Oat (Imperial Oatmeal Stout) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

Douglas14

California

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The Oat pours a deep, viscous black color with possibly brown edges if held up to a bright light. It has a thick brown head that leaves great lace and a thin later above the beer. The smell is of brown sugar and roasted malt, sugar, and molasses. The taste follows the smell but a great bitter aftertaste from the burnt characteristics. Dark brown sugar is heavily apparent. The beer has a full body and is very silky. Like a pumkin beer really tastes nothing like a pumpkin but reminds you of it, the Oat does the same for oatmeal. This beer is done in typical Southern Tier fashion.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2008 03:02:29 | More by Douglas14

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

On tap at Beer Run, Charlottesville, VA. Served in a 10 oz. snifter.

Appearance: Gorgeous lacing, gorgeous body, gorgeous head with great retention ... what's not to love about this one?

Aroma: Very interesting, actually. Much crisper, lighter, more citrus than I detected in the bottle. There's also plenty of dark, heavily roasted malts and some spicy alcohol.

Taste: Wholesome toasted malts, with a nice full-bodied quality that almost certainly comes from the oats, a lot of nuttiness, full roast coffee, milky bakers chocolate, a hefty spicy, lightly citrus-y hoppiness, some salty notes, and a soupcon of alcohol as things warm, though it's definitely not prominent. A bit of a step down from the bottled version, in my opinion.

Mouthfeel: Perfectly-bodied, with immaculate smoothness, a great carbonation level, no cloying notes, and not nearly as thick or sticky as I remember the bottle being.

Drinkability: Better than the bottle in some ways and worse in others. The taste and aroma seem to be dominated less by whatever tastes/aromas you would imagine would constitute an Imperial Oatmeal stout and more by fruity, nutty, and (potentially) some funky off flavors, though could just be my keg. A friend detected sunflower seeds, and I get way too much orange peel. On the other hand, appearance (a perfect pour will do that) and mouthfeel are a little improved, so I think it's a wash. Give it a shot either way. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

09-30-2008 18:01:02 | More by CrellMoset

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pitch black with no apparent edges topped by fine, dark brown foam that settled to a thin ring that lasted to the end. Some streaky lacing. Rich aroma - nutty and roasted with chocolate and caramel notes, lots of malt and a bit of alcohol. Strong bitterness barely provided balance with the huge malty sweetness. The alcohol really helped reign in the malt too. Quite roasty with lots of chocolate and caramel, grainy and malty with a hint of licorice. Thick and creamy texture with lots of warmth (a bit on the hot side actually). Good stuff. It seems like a good candidate for aging, especially if the alcohol cools down a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2008 15:28:24 | More by DrJay

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tasted at Capones beer event from tap into a small sample glass.

A: A dark almost black thick liquid with a thick little head.

S: Coffee, chocolate, and malty sweetness. I can also smell the alcohol in this monster.

T: Dark flavors of coffee, chocolate, malt with some burnt flavors mixing in. Some creamy sweetness meets your lips with some very slight hoppy bitterness, very slight. For some reason I was getting a smoky finish on this beer, but not unenjoyable.

M: Medium to heavy mouthfeel with quite a bit of alcohol burn to it. Very thick and oily with the alcohol lingering on the finish.

D: Low. I had had enough after the one sample glass. To me, this Imp Oat Stout was just too much at 12.5%. I bet this beer with some age on it would be much better.

Overall I'm glad I tried it, but it is not a stout I would reach for in a pack of other stouts. I respect what they did with this beer, but it's just not my cup of tea.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2008 20:26:15 | More by Kadonny

YankChef

Louisiana

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass at track 84

The bar is dark, but this beer seems to be a bane to all light, completely pitch black with a dark tan fluffy head on top. Really tight lacing.

Aroma is of rich toffee, coffee and a hint of chocolate, there is some dried fruit and a subtle aroma of brandy.

Taste: Incredibly rich and dark and heavy on the palatte, there is a strong enough hop character to bring balance to the ridiculously strong roasted malt and grainy flavor. Finishes somewhat sweet, however still dries the mouth out... odd

Overall: This is a really big beer in every way that is not for the faint of heart. Although i found it maybe to be slightly less complex than i was expecting, another outstanding extreme stout from the brewers at southern tier.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2008 04:36:02 | More by YankChef

williamherbert

New York

3.83/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Some quick-hit notes:

* Pitch black color, no head.
* Strong coffee bitterness in the taste
* Heavy blast of alcohol
* Feels thick like motor oil; viscous
* Smell is sweeter, milder than the taste
* More hops are present in the smell than in the taste.
* Oats and grains come out in the flavor more as it warms up
* Quite strong; big time alcoholic kick
* A real choker; thick as molasses
* The cherry/berry element is dark but overpowered by the alcohol and the bitter, roasted malt.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2007 05:32:57 | More by williamherbert

Damian

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Drank on-tap at the Publick House, Brookline, MA

Poured a thick, viscous, jet black with a small ring of coffee-colored froth capping the liquid.

The aroma was dark and rich. Deep roasted malts, brown sugar and a bourbon-like alcohol quality were noticeable.

The taste was intensely flavorful and luscious smooth. Sweet, creamy, silky oats came through up front. By mid-palate, a potent mix of molasses, oak, bourbon and brown sugar took over. Deep, charred malts, coffee and a moderate alcohol warming came through on the back end. The finish was rather sweet and creamy.

As tasty as this beer was, its most impressive aspect lay in the mouthfeel. The beer was extremely thick, heavy and viscous with a silky smoothness that made the liquid glide across my palate and down my throat.

At a whopping 12.5% ABV I was furthermore amazed at how drinkable this beer turned out to be.

All in all, this was an outrageously rich, complex and unique beer. I was very impressed with the creative liberties that Southern Tier took on this already extreme style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2007 03:42:56 | More by Damian

BuffaloBill91

New York

4.6/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This was a happy find at my local beer store on tap for my growler...

Appearance for this brew is perfect for a imperial stout- Pours like oil nice and thick--black as can be- no light can penetrate it- only swirling it in the glass shows the dark brown oil like appearance -- nice brown 1 finger head that disappears fast and leaves a very thin lace...

If this beer lacks anyplace its in the smell- I only smell dark roasted grains maybe some woody smell and the alcohol..A hints of other things in there but cant make it out... none of the smells are strong except the roast and the alcohol

As for the Taste- this one is awesome..I love the taste - loads of dark chocolate and black black coffee with plenty oaty oatness - it is much much sweeter than I expected... The best thing about this one is somehow you really cannot taste the alcohol- it is not "in" the taste like a lot of higher abv's --it is blended and part of the taste- never really tasted one like that before...It starts sweet and finishes spicy almost citrus with the alcohol and ending with a oat and chocolate aftertaste. Perfect.

Mouthfeel is also outstanding on this---smooth as silk- very slippery -goes down a bit syrupy but this is as imperial stout so thats expected...carbonation is perfect too not to much not to little and also adds to the finish on the taste.

Drinkability is as high as a imperial stout can get. Like I said earlier- the alcohol is part of the taste - you don't taste alcohol- if it wasn't for the syrupy consistency of the beer it would be dangerous easy to drink A++

Would like to try this one in a bottle to see if its as good bottled.

Serving type: growler

10-31-2007 23:55:21 | More by BuffaloBill91

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Had this on tap for the first time at Max's the other night.

The beer pours a viscuous looking black, with good head retention and lacing. The nose is quite complex with aromas of licorise (quite a bit in fact), coffee, burnt sugar and band aides. If anything the beer is even more complex on the palate, with flavors of sweet cherry cough drop (to the point where the beer is almost cloying), coffee, chocolate, licorise and spearmint. The beer has a pretty good mouthfeel, though the sweetness and abv. are almost overpowering. This is a very good beer, but it's not really very drinkable. A little bit goes a long way and I can't imagine trying to drink a pint of this stuff. Nevertheless, an impressive effort from Southern Tier.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2007 14:31:11 | More by johnmichaelsen

Fourem

New York

4.53/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap @ Cole's

Poured an oily black with a tan head. Lacing all the way to the bottom of the goblet. Smell is sweet and roasty but not too overpowering. Slight sweet caramel flavor with a lingering vanilla, cherries. Very light hop finish with roasted malt all the way home. Chewy body, very nice to sit and sip if it were snowing...
Alcohol is very well hidden in this monster. I cant wait to take some home in the bottle!

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2007 21:15:15 | More by Fourem

Crosling

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Black color, with a large, filmy, light mocha colored head, particularly large for being hand bottled. Aroma very reminiscent of Avery Czar; burnt, slightly vinous, with hints of chocolate, roast and charred fruits and fortunately, not flooded with aroma hops like some Imperial Stouts, making it very nice. Big, full, coating body, again, sensational, especially considering it was hand bottled. Flavor is unbelievably rich, with roast, chocolate blanket, charred fruit, and a light hop finish. Beautiful beer. Thanks to my secret santa, whoever you are.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2007 04:52:48 | More by Crosling

BlastTyrant

New York

4.55/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Draft at MacGregor’s in Henrietta, NY 4/22/2005. Aroma is sweet and malty, with caramel, coffee, vanilla, and oak. The flavor does not disappoint. Coffee, chocolate, oak, and vanilla. Sweet but not cloying, probably due to a pretty significant hops flavor. No one element dominated, nicely balanced. Huge bodied. Should be savored, but I drank my first so fast I had to order a second. They REALLY need to bottle this stuff. Outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2005 02:11:24 | More by BlastTyrant

WesWes

New York

4.45/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a deep dark black color with a thick frothy brown head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great. It has a rich, warm black malt scent that is quite powerful. It is full of black patent and some chocolate malts along with a very dry oatmeal aroma. The taste is excellent as well. It is thick and rich with black malts. It goes down slow and warms on the finish. It is really dry and earthy. The mouthfeel is good. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a great drinking oatmeal stout. It's one you want to drink slow, but it's a good drinker. I have been waiting for the local "ale house" to put this on tap for some time now. I was worth the wait.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2005 21:59:00 | More by WesWes

Onceeven

New York

4.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Found this one waiting for me at MacGregor's in Rochester. Didn't hesitate to try this brew, since everything I've had from Southern Tier has been top notch. I think this brewery has been criminally underappreciated/overlooked, maybe because of their horrid packaging.. but anyway..

The beer arrived in it's own special "IS" glass, nothing fancy, but a nice touch. Quite possibly the darkest beer I've ever seen. Black. The mocha colored head was paperthin, but instead of seeing it as a negative, I was glad I had that extra last sip as I was finishing this beast.
The smell was a bit hard to detect, since I had a bit of a stuffy nose.. but I could make out an elegant roasted, bitter/sweet typical oatmeal stout scent, with a faint whiff of alcohol.
This is one smooth beer. Granted it is a huge, rich and malty beer.. but the 12.5% alcohol remains firmly in the background, out of sight, until you get up to leave, and have a quick stumble.
Drinkability would be 4.5, but this beer is so rich and filling that one is more than enough.
If you're a fan of stouts and you happen to find this one, don't hesitate!

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2005 02:03:34 | More by Onceeven

shippos

New York

4.53/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

on tap at the chapter house and served in the black water series own line of glassware.
poured black black black, with little head until I poured it into a big glass and it produced a thick creamy dense tan head that lasted until the final drop. very balanced and smooth aroma with a bit of alcohol. intense concentrated creamy oily mouthfeel and is so smooth. surprisingly little roasted character, would expect some some from a heavy stout like this. oats seem to mellow and smooth out the rough edges on this. so so drinkable despite the alcohol content. don't even think about letting this get pass you with out trying it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2005 16:48:39 | More by shippos