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.

Do we finally find a coffee stout worth drinking?

November 23, 2021

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Coffee beers have always been a thorn in my side. I probably drink more coffee in one day, than the average family does in a month.. but put it in a beer, and its crap.

I dunno if it’s a chemical thing or some voodoo stuff, but it never works out.
Yet I will always try a new one.

Such as this Ahnapee Breakfast Drip.


Billed as a session stout (arrrg, this love/hate thing today with descriptions).
Well, on with the show…

The tap poured pint came with very little, if any head at all. But as with most coffee stouts or coffee beers in general that I’ve had, this is pretty normal. The oils from the coffee really mess with the head retention.

The black beer looks quite tasty, though not opaque black. No signs of carbonation bubbles.

First two things I get from this beer are chocolate. Lots of chocolate or coco aroma here. In a good way. And second is what I was fearing.. the dreaded soured coffee aroma. But luckily.. it’s not as bad or strong as it usually seems to be.
Other than a slight bit of roast,, the chocolate dominates everything. No hops no yeast esters.

Pleasantly surprised at the first taste because I was expecting to get a blast of that sour coffee,, but it’s not there. The first taste is roast.. and it should if it’s a stout. There is coffee there,, but it’s secondary to the actual stout. A very good stout in fact.

The coffee notes are bold, but not over powering. And more like green coffee beans, not heavily burnt or roasted beans and I think that’s whats keeping them from getting that sour, oxidized taste.

I’d say the body is just shy of medium. Fits in with this style of probably dry stout. Very little hop taste, but a good bittering.
Carbonation is fairly high for a stout, but they may be trying to work the low head retention. But even this high it seems to work quite well.

I must say I am impressed with this coffee stout. I was full prepared to not like it. But it did things right. It showed off the stout first, then let the coffee do it’s thing behind it.

I can and will have more of this for sure. And honestly is the best coffee beer I ever had.
4.5/5

Bridge Out Stout- Titletown Brewing

March 8, 2021

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The local..Bridge Out Stout. Titletown Brewing’s seasonal oatmeal nitro stout.

I watched the short cascade show play out before I started with this beer. Nice tan nitro style head, but does drop rather quick. But, oatmeal stout a sometimes do that I guess. I guess I would call this black,, but not opaque black. Nice ruby points.

Even through that nitro head is a nice chocolaty roasty aroma. Very nice. No hops,, but a bit of sweetness. But nothing much for dark roasts.

The chocolate follows thru to the taste. Not over powering or anything.. but is definitely the main component. The roast peaks thru a bit now but very relaxed and behind a bit of that sweetness. And just for a flash I get an oatmeal note. And now that it’s warming a bit and the head is thinning I get oatmeal in the aroma now as well.

The body is full and smooth. Good balance there. That usual slick feeling of the oats is there as well. The nitro really hides how heavy this beer is. I would love to drink a couple of these.. but not sure I could because it is very filling.

A middle ground of 6.5% will is not overpowering and the 45 IBU which is really in Pale ale territory is virtually undetectable due to the sweetness. Another great balance in this.

I have had this a few times before, and it has definitely changed for the better. Which is great because I do like my oatmeal stouts.

Now, if they would only make a non nitro version.  Ah well. Take your 4 out of 5. 

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