Stoudt's Fat Dog (Imperial Oatmeal Stout) - Stoudts Brewing Co.

Alieniloquium

Florida

2.8/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Funky Buddha snifter.

Appearance - A brown stream accumulates into a pretty black body. Small khaki head. Settles to a nice collar and a few pocks of foam.

Smell - There is a ton of oatmeal in this. Some chocolate. Some acidity in the nose too. Maybe just a combination of oatmeal and alcohol giving that impression. Definite licorice character.

Taste - Grainy texture and flavor up front. Licorice flavor manifests itself immediately. Chocolate behind it. Still buckets of oatmeal. That acidic flavor comes back here too. Maybe even metallic. Not sure.

Mouthfeel - Builds into an intrusive flavor with each sip. Slow drinking as a result. Not my favorite and this might get dumped.

Overall - Slowly working through this and enjoying it less and less. Too much oatmeal, which is giving off all sorts of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 01:43:41 | More by Alieniloquium

brewskifan55

Mississippi

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter

A: Shoe polish brown with a tan half finger head that dissipates fast. No lacing.

S: Chocolate, anise, dark fruits

T: Follows nose with some nice coffee notes. Sweet, robust, hearty, smokey.

M: Medium to heavy with medium carbonation.

O: Really smooth. Would drink again. Nice doggie.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 18:56:02 | More by brewskifan55

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

4.51/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This beer looks as good as it tastes and smells! Black with a hint of brown showing through and poured vigorously from the bottle gave it a full three finger brown head that lasts as a full cap leaving nice sticky brontosaurus looking lacing on the glass. Kewl!

The aroma is roasted and sweet with some dark prunes and bready notes.

The taste is phenomenal and complex. It starts off caramel malty and sweet with hints of milk chocolate, vanilla and moves back towards slight breadiness (oats?) then some earthy hops and finishes with a licorice hint that numbs the tongue for a short period of time. It's pretty balanced!

The mouthfeel is carbonation hot at the very beginning then becomes creamy smooth. The body is moderate to full, just a tad on the thin side. There is a mildly dry and numbing feeling and finally a slick coat on the tongue.

Overall I would have to agree with many judges of this beer who called it exceptional! The alcohol is hidden well and really is only apparent to me with the tongue numbing and a slight warming. The body is just a tad, I mean a tiny bit, light, which is a blessing if you want to drink 2 or 3 of these puppies! The flavours are interestingly complex and evolve as the beer warms. A solid 4.25 or higher out of 5 for this doe-gee!

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 01:21:12 | More by WissBrauSean

acevenom

Louisiana

3.65/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a snifter glass. The beer pours opaque dark caramel bown with a thick, tan head that dissipates slowly. The beer smells of dark roasted malt with some hints of coffee. I also pick up some alcohol. The flavor is of dark roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, oatmeal, toffee, and a touch of alcohol. There's a touch of back end bitterness and roastiness. The body is full and thick with low carbonation. The beer does stick to the mouth ever so slightly and leaves some aftertaste. The alcohol can be felt in the back of the throat. This is a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 16:30:02 | More by acevenom

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.94/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle received in trade from cpetrone84, thanks for the opportunity Chris!
Bottled in 2009 enjoyed in 2013
Pours a solid color of darkness with a smallish tan head that quickly dissipates to wisps of foam on the top. Smells of caramel, brown sugar, milk chocolate, light cereal grains, a hint of earthy hops and a touch of ethanol. The flavor is sweet and malt with a bit of sugary caramel malt with some roasty milk chocolate. Earthy hop with a hint of wet cardboard round out the flavor. Medium to thick body with a light level of carbonation and a sweet oily mouthfeel. Nice Stout really heavy on the sweet caramel and chocolate and showing slight hints of oxidation. glad I got to try it, but wouldn't mind a fresh sample too.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:05:02 | More by johnnnniee

Burkbom23

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Dark as night without a hint of light showing through. Nice 2 finger fluffy tan head that hung around for most of the duration. Good ammount of lacing through out. Nice looking brew. Roasted oatmeal in the nose. Followed by some grains, slight dark fruits and some alcohol present. Got some toasted flavors in the taste. Some coffee and toffee. Hint of milk chocolate. Medium to heavy body. Velvety and creamy in the mouth. This stout looked great and felt great in the mouthfeel. It was a good enough brew, certainly wouldnt turn one down if someone offered one but not overly complex and falls a little short for me in the aroma and taste departments.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 02:28:27 | More by Burkbom23

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.39/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.5

Stoudts Fat Dog imperial oatmeal stout has a very thick, creamy, cream-colored head and a quite dark, brown appearance, with a few little bubble streams visible at the bottom of the glass. Some lacing is evident. The aroma is of sweet, heavily roasted barley malt, oatmeal, and possibly even cocoa powder. Taste is of all that, plus deep bitterness. Mouthfeel is verging on heavy, and Stoudts Fat Dog finishes mostly dry, rich, cloying, and sip-able. Overall, this is a most excellent beer and a most def try!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 16:45:54 | More by RonaldTheriot

tdm168

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - black with a short-lived, soft, semi-fizzy, brown head

S - roasted malts, some faint chocolate, dark fruit

T - big dark fruit notes, chocolate, roasted malts, some very faint coffee, mild bitter finish, alcohol

M - full bodied, warming alcohol, well carbonated

This is a decent stout. The dark fruit notes dominate the flavor, but it is a well rounded stout with a rich, complex flavor profile. It's well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 00:15:04 | More by tdm168

gr0g

New Jersey

3.71/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A rich looking jet-black pour. The one-finger head is somewhat uninspiring, with average retention and not a trace of lacing. Molasses is prominent on the nose. Black licorice and dark chocolate notes follow. The aroma is capped off by a long, lingering solvent note that detracts quite a bit from the aroma score. At 8%, alcohol should not be this prominent.

Fortunately, the flavor profile accentuates the positives from the aroma. Good balance is achieved as an upfront malty sweetness segues into a drier, more bitter finish. Molasses and toffee notes prevail. Some char and roastiness add astringency. Solvent note is present but muted. The mouthfeel is somewhat disappointing for an oatmeal stout, and the body is a bit thin overall. Carbonation is kind of weak, yet it's also too harsh at first. It eventually settles down to become pleasantly soft.

Fat Dog has a great flavor profile, but it stumbles in all other areas. The draft version may improve upon its weak points, but I can't really recommend the bottled version.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 02:05:15 | More by gr0g

harrymel

Washington

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottled 14AUG12 (I think, month was a bit smudged)

Dark brown with a nice quilt of fine light cocoa foam. Smells of graham, toast, bits of chocolate, some toasted malts and a good dose of coffee beans. Taste is real nice, smooth, oaty, slightly sharp with coffee, sweet cocoa powder, and fudgy dark chocolate. Full bodied with light, fluffy carb and a watery but dry finish. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 05:35:05 | More by harrymel

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours with litte fanfare. On the pour the head was thin and small and vanished quickly. The color of this thin looking brew is deep ruby brown.
Aroma featured simply roasted barley and malts. I could pull out anything else really.
Most prominent in the taste was the roast and that was light by most standards based on Imp. stoudts.
I could pull out sutle hints of coffee and licorse, but that could be suggestive. Drinks sweet with an alcohol warming the palette.
Gritty on the palette. Overall, I think this beer is okay or average at best and easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 12:40:30 | More by micromaniac129

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a glass mug.

A: Dark brown with giant three-finger, off-white, creamy head that lasted more than several minutes. Pretty good lacing.

S: Roasted malt. Chocolate. Oats. Mild.

T: Light to moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Burnt malt and vanilla and coffee. Alcohol.

M: Medium bot full bodied with fizzy carbonation. Slightly warm going down.

O: Not a bad Imperial Oatmeal stout, although I may be slightly biased because I really like Oatmeal stouts. Will probably drink again.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 03:28:02 | More by SolipsismalCat

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a very dark brown color that betrays a little light near the edges. The head is a one finger light tan color with low retention. A thin collar around the edge of the glass remains, and tries to leave behind a bit of lacing.

S: This seems to feature a lot of roasted grain, backed by some cocoa, licorice, and faint raisin. Even a bit of oats seem to appear on the nose. A nice aroma, but fairly standard issue.

T: Again, the stout comes across as heavily reliant on roasted barley, especially near the opening flavors. Eventually, a transition will occur to toffee, vanilla, marzipan, cream, coffee beans, and a little raisin. For whatever reason, the finish makes it come across as boozier than it needs be. It doesn't FEEL boozy (just astringent - more on that later), but there is a slightly sharp taste of alcohol that needs to be cut down. Having said that, some decently cohesive complexity is saving it from a lower score in this category.

M: Really astringent on the finish, which I don't like too much. The general feel is fairly thin, but with a very nice combination of smoothness and rolling carbonation at first. I can't fault its drinkability too much, but I do think the faint sharpness could be toned down.

O: This one is good, but not elite. There are many other stouts I'd rather have over this, but I wouldn't be averse to returning to it again, or on tap.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 21:51:33 | More by ThisWangsChung

Andrew61923

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12 oz bottle into Portsmouth Brewery tulip. Have had this for about nine months now.

A: No light getting through this sucker. Half finger light khaki head which is more a collection of bubbles than the creamy head I expected. Slowly dissipates, but a good amount left in a halo.

S: Chocolate, roasted malts, and some coffee. Very nice. Picking up on a hint of dark fruits as well.

T: A much smaller amount of the chocolate and almost no coffee. There is an early tartness I pick up, which makes me think I may have either gotten a bad bottle or that I should have opened this one earlier. The chocolate lingers at the end, which is nice, but the initial taste really throws me off.

M: Way too thin and carbonated. Worst quality of this beer by far.

O: Average at best. I was let down after a strong start, and I won't be returning to this one again, especially with so many quality replacements readily available on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 04:08:58 | More by Andrew61923

SeamusDoyle

Pennsylvania

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

Poured black with a short brown head that dissipated pretty quickly but left a lace on the way down some noticable tan floaters in the bottom of the glass. Sweet nose of chocolate, oatmeal, some plum. Flavor was quite complex, chocolate, oatmeal, quite sweet with a decent aftertaste of chocolate as well. On the palate this is full bodied and coats the mouth well. The alcohol is completely covered by the full flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 21:51:43 | More by SeamusDoyle

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.38/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into snifter

Appearance – Pours a deep brown nearly black color with a two finger tan head. The large bubbles in the head pop slowly over time to give a nice level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is of some roasted malt and oatmeal. Mixed with this is a light hoppy and alcohol flavor.

Taste – The taste begins with a sweeter and roasted flavor. Mixed with this is a caramel sweetness. Flavors of oat and some lighter cocoa soon come to the tongue as well as an increase in the roasted and a sweet caramel taste. In the end some toffee and a light herbal hop flavor come to the tongue. The flavor is rather interesting - slightly roasty and sweet yet hoppy and a little astringent.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the thicker and creamier side with a carbonation level that is rather average. The thickness of the body is quite nice for the oat and dark flavors, allowing all the strong dark flavors and oat to linger on the tongue.

Overall – It was an alright stout. The appearance was nice and the feel very much so. The taste starts out very appealing and for the most part is nice. The smell however and the finish to the taste leave something to be desired. Not one I would likely frequent, but it is a tough one to call. Overall, I would recommend to give it a go and see what you think of it yourself.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 01:58:11 | More by Darkmagus82

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep brown colour with a ring of tan head, little to no lace at all. Smell has a lot of roasted malt, biscuity as well, coffee grinds, little bit of hop and chocolate, pretty substantial malt bill overall. Tons of roast taste wise as well, some burnt/black coffee, dark chocolate and to a lesser degree a bit of smoke , light sweetness in the finish. Lightly carbonated, medium body, fairly smooth as well. This was good but probably something I wouldn't drink a lot of, but quite a nice stout though.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 13:58:55 | More by peensteen

hardy008

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Dark black with raisin colored highlights and a one finger foamy, tan head with good retention and lacing. I can pick up a good amount of dark roasted malt and dark chocolate, as well as some vanilla.

Tastes pretty much like it smells. Dark roasted malt, dark chocolate, raisins, and a small amount of vanilla. Somewhat sweet, with bitterness from the dark roasted malt flavor.

Medium bodied with above average carbonation. Has a smooth feel to it, no doubt due to the oatmeal. Has a slightly charred aftertaste. A nice offering.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 01:32:15 | More by hardy008

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Pino, 12oz into a tulip. Bottled March 14, 2012.

Dark brown, deep red at the edges. Beige head with bubbles as a collar. Nose of roasted oats, chocolate and light cooca. Taste has more roast/roasted oats, bitter chocolate, and some coffee grains. Light tartness. Medium body, roast into the finish. Lower medium carbonation. A tastier bigger stout, nice roasty character.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 21:04:34 | More by liamt07

Duff27

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 1/1?/12

A- Pours a thin light tan head on a dark brown body. Head recedes to a collar fairly quickly. Leaves a pleasant lacing splattered on all side of the glass.

S- Deep cocoa notes in the aroma, some coffee.

T- Follows the nose with a hint of cola, figs. I feel like the hops are slightly elevated in this one, relatively speaking. 8%abv sounds about right.

M- Wonderful mouthfeel, nice and thick, smooth. Carbonation is on the lower end.

D/O- Very smooth, perhaps my favorite aspect of Fat Dog. Thanks for the try MaxSpang!

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 03:12:42 | More by Duff27

4thelvofbeer

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to toporanda for this extra in a trade! Thanks Dan! Bottle was stamped: Bottled in 10/09. Opened Oct 4, 2012. Pours dark, but is really thin as filling the glass...almost watery consistency. Looks aren't everything...first taste...wow! Big oats and oatmeal nose and taste! Really nice and warm..enjoyable.Mouthfeel was thin, but nice. Overall a really nice tasteful stout!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 22:00:32 | More by 4thelvofbeer

darktower

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Definitely my favorite from Stoudts. I will say this though, I've enjoyed a few of these every year now for the past few years and I can say something's changed. I don't know what exactly (who knows, maybe I've changed!) but I think the chocolate/malt/caramel flavors have become a little more subdued in the last 5-10 years. There's a slight bitter quality to it that seems to have emerged over those years as well. I don't think it's made the beer worse, just, different...

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 18:39:58 | More by darktower

hiphopipa

Maine

3.8/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As always, a big thanks Mike (InebriatedJoker) for the tasty extra!

Pours a deep dark and non-transparent brown. Thin ring of head that retains as its warmed up.

Not much of an aroma, but I do smell the dark malts and chocolate notes.

Thick and chewy mouth feel carried by a high carbonation. Tasting burnt malts, dark bitter baking chocolate and a bit of hazelnut. Slight alcohol warming in the finish and the bitterness lingers.

My first Stoudt's beer and a nice imperial oatmeal, really boozy and despite the high ABV I'd sip another any day.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 16:44:49 | More by hiphopipa

Jeffo

Netherlands

3/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got this one at Premiere Gourmet in Amherst, NY.

From a bottle into a snifter
Bottled 11 April 2012

APPEARANCE: A clear brown pour produces a small, one finger, medium looking, light tan head with good retention. Head slowly fades to a full wisp and bubbly ring. Clear black body with medium levels of carbonation. A splotchy wisp and ring remain until the end and leave touches of lacing down the glass. Good head, but the body is too transparent.

SMELL: Roasted malts, dark chocolate, light coffee notes and some oats on the nose. Some light touches of sweet cream as well as some cocoa powder. Decent, but mild.

TASTE: Roasted malts and some light oat notes up front, then some caramel sweetness and burnt malts at the swallow. A medium but lingering finish of burnt malt, bitter cocoa powder, light oat flavors and some boozy notes. Pretty nice, but again, just too mild to be memorable.

PALATE: Lighter body with medium levels of carbonation. Creamy enough on the palate, goes down fine and finishes slightly dry. Average at best, so we'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

OVERALL: A really average beer for the style. Nothing wrong with it per say, but to bring it out of the realm of averagedom, the look will have to be darker and thicker, and palate fuller and heavier. The flavors and aromas will have to be bolder as well. A decent beer, but that's all.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 15:37:34 | More by Jeffo

claspada

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a jet black color with a very foamy tan head that left thin, soapy rings of lace on the glass as it recedes.

The aromas begin with very roasty with dark bitter cocoa taking center stage. As it warms it opens up and you get some subtle coffee and some sweeter, almsot dark fruits and caramelzied sugar smells.

The tastes follow the nose with dark roasted malt, raw grainy oats and some bitter dark coffee beans. As it warms you get some dark chocolate, light molasses and a semi-sweet caramel maltiness. Earthy hops emerge it warms as well and contrasts some of the sweeter malt flavors.

The mouthfeel is medium-heavy bodied with medium to low carbonation. Finish was roasty, crisp, sharp and a little dry due to some emerging alcohol notes.

Overall this was a pretty goot beer but I feel the Oatmeal aspect is lost when you up the ABV in this style. The creaminess is replaced by increased acrid dark maltiness and alcohol bite; it throws the balance off as well. Not all styles need to be Imperial, but that's just my opinion for what it's worth.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 19:24:02 | More by claspada