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

tpd975

Florida

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep black hue with a creamy somewhat light colored head for such a dark beer. Okay retention with very light spotted lace.

S: Aroma is nice and roasty with hints of coffee, toasted malt, and chocolate.

T: Big on the dark fruit, hints of oatmeal and coffee. Too much dark fruit here for my liking.

M: Medium in body smooth most likely from the oatmeal.

D: Not my favorite porter but does have a very nice mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2009 02:58:38 | More by tpd975

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle. Pours a dark, clear brown with a thick tan head. Aroma of sweet malt mostly and some toasted malt notes. Flavor of light sweet malts, some roasted notes and toasted malt but mostly just sweet malt. Hmm, not really a fan of this one. It wasn't bad but it was very sweet. To me, it was more of a brown ale than a porter.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2009 17:35:42 | More by LilBeerDoctor

blackie

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

appearance: A vigorous pour creates a .25" tan head that recedes into the beer. The ale is a very dark, reddish brown in color.

smell: Aromas of light roasted malts and a nice fresh, spicy hoppines are present. The hoppiness level of this porter is outstanding; higher than most porters I have sampled, yet perfectly balanced. Maybe some caramel and very slight bitter chocolate in there.

mouthfeel: Carbonation is between medium and high. The body of the beer is a light medium.

taste: The earthy roastiness is perfectly blended with the considerable hop characteristic. Slight chocolate flavors are found after the sip. Perfectly balanced. The finish is of a lingering bitterness and roasted barley.

drinkability: Wonderfully drinkable for an American porter.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2005 05:03:47 | More by blackie

Brent

Kentucky

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

I've had the chance to sample several beers from Highland, courtesy of NClifestyle, and I've dug everything these folks do. The Oatmeal Porter is no exception. Rich black with mocha-ring head. Full, deep roasted flavors without an burnt or scorched notes. The oatmeal designation lead me to expect it to be more dense and malty, but I don't know that I got a lot of sense of the oatmeal. Nonetheless, it was a substantial and satisfying beer, with some lighter notes to keep one interested.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2006 21:26:20 | More by Brent

GClarkage

California

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

08/11/05- Received from BA member AlexJ via a trade.

Presentation- 12oz bottle with no freshness date. Poured into my Englander pint glass.

Appearance- Almost total black pour, 2 fingered dirty chocolate colored head. Very nice lacing.

Smell- Mostly some super dark malt and a bit of coffee.

Taste- Heavy sweet malted action going on. Nice espresso taste throughout. Maybe a touch of chocolate. Not as much hops as expected.

Mouthfeel- A bit creamy and a nice carbonation level.

Drinkabilty- A good porter for sure. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2005 05:00:21 | More by GClarkage

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

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

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

I got this brew in a trade with 67couple, Thanks!

re-reviewed- 7/3/10: tried a 2nd bottle (served in a standard pint glass) that I got from kirkpjr. Thanks John!

L - deep red/brown color with a creamy tan head of foam that left good lacing.

S - sweet caramel and bittersweet chocolate fill the aroma.

T - sweet caramel, chocolate, dark fruity start is balanced with a bitterness on the finish, good taste.

F - medium bodied with a mild carbonation feel.

D - I'm glad to have gotten to try this brew 2 times.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2008 00:59:21 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

tdm168

North Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at the the Village Draft House

Pours a deep, dark brown with a thin but dense lacing of cappuccino colored head. There's very little to offer in the nose except some faint roasted malts. The taste is predominantly roasted malts with notes of burnt toast. There might be something off here. I notice some yeast and a diacetyl-like creamy, butteryness. It's medium bodied though thin at times, smooth, and moderately carbonated.

Ignoring the diacetyl notes: This beer is rather one dimensional and a little thin. It's pleasing, overall. I'll try it again, and I'll probably be back to edit this review if the off flavors aren't there next time.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2011 11:27:10 | More by tdm168

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

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

12oz. bottle into Sam Adams glass on 3/5/09. Thanks to Kegatron for procuring one of these for me during a trip down south.

A - Poured a deep brown color with lots of ruby highlights and a creamy tan (albeit diminutive) head that qas quick to recede into a thin veil but left adequate lacing around the rim of the glass.

S - Smooth milk chocolate notes and flaked oats dominate the nose, with just a hint of dark roasted malt and coffee to complement. Mild earthy notes, faint licorice and an ever-so-slight meaty character round out the fairly complex aroma of this porter.

T - Both the dark roasted malt and coffee is more pronounced in the flavor, but there is still quite a bit of chocolate sweetness paired with earthy bitter notes and a slight astringency toward the backend.

M - Quite a smooth, creamy mouthfeel with soft carbonation and a fairly slick, oily texture. Some residual hop bitterness emerges in the finish.

D - Another solid brew from Highland. I can't say I've ever been disappointed with anything I've had thus far. This oatmeal porter is certainly no exception. Smooth and flavorful, this went down quite easily.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2009 01:02:21 | More by ffejherb

merlin48

Kentucky

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

Label says this was contract brewed by Frederick Brewing, of Maryland. Pours a deep, dark, brown, not quite black, but opaque body with a thick, two finger, tan head. Average retention and nice, patchy lace is left down the glass as it empties.

Aroma features roasted chocolate malt, and hints of bittter herbal hops, nuttiness, and old coffee.

Mouthfeel is rich and coating, with medium body and carbonation.

Roasted chocolate malt is dominant on the palate, but has an oatmeal smoothness. Espresso and cocoa powder are there as well. Hops bitterness is more than adequate to balance the chocolate sweetness, and even has a note of black pepper for emphasis.

This is a well done porter that has pleasing complexity. It seems thinner toward the finish, which adds to drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2004 20:02:55 | More by merlin48

Vancer

Illinois

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

This good ol’ imp porter (?) was sent by brent56 in a nice trade.

Deeeep dark oak brown, frothy ivory head, nice push for lacing. Rich, chocolaty ovaltine aroma , a scope of coffee in the mix. Even a pop of smoky goodness, smoothed out by the oatmeal. Just a tasty porter all the way around.

Crisp and dry, porter wise, this would make for a good drinking fall/winter brew. Hope it has a nice price – say, around $8 a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2007 20:44:20 | More by Vancer

mynie

Indiana

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

Dark, dark red with a big white head and great lacing.

Smells of very deep, coars grain. Nice and harsh. Big bitter malt smelling like tasty earth and grains.

Tastes like a coarse oatmeal stout. Starts out with bitter, roasted malt that gets mellow and grainy near the middle and ends on a linger bittersour node that tastes like good health.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2006 04:44:57 | More by mynie

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

Durge

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another happy encounter at the Mellow Mushroom in Greensboro, NC, this one has a dark black brown appearance with a decent light tan head and great lacing. The aroma suggests a very mild chocolate yeast. Kind of weak but pleasant for what you can sniff out of it. The flavor offers a slightly sour charcoal malt and yeasty lime. It's medium bodied with very tiny carbonation, somewhat silky with a dry charcoal, sweet licorice finish. I don't get much toward the oatmeal idea, mostly tart, tangy ideas. It's pretty drinkable stuff though, a tad thin, but generally a good porter very much worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2010 03:33:47 | More by Durge

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer arrived on the table Black. Yep, black. Maybe even...as night. The head was tan and lasted to lace the glass.

The aroma was chocolate with caramel and a slight fruitiness.

The flavor was chocolate and coffee and caramel with the nice mouthfeel of the oats.

The finish was dry with chocolate and coffee well into the aftertaste. The body was medium full, probably due to the oats. The beer is just a hair away from being a stout.

Pint at Barley's in Knoxville.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2004 01:26:22 | More by GCBrewingCo

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The lack of head retention might've been expected considering the style, but there was hardly any head formed at any stage of the pour. The color is a beautiful dark brown shot through with a ruby hue.

Aroma is fragrant and surprisingly light, with rye, toffee and pungent dark fruits entering the picture.

Flavor is chocolate, roasted malts, with the oatmeal definitely making its presence felt. An almost metallic toffee sensation occurs in the finish. This is a more buoyant porter than some, not heavy, a little watery, but it delivers well enough.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2006 19:23:38 | More by Metalmonk

KarlHungus

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to MuenchenerKindl for this one. It pours a black color with brown hues around the edges of the glass. The head is one inch in height, light tan in color, and recedes slowly into a nice cap of lacing. The aroma is of milk chocolate, vanilla, graham cracker, and cream. The taste is like the aroma, but bigger. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with appropriately low carbonation, and a silky texture. Overall, this is a great porter. The oats really come through in the creaminess in both the taste and feel. I would love to have this available in Minnesota.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2008 22:26:46 | More by KarlHungus

superspak

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle, no bottle date. Pours crystal clear dark brown color with a small fairly dense 1 finger light tan head with good retention that reduces to a thin lacing cap. Aromas of caramel, chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, oats, and some spicy hops. Some nice and decently strong aromas here. Taste of big roasted malt, chocolate, oats, spicy hops, and caramel. Nice amount of bitterness present on the finish; with lingering notes of spicy hops, caramel, and chocolate. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a fairly nice and creamy mouthfeel despite slightly high carbonation. Decent balance of flavors as well, but spiciness seems to take the prominence. No alcohol noticed except for a small warming after the finish. Overall a solid and drinkable porter, but definitely not memorable.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 02:42:03 | More by superspak

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - dark ruby, light just makes it through. A thin cream head doesn't cover the surface completely and leaves an occasional patch of lace.

Aroma - heavy aroma of roasted coffee beans. Straight up, that's it. Good enough for me!

Taste - dark roasted malt with a sweet chocolate mix. Just a blip of hoppiness at the end. Ends on the sweeter side with light caramel and coffee bean flavors.

Mouthfeel - heavy, smooth, evenly carbonated, perfect.

Drinkability - a fine treat supplied by merlin48. Great stuff!

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2005 17:44:57 | More by brewdlyhooked13

billab914

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass at Harry's Taproom. It poured dark brown in color with a thin khaki head sticking to the glass. It seemed a little light and thin for the style visually.

The aroma is roasty with bitter chocolate and a little smooth oats coming through. pretty decent aroma, but not anything outstanding in the style.

The taste has a lot of burnt, bitter, roasty flavors to it up front. I get more bitter sweet chocolate in the finish. A little of the oat smoothness is there in the flavor, but its more noticeable in the mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a nice creamy and silky texture towards the finish. Carbonation is moderate. Overall it was a pretty solid beer that I really enjoyed. Very nice roasty bitter character with a great mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 16:59:55 | More by billab914

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark black with a creamy cocoa head. Smell is soem roasted malts. The taste is oaty (what a surprise) and not too strong. The drinkability was pretty good, I could see my self knocking back three of these in a sitting (if I had them). Decent porter but nowhere near my favorite. Still a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2007 16:25:41 | More by ArrogantB

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with beautiful ruby highlights when held to light. Smallish off white head dissipates quickly. Smells of chocolate, roast, citrus hops, and licorice, mmm. Taste is chocolate up front, some dark fruit and licorice midway melding into a citrusy roasty finish. Creamy smooth mouthfeel, light carbonation and medium body. Great drinkable porter here! If these were more available to me I would buy them all the time.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2010 00:48:01 | More by johnnnniee

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew pours a very dark brown to black color with a finger of head that falls to coat the beer. The nose is definately full of oats and chocolate with a small whisp of alcohol. The flavor is even better than the nose. There is more roastedness, giving it an almost coffee finish. The oats are more subdued and there is a nice chocolateyness in it as well. I like it. The feel is moderate with a moderate carbonation on it. The flavor is really what makes this brew. Very tasty. Very easy drinking and smooth. Enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2005 20:54:37 | More by kmpitz2

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Highland- Oatmeal Porter

Thanks to Mikesgroove(Mike) for this 1!

A- Like cola brown with a big messy tan lacing head.
S- Light cocoa powder, molasses malt, and light roast coffee beans.
T- Good sweet milk chocolate, cocoa powder, cola syrup, molasses, and light roasted coffee with a piney hop tinge.
M- Sweet and smooth with an intensifing cocoa dryness. Finishes off dry with a good hoppy bite.

Overall- Tasty. creamy and warming. A good porter, reminded me, a little, like Troegs Dead Reckoning.(Thanks Mike!)

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2008 21:02:45 | More by NJpadreFan