Earl Coffee Oatmeal Stout - Hill Farmstead Brewery

lovindahops

New York

4.73/5  rDev +10.8%
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

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -4.4%
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

Arbitrator

California

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
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

TroopScoop

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to Alewatcher for this one. Enjoyed on a nice cool DLD days eve 2012.

A: brown khaki head, little legs, but very nice red hues. The beer itself is very dark and a great viscosity,

S:very sweet, caramel, coconut, some lactose, and at the very end - a little peaty smoke.

T: honestly, if you didn't tell me it was a bourbon barrel stout - I wouldn't believe it. Id say it was a scotch aged coffee smoked porter and fantastic at that. Its wonderful, just so different than it smells.

M: thin, slick, oily off the tongue - feels like a porter

O: very very good, but doesn't fit the style. Absolutely worth the taste, absolutely worth the price, but expect a world class porter.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 04:25:26 | More by TroopScoop

tigg924

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: minimal head, dark brown in color, clear, moderate carbonation

Smell: coffee dominates

Taste: big coffee and robust roasted malt with some citrus hops at the end

Mouthfeel: moderate carbonation, medium-heavy bodied, sweet with a bitter finish

Overall: Another Hill Farmstead brew..another beer right at the top of its class. Exceptional for a coffee stout. While this is not my favorite style, the coffee is not too bitter but it is highly present. If I were to reach for a coffee stout, this is where I would go to.

Serving type: cask

09-07-2011 15:32:05 | More by tigg924

ChrisPro

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
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

AgentZero

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks again to Chris for providing another Hill Farmstead growler.

A - Dark brown beer with a bit of brownish head that left a little bit of lace on the sides.

S - A decent bit of coffee, lots of roast, smells a bit dry actually. Little bit of cocoa and earthy notes.

T - There's a lot of char in this, almost too much. To me it seems a lot like an Irish Dry Stout, or even an Imperial Irish Dry Stout. Some coffee, molasses, but the char kind of kills this one, I'm not a big fan of the taste truthfully.

M - Lower carbonation, medium bodied.

O - Not a huge fan of this beer, it's solid, but not an upper-class brew like I've come to expect from Hill Farmstead. Too much char for me, just didn't care a ton for the flavor profile as much as I thought I would.

Serving type: growler

08-25-2011 04:39:15 | More by AgentZero

Sean9689

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -12.2%
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

MasterSki

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml growler thanks to Chris (spycow). Served in a Heady Topper glass.

A - A finger of tan foam settles to a big-bubbled cap and some wisps, leaving behind minimal lace. Dark brown body.

S - Reminds me of Everett, but with more char and smoke and a mild amount of coffee. Earthy grains, roasted barley, light molasses and brown sugar, some yeasty bread.

T - Taste is again roasted grains, baker's chocolate, some yeasty bread, a bit of molasses, and a mounting roast bitterness.

M - Smooth texture from the oatmeal, lower carbonation, medium-full body. No alcohol presence. Pretty much everything I'd want for this style of beer.

D - It's a nice stout, but not as good as Everett. I think I'd like this if there was more coffee presence.

Serving type: growler

08-21-2011 20:37:33 | More by MasterSki

Gushue3

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -5.6%
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

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.45/5  rDev +4.2%
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

oakbluff

Manitoba (Canada)

4.53/5  rDev +6.1%
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

portia99

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -8.7%
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

Brad007

Vermont

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Decided to split this with some friends when we got together to brew.

Earl pours a pitch black color with a brown head into my glass.

The aroma is full of bitter coffee but not too much of it.

The taste is rich with creamy bitter coffee flavors.

Mouthfeel has an oily texture with lingering creamy coffee notes.

Certainly one of the better local examples I've had of this type of beer. Wish I still had a growler full of it.

Serving type: growler

10-16-2010 01:27:28 | More by Brad007