and it causes this to be a bit overly sweet. Finishes in nearly the same place at it starts. Simple and straight-forward.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Carbonation is spot on, leaving just enough tingle to keep this beer feeling lively.

Overall - A promising stout, but it falls short of being great. The lack of hops causes this beer to be too sweet and one-dimensional, and kills any chance of being sessionable. Probably works best as a desert beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 03:37:41 | More by TheSixthRing

secondtooth

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Deep black with ruby undertones. Fairly thick head of tan bubbles. Nice and thick lace. Solid appearance.

Nose is burnt malts and chocolate. There's a hint of graininess somewhere in there, too. Maybe that's the oats I'm detecting?

Taste is charred malts up front, followed by an astringent, almost vinegar tone. Ends on a burnt cocoa vibe.

Overall, quite average. I wasn't too impressed.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 16:58:46 | More by secondtooth

TaySuth

California

3.33/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Very dark brown in color with a half finger head of brown foam that quickly recedes to a ring with moderate lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt with caramel, molasses, chocolate and a hint of coffee. Pretty good.

Taste: Coffee flavor hits first followed by smooth chocolate with hints of molasses and caramel. It is good but nothing amazing.

Mouthfeel: Light carbonation but it works well with the beer. The body is just a little heavier than average.

Overall: A nice stout but nothing that I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 04:00:58 | More by TaySuth

McNealc31

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The aroma of the Mendocino Oatmeal Stout promises lots of oatmeal flavor along with oily hops and perhaps some molasses. Full of big, earthy flavors, this is a very smooth stout. Roasted oats dominate (as they should), followed by bittersweet chocolate, bourbon, and wood. Floral hops make a nice presence at the end, but don't overshadow anything.

Quite quaffable, but I wouldn't be opposed to more oatmeal in this

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 01:48:38 | More by McNealc31

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- Very close to black. The color is nice but the brown head retains very poorly. It's gone very quickly.
S- Smell is of slightly burnt caramel, molasses, and a bit of bourbon.
T- Up front there is a nice roasted note with dark caramel and a bit of maple syrup flavor. The finish has a bit of an off sour note though.
M- Excessively light for the style and not nearly smooth enough for an oatmeal stout.
O- This was disappointing. I generally like Mendocino, but this one just wasn't that good.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 04:19:17 | More by jsprain1

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Full but a bit too lactic. Sour too. Nice and dark rich color. Pours a touch flat. Not too much toastiness but a nice. It of heavy malts. Nose is essentially nonexistent heavy feel that just oozes off the palate. I like this is a single or double bottle but would not have more than a few in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 02:48:56 | More by MuddyFeet

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a lovely deep brown/red. A nice compact brown head forms on top.

S - Smoky and roasty with a touch of dark fruits. Molasses. Little tough to find oatmeal.

T - Sweet and light. This beer becomes smaller and less impressive with each catergory

M - Thin, but very smooth

O - This is OK. It's a pretty simple-tasting beer, which is not in line with the nose. This is a bummer, man...that's a..that's a bummer.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 03:11:53 | More by ColdPoncho

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.55/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours mahogany with a thumb of brown head. Good lacing & average head retention

S: Carob & raisins, leafy & minty hops

T: Follows the nose, dryness as well up front, a touch of cocoa powder & light leafy hops too. Chalky dryness, more raisins & just bit of baker's chocolate with leafy hoppyness. Finishes dry, with some, not much roastyness finally showing up to the party once warm, plus more leafy & minty hops

MF: Medium bodied, fairly smooth

An alright stout that's lacking enough classic oatmeal stout characteristic that it leaves me somewhat sad I bought a sixer

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 04:26:30 | More by russpowell

bearsxco

Massachusetts

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

Poured a very dark brown with a slight caramel colored head that didn't last very long. Virtually no lacing but carbonation lingers to outside of glass. Strong roasted malt and caramel scent. Mouthful is sweet with some carbonation. Tastes as it smells, strong roasted malt with a hint of caramel as you drink. One of the sweeter oatmeal stouts that I have had. Would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 22:36:38 | More by bearsxco

JamesS

Indiana

3.55/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a nice deep dark brown with some nice initial head, but ended soon and no lacing to speak of. Nice sweet malty scent, slight roastiness, but nothing very deep and dark. Nice flavors, with a bit of roastiness and a nice bit of sweetness from the oats, but nothing huge and deep. Went down quite well, nice and creamy. Not the best I've had, but a good oatmeal stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 00:19:38 | More by JamesS

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. Reviewed alongside Ipswich Oatmeal Stout.

A: Dark brown with two-finger, tan, creamy head that lasted a couple of minutes. Okay lacing.

S: Banana bread, chocolate and coffee. Hoppy.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Strong molasses flavor compared to other Oatmeal stouts I've had, which is interesting. The roasted notes take a bit of a back seat to the molasses.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Smooth but not as creamy as I would like.

O: The Ipswich was creamier and had a slight edge all around. This stout had an interesting molasses flavor though. Still, I think Ipswich is the winner.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 05:17:17 | More by SolipsismalCat

obywan59

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brown on the pour, but near black in the glass.3-1/2 finger head colored like hot-chocolate. Excellent lacing.

Smell of coffee and dark chocolate with a twang of citrus.

Coffee and burnt malt in the taste. It seemed disproportionately bitter to my taste. Not smooth as I had expected. Somewhat tart as well.

Medium-bodied with light burn of alcohol on the way down.

Decent, but there are a lot better to choose from.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 03:52:23 | More by obywan59

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Good deep dark brown pour, tan head in the range of 1" on the top. Mild roast notes in the aroma, even some detectable hops believe it or not.

Good evenflow and balance, the oats allow the beer to be smooth, not bitter, but allow the mouthfeel to still be thick enough to not be described as watery. Not a real distinct chocolate or coffee mouthfeel to it, really just full of two row consistency. Which is fine, not everything needs to be all imperialed out or barrel aged, this is a nice somewhat sessionable stout.

Scored a 6 pack of this for $6.99 at Ledgers's Liquors about a year ago. Drank 5 of them in the last year. Still have one left, in the course of the year, each one tasted the same as the last, indicates its pretty sturdy, sure some beers can taste great in a small window of time, this one tastes good in a large window of time.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 19:10:45 | More by Beerandraiderfan