Oatmeal Stout - Free State Brewing Co.

zhanson88

Montana

3.28/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours out dark brown with ruby highlights. About 1/4" of tan head forms that has below average retention and lacing. 3

Smell: Some dark malts show up, with chocolate and coffee as well. Some graininess and herbal notes show as well.

Taste: Dark malts, light roast, chocolate and coffee, some herbal hop notes hit on the back end. Not the most flavorful oatmeal stout out there, but decent.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Light bodied with pretty low carbonation, reasonably smooth and a bit slick. Overall, not my favorite oatmeal stout by any stretch, but solid enough.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 22:38:00 | More by zhanson88

TCMike

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark brown color. Produced a 1 finger beige head, which dissipated quickly.

The smell was of malt, chocolate, oatmeal cookies.

The taste was of malts, oatmeal, and light chocolate. A slight bitterness finishes the drink.

Nice, easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 03:29:43 | More by TCMike

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.14/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a shaker pint glass. Pours a rich black with a hint of brown when held to the light. A dark creamy pillowy head sits on top, and doesn't dissipate very much, until the end. Lots of nice sticky lacing. Smells of roasted malts and some bitter chocolates. The beer tastes like a good hearty oatmeal stout should: lots of bitter chocolate, a whim of oats, and a slightly dry finish. The mouthfeel is spot-on for a stout. Overall, I'm proud of this beer from my home state. Free State does a great job representing the Oatmeal Stout.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 16:58:50 | More by JuicesFlowing

Tone

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown color. 2/3 inch head of an off-tan color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of oatmeal, slight dry hop, sweet malt, pale malt, hint of roasted malt, and a hint of alcohol. Fits the style of an Oatmeal Stout. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of oatmeal, slight sweet malt, hint of roasted malt, hops, and slight pale malt. Overall, good appearance, aroma, and feel.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2011 20:34:02 | More by Tone

baldiegooner

Wisconsin

3.08/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Very dark coffee colored oatmeal stout that is a solid beer. A bit disappointed by the lack of a good thick head on top of the beer. Lacing is there though, from top to bottom. Tast is a little tart, and a little salty; not much smell apart from a hint of coffee with the maltiness. Some acidity; it just lacks a little bit of body and complexity for me, but not too bad overall. Quite drinkable, just not very memorable.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 02:56:02 | More by baldiegooner

UCLABrewN84

California

3.3/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to FosterJM for bringing me a bottle of this back from Kansas!

Best by the 3rd week in January (of what I assume is 2012).

Pours an almost opaque super dark crimson-brown with a 2 inch foamy khaki head that settles down to an island of foam on the top of the beer. A nice patterned lattice of lace forms on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, toasted oats, and some cocoa and coffee aromas. Taste is of roasted malt and toasted malt up front with a bitter chocolate and coffee grounds combination in the aftertaste. There is a medium amount of bitterness that lingers on the palate after each sip. There is a lower level of carbonation with a smooth and somewhat creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good oatmeal stout but nothing really all that special. I do need to thank James again for providing me with a Kansas tick though!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 23:34:16 | More by UCLABrewN84

FosterJM

California

3.7/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

914th Review on BA
Bottle to handless mug
12 oz

Purchased from: On the Rocks, Lawrence, KS

App- A good dark brown with some garnet edges and a one finger very fast receding head. Only a couple dots of cling to it.

Smell- A good rich oatmeal aroma. A nice thick malt profile with some cocoa powder and coffee.

Taste- A pretty tasty oatmeal stout with a good bit of oat and grain behind it. A smooth grain taste with some chocolate and roast.

Mouth- A medium bodied stout with a paired medium carbonation and a bit slick malts with just a touch of oat.

Drink- Pretty damn tasty. Much more so than I remember. A bit thicker than I remember which helps this one taste that much better.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 04:04:08 | More by FosterJM

xuptygm

Nebraska

3.25/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark coffee color with a nice sized cream colored head.
The head recedes quickly leaving only a small amount of foam on the surface. Quite a bit of lace remains as I drain the beer.

Smells of roasted malt and that's about it. I would have liked more aroma from this beer. Taste wise its a pretty average oatmeal stout--bittersweet chocolate coffee, some caramel, a few hops.

Full bodied stout, mouthfeel is great. I liked the amount of carbonation. I love a smooth finish to an oatmeal stout with a touch of sweetness....this one didn't have it. Instead it had a crisp somewhat dry and bitter finish.

Its a decent oatmeal stout....but there are better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 03:28:38 | More by xuptygm

tronester

Oklahoma

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very dark brown in color with ruby red highlights. Smell is rich espresso and dark caramel. Taste is a soft smokiness up front, followed by a milk chocolate middle, finishing with a citrusy, earthy hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is smooth. Overall a very good Oatmeal stout that I plan to get again.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 23:59:41 | More by tronester

paxchristi

Missouri

3/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz. bottle into tankard. I bought a 6 six from a liquor store in Concordia, KS.

Appearance: Pours dark as night with tan head. Pretty weak head for a stout. Hardly any lacing.

Smell: For a stout, the smell was pretty underwhelming. The traditional coffees, dark chocolates, and deep roasted malts were there, but it was all seemed very weak for me. Fairly mediocre.

Taste: Much like the smell. Underwhelming for a stout. Everything that you look for is there. And I like those elements; but quite honestly, the flavors were fairly weak-- though they were balanced well. Chocolates, coffees, dark roasted malts. No risks here. Nothing really special. I'd love to taste the oats that they profess as important to this beer.

Mouth: Pretty balanced carbonation. Full body.

Overall: Average in every possible way. I wonder if it was an issue of using quality ingredients, because everything seemed really weak for the style. It does not demonstrate anything other than a very safe attempt. It does not stand out in any way really. Disappointed. If I were to see it on draft, I might give it a shot again. But won't be seeking it out.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 13:26:07 | More by paxchristi

HaysAmerica

Kansas

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a tulip glass. No bottling date but it does have a best by date of month 8, week 4. Has a nice light tan head w/ fantastic lacing down the glass as it goes down pretty easy too. The color it the typical black/opaque color we've all come to expect.

The nose of this local brew encompasses chocolate malt, some charred malt, chocolate powder, oats are minimal, and coffee as well. Overall, a somewhat restrained nose. I was surprised by this, even when warm it didn't really develop much in the was of aromatics.

Taste is pretty typical. Decently smooth, nothing too exceptional. Coffee/chocolate powder in the middle w/ a dry mild finish. Some herbal hops coming in on the back of this. A pretty middle of the road oatmeal stout.

Mouthfeel is ok. Has a medium body. Not as smooth as I'd like or hope for. Better then your typical stout w/ a pretty decent dry finish. Drinkability clocks in around medium. I'd really like to see more oats in the taste and a little less hops. Just not quite as smooth as I'd like from an oatmeal stout. Worth picking up but not something I'd hunt down though. Prosit!

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 06:27:35 | More by HaysAmerica

mvforegonian

Oregon

3.7/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Similar to that of a cola in color. minimal lacing.

S: Roasted Malts and some hop, overall very well balanced nose.

T: The rich malty flavor is spiced with plenty of of northern brewer and Fuggles hops, which do well for balance.

M: The oatmeal adds a special silky mouthfeel that compliments nicely with the roasted malts.

O: Great brew for temperamental Kansas whether

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2011 20:37:28 | More by mvforegonian

birchstick

Missouri

3.43/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a nice dark color with a creamy cocoa head

S - smells of vanilla and chocolate malt

T - taste Starts off with a bit of grains and a slight bit of acidic coffee. The malts are pushes aside by a generous amount of citrus and grassy hop bitterness blended with some coffee.

M - slimy smooth as an oatmeal stout should be

D - interesting oatmeal stot, one of the more hoppy examples I have tried. Pretty good and worth a try for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2011 03:19:14 | More by birchstick

JCDenver

Texas

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got to try this one courtesy of daniloknezic, thanks! Poured from the bottle into a snifter, tasting as I let it warm up from fridge temp.

Appearance is light, almost cola-like, half finger head that quickly receded, leaving a paper thin ring of bubbles around the edge.

Smells of roasted malt and oats with some chocolate. Pleasant, but not exceptional. Little bit of hoppiness starts to sneak in as it warms up.

Taste is of chocolate, roasty oatmeal, with a hint of sweetness towards the end.

Mouthfeel is extremely light for a stout, and pretty dry. Usually, I'm not a fan of that, but it works in this one. It's a nice "summer" stout. Think grilling, hiking, etc.

Overall, I'm glad I tried it, it fits a niche. I would definitely consider it again when I'm in the mood for a stout on a warm summer day.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 01:41:38 | More by JCDenver

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of russpowell. Thanks Russ!

Best by the second week in June.

It pours a very dark brown, perhaps black, with a 1 finger head of tannish foam.

It smells roasty, hints of dark chocolate and on the bitter side.

Mmm. The taste surprised me. Very richly flavoured with tasty roasted malt, a touch of some sweetness, hints of coffee and a taste of dark chocolate, overall a very enjoyable bitter sweet thing going on. Now that I’ve had a few sips, I can see this does well with the lacing.

Medium body, the same with the carbonation, I like the smooth mouth feel and I find this Oatmeal Stout very easy to drink. A very nice brew!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 17:35:08 | More by Bitterbill

bort11

Missouri

4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pub glass. A light khaki head stands up at just under an inch. The foam is light and fluffy. Delicate stair-step lines of lace mark each sip. Body color is dark rum-raisin, dense through the center and highlights around the edges.

Smell has a pleasant hoppiness. It is a light green bitterness that compliments the dark roasted malts. Hops are also noticeable in the taste. Once again, it is not overwhelming. It adds a green, savory character. This is a nice change for a stout, hops usually are not a featured flavor.

Mouthfeel has a solid medium body. The oats gives a smooth texture, very easy to drink. This version is a lot lighter than some other oatmeal stouts I've had, which with this warm weather that's not a bad thing. I find that this is a good beer to have on hand while manning the grill.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 22:37:56 | More by bort11

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.2/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Wichita a few weeks ago. BBD od the 2nd week in June...

Pours mahogany with a 1+ finger of tan head. Average head retention & good lacing

S: Roasty, raisins & plums come through as this warms

T: Roasty with dark chocolate notes& some dryness, plus a touch of iron & raisins up front. Plums & raisins, fight through the dark chocolate & roastyness, plus a touch of woody hops as this warms. Finishes dry, roasty & with slightly sweet cocoa.

MF: Smooth, medium bodied, subtle carbonation. Body gets slightly richer as it warms

This a nice example of the style. I really need to get up to Lawrence & sample from the source!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 02:45:37 | More by russpowell

sendsilk

Florida

3.3/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Received as an extra in a recent trade. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into my trusty Crab House pint glass.

A- Thick Khaki colored head that takes a long time to recede. Maybe 2 minutes. Decent lacing left on glass.

S- Doesn't smell like too much going on here.

T- Here's the true test, let's see. Completely average. Nothing special, nothing bad. If you brew a beer make it something people want to come back to visit. This beer is fine in passing, but once I leave town I'm done with it.

M- Pretty weak. nothing deterring, but nothin compelling.

O/D- Average at best.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 03:17:28 | More by sendsilk

csiewert

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This beer pours a thick dark brown color with a little off white head that leaves some lacing as you drink. The aroma is strong with coffee notes. The taste starts with some malty sweetness and then moves to coffee with a slight caramel finish. The mouthfeel is overcarbed and burns slightly. Overall a decent oatmeal stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 23:12:35 | More by csiewert

Mississipping

Mississippi

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a Free State shaker. It's great to finally see this is a bottle! Thanks a ton Gavin for the awesome extra and a bit of nostalgia!

A: Pours very dark brown, almost black, with a small tan foamy head that has decent retention, finally settling to a thin khaki ring. Minimal lacing left behind. In the glass it appears almost completely black, only allowing a slight glow around the bottom and edges of the glass.

S: There's a really great balance here, including coffee, chocolate, and a very nice roasted character. None of the three is particularly dominant, but rather, complement each other quite well. Hidden just behind the aromatic trifecta is a touch of anise and booze.

T: Just like the smell would lead you to believe, roasted barley and sweet chocolate are right up front. The roastiness is subtle, though, creating a nice smoothness with the chocolate. The flavor transitions quickly to burnt coffee and a slight hoppiness, but again is subtle and pleasant, and it lingers throughout the finish. The coffee and hops provide a slight bitterness at the end that is a good juxtaposition for the sweetness that preceded it. Well done.

M: This is the only disappointing, though not devastating, part of the experience. A little thin and watery. Would have really liked to see a little more viscosity, creating a smooth creaminess. There is a slight drying effect at the finish brought on by the roasted character and coffee.

D: I'd say the drinkability is very high. With low viscosity, a great balance, and well hidden alcohol content, I could put these down with ease, and would really, really enjoy doing so.

I haven't had this in about two years, but this is much better than I remembered it being on tap. They could have refined it during those two years, but out of the bottle this is really a great representation of the style. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 14:51:53 | More by Mississipping

trappistlover

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(12oz bottle). Pours dark brown with khaki head. Aroma of cocoa, dark fruit and caramel. Also, a little roasty coffee notes. Taste is sweet with a little roasted bitterness. Thin to medium bodied with a creamy texture and slightly bitter finish. This is a nice stout and one that I would gladly have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 04:31:18 | More by trappistlover

chickencoop

California

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep chunky dark brown/ black. Aroma is a typical oatmeal malty stout. Taste was much smoother that I anticipated, very very smooth. Taste was a roasted malt, very chocolaty. Smooth mouthfeel, cant get over how smooth it is, very tasty and very drinkable...thanks Rbald42!!

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 06:00:57 | More by chickencoop

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle from my buddy Raging bull. Poured at cellar temp into a snifter.
The beer pours a deep cola brown with no light passing through except on the edges of the glass revealing some ruby highlights.
Aroma is some rich malt with a bit of roastiness and some toffee. I get a little bit of grassy hops but primarily malt, no booze anywhere to be found.
First sip reveals a silky smooth beer with fine slightly tingly carbonation. Flavor is roasted malt and a bit of dark chocolate and some molasses. Not really any hops here, a little bitter but more of a coffee ground or burnt malt bite than hops.
The beer is smooth and enjoyable. Easy drinking and could easily have a few of these without getting bored or to drunk.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 05:02:29 | More by sulldaddy

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a pint glass. This is from a selection of Free State Brewing beers send to me by JeepCop. Thanks Dale!

Pours a deep brown/near black in the glass, with a finger of smooth and creamy mocha colored head. This stays rich, leaving back a foamy cascade that settles that quickly slides down the sides but still leaves some light spotty lacing behind. The aroma is surprisingly hoppy upon first whiff, with floral notes, spice, and some bright-smelling green fruit. Coffee flavors and chocolate quickly swoop in behind the hops. I'm really digging the melding of the citrus, cocoa, and roast here. This is nice.

Those hops are equally forceful in the taste, with a fresh citric bite that sits up against a wall of crunchy roast, caramel, and chocolate. The sweetness does offer up some balance here but this is mostly coming off to me as roasty and bitter and that's what hangs in the finish the most. The mouthfeel bodied, with a relatively perky sharpness to the carbonation that makes those hops and roasted notes pop that much more but the oats keep this overall pretty smooth and silky in the mouth.

This is a very solid Oatmeal Stout and I'm really glad that I got to this one fresh, as that mildly aggressive hop profile really helped make this one for me. This stayed quite smooth and drinkable though as well. I enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 19:46:17 | More by Kegatron

midwestbrewers

Kansas

4.45/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had at Free State in Lawrence, Ks.

A: Very dark with a 2 finger head in a pint glass.

S: The same as from the bottle it has a very chocolate like smell with coffee notes. Roasted all over smell.

T: The taste was better than in the bottle though. It was much more creamy and smooth. The chocolate was a little less present as the "roasted" flavor was compared to the bottle. Very smooth finish with slight bitterness.

Overall this beer was better out of the tap than the bottle but at $11 for 3 pints and $8 for a six-pack the 6'er comes first. Not a huge difference comparing the two, but enough to notice for me. Great Beer Free State!!!

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2010 01:22:41 | More by midwestbrewers