Portsmouth Oatmeal Stout - Portsmouth Brewery

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

At Portsmouth Brewery:

In a pint glass:

A: when it was first brought to me, it was a black body separated by two levels, one was a dark tan that fed into the white two finger head, the dark tan level eventually fed entirely into the head, nice show! Foamy rings graced the sides and the head died after a good two minutes

S: oatmeal, light bitter coffee

T: dry, bitter and sweet; sweet slightly chocolate aftertaste, sticky finish

M: medium, slightly sessionable, adequate carbonation

O: this is very good for an oatmeal stout and very good to me

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2013 18:46:43 | More by kangarooAdam59

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

First had: on tap at Portsmouth

Poured a solid black color with a small ringlet of tan bubbles for a head. Basic stouty aroma, dark roasty malts, small hints of coffee and cocoa. More of the same in the taste, dark malts, fairly roasty, coffee bitterness, a little earthiness, and a bit of tea-like astringency. Pretty bland and underwhelming overall. Mouthfeel was pretty thin, especially for an oatmeal stout, body was about medium. Not a very good stout, IMO, and I'm pretty sure someone with a homebrew extract kit could make something as good if not better.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2013 23:06:02 | More by Rifugium

boonejag75

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Loved the darkness and depth of color in this beer. A nice tan head and a trace of lace. It smelled of chocolate and a bit smokey to me,which i also found in tasting it. It was light on the tongue and and smooth in the mouth.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a bomber from a bud who road tripped to the NE. Thanks CR for the hookup!

Overall, really enjoyed this beer, especially on a chilly Jan night.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 16:07:30 | More by boonejag75

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

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

Dark brown with a nice foamy tan head. No lace.

Big coffee aroma, some good charred malt in the nose.

Big coffee on the palate, with nice bitterness and sweetness of the malt balancing each other out. The oatmeal does come thru, just barely, but you get it. Big coffee bitter finish.

A bit astringent and some tingly bite. Full bodied.

Real solid for the style. Liked this and would have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2012 20:11:58 | More by OtherShoe2

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bomber bottle purchased at the brewery. Poured into a perfect pint glass. Love how this beer looks - jet black with medium dark brown foam. Disappates clear off. Oaty nose, some dark roasted background. Dark chocolate oat taste. Mellow aftertaste, quite smooth. Light smoothing of the bitters. Quite tasty. Example version of the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 13:16:18 | More by KTCamm

farrago

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Two fingers of rich, dense foam, very dark tan with an island of larger bubbles at the spot of pour, retention is average, the lacing forms wide sheets which slowly snake down the glass side, leaves a few splotches behind. The liquid is extremely dark brown falling short of black, displays an orange tint at the glass bottom, sufficiently opaque to mask most bubbles within. The nose is super-heavy on the sweet roast, loaded with chocolate, toffee, coffee and a pinch of ginger, a burst of white grapefruit comes through clearly, the oats make it drier than sweeter, that said the grains smooth and there’s not a real hops presence here, lifts into a broad musk. Full-bodied, not that heavy, creamy carbonation helps it slowly move through the mouth. For its weight has good freshness and a svelte middle, in addition to the grapefruit you get pine and flowers, hops showing more get up and go here. Sneaks in cherry and peach fruit accents before building up mocha, cocoa, toffee and caramel, the oats likely add as much gluey texture as real flavor. Roasty residue extends the finish well. Good stuff, particularly if you are not looking for sweetness overload.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 19:04:27 | More by farrago

ThePorterSorter

New York

3/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Picked up this bottle from the brewery in May.
The beer pours jet black with a tan head. The nose is reminiscent of pungent buttery popcorn, laundry water, and a touch of metal. The taste is equally reminiscent of dirty lines...however, I must move on through the review...because I poured it from a bottle.
It's a drinkable stout with a slight bite from the hops and alcohol. You would not know this was an oatmeal stout. The body is watery and in combination with all else wrong with this beer...this is an epic fail.
Quite undrinkable and a huge disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 23:11:21 | More by ThePorterSorter

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a tumbler pint, the beer is an extremely dark brown, almost black coloring with a thin, filmy, dense head that sits low and is a light beige color. Aromas of roasted oats, coffee, and a slight hint of cream. Flavors are rich and smooth, with a dark fruit sweet highlight laced throughout a coffee and cream backbone. Very light in mouth, despite the velvety smooth feel and strong flavor profiles. Leaves a decent, slick lacing along the glass. The aftertaste is more of the creamy and slight fruit sweetness, leading to a slow receding, lingering finish that is slick and darkly bitter. Very tasty beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 02:25:59 | More by GarthDanielson

BeRanger

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draught at the brewery, served into a pint glass. Poured jet black with about one finger of head. Good amount of lacing throughout. Smells of chocolate, coffee, oatmeal, roasted malts, a little vanilla. The taste is very creamy, full bodied with a low carbonation, not bursting with flavor but still good. It was my favorite currently on draught, what a great brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 00:41:12 | More by BeRanger

brewerburgundy

California

2.75/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle, Duvel tulip, 20th Anniversary Portsmouth label. Thank you, Jayli via Secret Santa 2011.

Very dark, even for a Stout, it deserves to be called black. There is very little head and what there is is light for a Stout.

Stale coffee and bitter chocolate with a bit of charcoal and oak thrown in. It smells like a cup of cheap coffee with creamer or chocolate milk.

Things break down when one tastes this beer. First, it's within a wheezy breath of being completely flat. I stick with the stale coffee reference, but this time it isn't a cheap and cheerful, satisfying with the dairy in it, aspect. Slight sourness, sweetness is balanced reasonably by mostly dark malt bitterness and astringency.

It has the weight of an Oatmeal Stout, but it is all but flat. The bottle must not have sealed properly. Yeah, it's 1.5 bad. With any less heft it would be a 1.

It smells good, but that is all. Likely proper carb would fix it all, but Portsmouth wasn't able to pull that off with this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 04:03:19 | More by brewerburgundy

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Stopped in for lunch on 12/9
Served in a pint glss

A: This beer pours and opaque, pitch black with a two inger of rich, frothy light brown head. Head retains nicely leaving big clumps of lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is rich chocolate, oatmeal, and charred notes.

T: Taste starts with charred and oatmeal notes. Roast then starts to lighten the flavoring while a milk chocolate and coffee flavoring comes through and finishes this beer out. There's a touch of a burnt aftertaste.

M: Medium to fuller bodied, moderate carbonation, nice silky feel.

O: Goes down easy, very tasty, somewhat filling, mild kick, great representation of style. Another phenomenal brew from Portsmouth!

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 19:33:48 | More by Jayli

Brez07

Maine

3.85/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Stopped in for the lunch a few weeks ago and finally took notes on one of my favorites from Portsmouth. 16oz served in a pint glass

A: Solid black for the most part, but I do see some amber towards the bottom of the glass. Big frothy cream colored head which sticks around until the end. Some thick lacing towards the top

S: Nose is probably the weakest part of this beer. Not much too it; some roasted oat and malt

T: Ah yes, the beer I remember. Dark chocolate, light roast, flaked oat. Some sweetness from the chocolate malt

M: Full bodied. I love that Portsmouth puts all their stouts on nitro, just seems to work so well. Smooth and creamy

D: My glass was empty before I knew it. Very flavorful and easy drinking. Recommended

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-02-2011 22:51:07 | More by Brez07

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap today at the brewery.
Pours a solid black with just the faintest of brown highlights on the edges. A minimal khaki head that dissipates quickly. Smells of toasted malts, roasted coffee, hints of milk chocolate and steeping grains as well. Tastes of creamy chocolate up front, roasted coffee and toasted malts mid way through with a long lingering roasted bitterness in a fairly dry finish. Creamy smooth mouthfeel, light to moderate level of carbonation and a medium body. Very tasty brew. I could certainly see myself throwing a few of these back.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 02:44:57 | More by johnnnniee

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

2.65/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Received this bottled in a trade sometime over the last year or so, but my notes seem to render the sender a mystery. To whoever you are, thanks for the opportunity.

Pours black with a short lived tan head that plunges to a steady ring around the glass. Next to no glass related carnage. Looks pretty gnarly in my Darkness snifter.

Smells of bitter roast and red wine vinegar. There's a creamy caramel dessert underneath, but the vinegar lingers over the proceedings like a Clarence Thomas pubic hair. Too obscure? Not sure this belongs.

Tartness atop lactose. Bitter coffee, light roast, and again with the vinegar. Odd.

For an oatmeal stout, the body here is really lacking: light with a low carbonation and not enough heft or substance.

Overall, this just isn't a very good oatmeal stout. I wanted to like this more, but there's just something slightly off. If it is an infection, it hasn't rendered the beer undrinkable. What it has done is render this a disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 02:16:18 | More by BarrytheBear

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

2.3/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Review adapted from notes taken 4/2/11

Note: I've had this beer more than once. Why? Because I couldn't believe what I was tasting...

Appearance: Nicely black, with a tan head that leaves some nice lacing on the glass

Smell: Roasted malts, oats - but not in a good way - something about the malts impart a smell of wet corn husk or wet cardboard, almost smoky - kind of sweet, kind of burnt, definitely unappealing

Taste: Again, not impressive - way, way too sweet - there is a bizarre flavor that lurks in this beer, like wet cardboard that was burnt and then covered in sugar - bitter, not in a good way - the roasted malts and oats make somewhat of an appearance as this approaches room temperature, but it is too little, too late - not good, but still not a drain pour

Mouthfeel: Well-carbonated, but thin - very thin for the style, almost remarkable considering that the oats should increase the mouthfeel

Overall: I don't understand how this could come from the Portsmouth Brewery

I had this on-tap in 2008, and I thought it was bad. Nearly three years later, I had a fresh bomber of it, and it still tasted bad. It's not, "I'm going to gag and dump this," kind of bad, just not even close to the quality of even the "average" Portsmouth Brewery offering. If you go to the Portsmouth Brewery, enjoy the other fantastic offerings and avoid this anomaly.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 18:21:07 | More by angrybabboon

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - poured from a bottle on 7/3/11, pours a deeply dark brown with not light passing through when held up to the light. There is a 1/4 inch of tan foam that quickly faded leaving just some spotty lacing.
S - bitter coffee, roasted malts, the oats and some lactose sweetness
T - roasted bitter coffee, oats and lactose type sweetness, the taste is just a bit too sweet for me.
M - Smooth and creamy, medium bodied with a slight amount of carbonation.
D - This one is just too sweet for me. Its hard to finish. There is just a harsh bitterness and sweetness that is overwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 02:50:07 | More by mikereaser

ALeF

New Hampshire

4.75/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A – A black colored beer with a lasting, tan-colored head, good lacing, and almost no carbonation.

S – A strong smell of roasted malt (cocoa) and oats; a light hint of floral hops.

T – A roasted cocoa taste upfront, balanced out by the sweetness of the oats and the hint of floral hops.

M – A medium-bodied, smooth, and deliciously creamy beer.

D – This is an extremely drinkable stout! This is one of my favorite beers from the PB, but it is made so much better when coming from a cask. It went well as desert.

Serving type: cask

07-01-2011 19:45:07 | More by ALeF

COBeerBuff

Kansas

2.1/5  rDev -48.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

22oz bottle received from CooperEllis in the (Blank)IF and poured into a Spiegelau tulip.

Appearance: Cracked the cap with a nice whoosh of carbonation. The beer pours an opaque jet black with a ton of carbonation. Almost 3 fingers of mocha tan colored head that recedes slowly leaving a huge billowy layer along the top and great lacing down the edges of the glass. The liquid itself is amazingly dark. Most oatmeal stouts let in some browns around the edges, but this one is all dark and mysterious. Love it!

Smell: Much like past reviewers, the nose is heavily slanted towards the bitterness of coffee. I was expecting some more soft oat and chocolate flavors, and while they are present, the roastiness of the coffee and the burnt grains create an interesting conundrum for my nose. As some others noted, there’s a bit of acidity in the nose that’s tough to put a finger on.

Taste: A little bit of chocolate and a lot of coffee are present, but this one is all sour cherries and spoiled fruit. My wife claims it doesn’t taste anything like an oatmeal stout, but she loves it. I don’t think it tastes anything like an oatmeal stout, and I hate it. I’m going to let it warm to see if it improves, but looking doubtful.

Mouthfeel: With the extreme carbonation present, the mouthfeel is incredibly light and watered down. I’m wondering if this is a QC issue or if the bottle being 7 months old contributed anything to it. It’s unfortunate because I was really looking forward to having a Portsmouth stout.

Drinkability: As it warms, its drinkability improves slightly, but this one is still too much for my tastes. I finished the first tulip, but couldn’t bear to drink the rest. I’m going to leave this review up until I get another bottle to review just in case this boils down to being a QC issue, and not a matter of letting it sit too long.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 23:54:20 | More by COBeerBuff

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber poured into a Portsmouth tulip. Bottle courtesy of 603BeerMe, thanks Clark!

A - Pours a very dark black for the style, one of the darkest oatmeal stouts I've seen. This is contrasted nicely with a light tan, 2-fingered head, frothy in texture. The head retention is decent, leaving tightly condensed bubbles as a cap after it leaves. Lacing is generous and thin, leaving residual film along the circumference of the glass in broad streaks.

S - The nose is surprisingly dominantly coffee and espresso, followed by bittersweet chocolate. Not much from the malts besides that and has a distinct booziness which caught me off-guard for the ABV. The story of the nose is fresh coffee beans, definitely.

T - Much like the nose, the taste is full of coffee in the initial taste, but as the taste progresses, it transitions more gradually into the rest of the malts and chocolate. Much more balanced here than in the nose, thankfully. The chocolate is more sweet than in the nose and overall its more robust. The oats are very smooth here and add a nice, creamy texture. The finish is slightly alcoholic and has a tinge of hops as well.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately heavy-bodied with high carbonation for the style. For the sake of the oats and smooth mouthfeel, I feel this is slightly overcarbonated, but nothing a few swirls in the glass can't alleviate. Not much of a finish, but it keeps me coming back for more!

D/O - Drinkability is moderately high. Solid flavors, if not a bit single-minded, would've liked to see a little more complexity, but the coffee tastes freshly roasted and we see two sides of chocolate here; bitter and sweet. Overall a nice drinking beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 19:41:18 | More by nhindian

robwestcott

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

big thanks to straffordmilitia for the brew and the glass i'm pouring it into.

poured cold from the bottle to a portsmouth brewery balloon glass a deep rich dark chocolate black with a 1/2 finger, short lasting, mocha head leaving a thin rim clinging to the side of the glass and a small bit if spotty lace.

subtle aroma of chocolate, sweet malt and oatbread.

toasty malts, semi sweet chocolate, graham cracker, subtly bitter, and as it warms, a bit of coffee.

thin for the style, mild bitter, creamy smooth.

drinkable - yep bomber.

overall - very good, smooth, easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 01:34:11 | More by robwestcott

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer pours a pitch black with the smallest amount of light makin it's way through the edges, it has a thin tan head that quickly dissapates, this beer also has some nice legs. The smell is toasty and sweet with a hint of chocolate. The taste is fairly similar to the nose with light flashiness a good amount of sweetness and a hint of chocolate. The mouthfeel is smooth and slightly clinging. This beer is very drinkable and is available now in the shop or on tap.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 12:57:25 | More by rowingbrewer

ToasterChef

Maine

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from my notes. Served in a pint glass at the brew pub.

A: Opaque super dark brown liquid. Brown foam head.

S: Roasty oats and malt. Slight touch of chocolate.

T: Big malts, but not too sweet. Some rich chocolate. Some roasted malt flavors, but not coffee-like. Some hop bitterness in the finish. The aftertaste reminds me of milk chocolate.

M: Smooth and creamy. A touch of stickiness on my lips. Good coating without too much flavor.

D: Very drinkable! I would love to get a growler of this.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2011 17:13:09 | More by ToasterChef

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: 1/2 inch head, opaque, black in color

Smell: cream and roasted malt

Taste: cream, dark roasted malt, and oats

Mouthfeel: medium-light body, very sweet for the style with a bitter aftertaste, medium carbonation

Drinkability: A very drinkable oatmeal stout. I have yet to finda Portsmouth brew I do not care for. I could have several.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2011 14:37:12 | More by tigg924

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A pitch black beer with a small dark head.

Nose loaded with oatmeal, light chocolate and dark malts, light roast and dark fruits.

Taste has chewy bready malts, dry and roasty, plenty of oaymeal, a little syrup and brown sugar even, hints of chocolate and creamy malts.

Mouth is a little heavier bodied, fairly rich and oatmeal creamy, with decent carbonation.

Drink is pretty good, no booze, a little sweetness but mostly dry, fairly thick and rich but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 02:51:23 | More by jlindros

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked this up directly at the brewpub early August. Enjoyed last night with my wife and our supper: assorted cheeses, cold cuts, fruits and bread.

Poured from a bomber into my Portsmouth pint glass.

Appearance: A dense brown body is poured which looks black even when held to the light. A thin, creamy 1 finger head is formed and minimal lacing appears.

Smell: Faint hops, chocolate & coffee.

Taste: Coffee at first minus the coarseness. Chocolate appears in the middle and there's a hint of raisins and figs that grows more apparent as it warms. Some bitterness in the tail end that gradually fades out as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Everything about this is smooth. Very creamy with low carbonation. Feels alright!

Drinkability: Easily drinkable. No sense of alcohol and the feel makes it slide down. I'll have it again.

Overall: Being less coarse that other oatmeal stouts, i at first found it ordinary but as it warmed, i appreciated it even more. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2010 16:22:34 | More by papat444