Highland Oatmeal Porter - Highland Brewing

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.01/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours a mahogany brown color with a half inch tan head that stayed around for a while. There's also a good amount of lacing. The aroma is nice and sweet, the brew smells like roasted malt, chocolate, oatmeal, and a bit of dark fruit. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some coffee and some bitter hops in there too. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's well carbonated and enjoyable to drink. I thought this was a good brew, I'd buy it again. $1.99 for a single bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 00:01:34 | More by bluejacket74

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.89/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

P: Pours a carbonated opaque dark mahogany with a fast fading tan head. Marshy air bubbles are left behind on the glass edge.

S: Aroma is sour dough, smelly sneakers, roasted oatmeal, figs, sugar sprinkled prunes, brown sugar, cumin and salted crackers.

T/M: Bitter prunes, molasses covered oats, burnt brown sugar/caramel and finishes dry with stale coffee and dark chocolate. Carbonation is quite assertive in the medium body.

O: The first time I had this on tap I really enjoyed it and wanted to try but again. It's just as good as the first time. Really great roasty malt with sugar and bitterness to round out a nice oatmeal porter. This is my first oatmeal porter but I'm eager to enjoy more. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 23:45:47 | More by Hopswagger

delta490

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured 12 Oz bottle into a Sam Adams glass. Mahogany brown with a longer lasting creamy tab head that leaves nice lacing. Aroma is malty with notes of caramel and a little fruit. Taste is nice with a nice blend of the malt road rinses dialed back by the oatmeal. Has a bit of a fizziness to it but is otherwise nice and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 20:00:48 | More by delta490

breakingbland

Michigan

2.88/5  rDev -26%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle. No date. 

Aroma: Not much aroma. Slight hops. Detected a slight odd aroma component but couldn't identify it; maybe it had a caramel character.

Appearance: Poured with a very nice brown sugar-colored head. The one-finger head dissipated rather quickly. The brew itself was a deep brown -- virtually opaque. 

Taste: Detected some malty sweetness. Medium hops.  The taste profile had some depth but overall not too interesting. 

Mouthfeel: The beer felt a bit thin in the mouth. It had a medium level of carbonation.  

Overall: This beer was "advertised" as very malty with hints of chocolate which I would have liked, but they were a bit too subtle for me in this beer. I wouldn't turn this beer down, but neither would I search it out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 17:00:24 | More by breakingbland

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.24/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Thanx Damian74Shensky:

Into a nonic:

A: dark brown body with a one finger off-white head that leaves clingy spotty lacing around the sides of the glass

S: roasted malts up front, light bitter coffee in the back

T: roasty and bitter through previously mentioned flavors adding a bit of chocolate to balance, light oatmeal

M: light, sessionable, bitter aftertaste with a dry finish, right amount of carbonation was felt

O: decent for the style and for me, I would say a good session American Porter

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 10:03:48 | More by kangarooAdam59

tkelley

Massachusetts

3.51/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Last bottle from a sided I got in south carolina at Christmas.

A - fairly light for a porter. Transluscent dark ruby color with a nice thin head that lasts and lasts. Good lacing.

S - not much going on here of note. Some roasted malts. Smells kind of breakfasty.

T - the earlier bottles I had were much better. The oatmeal comes through the malt profile very well at this point. No chocolate notes. Not a lot of roast. Some malts though.

M -- smooth. Fine bubbles.

O - I waited too long to drink this last bottle. Notefor the future : not for cellaring or evenfor keepingfor a couple months.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 00:33:01 | More by tkelley

Louis_Toschner

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into snifter glass. The color was used motor oil blackish brown, letting in no light. Absolute wondeful smell: Chocolate and coffee mixed with just enough hop scent. Had me drooling when I popped the cap. Very satisfying taste - every scent was present and blended wonderfully. Mouthfeel was a little thinner than I expected but again, the taste and smell more than made up for that. Overall, this is definitely a beer I'd revisit time and again!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 21:17:37 | More by Louis_Toschner

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.19/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

a deep brown/black pour, finger of tan head, nice amount of lacing. smells of grapes, dark roasted grains, coffee. a wonderful tasting porter. this is almost stout-like, lots of coffee and chocolate flavors, dark roasted grains, the oats are present in the mouthfeel for sure.. you can tell when it's a heavier mouthfeel that the good ol' oat has been involved! medium body, thick fr a porter, good amount of carbonation. an excellent beer for its style. great taste and great feel. definitely an underdog you don;t ever hear about.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 03:32:21 | More by facundoCNB

Apellonious

North Carolina

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

A - dark black, brown highlights. Little to no head, thin lacing.

S - roasted chocolate, fruit, smoke

T - roasted grains, vanilla beans, some dark fruit, toffee.

M - good carbonation, slightly sticky

O - one of my favorite porters, preferably on tap. The bottle version is recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 02:23:56 | More by Apellonious

beernazismustdie

3.54/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

I'm giving this beer a decent review, even though it wasn't to my liking, because I think for fans of porters it's a worthwhile brew. However, like many porters and dark micro brews, I found it to be overpoweringly bitter for my liking. I

t's very stout and fairly dry, with some sweetness on the backend from the oatmeal and a little hoppiness you might not expect. It has almost a burnt taste to it, rather than the smooth full bodied flavor I prefer in a darker beer.

I think fans of porters will enjoy it. However, to me it tasted fine at first, but after half a glass it became an unpleasurable chore to drink due to the strong bitterness that's characteristic of the style. I wanted to like it, but at the end of the day I must confess it was too dark and bitter for my tastes. I didn't finish ths bottle.

I have actually tried this several times, both from a tap and from the bottle. I will say I think it's better on draught.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 02:02:27 | More by beernazismustdie

Jacurdy60

Alabama

4.01/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I loved this beer, however I am impartial to porters. Aroma's were oaky and malty, but the mouthfeel was very crisp and refreshing to me. Had a nice, toasty, dark appearance with a one finger head. I'd like to try this on draught. It's been a few weeks since I've had it but i remember enjoying it.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 19:44:38 | More by Jacurdy60

Mojo

Alabama

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle -> New Belgium glass

This offering pours up a deep opaque black with a nice one finger tan head and plenty of spiderweb like lacing left behind. The smell is kind of faint. All I could really perceive was a kind of nebulous hard to define freshness. Taste is very nice. I picked up an initial malty sweetness along with cola, carame, and coffee. The finish is a nice balanced coffee, and chocolate. Mouthfeel is thick and chewy. This is a very nice offering. I'd drink it again easily!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 19:16:16 | More by Mojo

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.33/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a very dark burgundy color. The head is a two finger light khaki color with a great texture. It never really fades fully, topping the body off like mocha.

S: Cocoa powder, grains (not roasted), vanilla, and faint coffee beans. A bit reminiscent of a really good brown ale more than a porter/stout - but that doesn't mean it isn't a nice aroma.

T: More bitter than the aroma. It actually seems to feature a healthy hop bill, finishing with a decent amount of earth, pine, and even a touch of grapefruit. The bottle says this has a 'well-balanced hop character', and I can actually agree to that - only thing I don't like is the slight vegetal touch on the finish. Before the hops kick in, the flavor opens with roasted coffee beans and chocolate (with both flavors bleeding through to the aftertaste slightly). It's a bit mild, but balanced very well.

M: Classically bone dry and clean. The flavor leaves the palate as quickly as it enters, but I like how the hops never come across as being overly acidic. This is very easy to drink with spot on carbonation aiding its nature.

O: A solid no-frills hoppy porter. This isn't a world beater, but I'd buy a 6 pack of it given a limited selection at a store.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 00:11:27 | More by ThisWangsChung

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear very dark amber in color with some almost black color present and light amounts of gentle visible carbonation along the edges of the glass. The beer has a two finger tall creamy dark tan head that slowly reduces to a couple of small thick patches, a thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer, and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light aromas of dark roasted malts with some hints of chocolate and coffee as the beer warms.

T: Light flavors of roasted malts with some moderate flavors of oatmeal upfront. There are lighter notes of dark chocolate and coffee towards the finish. Moderate bitterness that fades quickly is present.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Creamy with quite a bit of dryness in the finish.

O: The alcohol in this beer is pretty well hidden and the lighter body/flavors makes this beer easy to drink. Enjoyable flavors with just enough complexity to make me want to have another of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 22:40:17 | More by dbrauneis

BeerDawgs

Georgia

3.73/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - A dark brown, almost black. No clarity. Very little head, and a little lace left on glass

S - very sweet aroma. Cinnamon, cocoa. A bit of floral hop.

T- bitter up front. Quickly turns very sweet. Chocolate. Hoppy aftertaste.

M - medium bodied, creamy. Well balanced.

O - a tasty hoppy, sweet porter. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 00:15:06 | More by BeerDawgs

Daktah

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours extremely dark brown, nearly black, with a very small off-white head that dissipated pretty quickly and left a little lacing. Smell is mostly coffee and roasted malt, with noticeable cocoa. Definitely a little bitter at first taste - like others mentioned - but then turns semi-sweet with a little chocolate and a subtle caramel flavor. Great balance of hops to even out any sweetness. Very solid and tasty beer, and not overly heavy. Easy enough to drink a couple of these in a sitting.

I seem to forget about Highland when I'm in the beer store, but am always happy each time I come back to it.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 18:02:27 | More by Daktah

woosterbill

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Clear dark mocha body beneath an inch of creamy off-white head. Ok retention, good lace. Nice.

S: Mmm. Lovely. Lots of coffee, oats, and brownie batter. Very rich.

T: Coffee and pure malt up front, with some dark chocolate and earthiness toward the finish. Cocoa powder on the dry aftertaste. Quite nice.

M: Lively, slightly prickly carbonation in a medium body. Just ok.

O: Really, really nice 6-pack Porter - one of the best on the east coast. I'd take it over Smuttynose Robust Porter any day.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 21:41:05 | More by woosterbill

Beer_Runner

3.43/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

No bottled on date on the label or the bottle.

A: A slow pour into a standard pint glass yielded one finger of thick and clumpy head that was a darker shade of tan. Over a few minutes the head dissipated to about a quarter-finger and lasted the remainder of the session, and also left some very nice lacing. The brew was very dark brown and opaque.

S: This beer did not have much detectable aroma at all.

T: The taste began with some sweet dark roasted malt and a hint of some very tasty, almost burned, oatmeal. Next, some grassy and earthy bitter hops kicked in for balance.

M: The body was smooth and just barely crossed the line from medium to heavy.

O: This oatmeal stout just missed the mark. It did not have much sweetness or grainy, dark roasted bitterness and coffee-like flavors. And, the hops just did not seem to fit the malts. It was not a bad experience, but it just did not work together for me. But, the tasty oatmeal did go some way toward redeeming this beer for me. It is a good and solid offering in the oatmeal porter and stout style, but it just did not make it to the top tier.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 02:02:59 | More by Beer_Runner

Lawl3ss

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Lightly chilled 12 oz. bottle into a shaker pint. No discernible bottling date.

Look- Nearly opaque ruby brown with three fingers of dense toasted marshmallow foam. Glass is completely covered in an opaque sheet of lace.

Smell- earthy, pungent, milk chocolate and coffee grounds. Undertone of clean herbal hops.

Taste- Almost a black triple-brewed tea flavor than the coffee I was expecting. This is followed by a touch of sweeter marshmallow, cocoa, and a toasted nougat flavor. Finishes with light char, almost smoky but not overly assertive, and a bit of lingering bitterness. Hoppier than your average porter, but it works quite well. Very nice.

Mouthfeel- Medium body, not as full as I was expecting from an oatmeal beer. Fairly dry, moderate carb that could be softer. I could have another.

Overall- Pretty good, a few tweaks could really bring this one over the top. Oatmeal character could use a little more uumph, but it's noticeable and a nice take on a hoppy porter. Worth trying, and I'd pick it up again if I saw it.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 05:46:33 | More by Lawl3ss

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

No freshness dating.

A= Pours a nice deep brown basically black color with a thick finger of head on it that holds great retention and awesome lacing. A really nice looking brew actually.

S= Smells nice and roasty with a nice chocolaty smell. The chocolate is actually anice milk chocolate smell. Good buiscuity aroma to it that makes the chocolate more milky.

T= The taste is great. A nice mix of roast and a sweet malt character that you usually don't get from a porter in my experience. The sweetness isn't too bad though. it's a solid candy sweetness that holds up nicely to the roast.

M= Velvetty smooth.

O= This is a great beer. I love a porter and I love oatmeal stouts. This is the best of both worlds. The sweetness is a little different but this is a nice mix. Seek this beer out.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 05:43:44 | More by jjanega08

ckollias

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a pint glass.

A: Pours a dark black hue, with a 2-finger, tan head that slowly dissipates down the side of the glass leaving a great trail.

S: Good malt, chocolate, and coffee aromas.

T: Sweet flavor with a generous roasted malt base with hints of chocolate and coffee.

M: Medium body and carbonation

O: Excellent oatmeal porter – nicely blended give great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 19:53:36 | More by ckollias

tewaris

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark brown, medium head, medium retention. Some lacing. Charred and acidic aroma with elements of dark fruit, mostly prunes. Tart and dark with some roast toward the end and a generally clean finish. Medium body, high carbonation. Drinkable and certainly not a bad beer. However, it will have a hard time standing out.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 07:53:56 | More by tewaris

TheDinger

South Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass. A nice deep brown, nearly black pour with a generous 2 finger tan head. Smell was very coffee up front with a bit of chocolate and wood quality. Taste was where this was a bit disappointing. Comes off very strong coffee and a bit metalic. Almost no oatmeal quality IMO. More like a stout than porter. Taste is somwhat distracting with some burnt wood notes. Feel is a bit dry and stout like with some cream at the end. Overall- It's an okay/average beer. The taste was the biggest letdown. Too metalic and woody. Heavy coffee like a stout. Worth a try, but I won't be back-

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 02:32:16 | More by TheDinger

kneeland

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Not much of an oatmeal thing going on here. I got more of an IPA taste. That was drinking out of the bottle. Then when I tried it in a pint glass, it got better. Hints of chocolate, pretty stouty, very rustic with malt.

The appearance is really nice. Really dark, but it isn't too heavy. And the head is a pleasant surprise. Tan, foamy, it sticks around a while and keeps thing afloat.

Overall I'm not in love with it, but I don't really have anything negative to say about it either.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 22:58:37 | More by kneeland

Treyliff

West Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- pours almost black with just a hint of light sneaking through, dark tan and creamy head that reduces to a small layer skimming the top with a bit of lace around the edges.

S- dark roasted malts with notes of melted chocolate and coffee, smooth oats, faint hop spiciness.

T- Roasted malts with a bit of sweet chocolate, underlying coffee taste, finishes sweet and chocolaty with a bit of hop spiciness. Malty linger.

M- medium bodied, low carbonation, silky and creamy mouthfeel. Very drinkable!

O- very drinkable porter, even sessionable. Not quite as strong as I prefer but would try it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 02:40:19 | More by Treyliff