Oat (Imperial Oatmeal Stout) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

into a tulip wine glass. (sidenote: the beer menu and the Southern Tier website record a 9.6% ABV)

The pour. HOLY SHlT. Am I ready for this?!?! Black as satan himself (with ruby traces when held to light), an average, creamy and medium brown head that's gone quickly.

The aroma. A little tamer. DAMN STRAIGHT I'm ready for this!! Molasses, chocolate and caramel toasted malts. Bit of baked cookie. I can't wait.

The taste. WHAT HAPPENED?? Or in this case, what DIDN'T happen in this grab bag of flavors. Everything that the nose picked up plus hop heavy, resiny, musty/earthy/doughy yeast, oats, alcohol heavy, smoke, tar, charcoal, anise and sour milk.

Pleasant mouthfeel but not very drinkable.

My experience went downhill after the aroma. I am very disappointed in this VERY bitter Imperial Stout.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2009 15:18:09 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

PrinceDarren

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours almost black with a forced attempt to induce a little head which quickly dissipates.

Surprisingly drinkable for 11 abv. This is a tasty oatmeal stout with just a little complexity. If you had told me that part of the batch was barrel aged, I would have believed it. Seemed to have a touch of wood, but without the presence of extra alcohol that we typically see in bourbon barrel stouts. My taste buds were fooled.

I would love to try a version of this that has truly been barrel-aged. Add a little more head and a little more complexity and we might have a big winner here. Otherwise, the drinkability characteristic will still keep it on the list of recommended stouts.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2009 04:35:52 | More by PrinceDarren

brianh78

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Randomly found this beer on tap while on a business trip in southern New Jersey, so I had to give it a shot...so here goes...

Appearance: very very dark brown to jet black, with a creamy and slightly caramel colored head which was about a finger thick...left lots of pretty lacing on the glass

Smell: malty sweet; vanilla, caramel, a hint of chocolate and cooked oat overtones

Taste: sweet; malty; caramel and slight vanilla, hint of chocolate/coffee/toffee; light oat flavor which was a bit toasty in the back

Mouthfeel: velvety thick, slightly coating; carbonation in the first sip, but calms down quickly and settles to a nice, slick feel

Drinkability: holy high alcohol content, Batman! 11%? where is it? I didn't taste it at all. This beer is, like many other oatmeal stouts, quite filling. I wouldn't drink more than two in a sitting...but it is quite tasty!

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2009 03:54:47 | More by brianh78

projectflam86

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a deep brown/black color with a thin light brown head with a bit of retention.

S- Dark malt and roasted aromas dominate the nose.

T- Full roasted malt flavor with waves of bittersweet chocolate, coffee, molasses and oatmeal. Actually the oatmeal is more prominent than I would have guessed going in. A quick alcohol bite was present in the finish.

M- Full bodied with light carbonation.

D- Nice roasted flavor with a well hidden alcohol burn. Worth getting again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2009 03:18:18 | More by projectflam86

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer looks the business, and thanks to Cole's for deciding to give me a pint of imperial stout. A deep black body sits under a chocolate milkshake head that laces in sheets as its slowly fades to a cap. The nose is full of that smoky, slightly bready oatiness that I love, but its also complimented by all the regular flavours you would get in a beer of this heft - chocolate, coffee and alcohol. Hmmm... would you like some coffee with your oatmeal? One sip reveals this to be a bang on interpretation of an imperial oatmeal stout. Lots of bittersweet chocolate and burned brown sugar mixed in with a shot of espresso. The oatmeal comes through strongly in the finish, giving the impression of tobacco, and (not surprisingly), oatmeal. There's moderate bitterness, but I feel its mostly from the roasted malt. The mouthfeel belies the alcohol, and isn't as heavy as I would expect, veering more towards that of a regular oatmeal stout. That said it is smooth and well-handled... I just expected something bigger and silkier - Southern Tier don't usually do half measures.

This is an excellent interpretation, and my one real criticism is the same one that applies to all Southern Tier's bigger beers - after a while the sweetness starts to become too much. in fact this would have been excellent in a two-thirds pint glass. Nonetheless, another impressive stout from the blackwater series.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2009 01:46:11 | More by bobsy

BuffaloTapHugger

New York

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

Pours a dark brown in color, nice inch and a half head and stellar lacing. Smells are of caramelized malts, that there oat (grainy), earthy tones of soil. Taste is more caramel and oat than anything, roasted malt all the way. Almost full bodied in nature, the ABV is noticeable throughout, nicely carbonated and stickiness lingering between gulps. Drinkability is right on if you like em big. Glad I got to sample a pint...

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2009 05:22:24 | More by BuffaloTapHugger

lhaqq

California

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured into a goblet, generous tan head and black body, no light coming through.
S: Smells of dark roasted malts. Also milk chocolate and molasses.
T: Similar to the smell, chocolate and molasses. A bit of smokiness and the dark maltiness is definitely present. Also has the really sweet fig-molasses sweet kick at the end that most imperial stouts I've tasted have.
M: Smooth, rich and heavy.
D: Wow didn't realize it was 12.5% until I started rating it. Drinks just like any other stout to some extent--the alcohol isn't overpowering, but the taste, especially the sweet kick at the end keep it from being a great session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2008 06:48:03 | More by lhaqq

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at Capone's in Norristown, PA.

Pours pitch black wih a coffee colored head. Malty aroma of oatmeal, roasted coffee, chocolate and alcohol. Lots of oatmeal and roasted chocolate maltiness i the flavor as well as a noticeable alcohol warmth. ABV not very well masked.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2008 09:20:36 | More by corby112

gfreed

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this in Baltimore at the Baltimore Taphouse in Canton. Pint glass; very dark color and short tan head. The aroma was quite sweet with alcohol, with notes of chocolate and some coffee. Unfortunately, I found that the alcohol overshadowed most of the taste. There was some toastiness, some smokiness, a bit of dark fruit like prunes and dried apricots, some tobacco; there was a nice bitter punch at the back end, but mostly it was booze. Body was a bit watery, too. Worth a try, but not a great sample.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2008 23:26:14 | More by gfreed

TheMistler

District of Columbia

3.8/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Wowza, this beer has a dark head. Creamy and displaying good retention with decent lacing, it is tan to the point that i might as well just call it brown. The brew itself is black. Not as thick as some stouts, I would say it looks medium bodied.

Oats and cream on the nose, commingling with grains and chocolate.

Tastes of milk chocolate as well as oats and other grains. Hops make themselves known with a hint of pine and then bittering. Coffee, and the chocolate notes go from "milk-" to "dark-" with it.

I found that the alcohol sharpness built from initially noticeable to fairly biting and spicy by the time the sweetness of the beer has gone down the gullet.

While I said earlier that it looks medium bodied, it certainly drinks heavily, with a creamy feel. The creamy sensation didn't quite jibe with the ultimately sharp sensation. A nicely complex (I did at least like the progression from sweet to sharp) and tasty brew, to my mind it could've used a lower ABV. That would probably boost the drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2008 22:39:57 | More by TheMistler

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Solid, impenetrable black, perfect roasty tan head.

Aroma is right on the money, too. Roasted black malt, flaked oats, grainy a little. Some chocolate coming through, but still essentially dry.

Hefty mouthfeel, a big, solid jump on the mouth, then it's silky smooth. Cocoa meets oats, yum...and then the booze creeps in...

Dark fruit pops up, and bumps into the cocoa/coffee/oat feel. Mighty complex malt character here, and terrifically tasty.
And here comes the booze...

I still don't think oatmeal stouts need to be "imperialized", but they didn't ask me what they should do, did they? On the other hand, maybe it's an Imperial Stout with oatmeal. Oat tastes almost exactly like an RIS and an oatmeal stout blended. With over the top booze.
And it's damn good!

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2008 07:12:46 | More by feloniousmonk

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

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