Oat (Imperial Oatmeal Stout) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

bigflatsbeerman

New York

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

Appearance - Extremely dark, cannot see any light through my Nonic glass. Brown head gets to 1.5 fingers after a vigorous pour.

Smell - Dark malts.

Taste - Classic stout with oats well balanced sweetness and dryness at finish. I do taste alcohol given the abv, understandable.

Mouthfeel - Heavy body expected with this style

Overall - Very solid stout, great on a cold fall night like tonight

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 00:02:19 | More by bigflatsbeerman

silverking

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This truly is an outstanding stout. It Poured almost pitch black with a white head. It had beautiful lacing, I mean truly beautiful. aromas of coffee, chocolate, oats, and hops were all present. heavy in the mouth with light carbonation. alcohol is detectable in the palate, but only after flavors of chocolate, caramel and chocolate are enjoyed. the finish kept me wanting more and I was saddened by the last sip. This is my first experience with southern tier and I enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 18:27:19 | More by silverking

kylelenk

Michigan

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

22oz bottle served chilled in a snifter

A- A very dark pour with a traditional oatmeal stout head that's nice and white. Head dissipates rather quickly and leaves some nice lacing.

S- Oats, barley, chocolate.

T- A very easy drinking oatmeal stout. Doesn't establish it's flavors as much as the other stouts in the series (creme brulee, jahva, mokah, etc.) but still is better than the average.

M- Very fun to gulp. Quite heavy at 11% but you'd never notice it. The creaminess is wonderful.

O- Bombers are always pricey and rarely justify the costs. While I still prefer other S/T stouts, Oat is ranks up there.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 20:35:39 | More by kylelenk

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

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

Ba Review #235
Served On: 11/09/2012
Glassware: Duvel Glass
Labeled ABV: 10.8%
Date/ Code: DOB: 08/11/11

This was a bottle of last years release that I've had laid down in my cellar. I thought I'd break it out to kick off the cooler season here in the Mid-Atlantic.

Look: Appearance was very viscous and black with a darker tan head at 1-finger. Alcohol legs were everywhere on the glass. Not much lacing at all.

Smell: Very roasty aroma with a good level of booze mixed in. Some lactose sweetness came through.

Taste: First off was a roasted coffee bean with some serious creaminess in the mouthfeel. The middle was some sweetness that was quickly offset by a nice hop bitterness. The finish had some sweetness returning and that sticky mouthfeel holding on.

I loved this beer. Yet another winner from Southern Tier.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 20:15:28 | More by CraftBeerTastic

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Quite nice looking, black as night with a two finger lasting brown head and good lace.

Smells nice, plenty of roasted and burn malts, some chocolate sweetness, a little coffee, a little hoppy tang, some dark fruitiness too.

Taste is very nice, the roasted and burnt malts provide a very nice background, accented by tangy, spicy hops, dark fruits, coffee, chocolate, tons of oats, balanced sweetness and a tinge of alcohol.

Body is full and thick, carbonation is smooth, a little alcohol warming, residual bitterness balanced by a light sweetness.

An exceptionally well balanced and delicious stout, perhaps my new favorite stout that's touting "oats" as it's big selling point. This may also be my new favorite from the Southern Tier Imperial series. It has less of a desserty flavor than many of the other imperial stouts in the series, making it more of a standard stout than a dessert beer.

Now matter how you slice it, this one kicks ass!

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 13:40:47 | More by AlCaponeJunior

warrenout330

Ohio

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

Poured from a 22oz bomber into my KB snifter

A- a pitch black pour, thick dense head of khaki colored head... hangs around for a bit till it turns to nothing but thin ring around the glass

S- smells of chocolate roasted malt, sweet caramel and toasted sweet oat meal lingering around

T- sweet bitter chocolate, creamy caramel, toasted oats

M- thick and creamy.... followed by a sweet lingering bitterness bite on the tongue...

O- maybe one of the easiest to find complex imperial oatmeal stouts around. Definitely worth a shot if your willing to embark on a journey through the thick, dense, oatmeal venture in a bottle! This brewery is never a let down

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 07:33:26 | More by warrenout330

bnes09

Illinois

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

Jet black with no transparency. Cream colored head forms a gentle froth then recedes to a ring around the glass. Leaves behind delicate traces of lacing.

Nice balance of roasted malt with dark fruit and maple sweetness.

Flavor is toasty overall with wheat and rye malt character. Mild coffee, dark chocolate and roasted almonds come to mind. Sweetness of prunes, raisins and black currants balance the roasted flavors well. Hops are assertive but in good balance with an herbal, medicinal bite. Oatmeal lies in the background and adds a smoothness to the flavor.

Dense body and feel. Sticky and chewy texture in the middle transforms into a dry finish. Slightly undercarbonated but common for the style and strength.

Very well done imperial oatmeal stout. Really showcases all of the finer qualities of a well crafted stout with great balance and oat added to smooth it out.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 00:24:26 | More by bnes09

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.48/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bomber into snifter glass

Appearance – The beer pours a deep-brown nearly black color with a tiny thin wisp of tan foam. The foam fades very fast to leave almost no lacing. Upon swirling the beer in the glass it is seen to be quite sticky with it slowly sliding down the sides of the glass back to the body of the beer.

Smell – The aroma is lighter then would have been anticipated. It was largest of a sweeter caramel and roasted malt aroma. There are notes of oat and some chocolate and coffee mixed with in. A light alcohol aroma is present as well rounding out the smell.

Taste – The taste begins rather sweet. It starts of caramel with a sweeter chocolate and roasted malt flavor. Toward the middle of the flavor, an oat flavor comes to the tongue with some darker fruit flavors of plum and raisin. It has a very nice flavor here and then transitions nicely to a very different, but equally pleasurable flavor blend. Bitter chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt come at the end with many of the sweeter flavors losing some strength. When combined with the oat flavor as well as a light alcohol flavor, it creates a roasted, dark, bitter, warming feel on the tongue. It is quite nice.

Mouthfeel – The brew coats the mouth and smothers it in all its great flavors. The body of the beer is chewy and thick with a lower level of carbonation level. The feel is fantastic for the bitter and dark flavors of the beer, as well as the warming alcohol taste.

Overall – Very nice. I love the smooth flavor transitions in this one. It starts out sweet and then moves to more roasty and bitter. The feel helps with both the great flavors as well as the transition of those flavors. Really a tasty and enjoyable beer to drink. Grab one, sit back and sip slowly.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 00:43:30 | More by Darkmagus82

farrago

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dense finger plus of dark brown foam, mix of differing bubble sizes, dissolves down at a moderately steady pace leaving a solid surface coating behind, skimpy lacing looks like miniature iron mail, no stickiness. The liquid is the expected jet black color, impossible to tell if there are bubbles inside or not, hint of orange at the outermost edges. The nose is all chocolate, toffee, butterscotch and coffee ice cream, probably more flowers than oats although there is a granola, breakfast cereal element going on, might be some plum or cherry fruit there but that chocolate is overwhelming. Full-bodied, lands on the palate with a thud like an anvil. Eventually the carbonation lifts it to create space to move a little, but not much. Blend of both dark and milk chocolate, heavy duty licorice in the mix, vanilla bean, flowers, pine, mint, caramel, molasses and hazelnut coffee too. Once more the oats seem relegated to the background. Gets hoppier retronasally yet without any real sting. Can appear a bit boozy at times. That noted, props for the vividness of the flavors and for all of its flash doesn’t wear you down trying to consume it. Hard to think of what food you’d pair it with, though.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 03:19:12 | More by farrago

WillCarrera

Illinois

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

22 oz bottle, no bottled-on date, poured into a tulip glass.

A- Pours pitch black with a three-finger, fluffy, creamy mocha head, leaves some nice lacing.

S- Sweet chocolate, cocoa, some roasted grain and coffee.

T- Big flavor of dark chocolate, molasses, some bitter roasted malt and coffee become more prominent towards the finish. The booze is very well-hidden and provides some nice fruity complexity.

M- Full-bodied, smooth, rich, creamy and velvety.

O- A very nice stout, the oats give it a really great feel while the well-hidden booze gives it some warmth and complexity, it's pretty damn drinkable too for such a big beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 01:36:58 | More by WillCarrera

Thickfreakness

New York

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

A- A midnight black pour into my Bruery tulip. A thick, 3 finger deep tan head floats gently... but rapidly dissapears leaving some nice lacing behind clinging to the rim. Lacing chokes every square centimeter of the glass!!! Lovely spiderwebing!!!

S- Roasted malts, bitter cocoa, sweet oatmeal, Tangy/citrusy hops!!! Notes of pine, coffee, grapefruit, molasses, toasted pecans/cashews/hazelnuts. Really nice depth... yet no one flavor dominates! Much more citrus than I remember from past years.

T- Perfectly sweet roasted malts... Rich black coffee, sweet oatmeal, pungent yellow grapefruit, pine needles, and oven roasted nut mix! Some hints of marshmallow and dry grass and cocoa powder.

M- Thick, chewy, full and sweet!!! Notes of caramel, subtle chocolate, and piney hops! Nice bitterness and coffee presence. Not as oily as I remember, but really full none-the-less! Like biting into an espresso/tangerine brownie!!! Lovin' it!

O- I love all of Southern Tiers Backwater Imperial Stouts... As much as I love this one... it's probably 5th out of the 5... that's not a bad thing... it's just that I LOVE the others sooo much!!! It's very really nice, but it doesn't have the caracter that the other Backwater Stouts exude!

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 21:06:02 | More by Thickfreakness

n2185

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours black with a finger of khaki head that fades to a thin ring with no lacing.

S: Roasted malts with lots of sweet chocolate aromas along with hints of cream and vanilla.

T: Roasted malts here as well with creamy vanilla and chocolate. The finish has some char and bitter notes with a slight alcohol presence.

M: Thick body with lowish carbonation, this beer is sticky sweet rather than being creamy.

O: A decent stout overall, though like most Southern Tier beers, is too sweet and comes in too large of a serving that is difficult to finish alone. It's also fairly simple and lacking in complexity.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 04:30:52 | More by n2185

CheezyBlaster

Massachusetts

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

About as solid as a double stout is going to get before crossing the real threshold. That threshold being the line when we judge something as being very good, or great.

Solid expected nose, mouth and feel. Chocolate, dark coffee beans, chewy, mild viscosity, slight booze afterglow with a touch in the nose. Oaty, malt bally, only slightly dry. Not a lot of dark fruit at all. Very sweet, but obviously not choklat sweet. Only a touch of bitterness, just a little kiss, from hops to make it so quaffable at 11%.

I'd give it an 89/90. I'd love a 10 dollar 4 pack.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 23:37:35 | More by CheezyBlaster

Danny1217

Florida

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours just about pitch black. Not too much head or lacing. Smells quite chocolatey. Roasted malts, a bit of alcohol. Very big scent. Some good chocolate flavors on the taste as well. Nice smooth oatmeal feel. Roasted malts, coffee, vanilla, and a mild hop flavor. Mmmm.

A big imperial oatmeal stout. Very nice offering from this brewery, who has become a major player in these various imperial stouts.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 00:15:43 | More by Danny1217

Dennoman

Belgium

3.78/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One of the quintessential "budget big stouts". I've had a fair few stouts in my day, let's see how this beast stacks up.

2011 vintage bomber, poured into a pint glass (I was feeling decadent, sue me).

A: A dark ruby red, nearly black. Pours a hoppy and lively two-finger tan head that disappears fairly quickly into a fingernail ring around the top.

S: Hops on the forefront dominate the "stouty" smells. Some roasted malts and oats on the nose, carried by booze.

T: Dry biscuits which I'm guessing are the oats hit the tongue first, followed by hop bitterness and then coffee and some dark chocolate from the roasted malts. Leaves a dry biscuit finish with some hoppy punch.

M: I think almost everyone would agree this could be thicker and richer for the style, but considering its price range this isn't anywhere close to disappointing. Light carbonation enhances creaminess and overall drinkability. Lush, but not overly indulgent.

O: A very good big stout for those times when you don't have all that much cash to blow on the big leagues. No-nonsense and a fine example of the oatmeal stout style. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 19:51:54 | More by Dennoman

merc7186

New York

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer on tap at Bier Abbey in Schnectady NY, poured into a small tulip.

A: Dark Brown Hue, Passes No Light, Off White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Oatmeal, Mild Coffee, Mild Chocolate Malts

T: Chocolate Malts, Oatmeal, Mild Coffee

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Mild Drying, Mild Bitter

Overall, a nice oatmeal stout with good flavors and well balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2012 23:46:07 | More by merc7186

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

4.73/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very dark brown to black in Yeti snifter. Tan head that lingers longer than usual for this style.

Smell is toasted malt, chocolate, molasses, ripe fruit and a little coffee. Very inviting.

Taste follows the smell well. Lots of chocolate and sweet malt. Gets even sweeter as it warms. Molasses present and just a slight hint of bitterness in the finish. Very complex.

Mouthfeel is slick and oily. Very smooth.

Overall this was absolutely superb! Wish I had bought a case of these.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 01:16:57 | More by TrappistJohnMD

ngeunit1

California

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

A - Pours a dark brown-black color with a thin finger of frothy khaki-chocolate colored head. The head fades down fairly quickly leaving behind a bit of lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of roasted chocolate malts with some dark fruits, oats, roastiness, caramel malts, and a bit of booze.

T - Starts off with some chocolate and caramel malts with some light dark fruit and roasted flavors. Through the middle, some oats come through with some light vanilla sweetness and a bit more dark fruit. The finish is a mix of chocolate and dark caramel malts with some roasted flavors, a bit of dark fruit, and some booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. The oats really give this beer a great smoothness for how big the body and abv are. Overall, very nicely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 05:40:58 | More by ngeunit1

draheim

Washington

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

22oz (bottled 10/12/2011) into a snifter. Pours a deep brown/black w/ a 1-finger tan head that settles to a thin head.

Aroma is roasty and bitter, molasses, dark fruit, chewy nuts.

Taste follows nose. Bitter roasted malt, chocolate & caramel malt, molasses, dark fruit, hops for bitterness.

Mouthfeel is smooth with a moderately dry finish.

Overall a solid, well-crafted imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 05:14:43 | More by draheim

cfrances33

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a tulip and enjoyed on 6/27/12

Pour: Pitch black with a light brown, inch head. Fades to a rim around edges.

Smell: Dark chocolate and a little booze, but not a ton.

Taste: Really tastes like a double oatmeal stout. Bitter dark chocolate with a very roasty with a light espresso aspect thrown in. Slight booze.

Mouthfeel: Creamy with a light warming.

Overall: Tasty and nearly always on shelves in NJ right now. While not jaw dropping, if nothing piques my interest and I'm in the mood for a strong oatmeal stout, I would happily turn to this brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 19:01:15 | More by cfrances33

cvm4

Mississippi

3.85/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Doesn't pour thick, almost like a real black cola or rootbeer. Definitely deep, dark brown. Half finger, tan head that dissipates quickly.

S - Sweet, roasted malt sticks out to me. Also, some bitter chocolate and and tinge of licorice.

T - Sweet malt combined with cocoa nibs. Gets more roasted, coffee and bitter towards the end. Alcohol is rather tame considering the abv.

M - Somewhat lacking in this department. Definitely thinner than most stouts.

O - If the mouthfeel was a thicker beer, then this would be a winner. And, it's a sweeter stout than I'm used to drinking as well.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 00:09:01 | More by cvm4

BlurryVisi0n

New York

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

Served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: Dark, no wait let me rephrase that...it is basically motoroil black with a somewhat dark tan head that rises to maybe 1/4" off a gentle pour.

Smell: Just on smell alone you feel how complex this beer is, I feel everything from chocolate to barley to malts. Superb.

Taste: Little bitter and slight sweet, has a vanilla feel similar to some milk stouts but raises eyebrows with it's heavy alcohol.

Mouth: Of course I couldn't expect less from southern tier, this beer is very sticky. I would be lying if i Said it was smooth, but it isn't the hardest to drink.

Overall: I have no complaints, Imperial Oat exceeded my expectations but then again rarely southern tier has disappointed me. Be happy and keep drinking, Salud!

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 23:26:44 | More by BlurryVisi0n

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served in a snifter.

the pour is a bit lighter than your typical imperial stout motor oil black, not totally opaque, but remains a very dark brown. aggressive pour yields a finger and a half of a foamy tan head; middling retention, some lacing. nose is good but not great - definitely not as aromatic as choklat (but then, few are). i pick up notes of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, molasses, oats, and a touch of booze.

flavor mostly follows the aroma. very tasty beer with plenty of roastiness, chocolate, coffee, and oats. a bit of caramel, maybe a touch of a vague hoppy presence in the background. mouthfeel is medium-full with adequate carbonation.

overall i think this is an excellent beer, very tasty and enjoyable. won't challenge any of my personal favorites for imperial stout supremacy, but one i would not hesitate to revisit in the future.

(originally reviewed: 07-26-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 22:04:14 | More by BostonHops

stampfler07

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a very dark, thick brown, one finger of brown foamy head

S- Moderate roast, light cocoa notes, oat grain and sweet malt

T- Sweet and smooth malt to start and through the middle, roasted flavor starts about midway, finish is warm, milky cocoa and a slight roasted bitterness

M- Moderate carbonation, medium to heavy body, warming, smooth finish

O- Great taste and feel, nice warming from the alcohol without the harsh taste, solid imperial stout

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 02:24:07 | More by stampfler07

kylehay2004

Florida

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: single finger deep tan head on a jet black with no light getting through.

S: aroma is light overall with vanilla, some roasted marks, milk chocolate and toffee getting through.

T: fairly sweet up front with vanilla, milk chocolate, some nutty notes and fairly light on the bitter roasted malts.

M: smooth and thick. Light to medium carbonation.

Overall: a nice flavorful stout. One of their best. Very drinkable. Almost too sweet but otherwise very good.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2012 23:47:38 | More by kylehay2004