Big Trout Oat Stout
Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks

 

 

Served on nitro tap in a pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours a pitch black color with a billowy and thick tan colored head that forms over time as the nitro bubbles are seen streaming through the black colored brew. The head has a good level of retention, slowly fading, but never fading completely, to leave a nice level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is light overall but is of a nice and roasty malt smell with some light caramel and vanilla sweetness as well as a bit of coffee mixed within.

Taste – The taste begins sweeter and much less bitter then would have been expected for the style. While not overly sweet, upfront there is a nice caramel flavor blended in with a strong roasted malt and oat flavor. The oat flavor grows stronger more toward the middle of the taste with a faint flavor of vanilla entering the taste at around the same time. The caramel begins to fade more toward the end with a light roasted coffee flavor coming at the end bittering the taste ever so slightly. In the end a nice balanced creamy and dark flavor is left to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – As would be expected for a nitro brew, the body is creamy and smooth. The mouthfeel sooths the mouth in all the nice roasted malt flavors and creates a very pleasing and smooth taste on the tongue.

Overall –A quite nice and smooth stout with a very nice balance of sweet, bitter and loads of roast to leave the tongue quite satisfied.

 

 

A nitro pint served at the brewpub on the way home from Blue-White.

A: The oatmeal stout is dark, more deep brown than black, especially at the base. The nitro adds a creamy head, thick and rich, that slowly melts away.

S: The nose has a hint of sourness, the stale aroma that often punctuates a good stout. Dark malts, coffee and chocolate, along with oatmeal sweetness that borders on lactic.

T: Mmmm, oatmeal stout on nitro. Roasted malts set up the taste, bold but not overpowering. Oatmeal adds a lactose-like smoothness that isn't shy of its sweet side. Roasted coffee lingers beyond the oatmeal, a full flavor that never shakes its sweetness. A minor dose of hops near the end is barely worth mentioning.

M: The mouthfeel is aided by the nitrogen, smoothing over the rough edges with creaminess. A good companion to the Best Bitter.

D: Very drinkable. If we didn't have a long hike home, I'd've gone through another pint or two.

A-Deep, dark black with ruby highlights. A thick, tight, tan head holds on strong and leaves copious ringing lace.

S-Roasted malt with a touch of dark chocolate and espresso. Lighter notes of biscuit.

T-Rich, roasted malt up front with accenting notes of chocolate and coffee. A touch of sweetness and earthy bitterness in the finish.

M-Medium bodied with the silky smooth texture one expects from a nitro delivered brew. Feels just a tad light though and could use a bit more robustness. Decent lingering roasted malt/chocolate/coffee/hop bitterness.

D-Plenty of flavour and oh so smooth makes this one easy to drink. Nice job at a classic style. Tasty and solid, albeit a touch thin.

On nitro-tap at Elk Creek on 4/11/09.

A - Black with garnet highlights around the bottom and two fingers of frothy tan head that retained very well and yielded a decent amount of thick lacing.

S - Roasty and nutty with mild coffee notes, flaked oats and a subtle chocolate presence.

T - Roasted malt dominates the initial flavor with some toasted oat and coffee notes. A slightly nutty character segues into some sweet chocolate goodness with hints of milk and lactose. Finishes with a slight earthy hop bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with soft carbonation and a smooth, velvety texture, albeit just a tad thin and watery. Finishes with minimal bitterness on the palate.

D - Fine oatmeal stout with subtle flavors and a modest hop profile, but extremely smooth and drinkable.