I’ve had my fair share of stouts through the years, but this has got to be my first Imperial Oatmeal Stout — and bottle conditioned, as well. I haven’t been able to find my hands on as many Stoudt’s brews as I would have liked, but randomly happened upon a chilled 6 pack of this one at a local shop. Needless to say, I grabbed the sole sixer, paid the cashier and galloped out the front door with a maniacal laugh in tow.
Once home, I decided to pull two bottles aside and see how well they did over the next couple of months. I’m a little concerned that the beers had been chilled (for how long, I don’t know), but figured that the bottle conditioning and higher alcohol may pull through in the end. The other four… um… 1 bottle sits in the beer fridge awaiting me after work this evening.
Appearance
The Fat Dog pours a near, velvety black with a solid, yet short lived tan head. This one certainly looks good in a clean pint glass.
Aroma
Rich malts dominate the nose as the subtle presence of oatmeal lingers in the background. For a 9% brew, the alcohol doesn’t make itself readily known in the aroma. Dark chocolate notes are also present, but not overly so.
Taste
This is one tasty brew. It’s well hidden alcohol can only mean danger for me, as it’s a thoroughly too drinkable beer. It’s one of those stouts that has a smooth, rich character without heavily relying on one aspect of the beer over the other. That’s part of the reason why I only have the one chilled (and 2 cellared) bottles left.
Overall
I would say that this one could very well be one of my favorite stouts. It’s a drinkable beer with plenty of character. I don’t know what else to say. It’s good.
Rating: 4/5
