Earl Coffee Oatmeal Stout - Hill Farmstead Brewery

claspada

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aromas of dark and milk chocolate; mainly milk chocolate, so inciting. As it warms you get some java/coffee notes as well.

The taste starts of really dry, roasted dark malts. Mouthfeel is really full bodied. Finishes a little slick with some lingering coffee bitterness on the tongue; not over powering at all but pleasant.

Overall this is amazing drinkable and delicious. Highly recommended and will seek out more offerings from this brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2010 00:14:42 | More by claspada

Arbitrator

California

3.98/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chilled growler into a glass, from a long-ago trade. This is from notes; the growler was consumed fresh.

A: Pours black with edge translucence. Tan head.

S: Smells heavily of coffee, roasted grain, vanilla. The aroma is rounded out by mild wafts of dark chocolate. Earthy hops. It reminded me a little of Velvet Merlin at the time; this was at least a year ago, so maybe the recipe has changed.

T: Roasted coffee beans, roasted malt; they lead the way and set the tone of the beer. The roast is enhanced by the choice of earth hops. It isn't until the finish, which carefully coaxes milk chocolate and vanilla out of the nether, that the beer moves away from the charred flavors into something more balanced.

M: Smooth, silky body; the use of oats is evident, and well-received.

O: I think this is solid, but in this rough area of styles (porter / stout being kind of interchangeable today), I'd give the nod to Twilight of the Idols and Everett in HF's stable.

Serving type: growler

10-25-2012 04:03:04 | More by Arbitrator

Sean9689

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Growler thanks to Chris!

A - Pours black, mocha color head, slight spotty lacing.

S - Slight coffee, roasty malts, toffee, slight cream. A little bit of everything here, which is nice. Wish there was a bit more coffee.

T - Similar to the nose. Slight coffee, roasted beans, malts, some cream. Kind of like a cold cup of coffee.

M - Too thin of a body, slight carbonation, creamy finish.

O - Enjoyable, but the thin body and hints of coffee hurt the overall score of this one. Wishing for more coffee and medium to full body but I guess I can't have everything. Good, not great.

Serving type: growler

08-23-2011 14:29:39 | More by Sean9689

rudzud

Massachusetts

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

Picked up a growler of this while on a beerventure with BPK59. This time around Earl achieved its coffee characteristics via a pour over method (pouring the beer over the beans) with the coffee from a wonderful place in western MA whose name escapes me while writing this (which is a shame as I am very familiar with them after having spent years living in western MA).

A - Poured in to my Duvel tulip a super dark brown slightly translucent around the edges with one of the darkest, richest heads I have ever seen. Three fingers of creamy milk chocolatey goodness that leaves light side lacing and very nice retention.

S - Nice rich, roasted coffee aromas with some very, very light vanilla notes. Good roasty sweeter malts, definitely an oatmeal stout.

T - Taste is similar to the nose. Nice bitter roast coffee, light malty sweetness, subtle caramel and faint vanilla (though I think that's just my tongue playing tricks), that gentle oat taste. Yum.

M - Oh yah, definitely an oatmeal stout. Smooth, creamy, almost lightly chewy.

O - Overall this was a solid oatmeal stout. Good, but not my favourite (that still goes hands down to Wormtown's Sweet Tats).

Serving type: growler

01-05-2013 02:11:15 | More by rudzud

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From notes, served in a HF wine glass.

Clear, very dark brown color with a light, bubbly tan head. Excellent retention and thick lacing. Earthy and roast coffee aroma, with surprising amount of hops and some faint chocolate notes. Flavor is typical of an oatmeal stout, creamy and smooth, with a silky body, and a strong chocolate and malt body throughout. Minimal bitterness, but strong fresh coffee flavor throughout. Much more robust and enjoyable experience than the BA version of Earl.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 21:12:42 | More by yourefragile

kingcrowing

Vermont

4.47/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap poured into an Allagash Tulip. Shaun can we get some more Hill Farmstead glassware in VT bars?

Pours a very nice super dark brown to almost black with a very thick and creamy dark brown fine head. Nose is sweet, coffee, malt, brown sugar, caramel.

Taste is just like the nose, coffee, chocolate, lotsa brown suga, it's a bit sharp and crisp. Really a good beer with a nice warm and thick mouthfeel. It's got a nice rich mouthfeel that's very tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2010 22:33:00 | More by kingcrowing

rtepiak

Poland

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

a stout with an exceptional nose. Pour is about two fingers. Nose of toasted malt and rose water at first. This fades after the first sip and the true chalk burn coffee grounds comes out. This combines with the hops to leave a dead dry tongue. Beer isn't quite soapy but just a tad smoked acidic.

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2010 04:35:34 | More by rtepiak

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.31/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Kyle for picking this one up for me. 22oz. growler poured into a Brooklyn Brewery snifter. Shared with schen9303.

Pours pitch black with a 1 finger fine mocha head with decent retention. Lacing is stringy and sparse with good stick. Thin oily legs. A good looking beer.

Nose is huge coffee and mocha notes. Like a man made of coffee beans took a crap and it got put in a beer. Incredible. Very aromatic.

Opens chocolate and mocha. Dank coffee beans towards the middle with milk and dark chocolate in the finish. Some fudginess lends a mellow sweetness throughout. Aftertaste of coffee, lactose, and chocolate. Delicious.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Silky and smooth in the mouth and smooth, warm, and silky going down. Messy finish with a lingering aftertaste. Great body and super drinkable. Spot on as always.

Hill Farmstead just can't help but put up winner after winner. Earl is no different. Not the most complex brew but this beer delivers exactly what it intends to. Like smelling and drinking a mocha latte through and through. The body just serves to enhance the experience. One of the best in the style.

Serving type: growler

01-26-2013 01:54:22 | More by SpeedwayJim

koopa

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one at the Black Back this past Friday. Apparently this particular keg was extremely foamy and Mr. Hill called Rick (owner of the Black Back) to ask him if he was ok with it....Rick hadn't tapped it prior to him calling so he drew from his experience with the last keg and told him it was fine. Upon tapping and pouring for a day or two he realized that Shaun knew what he was talking about. Rick graciously warned me about the condition of the keg before pouring it and I said I'd be fine with it. He then basically poured me 3 large snifter glasses of foam which eventually receded into 3x 1/3 glasses of beer. A bit of pouring one into the other and viola I had a perfect snifter of brew!

Appearance: Pours (or shall I say settles!) deep dark brown black with a dark brown massive crown. Loads of retention and lace.

Smell: Nice coffee notes over dark malt with caramel and brown sugar notes.

Taste: Same as nose....really nice integration of coffee going on here!

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with loads of carbonation.

Drinkability: Very good!

Another solid HF Brew!

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2010 22:28:54 | More by koopa

portia99

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler received in a trade with psprings. Thanks Paul! Poured into an Allagash stemmed glass. Reviewed from notes - sampled 11/26/2010

A - Pours a color as black as night with a finger of dense foam that fades quickly to a thin cap and leaving behind sparse lacing on the glass.

S - Some coffee, grassy hops and dark roasted malts. Some alcohol present in the aroma. Overall, the aroma is little on the light side - would enjoy more if there was a bit more intensity.

T - Intense coffee flavor with some sweet creaminess, a bit of malty sweetness, some sweet malt, caramel, green and grassy hops.

M - Thin to medium body. Medium carbonation that is creamy and smooth. A bit sweet overall with a lingering roastiness in the aftertaste.

D - Smooth, coffee roastiness - very tasty. Goes down way too easily. This growler disappeared very quickly.

Serving type: growler

12-19-2010 23:26:13 | More by portia99

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Earl pours black with a moderate sized creamy tan head on top. The foam fades slowly leaving minimal lacing on the glass.

The aroma isn't as strong as I thought it would be. Notes of chocolate and roasted malt dominate. Coffee is present but not very strong. There's also some oatmeal notes in the aroma.

Each sip of this full bodied beer is creamy and smooth with mild carbonation. The flavor is rich with dark flavors of chocolate, roast malt and oatmeal. Some bitter coffee flavor appears in the middle, but it's not very strong. It finishes mildly bitter with some grassy notes. Once gone the roast malt and chocolate lingers on the palate.

This is a very tasty beer with a great mouthfeel. However, I'm not getting a lot of coffee flavor. It is there, but very subtle. My growler was filled 1 week before being served and was chilled the entire time. I don't think the age of my beer made the coffee fade.

Serving type: growler

01-13-2013 01:46:48 | More by WanderingFool

SFLpunk

Vermont

3.6/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz pour at The Farmhouse Tap & Grill.

Quick review: Pours pitch black with HUGE thick tan head that looks like I might need a spoon for! Aroma is packed with freshly brewed coffee and toasted grains doused with fresh cream. Palate is a little thinner than I was expecting, but packed with flavor. No acidity to speak of, but the body seems to be teetering on the edge due to the amount of coffee. I'm not sure how this beer would be in a month. Flavors are great, but I'd personally like more body. The lighter body adds drinkability, however.

Good integration of coffee, but a little light on the body.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2010 04:11:53 | More by SFLpunk

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.45/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 64 oz. unmarked growler (all the swingtops were gone on the day I went unfortunately) poured into a pint glass. Split partially with a friend, but I enjoyed about two thirds of the growler myself.

Appearance: Dark brown to black in color. A nice two finger brown head rises up during the first pour. Plenty of carbonation here.

Aroma: Coffee beans, smoke, and dark chocolate notes all hit first. The coffee is pleasant and smooth with a slight char edge to it and it dominates the aroma. Everything is nicely balanced with the backing notes.

Taste: Big coffee notes upfront. The quality of the coffee is definitely noticable. Some smooth milk chocolate and raisin sweetness in the background. A balanced and smooth representation of the style that still packs a ton of flavor.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and medium bodied. I would definitely prefer this to be slightly creamier but it is by no means thin.

Overall, a really impressive coffee stout and the second beer from Hill Farmstead I've had that I thought was bordering on greatness, if not there already. Definitely thrilled I had a growler of this. Worth the effort to get.

Serving type: growler

05-05-2011 17:56:37 | More by Gosox8787

orangesol

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Capone's into a sampler glass.

A - Pours jet black with a light one finger head, dissipating to small patches of head, leaving little to no lacing down the glass.

S - Lots of dark flavors in this one. Coffee, milk chocolate, and plenty of dark malt blend well. Some oatmeal and a bit of caramel sweetness creeps in as it begins to come to room temp. Good balance but nothing mind blowing.

T - A bit thin on entry. Quite a bit of dark smokiness up front giving way quickly to a mix of dark roasted coffee and chocolatey sweetness. Oatmeal adds a bit of chewiness and seems to help bring the body back up a bit. Finish is a huge blast of dark roast that lingers for some time. I liked how balanced all the flavors where.

M - Heavy body and flavor with moderate carbonation. The feel is neither thin nor overly creamy, good balance again. Finish is a bit too roasty for my liking.

D - Pretty high. I wish more brewery could brew a well balanced stout like this one. I liked it quite a bit but it was just good not great. I would definitely drink it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2011 20:23:56 | More by orangesol

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the BlackBack Pub and Flyshop in Waterbury VT on Thursday. The keg was quite foamy so Rick gave me a large sample to try.

A: Pours a dark brown color with minimal light coming through. I cannot comment on the head as it was quite thick from the keg, but it was a nice brown foam head.

S: There is an ample amount of coffee flavor, dark roasted coffee and espresso. There are some hints of chocolate, caramel and vanilla.

T: Just like the scent, blends quite nicely together. Lots of coffee malt on the front end. The middle and back end also contain the coffee and there is some chocolate and vanilla there as well.

M: Very thick and slick mouthfeel. Although a tad thin when compared to other types of breakfast stouts.

D: This is easy to drink, quite tasty. Not sure the ABV of this, but I could certainly enjoy more than one of these in a sitting.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2010 23:37:36 | More by IronCitySteve

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.29/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A-dark brown black color with a tan head and good lacing

S-roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, light herbal notes

T-dark roasted malt, espresso, dark chocolate, hint of sweet oatmeal cookie and vanilla

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth and creamy

O-a well-balanced and flavorful stout, a great sipper to enjoy with dessert

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2013 01:41:28 | More by MDDMD

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

2L growler to HF stemmed glass.

A- Pours a dark brown that appears pretty much jet black in the glass with about a finger of fairly dark creamy mocha head that has nice retention but slowly recedes to a thin layer leaving light lacing.

S- Roasted malts, rich espresso, dark chocolates, oatmeal cookies. Fairly aromatic with a nice rich pleasant smell like a coffee/oatmeal stout should have.

T- Coffee, roasted malts, bitter dark chocolate, a bit of sweet oatmeal cookies, finishes with bitter chocolate and a rich lingering espresso taste. Chocolate is fairly bitter at first, but smoothens out as the beer warms.

M- Nice full-bodied feel, decent carbonation, very smooth and drinkable.

O- This was a fantastic coffee/oatmeal stout that is exactly what I expected from HF. I could easily drink this for breakfast. It is a little bit on the rich side, but other then that it is very easy to drink. I highly recommend trying this, definitely one of the better oatmeal stouts I've had.

Serving type: growler

01-12-2013 03:29:50 | More by jaasen64

lovindahops

New York

4.73/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Onto Earl, Hill Farmsteads oatmeal stout. I am a huge coffee lover and therefore a huge coffee stout and coffee porter lover. Growler obtained at Hill Farmstead on Saturday December 29th

A- earl pours a massive opaque body with a mocha head of foam that elevates over the body of the brew from the pour. A rich chocolate latte cover remains as the subsiding occurs. Good lacing on the edges with a dark glow seems to be positioning this brew as a big time coffee rush

S- a rush of coffee beans and a delicious flakes oat scent is immediately dispensed from the head. Some chocolate and mocha flavors are evident in the background along with a bitter hop scent with is a delight. I even get a slight vanilla theme that rounds it off as some cream in the coffee feeling

T- Nailed it!!!! Bitter coffee flavors are enhanced with the chocolate and oatmeal flavors I seek out. There is no question Shaun concentrated on utilizing the coffee component to enhance the stout instead of relying on just the flaked outs. There are some mean beans in this brew. Not to mention the sweet vanilla flavors as well as some excellent roasty flavor

M- smooth and creamy simultaneously. furthermore, there is a bitter and roasty flavor happening

O- again, this is what I look for in a coffee stout. An all out assault on coffee flavors. In my opinion, this is the best coffee stout I have had since wake n bake. I wish I could do a side by side with these two.

Serving type: growler

01-05-2013 17:22:05 | More by lovindahops

dragonWhale

New York

4.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the 3Penny this past weekend.
A beautiful pitch black with a coffee head, pristine in elegance in the tulip.
Roasted barley and coffee aromas, luscious malt. The taste confirms and enhances upon the smell. The rich creaminess of the oats is the bed for the roasted flavor to lie upon. Laps of luxury from the glass. Beautiful creamy mouthfeel without any acridness from the roast at all. Terrifically balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2011 14:02:37 | More by dragonWhale

oakbluff

Manitoba (Canada)

4.53/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Growler from Glouglouburp- thanks again Dany! Pours opaque cola with frothy two finger head. Huge delicious coffee nose, slight chocolate, but mostly just unbelievable coffee. Taste- a juicy tart twang from the oatmeal, slight bitterness, and tons of fresh roasted coffee . Fantastic. Drinkability is off the charts. Very light bodied but yet the flavour profile is amazing and the freshness of the coffee really shiines through. HF really nailed this

Serving type: growler

05-04-2011 12:22:58 | More by oakbluff

cfrances33

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Blackback Pub in Waterbury. Served in a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: Really dark black, but not quite midnight. Two fingers of khaki foamy head form, and really leaves a thick coating on the glass.

Smell: Earl is like sticking you face into a bag of whole coffee beans. Very roasty, and even bitter on the nose. Some dark chocolate. A light cream and some oatmeal come through.

Taste: Bitter black, dark roasted coffee up front, followed by a mocha dark chocolate. A sweet bready oatmeal flavor balances the bitterness of the coffee. This is very in your face with coffee. Some light vanilla gives ways to more bitter roasted coffee beans on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Really nice a creamy, and would be supremely drinkable if not for the bitterness. Medium bodied.

Overall: This is a coffee lovers stout. Absolutely blows away Breakfast Stout in terms of in your face roasted coffee. Delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2013 15:11:03 | More by cfrances33

Axic10

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Capone's during their Hill Farmstead event.

Appearance: Deep dark black with a thin layer of khaki head.

Smell: Dark chocolate, roasted coffee and a nice smoke aroma.

Taste: Dark chocolate, roasted and smoked malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied and smooth.

Drinkability: A very nice take on the stout as I almost saw it as a hybrid stout/rauchbier with the smokiness in this one.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2011 05:16:10 | More by Axic10

Gushue3

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- pours dark brown, almost black with a nice 1 finger head that has moderate retenrion. Some lacing left on the glass after the heads gone. Body is black and cant be seen through. Looks pretty good

S- gigantic coffee bean scent thats more sweet than bitter. Sweet malt is there but behind the coffee.

T- sweet coffee thats nice and not overboard. Becomes subtly bitter in the middle and roasty on the finish. Very nice and balanced stout.

M- feels about medium on the tongue with very little carbonation (probably because of the growler). Feels good.

O- very nice stout. Everything is good and well balanced.

Serving type: growler

08-17-2011 00:14:31 | More by Gushue3

ChrisPro

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler thanks to spycow. Happy I got to have this again since my growler of Earl didn't quite make the trip home from VT :(

A - Near black beer with a dark khaki bubbly head that dissipated quickly. Occasional lacing.

S - Solid coffee notes erupt first (would like to know the roaster), along with slight ashiness and a very strong bready note, maybe from the oatmeal. This is making me want breakfast.

T - Nice dry coffee and chocolate and a touch of yeast. Very dry roasty finish that really works for me.

M - Medium bodied, very light carbonation. No alcohol. Nice lingering creaminess on the finish.

O - Fantastic stout and I'm lucky I got to try this again. Complex, yet exceptionally drinkable. Adds great variety to the HF portfolio.

Serving type: growler

08-29-2011 22:53:18 | More by ChrisPro

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.3/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml to HFS sniffer glass

A: Dark dark brown with fluffy but small white to mocha head that fades to a thin lacing of mocha coloring, it is completely opaque but not the darkest stout I've seen still quite good.

S:lots of coffee and oats the smell is there but not pungent or even that strong. There is not much else there I can't smell the malt or hops at all.

T: upfront there is a solid coffee taste but it is not overpowering and well balanced with a nice sweet malt presence. The oats start to come in after the ential taste that blends with the taste of hops that balance out everything with there slight bitterness through the finish which also features the coffee flavor and the oat flavor.

M:it has a hop bite to it for a stout. It is also quite oily it is neither thick nor thin, but does have some chewiness to it though not toffee status

O: This is a pretty good coffee oatmeal stout not my favorite of the variety as WNB is definitely better imo but nonetheless this is a really good beer that I quite enjoyed as with pretty much all hill farmstead if you can get your hands on it do so.

Serving type: growler

01-25-2013 02:41:21 | More by Pinknuggets