Craftsman
Renaissance Brewing

CraftsmanCraftsman
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From:
Renaissance Brewing
 
New Zealand
Style:
Oatmeal Stout
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.78 | pDev: 12.96%
Reviews:
49
Ratings:
94
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 31, 2019
Added:
Dec 15, 2009
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
No description / notes.
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Ratings by ngeunit1:
Photo of ngeunit1
Reviewed by ngeunit1 from Massachusetts

4.37/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
A - Pours a dark brown, almost black, with a finger of thick frothy chocolate colored head. The head fades down very slowly leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of roasted bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, coffee, oats, and a bit of dark fruits.

T - Starts off with some roasted bittersweet chocolate with a bit of vanilla and dark fruit sweetness. Through the middle, some roasted coffee flavor comes through alongside some oats. The finish is a mix of roasted cocoa and coffee with a bit of vanilla and dark fruit.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels super smooth with a sweet and chocolate finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really great chocolate oatmeal stout. The flavors are really nicely balanced with great body and mouthfeel.
Aug 31, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.23 by mholdefer from Alabama

Jan 31, 2019
Photo of Brolo75
Reviewed by Brolo75 from California

3.77/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle poured into a pint glass

A: Pours black with some light coming through around the edges, decent retention, full, creamy tan colored head, lots of lacing, looks thin.

A: Roasted coffee, roasted malts, chocolate, light berry note, subtle aromas.

T: Chocolate is more prevalent on the taste, cocoa nibs, roasted malts, toasted nuttiness, dry coffee like bitterness, finish has lingering notes of chocolate, coffee, and roasted malts.

M: Light bodied with a slight creamy mouthfeel, dry finish.

O: A good beer, I could definitely drink quite a few of these, I wish it had more flavor and aroma, at $9.99 a bottle there are better oatmeal stouts for less money.
Sep 15, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4.23/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Poured into an English pint glass, the appearance was a dark brown color with a finger and a half's worth of white foamy head that slid off in a nice appeal. Light messy lace ran about the glass appropriately.
The aroma had a nice blend of sweet to bitter milk and dark chocolate portions. Underscored by some light coffee and sweet oats, gentle roast and a hint of dark bread.
The flavor was a mix of the sweet to the bitter and roastiness pulling the chocolate to the coffee and the dark bread. Pretty smooth aftertaste of the chocolate and the coffee and oats.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a decent sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine, somewhat low. ABV felt appropriate. Exceptionally smooth along my tongue.
Overall, what this brewery does for the "oatmeal style" every brewer should be doing as the oats do exactly what they're supposed to do. Hoping to get some more of this for football games this Autumn.
Jun 25, 2017
Photo of josanguapo
Reviewed by josanguapo from Spain

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From Labirratorium. In Teku glass. Reading JHTP11 Ch26 + playing Darksiders 2. Plenty of chocolate in aroma and taste very well integrated in a gentle to the palate and very balanced smooth brew that is surprisingly filling for such a low abv
Mar 26, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by Hayley_86 from Netherlands

Feb 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Jan 24, 2017
Photo of jzlyo
Reviewed by jzlyo from Iowa

4.07/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Aroma is chocolate/dark chocolate, dark malts and mild oak/BBQ. The flavor is oak/slight barbecue, dark chocolate dark malts, dark fruit and a mix of smoky and acidity in the finish.
Jul 05, 2016
Photo of Andrewharemza
Reviewed by Andrewharemza from Australia

4.19/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From bottle, pours a pitch black colour with a tan head that only comes out in a ring that coats the glass. Aroma chocolate, cocoa, chocolate, chocolate, roasted malts. Taste milk chocolate, sweet, cocoa, creamy. This is great.
May 05, 2016
Photo of RickyS
Reviewed by RickyS from Germany

3.89/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appears very dark with small amount of head. The smell is very nice, dominated by sweet chocolate and roasted malts and a bit of wood. The taste is a tad more bitter, especially in the finish which is not very long. I find though there is a high unbalance between how good the smell is and how not all of these flavors are not propagated to the taste. Thick mouthfeel. Overall a nice product. Could be better but no one is perfect.
Mar 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.11 by Vylo from New Jersey

Nov 27, 2015
Photo of 50wolves
Reviewed by 50wolves from Australia

4.23/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance - pours dark with small foamy brown head. Aroma - smells pleasant to the nose. Taste - chocolatey flavour. Feel - very silky smooth this is the most notable element of the beer. Overall - very refined beer, I appreciate this.
Oct 07, 2015
 
Rated: 4.19 by OGShotzy from Pennsylvania

Sep 26, 2015
Photo of personpitch
Rated by personpitch from Australia

3.44/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 1 | overall: 3.5
this bottle was uncarbonated.. dissapointed this time around.
Jul 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.18 by hunteraw from China

Jul 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.06 by emptyglassagain from Massachusetts

Mar 21, 2015
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.19/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Ratings with a slight adjustment (but certainly not enough) for an old and infected bottle.

Unappealing vegetal aroma. Some of this carriers over to the flavor. At least the smooth body is better than average.
Actually the flavor is decent if not as good as it should be. Good level of chocolate.
Feb 27, 2015
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

3.82/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours pitch black with a fine one finger light brown head with great retention and tons of lacing. Nice aroma of dark toasted malt, good chocolate, hints of coffee and hot cocoa. Flavor is toasted malt with light char, dark and milk chocolate, light vanilla, day old coffee. Coffee, light chocolate and a bit of char in the finish. Light to medium bodied with good carbonation. A flavorful stout with a lighter body and less intense flavors than expected from the dramatic black color and full chocolate head. It may be becoming difficult for me to fairly evaluate lower ABV stouts because they do not emphasize the flavors as well. This one has nice complex, good chocolatey taste, but it leaves me wishing for more. With a bit more intensity and fuller malt body, this could be amazing. The flavors that are present are good and I enjoyed the entire bottle. If I was looking for a session stout, this would be near the top of the list.
Feb 23, 2015
Photo of TruePerception
Reviewed by TruePerception from California

3.27/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Renaissance Brewing Company's Craftsman Chocolate Oatmeal Stout. 4.9% ABV. (Well, damn...)

A: Half a finger of chocolate milk colored head. Root beer-like carbonation. Black, with very dark brown in the dimple.

S: Dark cocoa and very lightly roasted coffee. Slightly sweet oatiness. Very faint licorice. Faint honey.

T/MF: More carbonated than I was expecting. Flavor is light coffee. Plain and simple. No chocolate at all. I'll see when it warms up, but I think they were wrong to dub this a chocolate stout.

A disappointing stout, actually.
Feb 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.79 by unimatrix1 from Indiana

Jan 25, 2015
Craftsman from Renaissance Brewing
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 94 ratings