Down 'N Dirty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout - Tyranena Brewing Company

Thickfreakness

New York

2.95/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Pours deep daark brown/black with about a fingers worth of tan creamy head. The fades rather quickly and leaves a nice smattering of lacing.

S- Roasted coffee and Hersheys syrup. Has kind of an artificial chocolate smell. Not horrible, but not really rich and delicious like a good chocolate stout should be.

T- Just like the nose tells you. Thankfully a bit more coffee than fake chocolate flavor. A touch of smokey malt flavor.

M- A touch on the thin side, but nice. The oatmeal thickens the mouthfeel just enough. Certainly not viscous, but not thin and watery either. No real sence of carbonation.

O- Not as good as I was hoping for, but better than the nose led me to think it was gonna be. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to have this again, but I'm glad I did.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 00:49:09 | More by Thickfreakness

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

Agold

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I was really excited for this beer. Poured very dark dark brown, with a short just off white head. Some light gets through around the edges. There is a bit of spotty lacing, but it is very sparse. The first thing I thought when I smelled this beer was roasty. This is very very roasty with a bit of chocolate and not much else. It is pleasant, but on the way to being too roasty. The flavor, however, is too roasty. It tastes like a ton of burnt malt was in this one. It overwhelms everything else, sort of tastes like eating a handful of patent malt. Not horrible, but very overly roasty, and burnt. Mouthfeel does not give you the creamy smooth texture that I like, and it is a bit light, but it is ok. This beer is really nice, but could definitely be improved upon.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 23:48:49 | More by Agold

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

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.13/5  rDev -21%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint.

A: Standard pour yields a 1 finger, fine chocolate head with poor retention. Beer is opaque black. Lacing is patchy but with very little cling.

S: Roasted malt sourness, licquorice, chocolate, and cocoa powder. Nose is very subdued here with nothing really peaking out too far.

T: Roasted malt sourness, cocoa bitterness, dark chocolate overtones. Finishes oily and sticky. Sourness dominates the whole experience, but this one doesn't taste infected, rather, its more of an oatmeal flavor taken a bit too extreme.

M: Medium bodied, little carbonation, oily and smooth. Coats the palate and finishes slightly dry but messy, leaves a slightly sticky residue.

D: Just ok, this Tyranena offering lacks degree of complexity, which is a shame since it definitely has the body to pull it off. Characteristic oatmeal stout flavor dominates everything else leaving little to be enjoyed. I'd give this another go but this isn't really one of Tyranena's winners.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 01:34:40 | More by SpeedwayJim

oline73

Maryland

3.18/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours almost black with some light coming through at the edges. There is a half finger of light tan head that fades to a ring.

Smell: Sweet malt with strong roast. Dark chocolate and mild coffee.

Taste: Smooth but not super full of flavor. Quite bitter from the roast. Hints of chocolate and coffee. Bitter roasty finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a slightly dry finish.

Overall: Just ok. Would have liked more body. The taste was a bit too bitter, needs more balance.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 02:47:18 | More by oline73

sweemzander

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle poured into an imperial pint. Bottled on Feb. 05 2010. Thanks to BeerFMAndy for the bottle!

(A)- Pours a very dark brown; almost black color that produced a quickly dissipating gray head.

(S)- Plenty of roasted malts & grainy oatmeal. A touch of dusty cocoa.

(T)- Some roastedness with a huge dry oatmeal/grain profile with a dash of cocoa. Let it warm up a bit.

(M)- A good carbonation level. Was expecting more roasted malts, but the oatmeal really throws its dry self all over the place. A dense bread-like feel.

(D)- Not a bad stout. Definitely alot of oatmeal in this. Definitely denser than I was expecting, but I always like surprises. Gets more bitter as you drink it. Not your average oatmeal stout for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2010 17:29:09 | More by sweemzander

steve8robin

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Extra in a recent trade. Off we go...

A: Carbonated black looking with a small mocha head that quickly fades to a lace atop the brew. Decent.

S: Smells of heavy roasty oatmeal upfront blended with hints of vanilla in the middle and cocao coffee on the backend. Good.

T: I get a watery bitter roasty oatmeal upfront blended with some coffee flavors. Kind of awkwardly placed carbonation in the flavor. Kind of takes away from this one. I get some vanilla on the backend. Ok.

M: A little too heavy on the carbonation on this one. Decent.

D: It doesn't go down as good as hoped. The watery bitter oatmeal and awkward carbonation makes this one a little harder to get through. Decent.

All in all, this brew was a let down. Not worth hunting and definitely not a top line stout. I am so tempted to pull a BCS from the fridge to make up for this one. We'll see...

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 07:44:05 | More by steve8robin

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

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in Bells tulip.

Pours 1 finger of tan brown head. Decent retention with some nice lace left. Color is pretty much black.

Aroma: Not the most chocolate here as I was expecting more. Some peanut flavors. Oats are minimal. Roasted malt flavors. Nothing too spectacular.

Taste: A bit better. More chocolate notes that hit right away, but then fade down very fast. The oats show a bit more here with some roasted malt flavors. Some light caramel flavors.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and crisp. Medium bodied with a higher amount of carbonation. Ends very dry and roasted.

Overall, based off the name I was excited for this beer. But it really didn't pack the flavors that I was expecting. Being let down is an understatement. Not going to be drinking a lot of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 02:53:35 | More by mothman

dciBA

Maine

3.43/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to boxcar01 for this extra....

Poured from the 12oz bottle into my heavy bottomed pint glass. Color is black with mahogany on the edges. A vigorous pour brings out a 1/4" of tan head that fades quickly to just a skimming. Thin wispy lacing.

Smell is dominated by a coffee like roastiness. There's some milk chocolate in there as well. Simple smell, but well done.

Taste is a little more complex. Roasted coffee beans are the strongest flavor. The chocolate mixes in nicely, although I wouldn't mind it being stronger. The beer finishes with a nice dark fruit flavor.

Body is on the thin side for style but doesn't detract too much. Carbonation is good, with a fairly slick mouthfeel. Finish is a little sweet. Flavor doesn't last too long on the palate. A good beer no doubt, not sure I'd advertise the chocolate part. Maybe just call it an oatmeal stout and let the drinker discover the chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 00:14:25 | More by dciBA

oakbluff

Manitoba (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

bottle sample- quite dark milk chocolate colour with decent clarity. Had to pour vigoursly to get much head, which disappeared quickly. Nose faint roast and powdered chocolate. Taste- lactic quality from the oatmeal, followed by a more powdered chocolate and roast. Not overly sweet- balanced out with hop/roast bitterness. Nice mouthfeel- as it coats the mouth is a pleasant fashion. Decent, if not unspectacular.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 21:17:15 | More by oakbluff

bruachan

Rhode Island

3.48/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

nice froth you have there, mr. beverage

smells like chocolate roastiness. molasses

not big, and the oatmeal smoothness makes the beer megadrinkable. strong bitterness keeps things in balance and ensures this is no dessert beer. honestly, i think it's too strong: the beer isn't so rich that it risks being syrupy or cloying. reel it in so i can enjoy the oatmeal and chocolate

tasty for sure but not what i have come to expect from Tyranena.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 02:30:55 | More by bruachan

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

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to Barrythebear for this extra.

Poured a very dark brown with a decent-sized tan head. The nose has some nice portions to it, with chocolate and a bit of sweetness; however, the roasted character of the malt kind of outshadows everything else, making this fairly one-dimensional. The taste is quite similar, with a bit of hop bitterness added. Mouthfeel is medium with adequate carbonation. Drinkability is okay, definitely affected by the sometimes-harsh character of the beer. Not the best I've had from Tyranena, but one I was certainly glad to try. Thanks again, Barry.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 10:21:15 | More by Thorpe429

TheDTrain

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I was really excited to try this brew...mostly because of the name. In my opinion, if you're going to call your brew Down n Dirty Oatmeal Chocolate Stout, you'd better bring your A game because you're going to have to throw down with Founders, Rouge, Southern Tier, etc. which make incredible chocolate stouts. Down n Dirty was good and quite drinkable, but is not in the same league as the others. Nose was pretty faint. Body was a little thin IMO. The roasty malts, light coco, mild earthy and oats are good but not enough to grease my train wheels.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 19:47:58 | More by TheDTrain

eyeenjoybeer

Indiana

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown body with about 1/2 inch of off-white head

The nose is chocolate, dark roasted malts and coffee. Smells delicious...enticing.

The taste is less complex than the nose. Smoky malts come through with fleeting notes of chocolate and coffee after the swallow.

The mouthfeel is lighter than I would have liked. It is a bit thin, which I find to be the biggest flaw with this one.

Overall, this is another solid offering from Tyranena. I would like to try this one on tap and also to let it warm up a bit more next time.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 17:56:37 | More by eyeenjoybeer

imagese

California

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

Single purchased @ Famous in Lombard, IL

A- Dark dark ruby that lets the slightest bit of light thru. Lighter on the edges. Two finger thin head faded fast and lefy soft lacing

S- Dry cocoa, licorice, and earthy hop

T- bitter chocolate followed by a dry grainy oatmeal taste. Hop bitterness hangs around at the end

M- medium body, but a little oily. Carbonation is a tad high, but not too bad

D- Glad I tried it, but doubt I'd seek it out again. Way better options in the realm of American Stouts from the region

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 03:30:17 | More by imagese

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

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a Sprecher nonic. Bottled on 05FEB10.

A - Clear on the pour, totally black as muck in the glass. A tall off-white-sepia head of three-fingers lowered a bit too hastily but left some loose lacing.

S - The cocoa nibs add a lot to the aroma of this brew. Behind the roasted malt and rich coffee nose, a thin layer of smoke hovers lightly. No hops found here, just a deep, rich malt nose and mild oats.

T - Smooth oats and roasted malts with a touch of smoke, a sprinkle of coffee grounds, and a thin cocoa flavor. Very average.

M - Exceptionally soft and silky with a low carbonation finish. Dry and bitter from all the roasted malts. Earthy. Full bodied.

D - The mouthfeel makes this beer. Without it, it would be rather bland. The cocoa and additional flavors just seem to be a bit thin to me. It's not bad at all though. A good drinking Oatmeal.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2010 02:36:36 | More by BeerFMAndy

Cresant

Kentucky

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured this 12 oz. brown bottle into a Guinness tulip pint. No date on the bottle but the 12 pack case said "packaged" 3/10. The body was dark brown with a small tan head. A ring and island remained.

Smell was ashy. Dry cocoa powder. Not much else.

Taste was metallic. Roasty bitterness and fairly dry. Semisweet chocolate. Far from too sweet. Easy to drink.

Mouthfeel was medium in body, even toward the light side. Smooth with a zippy finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 12:57:23 | More by Cresant

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: black with mahogany highlights. thick light brown head.
S: a bit muted. dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee, some dark dried fruit.
T: same as above, light to moderate chocolatey malt sweetness with roasty bitterness balancing it out to a dry finish. some alcohol noted. very dark roasty notes are almost smoky.
M: slick, smooth, medium bodied.
D: good but not great, can't quite put my finger on it. would have liked a bit more chocolate presence given the addition of actual chocolate.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2010 14:44:50 | More by MrMcGibblets

TheStove

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

Looks awesome, pours an inky black with an opulent foam head, almost like a root beer float. Couldn't smell much beyond some light cocoa and chocolate flavors but they did smell good.

A light sweetness from the chocolate takes control of the initial sip with oatmeal playing the background. The flavors fade to some deep cocoa mixed with toasted malt. Tiny bit of hop interplay finishes on the tongue. Seems to drink thin at first and then foams up halfway through the sip to accent the flavors.

A good oatmeal stout. I can't say it's the best but definitely enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2010 03:40:24 | More by TheStove

maximum12

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Always happy to see Tyranena, whether it's new, old, or someplace in between. Their porters are good to excellent, so looking forward to trying a Tyranena stout with chocolate in it.

Pours black as the depths of Andrew Eldritch's soul. Strong roasted malts, coffee, & a bit of chocolate spring from the nose.

Down 'n' Dirty is a bit surprising, as it's dominated by freshly roasted coffee rather than chocolate or maltiness; I'm curious because glanced through reviews, I see a lot of "chocolate" & it tastes like an afterthought to me. Bitterness rushes in along with the chocolate, & a mild hop mug shot is a bit jarring juxtaposed with the coffee. A little more chocolate might have smoothed this out. The oatmeal, which I expected to smooth the experience, is overshadowed by the clash of titanic flavors.

Well, good beer, but I'm a bit confused by it. The flavors don't come together all that well, & the advertised chocolate is a bit weak. They've made so many excellent beers I always expect the most out of Tyranena, but this one falls short of previous standards they've erected.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2010 01:51:19 | More by maximum12

RRC87

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: pours an extremely dark brown (almost black) that no light can penetrate. It is adorned with about a 1.5 finger head that dissipates to about a half a finger that sticks around.

S: Strong roasted malt aroma with a fair amount of coffee notes. There is hardly any hint of chocolate even though it advertises its' self as a "chocolate oatmeal stout."

T: A fair amount of bitterness is present, but here again just like in thE aroma you have to look for the chocolate to find it. There is a coffee note that shows up at the end.

M: Not as smooth or as much body as I would have hoped for from an oatmeal stout.

D: I find this to be rather drinkable but in a different way than I would have expected from an Oatmeal Stout.

Overall: I don't exactly know what to think about this brew. I certainly like it and will probably drink it again but I don't think that i will reach fro it when I am looking for an Chocolate Oatmeal Stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 00:15:15 | More by RRC87