Highland Oatmeal Porter - Highland Brewing

Neorebel

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Highland Oatmeal Porter has an appearance typical of a good example of the style. I particularly enjoyed the complex aroma, in which I detected sweet cream, malt sugar, cinnamon, some hop, and lightly toasted grain. What really surprised me was that the taste was a lot hoppier than I expected for the style and the aroma as well. I would have awarded a higher score if not for the lighter body and a bit of a metallic/oxidized off flavor in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 15:35:34 | More by Neorebel

prototypic

Ohio

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

Many, many thanks to csmiley for the bottle. Thanks, dood!

Oatmeal Porter pours a darker, chocolate fudge color. It’s not opaque. Plenty of light cuts through and reveals burgundy highlights. A nice tan head tops it and rises to a finger and a half in height. It’s slow to recede and leaves a rather sticky web of lace clinging to the glass. Looks good.

The nose is good. Smells mostly like roasted and chocolate malts Bittersweet dark chocolate seems to be the strongest scent. There’s a good bit of coffee that complements the malts nicely. There are some light, hoppy notes. Smells a little grassy and noble in character. Alcohol is blended very well and isn’t noticeable at all. Smells good to me.

The flavor is very consistent with the nose. Roasted and chocolate malts are the base. The chocolate variety definitely tastes like bittersweet dark chocolate. Tasty. Roasted coffee is secondary, but adds a lot to the overall flavor. It’s a really nice complement to the malt base. There are some light hoppy notes. They’re grassy and a tad citric. Subtle, but they are noted. I’m not complaining. Alcohol is very light in the mix. Not noticeable at all. Finishes chocolaty and roasty.

Oatmeal Porter has a body that’s on the lighter side. It feels a tad thin. It’s not a big beer, but it’d still benefit from a bit more heft. Carbonation is light. It goes down easy. It’s too thin to be smooth, but it’s easy drinking.

Oatmeal Porter is a good release from Highland Brewing Company. It’s relatively simple and straight forward. But, it has a nice flavor and is all-around pretty impressive. I’d prefer a little more body, but that’s about the only complaint I have. It’s good stuff. Definitely worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 04:30:32 | More by prototypic

taigor

New York

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into DFH pint glass.

A - Poured dark brown almost black non-transparent color with thin mocha head that quickly dissipated leaving light lacing around the glass.

S - Roasted malts dominate with hints of chocolate and smokiness.

T - Starts off with roasted malts followed by rich dark chocolate bitter flavor with light smokiness and a slightly dry finish.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O - Very good porter from Highland with ABV well hidden, smooth and enjoyable overall. I would highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 13:29:42 | More by taigor

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a St. Bernardus goblet.

A: Some frothy head settles into a film. The beer is a chocolatey brown, letting light through at some angles but not others.

S: I can't exactly put my finger on why I like this smell so much. Ostensibly, it's a plain enough porter, with added sweetness from the oatmeal. But it's more complex than it seems, with intimations of vanilla, roasted barley, and perhaps even spiced porridge.

T/M: Above average, but not by too much. Relatively straightforward...a bittersweet mainbody is more sweet than bitter, with a drying aftertaste just barely roasty. The mouthfeel is the biggest let-down...thin without being smooth, then carbonated at the edges.

O: Overall, pretty good. I'd even recommend it for parties or company or such. That is to say, where I don't see my self seeking one out to kick back with, I'd pick up a six-pack to share.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 22:45:22 | More by AgentMunky

Meerkey

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Just a little bit of off-white head. Deep mahogany, some bubbles - clear and slightly reddish when held up to the light.

S: Sweet grainy malts. Chocolate. Maybe a slight hint of coffee. Some hops and a little caramel. Very nice.

T: Dark. Hoppy and chocolatey. Malty. I can taste the oatmeal more. But it's a lot less sweet than the smell.

M: Sadly a little disappointing. Smooth, but a little thin and lackluster.

O: The smell is my favorite part, the taste is pretty good too. I'd like it a lot more if the mouthfeel were a little better. Would probably have another if I came across one.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 02:15:31 | More by Meerkey

fsvan

Tennessee

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into pint glass.

A- Dark brown. Some red on the edges, but mostly brown still. A finger of tan head.

S- Roasted dark malt, with a bit of a burnt smell to it. All goes to together very smoothly.

T- Fairly in line with the nose, although that nice burnt quality isn't nearly as prominent. A nice, albeit slightly metallic, hop bitterness on the back end.

M- Heavy of medium. Nice.

O- I really like this beer. It doesn't always seem to have that metallic note to it, and that's why I docked it a .5 for the taste. I will revisit another bottle and change the score if better. Either way, this is a pretty tasty porter.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 01:11:14 | More by fsvan

BeerMeDatBeer

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Nice looking beer. I like the Highlands style of branding its brews, but in a glass, the beer looks great. Exactly what I want to see in a porter, which is dark body and a small tan head.

Smell: Smells a bit earthy, and other flavors become evident.

Taste: The taste is very balanced. It's definitely not overwhelming, for better or worse, but it's a great porter if you're looking to throw a few back. I actually had three and ran a 5k (and of course came back and finished off the 6er).

Mouthfeel: Smooth going down. Nuff said.

Overall: I really enjoy this beer when I'm in the mood for a porter. I'd recommend it to a friend.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 02:49:30 | More by BeerMeDatBeer

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

HalfFull

California

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Brown 12 oz. bottle served into a pint glass. This oatmeal porter pours a deep brown and sports a thin creamy tan head, clear and crimson in the light. Cap settles out to a light cap and leaves good lace.

Nose of chocolate and some roasted malt. Hops are there but subtle at first, gathering a bit of steam as the beer warms up a bit and mellowing out the chocolate spice component. I'm picking up on a bit of yeast character that's clean and somewhat fruity in nature, perhaps English, but then the hops keep it from being too clear to me.

Roast and chocolate carry to the taste of the beer, particularly up front. More of a baker's chocolate follows and with a light bitterness to conclude. Feel is a bit thin however to really pull it off. Offers a pleasant lingering finish. Overall decent though a bit thin and unassuming.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 05:02:05 | More by HalfFull

fmccormi

New York

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Straight pour from 12oz pry-off bottle to Cigar City snifter. No bottling / freshness date that I can see.

Appearance (2.0): Dark brown, almost black, with a grey-brown tinge at the edges when held up to the light. Almost no head here—is this normal? It looks almost like flat cola. Just small, tan ring at the edge of the glass and a couple legs of lace.

Smell (4.0): Modest dark chocolate note mixed with a smooth cereal earthiness—that must be the oatmeal. I do love dark beers with oatmeal in the grain bill. Some herbal / grassy hop notes in back.

Taste (3.0): Kind of tame early on, when it’s cooler. Some coffee / roast barley bitterness, with a nice undercurrent of oat smoothness. What’s there is nice, just wish there was more of it. As it warms, it evens out to show a nice balance between modest sweetness and mild roastiness. Hops aren’t big in this picture that I can tell, but they do add an herbal bitterness in the finish which goes well with the smooth oat component. Yeast is pretty neutral, don’t pick up on much here. Not bad as it warms.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Body is watery and just a bit dry in the finish. Carb is active but smooth, with fine bubbles rollicking over the tongue—nice carb, actually.

Overall (3.5): Maybe I was expecting too much from this beer, maybe it was old or I didn’t have a great bottle. Either way, it was decent. I bet this would be a satisfying session on cask, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy a sixer of this. Not bad, not great.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 03:52:47 | More by fmccormi

Misfit138

Tennessee

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

Poured from bottle into pint glass

A- Nice dark brown with tan head that went away fairly fast, but left lacing.

S- Sweet roasted chocolate malts with hints of caramel and even marshmallow.

T- Smooth upfront with hints of vanilla, caramel and oats before some roasted chocolate malts that make a bitter finish.

M- Medium body, fair carbonation.

O- Pretty good porter. Seems to have a little more bitterness than some other porters.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 03:45:12 | More by Misfit138

ccrida

Oregon

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

Dark brown with a tan head that leaves nice lace.

Smell is sweet dark malts, a little diacetyl, buttery.

Taste is light on the roasted malt, and it's a little heavy on the caramel, accentuated by the herbal hops, a touch minty.

Mouthfeel is fairly creamily carbonated, and medium bodied, a nice smoothness.

Drinkability is pretty good, a tasty stout with a nice hop snap, I always dig the English nobles.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 03:35:06 | More by ccrida

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

HardTarget

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Holds its finger of tan tight head proudly lacing the glass to show its passing. Black glass shows a sliver of brown at the edges with back lighting.

Smell: A bit earthy, almost dusty nose with some chocolate syrup and roasted malt.

Taste: Very balanced, smooth flavor with the sweetness coming out in the finish. The earthiness is there but very mellow, almost a lager quality to the package the profile is so gentle. The malt comes through a little stronger toward the end of the glass.

Mouthfeel: The oats do their job giving a smooth silky texture, medium body and low carbonation lead to quick, easy pulls.

Overall: Expected a monster, was surprised by the courtly gentleman instead! Easy drinking, great (if subdued) flavor, nothing wrong here; a well executed beer.

Thanks to Illudium for the sample!

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 00:49:31 | More by HardTarget

nandemo1

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep dark chocolate brown with a finger of tan head that leaves a lot of lacing as it recedes.

Smell contains a bit of oat and a dark fruit/chocolatey mix. Taste is mostly bitter with coffee notes but has a bit of a sweet oatey malt flavor.

Mouthfeel is pretty silky, medium bodied.

Overall, a solid brew that is drinkable anytime, including breakfast.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 23:25:00 | More by nandemo1

RSchaeffer

New Hampshire

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

Review #17
12oz bottle into Portsmouth pint glass.

A. Pours dark brown in color, almost like a cup of black coffee. Nice 1 finger of khaki head.

S - Roasted malts, oats, and a bit of caramel. Very faint hops.

T - Spicy roasted malt, with hints of oat and chocolate. Lingering roast finish in the aftertaste.

M - Slightly creamy mouthfeel, though on the lighter side in body and carbonation. Dry, slightly bitter aftertaste.

O - Meh. My roommate brought this home with him after a visit to NC and I was interested in giving it a try. It is drinkable and has a few nice qualities, but not overwhelming or memorable.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 19:43:36 | More by RSchaeffer

jsanford

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a Pint Glass.

Pours a dark brown with a thin off-white head that fades to a slight haze. Subdued aromas of chocolate, toasted oats, coffee, and roasted malt. Taste is close to the nose, nice flavors of chocolate, caramel, and roasted nut. Very nice and drinkable. Mouthfeel is smooth and fairly creamy, with a medium-thin body and good carbonation. Overall a very solid Porter, the oatmeal adds a very nice creaminess.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 16:50:20 | More by jsanford

chinchill

South Carolina

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

12 oz bottle served in a Highland Brewing pint glass.

Pours a very dark reddish-brown. Nearly black but with just enough transparency to see that the beer is clear. A vigorous pour only yielded a 1-finger tan head, but the head had good retention and left plenty of irregular lacing.

Aroma: rather hoppy for style, meaning that there is a clear hop note, and suggestions of spices, mixed with the aroma of toasted grains.

T - the hops are just strong enough to be present in the mouthfeel and taste, but take a backseat to the strong flavor of dark roasted barley. Some spicy and citrusy flavor in with the malt. Lasting, dark roasted malt finish and aftertaste with hints/traces of oatmeal, hops, coffee and dark chocolate.

M: smooth, crisp; medium body leaning towards thin for style; Very good carbonation.

O - overall score bumped up to 4.5 owing to the strong performance on all dimensions, with taste at a 4+ rating. Is there a better oatmeal porter?

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 23:45:28 | More by chinchill

Jeffo

Netherlands

2.33/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Mom & Dad got me this on their last trip to the USA. Thanks guys!

From a bottle into a snifter.

APPEARANCE: A very light pour makes a one finger, medium looking, very light tan head with decent retention, fading down to a light wisp. Black body and no carbonation evident. A decent wisp and ring remain leaving some good lacing down the glass. Fine, but quite a light and thin a pour for the style.

SMELL: Caramel and oats. Very faint hints of dark malts as well. Some earthy hops perhaps, but this is just too faint.

TASTE: Very little flavor as well. Some dark malts and licorice in there, as well as some oats through the middle. Sweet dark malts on the finish with a mild and lingering aftertaste. Not much going on, and very little hop presence here.

PALTE: Here’s the best part of the beer. Medium body and medium carbonation. Very light on the palate, but also very creamy smooth as well. Goes down smooth and finishes slightly dry on the palate. Quite light for sure, but very nice and creamy smooth the whole way.

OVERALL: There was no bottle date on this one, so I’m not sure what to think. In any case, the beer I have in my hand is nothing worth remembering. It’s not off-putting or anything, there just isn’t anything to remember. Too mild in flavor and aroma. This would need some serious beefing up to bring it on par with some of the top example of the style. Avoid this one I’d say.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 19:53:39 | More by Jeffo

HoppyZymurgist

Alabama

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

Poured into a Sam Adams glass. Half inch head that left quick with very little residual, even with their spcial lasered etching. Minimal lacing. Nice dark, clear color.

Some coffe and malt nose

Taste is very pleasant. Good mouthfeel and jsut the right of carbonation. Oatmeal comes through nice. A bit light on the roasted malt flavor for a Porter. Very smooth and drinkable

Overall a very solid beer. Probably not quite as good as some of the others I have had from Highland.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 00:58:11 | More by HoppyZymurgist

andrewinski1

Maine

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

Thanks Curtis! Poured into a mug. Nice three quarter inch mocha head on this one. The body is quite black.

The aroma s full of chocolate and quite powerful when pouring. The aroma eventually tapers and the biscuity malt is more evident.

The taste is dry and bitter, with a bit of coffee in there as well. This finish particularly bitter, with the hoppyness being very subtle and in the background (quite a contrast to the last porter I had from Smuttynose that was very hoppy).

This is relatively light but has a nice strong slightly creamy mouthfeel.

I like this one, nothing like a good porter on a rainy summer day.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 03:49:16 | More by andrewinski1

brandoncox

Virginia

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

Soda clone pour as far as color. Nice one inch khaki head.

Wow, great hop notes for such a dark brew! I'm getting hints of robust oatmeal and chocolate along with a sherry dominant nose.

Sweet and sour chocolate with a smooth malty body finishing nice and bitter.

Very smooth on the palate but not creamy like I was hoping. Minimal carbonation.

A good beer all in all but I don't like the sherry notes it's providing, it dominates a good portion of the taste. But overall it is a solid dark brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 18:33:25 | More by brandoncox

Paincane

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass provided a dark almost black color with aroma of malt. Roasted malt, oats, and chocolate with some coffee flavor. One and a half finger beige head dissipated rather quickly without leaving much lacing. Excellent porter with wonderful flavor, smell and finish. A lucky find at my local Kroger supermarket.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 03:45:59 | More by Paincane

jgurley

Florida

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

I used to drink this often when I lived in upstate S.C., just found it today in Destin. Pours dark brown into a pint glass. Thick head with really sticky lacing. Sweet, smoky, malty, milky nose with a touch of cappuccino. Taste is sweet up front with a full malty, espresso punch and a surprise of hop bitterness. Full, milky mouthfeel, not too carbonated, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. A good all around porter.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 00:03:02 | More by jgurley

BeerBeatnik

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Eminently flavorful and redolent of vanilla, and chocolate roast malt, Highliand Oatmeal Porter is silky and medium-bodied on the tongue. Topped with a rocky persistent tan head and dripping with roasty malt character, this porter was slightly sweet and finished on a dark chocolate note. Hop character is present, but very well balanced with the roasty malt profile.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 20:40:56 | More by BeerBeatnik