Old Man River Oatmeal Stout
Riverport Brewing Company

this was my favorite of the handful of beers i had in here, very basic, but a solid example of the style and something that stood out as quite clean and a level above most of the others they had that i tried. its creamy khaki headed, matte black in the shaker pint, and boasts a familiar aroma of roasted barley without a lot of middle malt sweetness, which i prefer in the style. i think it lets what the oats do be appreciate a little more, and this is smooth and earthy but also dry and drinkable to me, i dont wish for any more crystal malt balance or anything, and quite like the little bit of bitterness this finishes with from the roast. subtle coffee and dry cocoa character to this, a smooth but lighter body, and less from the yeast than in their other beers, which seems to be a good thing, slightly doughy to me, maybe a european ale yeast strain, but its well out of the way and the dark malt does the work here. a nice sipper, no apparent flaws, and low enough in alcohol to have a couple of and still be fine. nice job with this one. generic but well done.

 

 

 

Pint consumed at the Baby Bar in Spokane for $2 (it was cheap micro night, AKA Tuesday).

Dark brown in color, with a small, sudsy looking mocha colored head that hung around tenaciously for a few minutes, then recedded to a slight skiff.

The aroma was of mildly roasty malts and baker's chocolate. No discernable hop scent, in keeping with the style.

Mildly roasty in the taste as well, with elements of coffee and chocolate in the background. Could have been a little more dominant in the flavor department but not bad.
Slight hoppy dryness at the swallow.

A little thin in the body for the style, with a mouthfeel a tad too watery. Like Red says, carbonation is not all it could be.

A decent session stout, especially for the price. Went down rather easily. I don't think I'd feel any need to seek it out again. Still, if it's on special at your local, you could do a lot worse.

This oatmeal stout was perhaps the most enjoyable Riverport beer I drank among the five I had on my visit. It sports a glossy black body and whets the appetite with an inviting aroma of cocoa and roasted grain. The taste is of crème de mint with notes of coffee and mocha as the finish turns to spice.

As with most Riverport beers, the Old Man was undercarbonated and lacked for head and lace. But the mouthfeel was full and drinkability was worthy.