Big Boat Oatmeal Stout (Whiskey Barrel)
Fitger's Brewhouse

 

Originally reviewed on November 11, 2005. On tap at the brewpub. Pitch black pour, with a thin tan head, that’s more refined that straight BBOS, but it doesn’t sustain. Aroma of rich sweet cherries and melted dark chocolate with a hint of ginger. This is over oak and a hint of liquor. Roasted coffee wafts blend with a hint of English Breakfast Tea. Enticing. Flavor is a bourbon-hinted cherry sweet copy of the Big Boat. I think it was a fine palette to paint upon, with sweeps of refined chocolate, coarse coffee and lots of roasted hazlenuts. The texture is phenomenal, a silky slick moving in the mouth, luciously coating everything with a warm, creamy sensation. A fantastic use of a Barrel, without any alcohol hotness or imbalance. Towards the end a good run of caramel, apricots and dates and raisins emaciated in rum and brandy. Truly a "winter warmer" as Hoops was hoping to achieve. Finish and smack are a touch oaky dry bitter, with some dry cherry and plantiness.