Oatmeal Stout - Mendocino Brewing Company

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

whisperjet

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a: Black as night with a 2 finger chocolate colored head. Light ring lace and good head retention.

s: Smells of roasted coffee, chocolate and malt. Very smooth and creamy. Very smooth balance of smells.

t: Thick and malty. Coffee taste is strong and bitter with nice hop tones. Very rich and firm. Nice strong beer.

m: Full bodied, creamy, chewy. Really fills the mouth

d: Very drinkable and smooth. Great after dinner beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2010 04:21:52 | More by whisperjet

khiasmus

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Espresso and a 3 Musketeers. The perfect combination on a cold evening. She loves chocolate, and coffee. So you can sit snuggled in the blanket and share them both. The beautiful muddy dark brown, almost black and the dark tan froth on top, as you take a sniff... The nougat from the candy bar combines and the result is a nutty, creamy, chocolatey, milky, and slightly metallic aroma, presumably from the old metal stein you opted to pour it into.
The tan froth leaves spots of sticky residue on the sides of the mug, and you take a bite and a sip and smile at her, making sure her teeth stopped chattering and her ears are warm under her thick furry hat. She smiles back at you with a wonder in her eyes as the snow begins to fall ever so gently and her breath comes out misty as the hot espresso evaporates. The chocolate, milky nougat, and espresso combine in one note... thick and chewy, creamy and silky, sweet and roasty, milky and chocolatey, altogether delicious. What a wonderful, simple, rare night. Savour the moments.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2010 19:18:12 | More by khiasmus

dogfishandi

New York

4.22/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle pulled from fridge and allowed to warm up for about half an hour. no freshness date. poured into a bulb style glass.

pours out a opaque black with 2 fingers of biege creamy expresso like head. faded to a smooth creamy thin layer. just tiny bits of lace. very dark, the color and head are reminiscient of a RIS.

the first thing that jumps out at me in the aroma is smoke. behind that there is some roasted/ burnt malt, and a bit of lacto and oatmeal like creaminess and just a hint of dark fruits.

wow, very tasty stout we got here. follows the aroma with a nice balance of smokey burnt wood, heavily roasted malt, and oatmeal/ lacto creaminess. behind that, theres a bit of dark fruitiness, raisons, dates, figs, etc.

smooth creamy medium body. adequate carbonation for the style.

very drinkable beer, drank 4 of these new years eve with a few other beers no problem. and for 7$ a sixpack, you cant go wrong at all. definatly improved my overall opinion on mendocino brewing company. the welcome addition of smoke really made this beer for me. highly recommended IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 21:44:39 | More by dogfishandi

lechroy

California

4.2/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A wonderful rich chocolately oatmeal stout with a truly exceptional "full-bodied feeling" aroma. Love it. Yum. The light brown head is a nice contrast to the body. Taste is pretty good, but leaves me feeling a little empty in the middle. It has a wonderful, very drinkable light finish. All around just good, but not exceptional other than smell.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 05:16:30 | More by lechroy

beerinmorning

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have one staple when it comes to beer: it's all about the taste. I don't care about packaging. I can tolerate less that optimal smell and feel is the taste is there.

This beer: the taste is there.

The mouthfeel is nice and thick, without much of an alcohol taste at all. Instead, the tastes is a nice bitter chocolate flavor with a distinct dry finish that delivers a wonderful coffee flavor. I'd call it a desert beer if it wasn't for the fact that I could drink it all day long.

This is my first beer from Mendocino. If they are all of this quality, however, I'll be buying a lot more very soon.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 01:15:26 | More by beerinmorning

kemoarps

Washington

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I picked this up on a whim off the safeway shelf nearby. pleasant surprise.
pours a deep brown bordering on black, with a dark head that dissipates, but leaves good lacing down the sides. Beautiful looking brew.
Smelling it, the burnt malts are by far the dominant characteristic. Dark espresso malts and a bit of burnt cocoa. Yum. Makes me think of smoke and coal, real coal not store bought charcoal, and roasted meat. Like a barbecue I guess is what I'm saying.
The taste follows the nose pretty well, just blending it to a tasty malty concoction. The faint sweetness is that of toffee, but the dominant flavour is that of the burnt malts.
Drinks easily enough, crisp, but with a smoothe creamy finish, and not as much of that aftermouth coating as can occur sometimes. Feels a bit filling, wouldn't call it sessionable, but imo that's a minor complaint.
Overall, in case you couldn't tell, I greatly enjoyed this beer. I was very pleasantly surprised, not expecting much (no particular reason, just had no reason to expect more), and it turned out to be quite a tasty brew. Definitely very glad I took a chance on it.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 03:28:26 | More by kemoarps

BigPlay1824

New York

4.13/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass
Poured from a 12oz bottle

A: pours a deep black color with thick foamy head reminiscent of chocolate milk. Leaves a considerable amount of foamy coffee colored lacing

S: Smells strongly of oatmeal and a slight addition of chocolate

T: nice oatmeal flavor offset slightly by some chocolate notes. Has a slight smoked nutty finish as well

D/M: really smooth drinking brew. Goes down nice with a great taste that makes drinking it a real joy. Quite nice overall. Well done mendocino

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 03:09:50 | More by BigPlay1824

Thads324

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A : poured from a bottle into a pint. Black with 2 fingers of lovely looking dark tan head. Good but not great lacing on half the pint.

S : smells of sweet coffee and a tail end of caramel. not super heavy on the aroma

T : a good quality stout flavor of roasted malt and coffee. burnt toffee and a bit of all these flavors finish. It is a full flavor from start to finish, with many parts, but one dimension of flavor in a good way.

M : the mouthfeel is soild but not super heavy. carbonation seems slightly overdone.

D : this brew is heavy on flavor but not on anything else. Super drinkable while still being full flavored.

not much else that isn't already here. Lacks the "chewiness" of most oatmeal stouts but still pretty darn good. I'm glad there is not watery flavor like some. My first from this brewery and hopefully not the last.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2011 01:27:18 | More by Thads324

samie85

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a very dark pitch color with two fingers of brown sugar head.

S-Sweet coffee and slightly roasted notes with a bit of vanilla.

T-Sweet and slightly roasted coffee with some hints of caramel.

M-Wow! This is literally a coffee milkshake; thick and creamy with low carbonation. This beer has one of the best feels I've ever experienced.

D-Really easy drinking, but this beer is a little lacking in the flavor complexity category.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 04:01:28 | More by samie85

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.1/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A huge smokey chocolate character is the alpha and omega in this beer- it chases the flavor profile from the first sip until the final quaff with a masculine and powerful demeanor.

Pouring an onyx-black color and sheen, the beer carries a very dark brown color or even black; dark enough to not be able to know whether it has a haze or not. A creamy, lightly tanned foam forms a dense head that reduces to a sheet and lace about the rim before steadying. Moderate pockets of lace cling to the glass.

Densely packed aromas of chocolate, smoke, French roast coffee, caramel, vanilla, and roast all hit the olfactories with a rich intensity and leaving a tawny malt scent on the nose that continue to deliver a multitude of Stout characteristics with each whiff.

Malty sweet flavors of burnt molasses, deeply roasted coffees, cocoa-chocolate blends, walnuts, charred woods, and light milky flavors all far exceed the rebuttal from hops. Only a woody and lightly grassy flavor after mid palate round out the sweeter components with earthy and spicy bite and bitterness. Light lactic sourness gives the impression of coffee sourness that blends with coffee bitterness much the same. Delicously flavored and with the slight vinous/grain character that reveals flaws but deliver complexity in the same move.

Medium-full in texture, the oatmeal additions finally make their mark with a creamy, milky feel but seemingly chase the carbonation out of the beer, thus reducing creaminess to a silky and oily texture, if not slightly thin in an odd and grainy kind of way. Finishing succulently malty and with a long linger of roast, chocolate, and minty cooling in alcohol.

Overall a very good Oatmeal Stout with pronounced alcohol and a straight laced Stout profile of roast, chocolate, malt, and supportive hops. A good switch up from that Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 05:25:30 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured jet black,no highlights even when held to the light,fluffy mocha colored head atop that settled pretty slowly leaving no lace behind.At first the aromas were somewhat muted but after a minute sitting in the glass some nice cocoa,earth,and vanilla note showed themselves nicely.Low carbonation feel giving the beer an almost creamy feel wich was real nice.Mellow roasted flavors along with cocoa powder,a tinge of dark fruit,and a milk stout-like lactose sweetness in the finish.A solid oatmeal stout here,I was pleasantly surprised I have to say.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 20:36:11 | More by oberon

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

dark brown in color with a big had of tan that came up and over the top. Nice retention and great lacing up and down the sides of the glass.

Roasted malts, sweet with molasses and hints of brown sugar. mellow and a touch hoppier then I would have thought. Very nice chocolate notes here, really laid down quite well. Hints of molasses again and a decent touch of vanilla poking its head up. The finish comes through with a light bitterness and a touch of dark fruit.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 18:48:05 | More by mikesgroove

Blakaeris

Iowa

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

Pours pitch black with no highlights. Head is initially thick and frothy, but quickly dissipates to a thin ring.

Aroma is surprisingly smokey with bitter charred dark grain. I had expected an oatmeal sweetness, but this is not sweet.

Taste is initially sweet with dark malty grain and a good bit of chocolate. Woody, earthy bitterness then takes over with a bit of dark fruit and dry cocoa. Finishes dry and clean with a touch of lingering alcohol.

Mouthfeel is medium-full.

Overall a decent Oatmeal Stout. Alcohol has a strong presence for a 6% beer. definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 23:52:49 | More by Blakaeris

bashiba

Iowa

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice deep black with a thick and sticky tan head.

The smell has a lightly sweet cereal quality to it with a hint of smoke.

The flavor is a nice balance of sweet and chocolaty oatmeal with a underlying black smokey bitterness, very balanced session quality stout.

The mouthfeel is a bit light, but has nice carbonation.

Good easy drinking stout, Mendocino continues to make some of the best buys in the craft beer section.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2010 00:00:37 | More by bashiba

Mora2000

Texas

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

Thanks to ericandersnavy for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark brown to black color with a tan head. The aroma is roasted malt with some chocolate. The flavor is chocolate, roasted malt, some smoke and some oats. Medium, creamy mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

A very nice oatmeal stout and the best Mendocino beer I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 03:17:25 | More by Mora2000

Gavage

New Jersey

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

Appearance: pours a black color with a one finger milk chocolate colored head that slowly falls to a spotty surface foam.

Smell: roasted malts and some oats are easy to detect. Some fruit sweetness lingers in the background.

Taste: roasted malt, oat, mild bitterness, raisins, a hint of molasses, and some dark brown sugar sweetness.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lightly crisp to start, smooth and a bit creamy at the finish.

Drinkability: easy quaffing stout. Nice roasted flavors keep it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2010 22:36:20 | More by Gavage

airforbes1

New York

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

Pours black with a copious beige head. The nose has notes of roasted malt and bitter hops.

The taste is mildly chocolatey and sweet up front and ends with some bitter hops. The flavors are well synchronized and balanced. The overall taste profile reminds me of dark chocolate.

This may not be a world-class example of the style, but it is tasty and is easy drinking. I think I prefer it slightly to Mendocino's Black Hawk Stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 04:11:57 | More by airforbes1

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a black color and a thick texture. There was a half inch of tan-colored, creamy fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: Had a strong malty smell with traces of oatmeal as well.

T: Tasted of malt, chocolate, coffee, and oatmeal. A very solid, very balanced flavor. Not an overwhelming taste, but certainly well done.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a smooth, dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A solid, drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 14:24:22 | More by avalon07

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

Gehrig

Illinois

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

Deep, jet black body with a light, fleeting patch of mocha froth; no lacing. Nice, subtle aromas, with plenty of coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt and, pleasantly as it warms, the rich, unmistakable whiff of tobacco.

Good taste, lots of coffee and chocolate, and the tobacco doesn't taste to badly, either. Some vanilla peeks through the dense flavors; good stuff. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel, easy on the palate.

It is not the most complex stout, but it is quite good, it sports an intriguing set of flavors, and is easy to enjoy. I have often said that Mendocino is hit or miss with me. This is a definite hit, a pleasant surprise, and one I recommend without reservation to stout lovers.

Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 01:45:59 | More by Gehrig

chickenflea

Florida

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

Bottle. Black, small light brown creamy head, fair lacing and good retention. Great roasted malt aroma. The usual suspects are here: molasses, chocolate, coffee, toasty caramel. Mouth is medium-full with creamy carbonation, lightly dry. Flavor is lightly sweet with some coffee bean bitterness, and a mildly hoppy long finish. I am beginning to think that this is one of the easier styles to get right. A lot of breweries do it well. The Mendocino is a solid offering. Very tasty and true to form.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 22:01:16 | More by chickenflea

climax

Kansas

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

This one comes out black, with a good sized dark tan head. The retention is so-so, but a constant film holds strong.

I would have liked more intensity in the nose, but it's smooth and fairly complex. Banana bread, oatmeal, chocolate, and whip cream balance each other out politely. There is a dash of leafy flavor from the hop side of things, to round it all out.

Maple and brown sugar add sweetness to a flavor full of oats and molasses. Roasty bitterness begins to dry things out towards the finish. There is no offensive flavors or astringency whatsoever, they've steamrolled every bit of harshness out.

Unrivaled smoothness, and a medium body fit the bill for the style. Carbonation is very mild, adding the tiniest bit of grit to a milky feel. This slides down the hatch easy as can be.

Mendocino isn't touted for creating extraordinary beers, and this is no exception. But as far as making a pleasant flavorful easy drinking smooth stout, they succeed here. It's easy to drink multiple, and a good starting point for someone getting into the darkies.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 00:55:41 | More by climax

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

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