20th Anniversary Encore Series: Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
Stone Brewing

I can't recall if I had this the first time around, so being a bit of a Stone fan I felt compelled to try it. A bottled on date of 01/15/16 poured in my Stone 'almost' pint glass.

Look- Pours a semi viscous looking black leaving a half finger of mocha colored foam that settles in quick order.

Smell- A bit hoppy up front with some pine, followed by bakers chocolate, molasses and oatmeal.

Taste- Some floral hop flavor to begin, with some milk chocolate up next. A bit of grain and smoke hidden in the back.

Feel- Oily and medium bodied with a bitter dry finish.

Overall- A good but not great stout that leans toward the hoppy side. The up front floral nature seems to cover up the chocolate. The feel is a bit lacking as well for an oatmeal stout. I was expecting more roast and dark chocolate. I'm now considering buying another to cellar to see if the hop flavor subsides and more chocolate emerges?

RB transfer

Copenhagen 14/9 2018. 65 cl bottle from Voldby Købmandsgård Webshop. Dancing Devil with a mug of beer printed on the bottle.

Pours jet Black with medium-sized dark beige head. Settles as paper thin layer of foam crawling up the side of the glass. Moderate lacing.

Aroma is strong, sugary yet bitter. Molasses, cocoa, bitter chocolate, licorice, light sourness. Noticeable alcohol.

Soft carbonation. Thick, creamy, sticky texture.

Flavor is heavy sweet but neatly balanced by prominent bitterness. Aftertaste is sweet with a distinct bitter twist. Lingering.

Stone Brewing should celebrate an anniversary more often.

 

 

 

Cask, gravity dispense, at the GBBF 2008. ABV was said to be 9.5%. Pitch black colour, minimal head. Complex roasted aroma with notes of oak, dark chocolate, liquorice and tar. Intense flavour of cocoa / chocolate, figs(?) and coffee(?) - I have some difficulties reading my own handwriting here .... Warming mouthfeel, oaky and alcoholic notes. A great sipping beer.

2016 Vintage
22oz bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours jet black in color with a one-finger creamy khaki colored head that eventually reduces to a ring around the edge of the glass

S- smells of rich dark chocolate up front, with aromas of mocha cream, burnt marshmallows, black licorice, toffee, charred malt and a hint of espresso

T- bitter dark chocolate and roasted chocolate malts up front, followed by notes of anise, char, raisin & fig, toffee and a hint of coffee roast. The finish gives more bitter chocolate and char on the linger

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel and a chewy, warming finish

O- a solid oatmeal stout that has aged gracefully

A light as tangy smell. Almost like a peanut butter stout. More like a Reese's or a Twix. Definite wafer cookie smell in there. What's that Girl Scout cookie? The peanut butter one? Smells like that. And some chocolate peanut butter ice cream.

Palate is smooth and velvety. Good match for the flavor. That same strange lightheartedness comes through, Like a coconut Porter without the coconut, and a huskier aftertaste. Good foamy touch. Love that rough peanut butter and bitter chocolate. Not tasting the oatmeal. It gets washed away. But this is brilliant, maybe what Young's Double Chocolate Stout should have been.

From the not-very-well-aged bottle, it pours a very dark brown with a light brown head that slowly diminishes. Lacing. In the mouth, it is smooth feeling and dark chocolate flavored. Nice!

Bottled on 01/16/2016. Big bottle. 9.2%. Thick and creamy/velvety beer. Delicious dark chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate-liquorice oatmeal flavour profile. This is delish, just very expensive where I am but no regrets buying one bottle. Might buy another if I ever see it, especially with some age on it. One of the best stouts I've had.

an unexpected keg to find at a higher end italian restaurant with a big wine focus, i thought the sticker on the tap handle was wrong, but i was stoked when i learned this was the beer they were pouring, rad score! the beer almost looks nitro poured, the head is nearly two inches tall, dark tan colored, and creamy thick and rich, with great retention. the beer beneath it is coal black with a higher luster but not a ton of viscosity, pretty beer, weird with italian food, but had to do it! the aroma is heavy roast, burnt black coffee along with good espresso, earthy cocoa nibs and bitter baking chocolate, some oats and starchiness, and some hops that seems more bitter than anything else too, lightly herbal though for a dark brew like this, no sign of its alcohol, and served in a pint glass, so i had no idea! the flavor doesnt show the booze either, super well hidden here, and its actually not as bitter as it smells, some light milk chocolate richness to it and more coffee nuance as well. perhaps a hint of licorice too, but this is not overly complex, it doesnt need to be, the grain flavors it well, the hops add a pop at the end, and this is smooth and hearty and wintery and curiously drinkable. i cant believe the alcohol is so invisible, and i like the way the dark chocolate lingers on the swallow even though this is real dry for what it is. one of the better beers i have had from stone in a long time, a cool random keg to run into out there in the world, love when that happens! great stout, very american.

(draft)
A: pours dark black body with a thick, dark tan head
S: bitter, chocolate and coffee notes; some roasted and alcohol notes
T: somewhat bitter chocolate taste with a dry finish
M: medium bodied and pretty smooth
O: nice mouthfeel and taste combo; pretty good drinking stout.

3 & 1/2 years aged and could go 3 more ...Very straightforward to its name and just an exceptional (another) beer from Stone ...

 

 

 

Bottled on Jan. 2016, I;m getting big bakers chocolate, roasted malts & a creamy head due to the oatmeal. The beer is sort of thin for the style & I am detecting some pine which I would rather not want to detect in my imperial stout, but oh well. Cheers! A-

Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip. Bottled January of 2016

L: Inky black pour with 1.5 fingers of foamy brown head. Great retention and lacing.

S: Bitter... dark chocolate, roast, and espresso.

T/F: Follows the nose. Medium bodied and creamy mouthfeel. Sweet sugars and bitter roast character melds nicely with the dark chocolate. Coffee and chicory in the background adding some depth. Dark fruit... burned raisin and prune. Fairly balanced, but the bitter overshadows the sweet. Well carbonated.

O: An awesome bitter chocolate stout. Flavorful and drinkable... really solid beer and worth of Stone's 20th Anniversary celebration.