Oatmeal is no longer just for breakfast.
Written: Jul 25 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice sweet, chocolaty, roasted flavors, slight hop, silky smooth mouthfeel.
Cons: It's an excellent beer.
The Bottom Line: Wonderful mix of roasted chocolate and caramel, with dry and slightly hoppy finish. Smooth silky mouthfeel is even more memorable in this excellent example of an old world brewing style.
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| andaryl's Full Review: St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout |
Oatmeal Stout is a beer style that has become increasingly popular with US microbrewers and British exporters. The idea of adding oatmeal dates back to the English 1800’s, when it was fashionable to make beers more nutritious.
I always thought it was a joke when I saw a pub sign that read, “Beer, more than just a breakfast drink”, but in fact in days of water that was undrinkable unless it was first treated (as it is in the brewing process), beer was a drink for every meal of the day, breakfast included, so you can understand the desire to make a brew that had extra nutritional value.
Despite its current popularity and nutritional value, the style did in fact become extinct around 1975 and was revived in 1980 by Samuel Smith specifically for the USA market. Other British brewers followed, the best known probably being Young’s, and the style became a popular part of the microbrew revolution.
Anderson Valley Barney Flats
I have now tried most of Anderson Valley’s brews and it has become one of my favorite US brewers. The Oatmeal Stout is one that has received much attention in the brewing world and is widely acclaimed as one of the best of its style. Michael Jackson describes at as his “American favorite”.
A Few Awards
World Beer Championships
Gold Medal Oatmeal Stout: 1997, 1998
Top 10 Beers of 1998 (ranked #3)
California State Fair Craft Brewing Competition
Silver Medal Oatmeal Stout 1999
Great American Beer Festival
Gold Medal Oatmeal Stout: 1990
Tasting Notes
The beer pours to a dense looking, black/opaque color, with a solid brown colored foam.
There’s a noticeable floral hoppy aroma that kind of masks the underlying roasted malty and chocolate undertones.
It’s lightly carbonated, soft, with a smooth silky mouthfeel, and a palate that is pretty full in body.
The first signs of flavor are chocolaty, which could even verge on pasty, maybe expected from the oatmeal, while there’s a good mix of caramel malts that create a wonderfully smooth creaminess. It’s also roasted, as I would expect, and does offer a more than generous share of smokiness. There’s a slight tang in the finish, just briefly reminding me that this is a west coast ale, but the biggest character in the finish is an overall satisfying burnt dryness. The aftertaste is smooth and long, you can still taste the chocolate and roasted flavors as well as a soft lingering smokiness.
Verdict
This is an oatmeal stout that works exceptionally well, flavors are full and well defined with a wonderful balance. It’s very satisfying and enjoyable, right up among the best in the style. I think that it’s very similar to Young’s. I give it a full recommendation although for me nothing matches the uniqueness of aroma and flavor of Samuel Smith’s.
Food
I wouldn’t go to the Victorian tradition of recommending that your kids drink this for breakfast, in fact I don’t think I’d recommend it with food at all. It’s sweetened and makes a good dessert beer either with a flourless chocolate cake or cheesecake, or just by itself as an after dinner drink or nightcap.
Availability
I checked their website and they have distributors in about 25 states. This brewery does produce a fine range of ales and I don’t think it will be long before their beers are available to all in the USA. I paid $3.49 for mine in a 22oz bottle, and it is more recently available in 12oz 6-packs.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: The Desert, So Cal
Reviews written: 219
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