Oatmeal Stout Tasting – BJCP Category 16B
Finally! It’s that time of year again! This episode we’re doing a tasting for a favorite or ours, Oatmeal Stout. We’re tasting:
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout
Tadcaster, North Yorkshire England
5% ABV – 32 IBU
and
Winter Warlock – Bristol Brewing
Colorado Springs, Colorado
6% ABV – 26 IBU
We were working to get this episode together, but had a lot of trouble finding Bristol’s Winter Warlock. It was just released on October 30th, but we could not find it in any of the liquor stores we checked. Finally, Mike was able to find it at Tuscany Wine and Liquor 6130 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80918 (They don’t sponsor the video). Kudos to you guys! I’m sure as November turns into December, it’ll have much wider distribution.
Style Description – from the BJCP 2015 Guidelines
Overall Impression
A very dark, full-bodied, roasty, malty ale with a complementary oatmeal flavor. The sweetness, balance, and oatmeal impression can vary considerably.
Appearance
Medium brown to black in color. Thick, creamy, persistent tan- to brown-colored head. Can be opaque (if not, it should be clear).
Aroma
Mild roasted grain aromas, generally with a coffee-like character. A light malty sweetness can suggest a coffee-and-cream impression. Fruitiness should be low to medium-high. Diacetyl medium-low to none. Hop aroma medium-low to none, earthy or floral. A light grainy-nutty oatmeal aroma is optional.
Flavor
Similar to the aroma, with a mild roasted coffee to coffee-and-cream flavor, and low to moderately-high fruitiness. Oats and dark roasted grains provide some flavor complexity; the oats can add a nutty, grainy or earthy flavor. Dark grains can combine with malt sweetness to give the impression of milk chocolate or coffee with cream. Medium hop bitterness with the balance toward malt. Medium-sweet to medium-dry finish. Diacetyl medium-low to none. Hop flavor medium-low to none, typically earthy or floral.
Mouthfeel
Medium-full to full body, with a smooth, silky, velvety, sometimes an almost oily slickness from the oatmeal. Creamy. Medium to medium-high carbonation.
History
A variant of nourishing or invalid stouts of the late 1800s using oatmeal in the grist, similar to the development of sweet stout that used lactose. An original Scottish version used a significant amount of oat malt. Later went through a shady phase where some English brewers would throw a handful of oats into their parti-gyled stouts in order to legally produce a ‘healthy’ Oatmeal Stout for marketing purposes. Most popular in England between the World Wars, was revived in the craft beer era for export, which helped lead to its adoption as a popular modern American craft beer style that uses a noticeable (not symbolic) quantity of oats.
Vital Statistics
IBU 25 – 40
SRM 22 – 40
OG 1.045 – 1.065
FG 1.010 – 1.018
ABV 4.2% – 5.9%
