American Extra Oatmeal Stout

Brewer: Yours truly
Style: Oatmeal stout
ABV: 5.7%
IBU: 28
Serving Type: On tap into an English pub glass

Back when this was brewed, I wanted three things: 1) To brew a stout, 2) to follow a recipe out of Brewing Classic Styles, and 3) to use only ingredients I had on hand. Unfortunately, my inventory did not allow me to use any of Jamil's stout recipes, so I was left to improvise. What I wound up with was some bizarre mash-up between an American stout, a foreign extra stout, and an oatmeal stout. I give you: American Extra Oatmeal Stout!

9 lbs Domestic 2-row
1 lb Flaked oats
12 oz Chocolate malt
8 oz Crystal 60L
8 oz Roasted barley
8 oz Victory malt
2 oz U.S. Tettnang @60 min
Irish Ale yeast WLP004
Mashed 75 min @150 F

Appearance is super dark, nearly black (estimated at 31 SRM by BeerSmith). Several fingers of tan head takes its sweet time in settling to a persistent film, but lacing is minimal. Lots of chocolate on the nose, with some good roasted malts coming in behind. A little caramel sweetness too.

Where the aroma was all chocolate, the taste is all roast. Chocolate is there, mostly in the aftertaste, and more subdued. Plenty creamy from the oats, with a medium-to heavy body and mild carbonation. A sweet finish if you can find it behind the roasted flavor.

A fairly solid brew overall. I would definitely cut back on the roasted barley next time, try and let some of the subtleties of the victory and chocolate malts come through.

My score: 3/5

Black and Brew Coffee Stout

Brewer: Boston Beer Company

Style: Coffee Stout

ABV: 5.8%
IBU: 60
Serving Type: 12 oz. bottle poured into an English pub glass

Pours a deep, dark brown (like so many others, not quite black). Seems totally opaque, but the edges of the glass betray an ever so faint ruby highlighting. A quarter inch of tan colored head dissipates quickly but leaves a then, persistent film with decent lacing for the style. Bitter, dark roasted coffee aroma, fainter than expected. Maybe a little of that green pepper that accompanies coffee sometimes.


Coffee flavor is much more intense than the nose. A good, dark roast. A mild astringency comes off as a quenching acidity. The body is very smooth and creamy, but a tad thin. The body and the 5.8% ABV make this a very (in my book, anyway) sessionable beer, something you don't often see in a good coffee stout. 


A new addition to the Sam Adams winter 12-pack, and a pity there's only two per case.

My score: 4/5

Beer Advocate: A-

Rate Beer: 91/100

Pintley: