Oatmeal Stout - Rivertown Brewing Co.

raznug

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: This pours just like a stout should thick, black and no visible light coming through. It is topped with ¾” of off light brown colored head that dissipates to a thin layer at a steady rate.
Smell: I can smell roasted malts and an oatmeal aroma that hangs around just after the roasted notes leave the nose. I think I can smell toffee notes that are almost not there, very, very faint.
Taste: The flavor is a little lacking compared to some stouts but it is a good stout just not great. The taste goes well with the aroma; mainly roasted malts along with the slight hints of toffee and maybe vanilla. The oats aren’t as visible in the taste as I would have liked but no beer is perfect.
Mouthfeel: My first thought was that it was a little thin bodied but as the beer gets warmer it seems to be getting thicker. It has a tasty creaminess to it that makes it very easy to drink especially on this august day.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 14:06:15 | More by raznug

bmoney

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%

03-25-2013 02:34:26 | More by bmoney

Ferd577

Indiana

3/5  rDev -12%

02-07-2013 00:54:00 | More by Ferd577

crytion

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%

01-29-2013 12:54:03 | More by crytion

franglais16

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%

01-14-2013 12:12:48 | More by franglais16

M_Burkey

3.25/5  rDev -4.7%

08-08-2012 13:15:20 | More by M_Burkey

seanote

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +10%

04-25-2012 01:33:31 | More by seanote

prototypic

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Oatmeal Stout pours a dark chocolate fudge color. It’s not opaque. Backlighting reveals some burgundy highlights at the outermost edges. A tan head covers the top. It’s modest, standing a little less than a finger in height. Retention was on the shorter side. Lacing was light and very spotty.

The nose is rather average. It’s definitely lacking in the strength department. Needs work there. It kicks off with a roasty scent. Very roasty. Almost smells a little smoked or burnt. That could be attributable to a roasted coffee or espresso element. Difficult to tell. Charred barley could be the ticket, as well. It doesn’t smell sweet. Alcohol isn’t a factor at all. I’m not getting any. It’s not bad, but it’s good either. More strength would definitely help.

The flavor is pretty average, as well. Roasted and chocolate malts are the base. The roasted variety is certainly the stronger of the two. The chocolate variety is definitely dark and bittersweet. It’s not sweet in the least. Roasted coffee or charred barley gives it a strong burnt flavor. It’s too strong. Seems to overpower the malt flavors. The flavor just seems to drop off and become dull. Not very exciting at all. Alcohol isn’t noticeable at all. Finishes roasty, a bit charred, and very dry. Average at best.

Oatmeal Stout has a lighter body. Carbonation seems light, but it feels watered down and thin. Not smooth at all. Average seems to fit the bill here, as well. If it were a little more flavorful, it’d go down easier. Pretty dull as it is. Finishing off this 12 oz. bottle shouldn’t be a problem though.

Oatmeal Stout is my first experience with Rivertown Brewing Company. Overall, it’s been a pretty ho-hum experience. Oatmeal Stout is very average in virtually every respect. It needs quite a bit of work to make it stand out. More aromatics, better flavor, more body. If you decide to go for it, stick with a single bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 02:27:33 | More by prototypic

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.28/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured up on 4/3/12. The bottle recommends this be served in a pint glass. I poured it into a McDonald's Collector's Series glass featuring Grimace, since that's what I do frequently when drinking Rivertown beers.

I once had a bad bottle of this (shocker) before they distributed to Columbus. I haven't tried it since. Let's see how this one fares...

Dark, inky brown pour becomes a dull black in the glass. A one finger head dissipates quickly but leaves a thin, even layer of foam. Decent lace remains.

Oats have a pretty good showing in the aroma and mingle with roasted coffee and bitter chocolate; there are some burnt sugar notions, too. Whereas the aroma is ok, it doesn't carry over come sippin' time. Oh no, no. Think earth, metal shavings and watery coffee. Undertones of the namesake oats peek through from time to time. Roast notes are bland. Though not the most prominent aspect, off notes are unshakable. The body is a bit thin, but the feel remains inky enough. Carbonation is fizzy and sits uncomfortably with the rest of the feel. Dirty residuals.

My overall impression is that this is better than the first time around (not hard to do), but there are still long strides to be made before this is even remotely a contender.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 23:47:28 | More by Ryan011235

SPriestle

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%

03-25-2012 18:09:26 | More by SPriestle

dwduncan2

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -4.7%

03-08-2012 02:41:38 | More by dwduncan2

rogueleonardi

Ohio

4/5  rDev +17.3%

01-25-2012 19:59:16 | More by rogueleonardi

bkonk10

Indiana

2.5/5  rDev -26.7%

12-19-2011 01:25:13 | More by bkonk10

neenerzig

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was down in Cincinnati this past weekend as my brother graduated college from University of Cincinnati. So Saturday afternoon after the graduation ceremony we headed over The Party Source right across the river in Kentucky. I purchased a 6 pack of this, among other things that I can't get here in Cleveland, and some beers I can't get in Ohio at all. Poured into my pint glass, this beer is a dark brown color with amber/ruby hues when held up to the light. Has a thin brown head well under 1/4 inch thick that disappears very quickly after being poured to a nice medium sized ring lining the inside of the glass. Has a little bit of lacing on the inside of the glass. Aromas of dark roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and oatmeal are all nicely present, certainly enjoying the nose with this one! Has nice roasted chocolate, malt and coffee flavors upfront that give way to the oatmeal. No discernible hop aroma or flavor here. The flavors certainly come out more as the beer sits and warms a bit. Has a crisp, thin to medium bodied mouthfeel, with moderate carbonation. A very drinkable beer indeed. Almost dangerously drinkable in fact. A very good, solid beer here. My only complaints are that I thought the body/mouthfeel was a big thin for a stout and the lack of head and foam when the beer was first poured. Certainly worth a try.

Eric

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 02:23:05 | More by neenerzig

mcorwin

Ohio

4/5  rDev +17.3%

11-15-2011 05:58:59 | More by mcorwin

brown2cu

Ohio

2.05/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A: Pours jet black with some ruby hues. An off white head is present but dies down quickly. No lacing is present.

S: Smells like a bud with a faint hint of roasted malt.

T: Insipid. The flavors that you would normally expect to be present in this style were there; however, they were completely lackluster. An interesting aspect about this beer was that there was a rather sharp bitterness present. However, I don't know if it only seemed sharp compared to the bland malt bill.

MF:Spritzy, and makes it easy to drink. However, for the style it is way wrong.

O: Not impressed. One thing I can say is that I want another opportunity to try this beer, and review it. I tried this really wanting to like it, and from what I have read most people think this beer is exceptional

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2011 03:21:00 | More by brown2cu

mattboyer182

Indiana

3.7/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - dark black, thin brown head, dissipates quickly.

S - dark roasted malts and chocolate and oatmeal.

T - decimate oatmeal right upfront. Good sweetness with a balanced bitter at the end.

M - heavy bodied and light carbonation.

O - pretty enjoyable. Solid oatmeal stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 04:39:36 | More by mattboyer182

secondtooth

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep black, with a huge head of tan foam. Big spokes of lace on my ale glass.

Nose is cocoa-chocolate, slightly roasty and definitely mouth-watering.

Taste is roasty (but not burnt), with more chocolate tones and a hint of coffee. This is a smooth-drinking stout, no doubt made creamier by the oatmeal.

Absolutely nothing wrong with this brew -- tasty, enjoyable, and with plenty of depth.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 14:36:23 | More by secondtooth

BigDRS

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Opaque dark, dark ruby red/near black in color with a tan colored head. Head dies down quickly to just a light film.

S - The aroma on this beer is awesome. Oatmeal, roasted malt, some dark chocolate, and coffee notes all are present in the nose. Roasty qualities really stand out.

T - Very similar to the smell. Starts out with a lot of up front roasted malt character and about mid-way through sweetens up a bit and the coffee and chocolate flavors come through.

M - Not very good. Mouthfeel is quite watery for my taste, and the carbonation level is just a touch high.

O - Overall this is a quality beer, but the mouthfeel is a real letdown. If one is in the mood for a decent stout, this will at least fulfill the craving.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 02:43:49 | More by BigDRS

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Nice dark brown/black body with signs of clarity at the edges with some red light. A big tan head lies atop the beer and reluctantly dissipates.

S - dark fruits, roasted coffee, molasses. Not too bad, but it seems a bit too sweet.

T - Roasted malts, and molasses. I know this taste, and it is kind of off-putting, but it's not too bad in this beer. It's just this funky sweetness. The roasted notes can't quite come through.

M - Thin, smooth, a little dry, pretty light. Not bad, wish it were bigger.

O - Not a bad beer, but I just don't think it's very good. Not worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 01:21:50 | More by ColdPoncho

aasher

Indiana

3.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer pours a medium bodied dark dark brown on the verge of black with a one finger beige colored head. The head quickly dissipated to a light lacing around the glass. The nose is of smooth roasted malts, light chocolate, and light coffee. It's solid. The flavors consist of roasted dark malts witha dry and bitter finish. The amount of roast that you get is surprising. It drinks pretty light in body for the style and finishes really dry. Overall there isn't anything too special here but it's an ok beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 19:37:50 | More by aasher

DmanGTR

New York

4/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brought this to share at a tasting. Review from notes.

Poured coffee black with light chestnut hues in the light. Very rich and roasty aroma with the sweetness of oatmeal enhancing it. Nice silky smoothness. Blend of light coffee, touch of browned toast, and cocoa powder. Very easy to drink. I would easily down a growler of this in a session.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 05:25:08 | More by DmanGTR

projectflam86

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a deep brown color with a thick brown head that leaves nice lacing.

S- Strong roasted aroma with some subtle sweetness and coffee scents.

T- Bitter dark roasted flavor initially with a slightly sweet finish. A bit of astringent coffee flavor lingers around in the aftertaste.

M- Medium bodied with higher than usual carbonation.

O- Overall this is a decent stout but the flavor could be tweaked a little for improvement.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 01:48:53 | More by projectflam86

keeganfrank

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I drank two bottles of this stout while writing the review. The first one I poured filled about 2/3 of the glass with foam. As it's labeled a stout, I did not expect so much carbonation! The second I poured more slowly and generated almost no head. Smells of coffee and bread. The oats are not easy to detect upon first tasting but become more obvious after the stout sits on your tongue for a moment. Also present are roasted coffee and a nutty, earthy flavor. The first bottle (the foamer) seemed too thin to be a stout. I almost wouldn't have even considered it a porter. The second bottle-the one that barely foamed at all-was much more like a stout, but still a little thin. Don't get me wrong, this is a good beer- I just think it may be mislabeled.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 20:48:40 | More by keeganfrank

glid02

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Jeremy - thanks!

Pours one shade from black with a two-finger tan head. The head recedes into thin layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of heavy roasted malts with hints of cocoa powder and coffee grounds.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Deep roasted malt flavors with hints of char kick things off. The roastiness carries through until midway through the sip where it sweetens a bit with the addition of semi-sweet chocolate. The chocolate fades out into a moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is not so great. The thickness is on the light side and the carbonation is overly active.

Drinkability is alright. I didn't have a problem finishing my glass however I'm not sure about another.

Overall I wasn't a big fan of this beer, it's missing some complexity and the heavy carbonation doesn't do it any favors.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 03:06:36 | More by glid02