Highland Oatmeal Porter - Highland Brewing

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

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a very deep brown color with a huge tan head. When held to the light, ruby streaks can be seen shinning through the brew. The thick billowy head fades rather slowly eventually dropping down and leaving a great level of lacing.

Smell – The smell is a good dose of sweet chocolate and roasted malt. Mixed with these are light caramel smell and the littlest bit of earthy hop.

Taste – The taste begins with a roasted malt and very light chocolate flavor. As the taste advances the sweeter chocolate flavor dwindles in strength. At the end, a light earthy hop bitterness comes to the tongue and with the loss of the sweet chocolate leaves a roasty and dry flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is average in terms of thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is on the slightly lower side. The lower carbonation is good for the flavors, but a bit of the thicker body would have been good for all the roasty and the lighter hop flavors.

Overall – It had a really nice look and smell, but the taste was a little too dry and simple with a mouthfeel that could use some more thickness. While not bad it is a brew I wouldn’t go to on occasion.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 00:33:14 | More by Darkmagus82

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an almost jet black, nice tannish frothy head. Nice roasty smell. Taste is medium to heavy bodied, great silky smooth texture to it. A little subdued on taste, but nice maltiness with hints of chocolate and caramel, some hops detectable on the back end. Smooth and easy to drink, great drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 19:37:47 | More by marlinsfan4

chickenflea

Florida

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

Almost a black pour, it is covered by a fading tan head. Mostly roast focused nose where biscuity, but burnt dark malts lean more towards chocolate than coffee. Nutty and leafy/earthy on the palate. The oatmeal contributes a certain roundness on this semi-thick ale with moderate carbonation. A competent dark ale, but more like a stout than a porter. Lacks a little maltiness. Finishes clean.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 22:52:46 | More by chickenflea

vtfan77

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Deep, dark garnet that appears nearly black without holding it up to the light. A half inch or so of head forms upon pouring and sticks around for a while.

S- Nice complementing cereal and cocoa aromas. Actually it reminds me a little bit of Cocoa Puffs, bringing back some fond childhood memories. Only this is definitely better. There's also some sour malt and a slight burnt aroma.

T- More sour malt and a big charred edge. It's a bit thin on flavor, with just a little grainy character to go along with the char flavors. Finish is slightly bitter with a flavor like burning tobacco.

M- Rather thin but very smooth and creamy, so it goes down quite easily.

This is a decent porter with some really good characteristics, but it's also a little bland in the flavor department (probably the most important aspect, in my opinion). It's worth trying, but it's not one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 00:14:33 | More by vtfan77

JCaweinstein

Ohio

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

Dark brown in color, one finger light tan head that has some large bubbles in it. It's moderately carbonated.
I taste mostly some bitter hop flavors as well as bitter chocolate. As the beer warms the oatmeal flavors start to be become more apparent.
The aromas are chocolate and and oatmeal with no hop aromas being detectable.
It's a thin bodied beer that starts bitter moves into some chocolatey semisweetness and finishes with a bitter coffee like aftertaste.
I think this beer is ok, I picked it up in a mixed 12 and will enjoy the remainder but probably wouldn't spring for this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 13:15:32 | More by JCaweinstein

matttttYCE

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pint glass. Head is about a finger high, light tan froth, and fades to a light dusting and ring. Beer is not quite jet black but a discernibly murky dark brown.

Aroma is of sweet and lighter malts and light-medium roast, bitter chocolate, with mild smoothness and silky oat scents, hints of light coffee, and muted hops in the background. Pleasant.

Malty sweetness, roasted/mildly burnt malts and oats, coffee presence that is not strong but present lets say and nice. Beyond that some chocolates, more so cocoa powder, as well as some bitterness beyond that of the coffee and such that I attribute more to a decent hop profile, though not a strong one mind you.

Mouthfeel is quite balanced and smooth. Is there a word for a consistency that is a bit more watery than creamy? That's what this is. Light-round carbonation. Almost marshmallowy body, sounds crazy but, it's light and airy but smooth with some substance kinda like a barely roasted marshmallow.

Overall damn decent beer. Of course I tend to have an affinity for smooth drinking porters. Oats and a bit more of a hopping than you'd expect are what set this one apart. Would gladly have this porter again, it's quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 09:07:03 | More by matttttYCE

bubseymour

Maryland

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

A - black w tan head. Very nice appearance.

S- malty and chocolate

T- nice chocolaty and roasted flavor. Dry and hopped finish.

M- pleasant but a tad dry on the pallet in the finish.

O- a very well made oatmeal American styled porter. Definitely recommend.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 00:36:40 | More by bubseymour

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma: Pleasant aroma. Mild black malts, mostly sweet, mildly bitter. Mild brown malts. Sweet oatmeal and grain. Some chocolate and molasses. Decent dose of citrus and floral hops.

Appearance: Very dark brown. Holding this brew up to a bright light shows high clarity. Looks like root beer. Medium brown head pours tall. Good retention and tons of lacing.

Flavor: Starts sweet and roasty, black and brown malts. Roasty coffee notes kick in. Next comes the floral hops and mild alcohol. Mild grain.

Mouthfeel: Medium-low body. Mostly watery. Finished moderately dry. Carbonation is very mild but does sting slightly.

Overall: Not exactly thick and savory. Better flavor as it warms up, more malt sweetness and hop bite. Good roasty noes and nice hop balance. Not a classic example, could use a bit more malt character. Quite a good brew nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 21:41:44 | More by soulfly1492

SawDog505

New Hampshire

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

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a dark brown with a one inch white head, that leaves behind some lace. Smell is chocolate, biscuit, carmel, smoke, and some tobacco. Taste is the same intensity, with chocolate and carmel coming threw most, flavor is simple, but tasty. Body is medium for its size, nice carbonation, not dry, and drinkability is good. This is a nice porter, not earth shattering.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 00:40:09 | More by SawDog505

CptMerica

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Attractive dark chocolate like color

S: Pleasant and hoppy but weak. I felt like I had to stick my nose in to get it.

T: Really good. Toasted nut and chocolate is the way I would describe it.

M: Light and crisp. Surprisingly refreshing for a porter.

O: Really enjoyed it. Best beer for the price that I have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 01:41:12 | More by CptMerica

socon67

New York

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at Angus Barn in Raleigh, NC

A - Pours cola brown with decent foam retention and lacing. Settles quickly.

S - Smells like chocolate, with some malty scent. Not roasty, and tends to be sweet.

T - Flavors of chocolate malt, sugary candy, and a bit of maple syrup. A bit thinner than I'd like for a porter, but a solid taste anyway.

M - Feels light, smooth, and has enough bite to make this a tasty porter. Could have a second one.

O - Solid porter, and was great with my meal. Kind of a lighter version of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 22:58:20 | More by socon67

DCon

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bought a 12 FL. OZ. bottle of this from Ingles Grocery Store in Asheville, NC & added to my Mix-A-Six Pack for $8.88. Poured from the Blue/Dark Tan labeled bottle w/ the Highland Scotsman on the front into my 16oz Grand Teton Brewing Co Pint Glass. Has no freshness date on the bottle.

Aroma- Tons of roastiness and sweetness hits the nose first. Then a light amount of coffee comes around. Light-medium hop aroma too.

Appearance- Pours a 1 finger, tan head that has fantastic retention. Has a very dark brown body with decent clarity. Leaves thick rings of lace behind.

Flavor- Strongly malted and very sweet from the beginning. Very well balanced between the malt and hop. Lightest bitterness level at the finish and slightly toasty.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Medium Carbonation, Smooth, Sweet, and leaves bit of toastiness on the palate.

Overall Impression- Maybe its just me, but I couldn't find much oatmeal at all in this one! Very sweet and roasty but just couldn't find this characteristic. Would say this is a nice Porter and very well balanced. Recommend if available!

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 20:40:07 | More by DCon

Arborescence

Finland

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Black, pours a nice thick head that lasts for a while too.

Aroma: Very mild, just a hint of roasted malt.

Taste: Soft and malty, a nice round flavour typical for oatmeal stouts and porters. Lingering aftertaste of roasted malt.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, balanced.

Overall: It's a solid oatmeal porter, better than average, but nothing amazing.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 21:34:11 | More by Arborescence

xybreeder

Louisiana

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Nice dark, stout like appearance, small amount of head, lacing is light.

Smell - Roasted dark malt dominates the nose, slight smoke smell as well.

Taste - Roasted malt flavor also dominates the taste, with a hint of oats on the back-end. Also getting chocolate in the middle, with little to no bitterness (nice!). Chocolate also lingers well after consumption. Very good tasting brew.

Mouthfeel - Medium to light carbonation, about spot-on for this style. Not too much as far as body goes with it falling in the medium to light range. Makes it easy to drink quickly though!

Overall - This was my first brew from the Highland Brewing Company thanks to a good friend of mine who brought me some from out of state (thx Wendell!). I was impressed with the drinkablity of this brew as it wasn't too bitter, not too heavy, and promoted a nice roasty, chocolaty taste throughout. Might be a little better with more of an oat profile, but overall a very nice brew!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 23:37:17 | More by xybreeder

rapidsequence

Virginia

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

12 oz bottle.

Appearance: Pours brown from the bottle, but sits more black with considerable red highlights. Bone white head, not much retention.

Smell: Cocoa, roast, and some clean, green hops. Overall its a bit muted, but good if you sniff for it.

Taste: Sweet flavor with cocoa powder, caramelly, toasty malt, and a bit of of more burnt roast and bitterness near the end.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is pretty lively. Smooth, clean feeling. A bit dry in the finish.

Overall: A solid porter. I've had a billion of these going back probably 15 years, including many $8 pitchers poured into plastic cups at Hell in Chapel Hill. Seemed like a good choice for the UNC-Duke game. Glad its distributed in VA now.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 03:42:32 | More by rapidsequence

qthompso

Minnesota

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

Pours a very nice deep, dark brown. Only indications that this isn't black is a bit of light brown hue near the edges of the glass. Slight cream head, doesn't stick around for long.

Smells tasty. Nice malty, chocolatey characters. There's a slight sweetness in the nose but overall, the aroma isn't too powerful.

There's a lot going on with this beer. Believe it or not, the first thing I notice is how strong the hop bitterness is on this one. Not what I was expecting. There's definitely an oatmeal characteristic to this porter with a very roasty (almost burnt) finish.

Really enjoy the mouthfeel on this one. Really full, really creamy, really smooth. The carbonation level is pretty spot on and the finish is quite crisp, despite the lingering roasted notes.

Overall, pretty decent. Not quite as roasty and chocolatey as I was expecting based on the nose but a decent interpretation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 02:26:35 | More by qthompso

Dave1999

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pure black with no head.

Smells of roasted malts and coffee.

Tastes of rich malts with a slightly bitter after taste.

This beer feels very smooth and goes down easy.

This is a very tasty porter and possibly one of my favourites in this style.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 00:39:51 | More by Dave1999

rwrk42

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pour: Dark brown like a maple syrup color with a light beige colored head
Smell: Roasted, almost burnt coffee aroma and chocolate
Taste: Roasted malt and chocolate flavors are abundant with slight bitter acidity. Balanced well with hops
A very good solid, tasty porter

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 03:45:41 | More by rwrk42

ONUMello

Ohio

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

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass
A: Dark translucent brown. Thin head that disappears pretty quickly.
S: Quite aromatic, with toasted grains, toffee and a bit of coffee.
T: Rich coffee, caramel, and a noticeable hops kick towards the end that I like quite a bit.
M: A bit thinner than I expected, but smooth and pleasant overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 07:04:03 | More by ONUMello

thain709

Pennsylvania

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

Thanks Deuane!

A - Poured a deep brown body with some ruby highlights...two fingers worth of creamy, light brown head...slow retention settling to a full cap...nice lacing

S - Right off the bat I actually picked up some floral hops...chocolate is lingering...roasted malts

T - Again, the hops are very present in this one...the rolled oats make an appearance in the middle and mellow out the hops...the add a smoothness to the entire beer...there is a roast flavor that settles in...it provides some dark chocolate notes that finish the beer nicely

M - Medium bodied...creamy and smooth...hoppy start with a long roasty finish

O - I've been wanting to try this one for awhile and Deuane was able to hook me up...this was a very drinkable porter...the hops were surprisingly forward, but the oats kept everything happy

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 12:02:11 | More by thain709

Mississipping

Mississippi

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours very dark brown with just a touch of amber highlights when held to light.  A small tan head rises and falls pretty quickly, leaving behind minimal lacing on the edges of the glass. 

S: Chocolate is up front, along with some coffee, slight roast, and some hops in the background.  Really nice complexity in the aroma. 

T: Again, chocolate malt up front, with subtler oats, roast, coffee, and hops.  Starts out rather sweet with some milk chocolate and finishes somewhat bitter with the coffee, roasted barley, and hops.  

M: Lighter side of medium-bodied with a moderate level of carbonation.  Smooth and slightly creamy on the palate.  

D: Nice little porter that has a good bit of complexity and balance.  Nice transition of flavors throughout each sip.  

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2012 21:38:44 | More by Mississipping

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a deep brown color with a finger of light tan head. Pretty pour retention.

S- aromas of malt sweetness and semi-sweet chocolate on the front end. Coffee tones and oat in the middle. Finishes with a faint balancing floral hop note.

T- bittersweet flavor. Nice balance between malt sweetness and bitter roasted malt/leafy hop. A notes of semi-sweet chocolate lingers on the palate.

MF- silky mouthfeel with a medium body and average carbonation.

D- nice drinkability.

Overall a solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 01:31:00 | More by Viciousknishs

Sudsy89

Florida

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

12oz. bottle, chilled.

Pours a very dark brown, has a big thick head to it. This has a great roasted coffee and chocolate taste, seems to have a moderate level of hops. Average level of carbonation with a thick, full-bodied feel to it, very filling. A nice porter, it looks and tastes like a great example of the style, without being too strong with hops or alcohol taste. I would definitely try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 06:11:04 | More by Sudsy89