McGovern's Oatmeal Stout - Belfast Bay Brewing Co.

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.91/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a nonic pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a crazy two finger head that finally reduced to a puffy layer and left some nice lacing on the glass. It is a pitch black color with no vision of bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: sweet and bready oats, roasted coffee, chocolate, and smoke

Taste: everything is blended together, but the flavors are light. Some vanilla and sweetness from the oats in there too. Lingering bitterness in the back of the mouth.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, full bodied, medium carbonation, and very drinkable.

Overall: Pretty solid oatmeal stout. Too bad they have to make it in Portland and not in Belfast Bay. Still an awesome though.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 05:13:29 | More by Flounder57

farrago

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Yields over two fingers of super-dark brown foam, very airy and loose, fizzing off at a quick pace, plenty of dimpling along the way to a thin surface coating left behind, minimal lacing to be had. The liquid itself is jet black with the vaguest hint of orange at the rims. The nose feels firm and in no way soft, focuses on dark chocolate, coffee, scone, anise seed, no truly sugary component involved, the oats dried rather than cooked or even cookie status, it’s sufficiently densely packed that even the roast doesn’t lift much, mild hoppiness comes through at warmer temperatures. Medium-bodied, noticeably dry and chewy, again the oats and grains seem uncooked and dusty even, comes across as semi-bitter, heavy on the roasted coffee, bittersweet chocolate, cocoa and then black licorice and dried orange peels. Hard to truly peg the hops for the pucker factor near the end, maybe yes, maybe no. Carbonation seems low given the density of the material. With each additional sip you can’t help but wish it were a little sweeter with more length. No fruit nor something like caramel, vanilla. In the end, feels “traditional” but not so much a fun style of stout to kick back with and spend an evening.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 23:15:11 | More by farrago

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It's a blend of used motor oil and a black hole in outer space. This is among the darkest of the dark. The head is very much a dark beige around one finger thick.

Aroma: Large amounts of chocolate malts, very dark roasted coffee, only mere traces of citrus. Hops are roasted dark but not quite burnt along with the malts that carry a heavy bready character. A solid amount of oats as well.

Taste: Dark roasted coffee, chocolate malts and hops, bits of oats, very bready, some floral hop notes. Through out most of it is vanilla bean. The mouthfeel is silky smooth.

Notes: Such a great Oatmeal stout drinkable and very hearty. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 02:10:54 | More by horshack7

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another one of those beers lost in the back of the fridge from an order with Half Time Beverage. Paid around 2 bucks.

A - Pours a great deep black with slight red hues around the base. Head is creamy with a 1/2 inch of mocha head that reduces to a good lace ring.

S - What makes this beer different is that it is more coffee forward. Nice balanced oat and bitter sweet chocolates are also coming though nicely.

T - A great balance of roast to bittersweet chocolate. Body is chewy and creamy with oats and some coffee in the finish. Not the best but a good oatmeal stout.

M - Light to medium as expected for the ABV. Great flavor and not filling at all.

Overall not sure where I can pick up some more since this was an online beer but I welcome another at another day down the road. Until then Barley Flats oatmeal stout will have to do.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 16:10:58 | More by DrDemento456

Danny1217

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice dark color, with a thick tan head that goes away after about a minute. Smells of roasted malts and coffee. The taste is more heavy on the coffee than the smell. Coffee is at the forefront, with roasted malts and oats following. A hint of dark chocolate. Medium body and carbonation.

A pretty good oatmeal stout. Nothing outstanding, but worth trying for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 14:45:34 | More by Danny1217

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

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

Pours near black with a fair head. Limited retention, no lace.

Nice charred malt and coffee notes. Some grain sweetness in the nose.

Nice balance of richness and bitterness, with transitions back and forth from each. Charred malt, coffee, and then some sweetness from the oats. A hint of vanilla or sweet wood. Mild, french-roast coffee leads the finish. Very nice.

Full bodied. Decent and appropriate carbonation.

Great brew. Nice, not filling or cloying. Highly drinkable. Glad I saw this.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 04:18:12 | More by OtherShoe2

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with just the slightest reddish brown hints when held up to the light. The beer has a two finger tall tan head that reduces to an extremely thin film covering about 35% of the surface of the beer (mostly towards the center) and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate lacing is observed.

S: A pretty mild aroma but there is a pleasant aroma of dark roasted malts, chocolate, and some hints of coffee.

T: The taste follows the smell with the dominant flavor being that of dark roasted malts with just a hint of burnt or charred wood. Additionally, there are light flavors of milk chocolate and coffee. Light bitterness that continues in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with some dryness in the finish.

O: Enjoyable and easy to drink, I could definitely have more than one of these and I would enjoy that. The beer has a pleasant favor and a wonderful appearance. Very nice complexity to the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 23:08:43 | More by dbrauneis

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a nonic pint glass:

A: jet black colored body and left no head whatsoever in my nonic pint glass. No rings and no lacing were left. No carbonation is seen rising.

S: some chocolate, coffee and a good roasted maltiness.

T: same as the smell. The chocolate comes back slightly in the finish.

M: dry, fairly sessionable. It is about a medium.

O: not a bad stout. This is more of a dessert beer since the chocolatey tones come out fairly strong. I'd probably have this again depending what was served.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 17:23:51 | More by kangarooAdam59

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.03/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

An extra from someone. Sorry don't remember who.

Pours black with a thin tan head with spotty lacing and little retention.

Chocolate oatmeal and a little roasted malt in the aroma.

Some chocolate up front along with bitter roasted malt. Finishes somewhat astringent and metallic.

Mouthfeel is waaay too thin for the style. Feel is more like I'm drinking a Black IPA not an oatmeal stout.

Not terribly great. Not really too much to say about it. A very boring bland beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 00:13:32 | More by jmarsh123

metter98

New York

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is essentially jet black in color. Only a faint trace of brown is visible at the corner of the glass then the beer is held up to a bright light. It poured with a half finger-high dense tan head that died down but consistently left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are aromas of roasted malts along with notes of chocolate and coffee beans.
T: Like the smell, the taste is filled with flavors of roasted malts and has some notes of bittersweet chocolate and coffee beans. There is a slightly off-taste of soy sauce but this seems to disappear as the beer warms up. The chocolaty flavors linger through the finish.
M: Despite its nearly opaque appearance, the beer feels medium-bodied and rather smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. The finish has some dryness.
O: The medium-bodied nature of this beer makes it quite easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 19:29:15 | More by metter98

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I've been big into oatmeal stouts this winter, so here's another one to try.

Aw man, screw cap really?! It does pour out super dark and rich looking, fairly thick like a good oatmeal, no light coming through, and hints of yeast at the bottom. The head is a darker colored frothy rich 1 finger head that fades at a med pace with some nice lacing. Impressed so far.

Nose is basically what it promises to be. Plenty of dark malts, with a bit of black patent, and a hint of roast, and even slight darker than black dark chocolate. Crystal malts as well, with a light caramel aroma but mostly dark crystal malts. The oatmeal really shines through, plenty of oats and a creamy darkness, that brings a hint of chocolate milk through. Faint hints of earthy hops round it off.

Taste is rich and meaty with a big oatmeal feel again. Creamy, flaked oats, and a light luscious chocolate milk. Then again dark malts, bit of black patent, some heavy crystal malts, no real roast except a hint of burnt coffee and toffee. it does bring a light acrid over roasted malt flavor though, which is maybe the only negative, and keeps the drinkability down a bit. That slight burnt flavor also turns a bit chalky. It turns fairly bitter as the roasty malts play in with some early hops shining through a bit. A bit of caramel, toffee, and even shades of vanilla with a mild sweetness round off the overall flavor as it fades to a bitter and slightly drier finish. Light lingering earthy hops as well as roasty malts and oats all linger.

Mouth is rich and creamy, med to full bodied, decent carb.

Overall pretty good, would be better if they used slightly less black patent malt, or heavy crystal malts, or maybe there is a hint of roast that shouldn't be there. Whatever the light burnt overroasted malt flavor with a light acrid and chalky feel takes away a bit. Otherwise very tasty and done well, a nice full winter beer that won't knock you on your ass after 2 of them.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 00:22:46 | More by jlindros

Hoagie1973

New York

2.55/5  rDev -32.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Black with a coffee (with cream) colored head.
Smells roasty and a bit acidic, which carries over into the taste. The usual smooth and easy drinking nuttiness of a good OS is missing. Instead it's somewhat overly bitter, acrid and just plain rough. Maybe too aggressively hopped for the style? Resembles more of a low ABV RIS than an Oatmeal Stout. Found myself wincing a bit with each mouthful and looking forward to the bottom of the glass. Wouldn't go back to this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 21:25:10 | More by Hoagie1973

smakawhat

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a shaker pint, served at Robert's Maine Grill. Bottle good till June 2012 off we go!

A real nice creamy head off the pour with a great dark coffee brown. Dark walnut classic brown/black body to sit up on. Large thick creamy lacing sometimes on clumps on the glass. Great stuff.

Nose is a nice ripping grain, slightly husky, roasted chared malts, some mild chocolate hints also.

On the palate some nice balanced flavors. Mild char roasted malts, some sweetness too. Faint chocolate on the finish with some powdery character with a nice light bodied and small chewy tobacco.

A great beer for the style, and a much more enjoyable one after having recently had Dark Horse One. THis one is a winner really enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 16:01:50 | More by smakawhat

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

It'd be funny to think that the brewer's chose this name over both Muskie's and Humprhey's... Maybe? *ahem* Anyway, it pours a straight onyx topped by a finger of light off-khaki foam. The node comprises roasted malts, dark chocolate, light coffee, and molasses. The taste brings in more of the same, with the roast really getting kicked up, the coffee and chocolate turning bitter and acrid, and some light vinyl and tobacco entering the fray as well. The body is a solid medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a slightly dry finish. Overall, a pretty okay oatmeal stout, but one that lacks the smoothness, the finesse, the creaminess, the softness that usually comes with the style. It's still alright, just nothing I would consider great.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 03:50:08 | More by TMoney2591

CaptJackHarkness

New York

4.4/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is what i drink Stout for!!
Pours a rich midnight black with a frothy brown head that stands up well and long! Nicely laces the glass.

A sweet coffee / toffee taste with no bittering aftertaste.

There is not much of an aroma to speak of.

Overall, highly drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 21:11:00 | More by CaptJackHarkness

asabreed

New York

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: An oatmeal stout this opaque? No light? Good retention and a frothy mocha-colored head. Gorgeous in the glass.

Smell: Darkness, licorice, roasted malts, black tea, earthiness and grime.

Taste: Nicely large roasted malts, with mild anise and oats going on, along with some chocolate and acrid coffee with the finish. Filling and coating all over the place.

Mouthfeel: Medium frothy with its medium body. Good carbonation, and a lot of bubbles for the thickness. The best attribute here.

Drinkability: I wish I'd have opted for more than a bottle of this. It's a pretty complex one for the style. Glad I had the chance to try it, and would recommend it to those who have a chance.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 04:39:39 | More by asabreed

ktrillionaire

Florida

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The brew pours with a look typical of a nice stout: black with a tan cap, though it is a short-lived head. The nose is equal parts of cocoa, roast, and toffee-coffee-caramel-candy notes, but it is not sweet. It tastes about the same as the nose but it adds a pleasantly acrid roast and smoke hint to the mix. Feel is medium soft and creamy with a super drying mouthfeel, a tad reminiscent of black coffee. Quite nice, overall.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2011 00:14:54 | More by ktrillionaire

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Very roasty aroma...charcoal, nearly burnt malt, and smoke...plus, unfortunately, a little plastic and band-aid scent. The beer is dry, intensely dry, with the roasted character carrying through from the smell. No malt or hops in the flavor, just a lot of malt and grain. Fleeting alcohol in the taste. Moderate bitterness and a medium-to-light body for an oatmeal stout. Not a bad beer, although the creamy, full texture that I expect from an oatmeal stout was entirely lacking.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 01:17:53 | More by Suds

sulldaddy

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Splitting this 12 oz bottle with Stopper. Poured at room temp into a snifter the beer exhibits a dark cola brown hue with a tan edge layer and some wispy islands floating in the center of my glass. Not as much head as I expected for the style.
Aroma is dominated by burnt malt and hints of brown sugar. No hops or booze shine through at this point.
First sip reveals a light body with average carbonation. Flavor is similar to the nose with burnt malt and brown sugar mixing not too complex. Also still find no hop presence or hint of ABV. A pretty easy drinking oatmeal stout that is nice and roasty but the body is a little thin for the style and I would like more with a little mor thickness. Still I could and would drink more than one in a sitting if I had the beer around.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 19:16:24 | More by sulldaddy

wcintula

New York

3.05/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured black with a very thin head. Has a very strong roasted character in the nose. Tastes Bitter/bittersweet mixture of chocolate, coffee and oats. Emphasis on the coffee bitterness. Has a much thinner body than I had expected, a little acidic. Reminds me too much of a strong black coffee rather than a beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2011 13:33:44 | More by wcintula

soccerman7

Vermont

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass - From Baconsauasge - Thanks Tucker

A - A nice thick tan head with a steady carbonation. Black as a new moon.

S - Sweet toast and coffee with a noticeable hop character. Faint note of bitter roast.

T - Warm oatmeal bread. The hops are really balanced with the grains and oatmeal not too sweet and not to dry. Almost a raisin fruit character. The bitterness becomes a little more pronounced as it warms up.

M - A touch thick but very smooth with nice carbonation. Doesn't coat the mouth though which is nice.

O - A really enjoyable sunday afternoon brew on a cold spring day. Wish it was local around here so I could stock up. A lot of flavor for a session brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 16:43:50 | More by soccerman7

MasterSki

Illinois

2.13/5  rDev -43.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Thanks Mike for sharing this one! Best before October 2011. Served in a Bruery tulip.

A - Pours with a finger of tan foam that settles to a thin cap and thicker collar, but no lace. Surprisingly dark for 5% - there's only a hint of brown.

S - Roasted malt and light smokiness. Pretty average.

T - Yikes! Taste is much worse. Bitter espresso, stale coffee, burnt paper, charred malt, some tires. Just awful.

M - Medium body, with zesty carbonation. Not very smooth or creamy for an oatmeal stout.

D - A little bit of sweetness emerges as it warms up, making it a touch better, but it's still not very good and I doubt most people would wait that long. Mike's drain got much of this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 17:48:11 | More by MasterSki

AgentZero

Illinois

2.3/5  rDev -39.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - Pours a black color, pretty hefty for a 5.1% beer. Head faded to a decent off-white head with no lacing.

S - Smells a little sour and like some sort of ethanol. Some coffee and roasted notes, but not a great smell.

T - This is a truly remarkable feat in making a bad beer. Some sort of taste of burnt rubber taste with almost a lactic sourness that sticks with you on the aftertaste. A bit of sweetness, but this is just bad.

M - Thin, although expected for a bad 5% oatmeal stout. Lower carbonation.

D - This is not a good beer, it tastes pour and drinks hard for its 5.1%.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 05:49:21 | More by AgentZero

womencantsail

California

2.88/5  rDev -24%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks for this one, Bobby.

A: Pours a rather viscous dark brown, almost black with a finger of off-white head.

S: This one has a pretty decent nose. Lots of coffee and sweet chocolate along with some bitter dark chocolate (like baker's chocolate). Definitely a bit of coffee and some burnt chocolate.

T: The flavor is way off from the nose. Really light with some decent coffee and roasted malts. Maybe a bit of dark chocolate, but definitely bitter. Kind of watery, truth be told.

M: Surprisingly watery and thin on the body. Moderate to high carbonation.

D: The nose was quite nice, but the flavor and mouthfeel are just a failure. Not a fan of this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 04:58:25 | More by womencantsail

bboelens

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass

A-Deep deep black with ruby hints when lifted into the light, medium khaki head that dissipates rather quickly with minimal lacing

S-Oats, roasted malts, vanilla and toffee

T-Similar to the smell, a bit more subdued than I would prefer, a slight fruit taste is present along with the aforementioned smells

M-Medium body, slightly creamy with low carbonation

D-A good brew overall but there are much better oatmeal stouts out there

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 21:11:17 | More by bboelens