Barrel 41 Cinnamon Roll Crunch Porter.

March 21, 2023

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There was a new beer up on tap today. Barrel 41 Cinnemon Roll Crunch Porter. Seems like a lot of additives, but lets see how it is.

Poured into a regular pint glass, this beer is opaque black. And looks a bit..hazy or fuzzy . The darker brown head looks thick, but sadly it doesn’t last very long at all. But that is probably from the additives

There is not much roast or hops in the smells. It’s all milk chocolate with some vanilla background. And something close to maple syrup after it warms. So far everything is on the low side, but playing well.

Nice blast of cinnamon and very light milk chocolate, even vanilla frosting. Next is a bit of coffee roastiness that really makes up for the high sugary level. But that roast is not harsh, but maybe it should have been… just a little.
There is still that something like maple,,, or bacon hiding in the background. I just can’t pin it down.

Nothing for hops or yeast here.. but to be honest, I’m not sure how those would have matched up with all that sweety stuff anyway.

There is a lot going on here, but all things are pretty tame, but the main things that stick out is, the cinnemon of course, and now that its warming lactose, and the roasty bits.

Very full body on this, almost chewy. And that “haze”.. well you can feel it. It has a grainy particulate feeling to it. Is that supposed to be the crunch part?
Not very much for bitterness.. but I wish it was. That sweet just hangs on the tongue, but it stays shy of being gloopy.

This is an odd one. Right from the name I was sure I was not going to like it..but ya know what.. it’s ok. It’s not bad, it’s not great… just ok. Dont think I could do more than one.
There is just enough of a roast profile to keep me interested,, but the sugary sweetness is just a bit much.

For now I’ll have to go 2/5,, but if they ever bump the roast or bitterness, or lower the lactose a smidge,, this could be much better.

New Glarus Road Slush

March 13, 2023

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Road slush is a stout from New Glarus. This one has always been hard to find.. even here in Wisconsin, so when I see it I get it right away.

Road Slush is an Oatmeal Stout that is clocking in at 6.2% so it does have a bit of weight to it.

Of course tis oatmeal stout pours a supurb foamy head on top of a very dark brown body. Yea, brown. I would cll this black so much. But it crtainly looks great being poured with its cascading bubble show.

A blast of coffee-like roast and sweet grains hit me during the pour.  Even a bit of hop and light chocolate is getting through that layer of foam. That smells so good.

The taste profile is just as good as it looks and smells. Same roastiness and hops are right up front. A good earthy hop that reminds me of Goldings or similar and that coffee/chocolate roast is so evenly matched.
Its not a dry beer thats for sure, but that sweet grainy, oatmeal backbone stays mostly in the background and lets that roast shine.

As with other oatmeal stouts, the mouthfeel is full but not heavy. That oatmeal silkyness makes the beer feel like it has substance while not being thick, which is good because the carbonation is medium or lslightly ower.

You have to say Road Slush’s balance is tward that roasty malt and grainy sweetness, but the hops in the taste, aroma and even the bitterness level are definitly part of the show.

Its a bigger beer at over 6%, but its easy enough in body and overall taste to be one easy drinking stout, so keep that in mind because this one can sneak up on you.

This is just a great beer all around. But sadly its only seasonal. I would drink this year round.
We seem to be on a dark roasty beer resurgence which is good news. And great beer like this will help keep that trend going. 4.5/5 

Ohio City Oatmeal Stout

December 8, 2021

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Tonight we are having Great Lakes Brewing Ohio City Oatmeal Stout. I do love oatmeal stouts, but they sure have changed in the past few years. Great Lakes usually does good stuff So I am looking forward to this.

From the label, it looks like we are sitting at 5.4% and 25 IBU and it is in a 12oz bottle.

Lifting the cap we get very little hiss or Co2 release. Not that concerning in this style, but curious as to be almost nothing.
Pouring it into my usual garage tulip glass I get about ½ inch tan head. That’s about what you would expect from an oatmeal beer.
Very black. No highlights red or brown and no noticeable carbonation bubbles.

The first aroma I get, surprisingly, is oatmeal. I say surprisingly because it has been rare these days to find that. But here it is, Mmmm. Then comes sweetness and roast. Not a lactose sweet (I’m glad for that) but more of a low crystal malt note. The level of that roast is just noticeable, but that oatmeal is keeping it down. And Its not roast barley roast,, more of a black malt or chocolate malt kind of roast with almost burnt notes, like a good oatmeal stout should be. This smells fantastic!

Before I can get to the first taste, the head has completely disappeared. But thats usually is the case with Oatmeal stouts. That oatmeal has quite a bit of oil in it and generally destroys the head retention.

As I take the first sip, the first thing that I notice is not the taste, but the feel. Its thin and fairly high carbonation. It has like a foamy feel to it. My guess would be that they tried to up the carbonation, to give it at least a bit of that tan head.

The roast is the first taste I get, then chocolate then a bit of raisin and toasted malt.. In that order. These all really work in a stout, and particularly in an Oatmeal stout. No hop and no yeast contributions which is fine here, because the balance of those roasty/chocolate/raisin really really is spot on.

Other than the thin body, everything about this beer is what an Oatmeal stout should be. Its not as heavy a beer as you would think would be, and I can definitely drink a couple of these.

3.75/5 that body and foamy carbonated feel makes me think more of Porter, but either way I like this.

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