Down 'N Dirty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout - Tyranena Brewing Company

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a snifter)
A- This beer pours a jet black body with a creamy light tan head that last as a thick ring.

S- The dark roasted malt is earthy with chocolate malt grown and a Sumatra roasted coffee coming through in the finish. There is a fresh raw grain aroma and some green hop aromas that come through as it opens up.

T- The dark roasted black malt has a slight chalk quality to it with some nice bakers chocolate notes and a touch of oats and tartness in the finish. Green woody hops are light but present in the finish.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a chewy texture and no real alcohol heat noticed.

O- The wonderful dry stout has a nice complex roasted profile that is balanced by very nice coffee and chocolate flavors aswell. This is a big beer but it is very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 20:44:58 | More by rhoadsrage

RickS95

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle

The pour is almost completly, but not quite, pitch black. Thick and mostly black with just some lighter shades of brown. The head is slow forming, just a film on top initially, before beautifully cascading into a two finger thick pillow of foamy light brown bubbles. A nice, thick lace is left behind.

Smell is a combination of bittersweet chocolate and coffee, with some char thrown in for good measure.

Lots of roasty things make up the taste. Cocoa nibs, coffee and charred barley provide the malty, chocolately, smoked coffee flavors.

Couldn't be any smoother, just what an oatmeal stout should be. A bit more bitter than I'd like, but it is a stout. Chocolate is more for bitter than sweet and bitter dominates any sweetness. No alcohol or hop presence.

Overall it's a good beer from a good brewer and I'm happy to report I've got five more where this bottle came from. It's got some bitterness to it, but it's so smooth it's easy to sip.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 03:10:45 | More by RickS95

rlee1390

Indiana

3.96/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A-Black in the glass, but a clear amber when pouring, not much carbonation, one finger off white head

S-Chocolate, roasted malt, some burnt notes and oats.

T-Dark chocolate, lots of roasted malt some burnt notes, not much bitterness.

M-Lighter for a stout with some carbonation.

O-A nice stout but lacking anything to put it over the top.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 22:27:11 | More by rlee1390

mfnmbvp

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle, no apparent bottled on date present. Poured into a St. Bernardus Watou chalice.

A - Semi-aggressive pour yields a quarter inch of mocha colored fizz which dies out quick. Body is a near black, with some cola brown noticeable near the top. Ring of tiny bubbles along the edge of the glass.

S - Smell is faint. Some subdued toasted oats & a hint of chocolate. Some noticeable alcohol in there also. Otherwise, a tame underwhelming aroma. Has sort of a fishy brine aroma to it also which is off-putting.

T - Taste follows the nose, some light roasted coffee bean presence, toasted oats, and a bitter dark chocolate finish. Taste is pretty tame though; not a lot of flavor happening here. Perhaps some hop bitterness in the finish also.

M - Feel is bitter and dry. Light coffee bean roast lingering.

Overall, a tame chocolate oatmeal stout from Tyranena. Not a style I am a big fan of in the first place, but this beer was just sort of dull and flavorless. I am a fan of many of Tyranena's other beers so I'll stick to those instead.

Tyranena Down 'N Dirty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout ---3/5.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 19:08:36 | More by mfnmbvp

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

3.84/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Quick one tonight from the guys in Wisconsin. Cheers!

Brewed two months before the date of this tasting (“BOTTLED ON 06FEB13”).

A: One of the only stouts I’ve had that you can actually (sort of) see through; still, a nice muddy brown body with a creamy chestnut head. The foam falls quickly, but leaves a thin layer of retention everywhere it goes.

S: Oreos! Chocolate cookie, vanilla, and a powdered sugar aroma fill the nose with an unmistakable sweetness. It doesn’t smell incredibly rich, as there’s a sustained character of dark bread dough, toasted grain, and mineral water that inch this brew closer and closer to a dark English ale.

T: Starts with all the flint, toffee, and vanilla cream you’d expect in something British, though it’s a character that it holds for just a split-second; soon after, it’s as thick, chocolaty, and bitter as an American stout should be. Chocolate bar, date, and burnt caramel sweeten the palate considerably, bolstering the character to something more akin to the thick stouts I enjoy the most. Hops ride the back end of the sweet wave, coming out with a very subdued tartness that melds with the roasts to form a slightly dry, smoky finish – another aftertaste of sweet oatmeal mellows it out substantially. A balanced palate, with an excellent interpretation of savory, chewy chocolate and caramel.

M: A pub beer in texture, without a doubt: carbonation is almost invisible, while the body swirls back and forth in a light, mildly frothy way.

O: An interesting pairing of American and English beermaking, this oatmeal stout will not leave anyone fan of dark beer disappointed. That said, it probably won’t excite anyone too greatly. The great thing for Tyranena, though, is that their middle-of-the-road beers are better than a lot of beers in the same price range: case in point, Down 'N Dirty.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 02:15:23 | More by BarryMFBurton

Stevedore

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into Bell's tulip, consumed yesterday 3/25/13

Aroma: Full of sweet dark malt that actually comes with a good bit of smokiness that makes me think of when I'm grilling ribs in the backyard. Pretty neat, I really enjoy that. No cocoa or chocolate that I can discern even as it warms up. But that's ok, I find that cocoa nibs tend to contribute to flavour anyway. (4)

Colour: Pours a dark brown/black body, with a 1cm brown head that fades away quickly, leaving an average-sized collar that leaves thick lacing that falls back into the brew as soon as I put the glass down after a drink. Hard to confuse this for something other than a stout. (3)

Flavour: The sweetness of the dark malts are rather prevalent here. There are hints of roast as well, though not a whole lot. For some reason I feel it smells a bit acidic, and that could be from the nibs' contribution. There's a little bit of coffee and chocolate here, but not as much as I would expect. It's a straightforward oatmeal stout as far as my palate is concerned. (3)

Mouthfeel: Quite creamy with solid carbonation. Medium bodied, on the thicker side as befitting an oatmeal stout. Aftertaste is of the dark malt sweetness and some undescribable bitterness that I can't put a finger on. Enjoyable to drink for sure! (4)

Overall: A nice oatmeal stout. Really enjoyed the dark malt flavours. The smooth mouthfeel is probably the best part of the beer, followed by the smoky aroma. It could use a little bit more in the flavour department but I won't mind buying a sixer of this the next time I feel like an oatmeal stout, especially as its a good value. (4)

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 22:56:46 | More by Stevedore

Infamous7100

Ohio

4.11/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: as the story on the label states, this beer is dark as swamp muck. Pitch black with quartet finger beige head. Decent lacing.
S: faint notes of chocolate, roasted malts and coffee bean. It's a tad muted and doesn't open up as much as I expected as it warms.
T: far more pronounced than the smell. The first thing that jumps out is the bittersweet chocolate. It melds beautifully with the roasted coffee flavors. It all comes together at the back in a complex semi sweet and bitter finish. This is very tasty.
M: mid to high carbonation that subdues as you enjoy it. Very thick and creamy with a body that sticks to your tongue. Finishes with that semi sweet hang I mentioned before.
O: this is a model example of an oatmeal stout. From its body to its complex flavors it comes through in all the right areas. It's a fantastic beer to sip on and would make a perfect brew to have with breakfast or to close out your night.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 03:13:41 | More by Infamous7100

codysjb

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received as an extra in a trade.
12oz into Duvel Tulip
A: Looks great, nice color and head
S: Smells awesome, a full nose of chocolate and oatmeal with some minor coffee hints. Really a very full smell to a beer
T: Ok, good and theres a bunch of chocolate but it ends up a little watery
M: Some more water, not a lot of flavor in the mouthfull.
O: Promising but overall the actual beer tastes watered down.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 16:46:20 | More by codysjb

AmitC

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle dated 21st Jan 2012. So almost an year old.

Dark brown while pouring and black inside the glass. Opaque. About two finger thick tan colored head that stays as a thin broken layer. Not much standing. Lacing is sticky and looks good. Light tan colored laces are formed.

Aroma: Roasted malts fill the nose with a hint of chocolate and oatmeal. Malty and sweet in the nose. No booze. Grains are dominant and hops almost absent.

Taste: Very well balanced taste. Enters with chocolate and roasted malty feel. No burning or charring sensation observed from dark malts. Instead a smooth and easy chocolate, malty and oatmeal effect is seen. No hops, no bitterness. Finish is dry with just a tad sweetness. Very little.

Mouth feel: Body is Almost full. Very smooth and easy drinking stout. Silky touches. Very quaffable. No astringency whatsoever. Mellowed and well made stout.

Style Rate: 4.25
Personal Rate: 4

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 19:34:34 | More by AmitC

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

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

A - Solid black with ruby hues and a big mocha head.

S - Milk chocolate, lactic sweetness, touch of coffee, some smore's qualities.

T - Oatmeal, milk chocolate, lactose, roasty malt.

M - Smooth and silky with lighter carbonation.

D - Tasty, well balanced oatmeal stout.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 00:56:19 | More by brewcrew76

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Poured out a dark brown color with a fairly stable single finger of tan colored head but only minimal lacing. Smells of roasted malt tones blended with milk chocolate and a splash of coffee, tastes more of the milk chocolate than the roastedness from the nose, sadly. Seems overall to be balanced somewhat too sweet for my personal preferences, but YMMV. I just prefer my stouts a little bit less sugary and caramelized than this. Smooth texture and lighter carbonation over a medium-heavy body.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 23:48:16 | More by WastingFreetime

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep and dark brown Colorado bordering on opacity; one finger light brown head that settles slowly and leaves patchy lace. Nicely roasty aroma with prominent bittersweet chocolate and a subtle floral hop note underneath.

Flavor is close to the nose; bitter chocolate is most prominent, followed by roasted malt and hints of coffee and floral, earthy hops. Pretty tasty.

Medium bodied and medium carbonated, with added smoothness and creaminess from the oatmeal. A good chocolate-forward example of the style. Highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 22:51:27 | More by tobelerone

jegross2

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewing Down 'N Dirty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout from Tyranena Brewing Company.
Score: 91

Bottled March 07, 2012. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter and enjoyed on 05/06/12.

Appearance: Pours a deep brown syrup, almost black color. Totally opaque save for a thin film strip of caramel highlight at the top of the glass when held up to light. A finger-and-a-half of creamy/seafoam tan head settles to a thin film atop the beer. Good lacing and retention. Nice cling. 4.5/5

Smell: Lots of roast and toasted oats. Cocoa, bitter raw chocolate, coffee and oatmeal. A little creamer. Very breakfast stout-like. 4/5

Taste: Very creamy and roasty. Cocoa, roasted bitter chocolate, creamy oatmeal, and coffee. Oats and a little barley. Light hoppiness on the back end. Very pleasant oatmeal stout. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied, light carbonation. Very creamy mouthfeel. Bitter, slightly acidic finish. Modestly dry. Really excellent mouthfeel. 4.5/5

Overall: Really underrated off-the-shelf oatmeal stout from Tyranena Brewing Company. It is very creamy, chocolately and roasty. I would absolutely love to try the barrel aged version of this -- the Doubly Down 'N Even Dirtier. Down 'N Dirty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout is better than New Glarus' Road Slush.

Recommendation: Seek a bottle of this out. Even casual beer drinkers should enjoy this one. If you have a non-beer geek friend that loves Guinness, give him a bottle of this to start his craft beer journey.

Pairings: Vanilla bean ice cream.

Cost: $2 for a 12 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 03:55:57 | More by jegross2

drpimento

Wisconsin

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

Very good brau. Served at a good temperature with a nice sized light tan, foamy head that settled after a bit and good lacing. Color is an opaque black brown. Aroma is malt, heavy roast, coffee. Flavor is similar to nose with nice balance between malt sweet, malt roast, carbonic tang, and malt, hop, yeast bitter. Body is good, ditto carbonation with only little points, yet compensating chewyness. Finish is like flavor, of average length, and very easy to have more. A tip of the hat to the brewer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2012 04:26:44 | More by drpimento

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheers and a big thanks to Kegatron for gifting me with a bottle of this. 12oz stubby brown bottle into a tulip. The brew appears black in color with a tan cap 3 fingers strong. The cap slowly fades leaving an entire wall of lacing effect on the glass. A light swirl revives a finger back to the surface.

The smell of this brew is quite roasty with a very pleasant fresh grain quality like oats. Some mild chocolate inclusion is present along with some coffee quality. There is a little bit of an earthy touch included but overall the big focus of this aroma is roasty chocolate and fresh grain.

The taste is bitter with some roasted grain quality that is somewhat reminiscent of coffee and unsweetened chocolate. That fresh grain quality is present but hidden compared to how bold it is displayed in the aroma. A bit of earth and tobacco flavors are present mid palate with a bit of fruity alcohol like prune or raisins. It finishes bitter and roasty.

This is a medium bodied brew that is silky smooth in the feel. It is rich and quite enjoyable. The alcohol is very well incorporated here. The most excellent aspect of this brew is the fresh grainy chocolate quality captured in the aroma, I really would have liked to seen that transcended into the flavor a bit more. As-is its a nice experience and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 01:42:53 | More by stakem

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.43/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, born on Jan 31 2012, poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint. Thanks to Aaron for this little gem.

A: Dark dense brown, nearly opaque with some light making it through along the edges...decent dark khaki head forms leaves a little lace.

S: Nose is full of prominent chocolate, oats, and coffee, with strong bitter roasted barley notes...great nose for an oatmeal stout.

T: Bittersweet chocolate, roasted malt, flaky oats, a bit of earthy hop bitterness, coffeehouse, hints of caramel and vanilla sweetness, cocoa.

MF: Bitter, creamy and a touch dry, medium to full mouthfeel.

O: Impressive chocolate-oatmeal stout, full flavored with a good strong nose as well. Its even a bit grimey and 'dirty' with its earthy coffee ground and oatmeal notes. Good stout, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 14:35:25 | More by Scotchboy

chanokokoro

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a nonic pint glass

Pours a very dark brown with a two and a half finger beige head. An aroma of chocolate and roasted malt rises from the glass. Some sweetness and chocolate greets the tastebuds and quickly shifts to slightly sweet roasted malt finally finishing with a return to chocolate with roasty bitterness. Fairly creamy and smooth, medium-bodied, dead on for the style. A solid, easy drinking oatmeal stout that delivers.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 03:27:48 | More by chanokokoro

areich6

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Enjoying with my good friend pschul4

A: Pours with little head. Appears to be a very dark brown color.

S: Smells great. The chocolate and oatmeal notes are very evident. Can't wait to taste it.

T: Does not taste as strong as I thought it would. It isn't bad at all, however, the chocolate and oatmeal flavor is a little light compared to what the smell promised.

M: Really good. Nice and thick which is how I personally like my stouts. Complements the taste nicely.

O: Pretty good representation of the chocolate oatmeal stout genre of beer. It's highest qualities are the mouthfeel and the smell.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 05:14:27 | More by areich6

pschul4

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Cola brown on the pour with a small amount of head in spite of a vigourous pour. Sits dark as sin in the glass

S- Definite oatmeal in the nose with a good hint of chocolate towards the back.

T- Tons of basic oatmeal stout flavor with just enough chocolate to get the job done. Excellent job Tyranena!

M- Very smooth in the front with enough carbonation to leave you begging for more

O- A winner! A brewery I was afraid to try for fear of a let down but this is very impressive!

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 05:13:00 | More by pschul4

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, the beer was black as night. Producing a slightly tan head of approximatley half of an inch, the aroma gave hints of chocolate and malt to come. As the aroma would lead you to believe, the initial taste was a chocolate malty flavor. What made this taste interesting was the milkiness that came with the flavor. The texture made this stout smooth going down. The flavor did not have much endurance for lingering in the mouth though. The aftertaste came with toasted oats and strong bitter chocolate taste. To go from smooth to bitter seems a bad way to end a stout.

This is far from my favorite Tyranena brew, but it is still very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 23:58:01 | More by JohnnyHopps

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

4.48/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Tyranena's brewery/taproom.

A: opaque, clear, little head except on side of glass
S: great nose, dense rich roasted chocolate with coffee undertones, when warmed a bit the malt quality took on a whole new dimension
T: deep rich roasted malt, good hop balance
M: chocolate, dry, well-made

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2012 00:48:53 | More by wisrarebeer

BrewerB

California

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled dated on 2-9-2011 putting this at just over a year old.

Pouring into a 3 Floyds pint glass. Dark brown/black in color with a crop of creamy medium tan foam. Lacing cling to the glass, good retention.

Cocoa powder and a hint of molasses in the initial aromas. Dusting of black pepper spice. Well toasted bready malt and a caramel sweetness arriving later.

Upfront charcoal smoke yields to a dark, bittersweet chocolate in the middle. Modestly malty sweet on the back-end. Bitterness is moderate-high with the dark malts appearing to contribute some of the character. Bitter, over-extracted espresso lingering into the finish.

Nearly oily, medium-full bodied with a moderate-light amount of carbonation. Slight harshness from the roasted malts detracting from the experience.

Bitter chocolate and coffee can sometimes work well together but there's somewhat of a clash going on here. A tad harsh for the style. Not sure if age is playing a factor here but I'd like a shift away from the dark/bitter roasty malts towards some sweetness to help increase session enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 03:07:40 | More by BrewerB

Kbogac

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown, looks heavy. Nice tan colored thick foam which is short lived. Nice film with a ring last throughout the drink. Smell is a sweet caramel and chocolate. Taste is malt and chocolate with a little oatmeal maybe. Not too intense. Mouthfeel is almost creamy with moderate carbonation. Overall a good beer. Well balanced and easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 01:58:03 | More by Kbogac

Greggy

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Very dark chesnut body/black when not held to the light. Head is tan, creamy, and 1.5 finger in height. Lacing is present.

S- Coffee, huge creaminess from oatmeal and chocolate of course. A bit of oatmeal as well. S'more?

T- Starts out with big smooth rich oatmeal and chocolate, incredible smooth and rich.

M- Sublte carbonation, incredible smooth.

O- Great beer. Excellent with chocolate cake.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 06:15:29 | More by Greggy

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

3.03/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into my Darkness snifter.

Dark with brown highlights, hard pour yields a full finger’s width of khaki head that dips after a moment to thin surface skim. Lacing is evident.

Smells and tastes of lactic sweetness and milky chocolate. The oatmeal lends a creaminess and slightly sour note to the finish.

Creamy feel but there’s something here that just doesn’t jive with me. The chocolate just doesn’t mesh well with the lactic qualities here. Leaves a rather distracting and unwelcomed aftertaste of lightly soured and heavily burnt malt.

Tyranena is a brewery that I want to pull for. I’m wondering if the continual assistant brewer turnover there is hindering what this brewery is capable of. Where are the distant BGW gems that this brewery used to put out? Where is the unrealized potential? Kinda tired of the mediocre beers Tyranena seems to be putting out as of late.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 11:50:35 | More by BarrytheBear