Lasto's Oatmeal Stout
BJ's Restaurants & Brewery

 

 

 

Pours black, with tan head. Smell is really strong and charred, roasty ashy dark malt. Taste is similar with very dark, borderline burnt roasty malt and an ashy finish. Carbonation is too high and prickly however. Softens as it warms, and the flavor is pretty nice, but no oatmeal creamy smoothness. Overall, definitely one of the better if not best BJs beers I've had.

Pint during happy hour today for $3.75, number two in the seasonal series at BJ's this year, enjoyed with my blackened chicken and apple bacon pizza

A-Pretty much black but minimal light shining through the top, 3/4 inch creamy light tan head that stuck around for a while, also came back when swirled, nice retention, some lacing

S-Oatmeal, dark chocolate, figs, vanilla, somehow I smelled some cherries, some coffee but not much, also a hint of caramel

T-Starts off with a definite oat and grainy flavor, fades into more chewiness in the middle which is slightly sweet, then some light coffee and cocoa in the finish, when this brew got interesting was about the fourth or fifth sip because all of sudden I could taste some kind of tart, I believe it was cherries but it was pretty faint and hard to point out, after that it did not change much over time, most of the flavors in the beginning were still present at the end, this could have used some more complexity to bump up its score, might have been better with some other kind of sweetness and you will not hear me say that much

M-Chewy, roasty, and oddly tart mouthfeel, thick full body, nice level of carbonation, not much a sensation on the tongue, taste did not last long either

D-Could have drank two pints of this probably, low ABV, menu said 5.3%, quite heavy on the stomach though, no alcohol in the taste, smooth

Not a bad oatmeal stout and a little different than anyone I have had in the past with the slight tartness, have no idea why this is listed under a milk stout, wish this could be a year round brew for this place, would drink again, recommended

On-tap during my visit, on to the beer:

When the beer arrived, I had a 1/2 inch thick tan head on top of a black body. Aroma is what I would expect from an oatmeal stout, sweet. Taste starts off like a good oatmeal stout, but the flavor's intensity starts to drag its feet towards the end. Not sloppy, but lighter. Sweet with a little coffee note at the end of each sip. C'mon guys, pick up then pace at the end, and it would be comparable to some of the bigger names, such as Young's offering. Don't cry about it now, I'm not bashing this beer.

Has a solid cocoa head, better than average, nice lacing too! sticks around very well... warms up very nicely!.... pours a dark night black... is wonderfully roasty! went well with my deep dish and it was a delight to drink! a very nice sweet stout!... I can see why this won gold!!!

Appearance: Dark, very dark brown highlights if any were visible at all. Head dissipated very quickly.
Smell: Sweet dark roasted grains. Roasted coffee.
Taste: Sweet, but not cloying. No hops. The roasty smell continues through the taste.
Mouthfeel: Smooth. Slightly creamy, but not coating. Not very astringent, but does not leave sweet oatmeal taste on your tongue.
Drinkability: I would order another. It was a good beer, but there are better oatmeal stouts out there.

Had this at the Tucson location. Black color but with some light coming through aroud the edges. Only a paper thin, dark tan head, but let's face it, these guys fill to the brim not leaving much room for head, plus the sanitizer all but kills the foam. The smell was a decent bouquet of coffee roasted malt. Rather enticing.

The taste was nice, not too sweet. Mostly coffee, with some light smoke, finishing semi-dry with a decent bitterness. Can't taste any alcohol. The mouthfeel was slightly thin but had a decent carbonation all around.

Overall a highly drinkable offering, better than most at BJ's. I could have a few of these anytime...

On draught at the Columbus location. Pours black with a wispy off-white head and thin stringy lacing. Light coffee and chocolate aroma, as well as a bit of malt. Medium-bodied and smooth with a roasted malt character, and mild hops and coffee flavors underneath. The finish is creamy and smooth and leaves a chocolatey aftertaste. Pretty good, and an encouraging start to my first exposure to this brewub chain.

On tap at Rancho Cuamonga, CA location. Poured black with a caramel colored bubbly head that didn't have much retention time. Smell was a bit of roast, coffee, chocolate... everything an oatmeal stout should have, though not my favorite smell of the oatmeal's i've come across. The taste was heavy on coffee and anise. Mouthfeel was just about right. Not too thin, not too thick. Was fairly slick enough over the tongue. Wasn't my favorite oatmeal stout, but it wasn't bad.

Sampled at the Thousand Oaks BJs. The waitress didn't know where it had been brewed (probably Canoga Park or Oxnard). I tipped her well anyways. She was a little hotty.

Appearance- Opaque black with a very small head and no lacing at all. The head was a tan affair that was fairly tight for an oatmeal stout.

Aroma- Typical roasted malts and oats with a very nice balance of chocolate and mild coffee..

Taste- Tasted mostly of roasted grains, oats and just a hint of malt sweetness. Very nice balance between the roastiness and bittering hops. The chocolate and coff did not come through in the taste.

Mouthfeel- Very good. Body is rich and chewy, and the carbonation is spot on. This one isn't as oily as a lot of oatmeal stouts I've tasted, but it's quite nice.

Drinkability- Sadly, you can't find many oatmeal stouts on taps; so it's hard to compare. This beer is quite drinkable, but not very sessionable.

Served in a standard pint, the beer is black with brown highlights. It has a nice tan head and serviceable lacing.

Nice toasty sweet nose. I get coffee and molasses backed with charred malts.

The taste is of heavily roasted malts and some singed dark fruits. As expected, the beer is sweet. I get oats and a bit of bakers chocolate. Some coffee notes late.

The mouth could be a bit thicker and creamier, but that is a very minor flaw. This was an Easy drinker, perfect after lunch.

APPEARANCE: Opaque black with a rather disappointing 1/8th in collar of foam which quickly dissapated. Slight lacing (>20%) on brim of Libbey straight-side pint glass.

SMELL: The nose was dominated by rich maltiness and a HUGE promise of chocolate.

TASTE: Initial taste was smoky, roasted barley and the promise of chocolate made by the nose was totally fulfilled on the finish.

MOUTHFEEL: Very good, albeit a tad thin considering the heritage and ABV of this stout. The carbonation is the 'dance-on-your-tongue' variety that belies this beer's inky appearance.

DRINKABILITY: Very good for a style that does not usually lend itself to session beers. Each pint is a savory slow dance that seems to end much too soon.

Brewed at the West Covina BJ's and on service at Woodland Hills.

The beer pours pitch black with a tall tan head that disappates quickly.

Aroma is of buttered coffee with a growing smell of toasted bread and jammed fruits as the beer warms from the glacial temperature that BJ's always serves their beer. (Not the brewer's fault for any fo the BJ's beers)

Flavor is strongly roasted and acidic while the brew is cold. Warming the brew allows the addition of a malt sweetness mixed with raisins.

Decent oatmeal stout that is too roasty and acidic to be truly enjoyable.

A fine little stout on tap at the Brea BJ's, this brew was more tasty than many oatmeal stouts tend to be. The look is nearly black dark brwon with a one finger beige head. Decent lacing is noted.

The nose gives off some dark chocolate sense, but the real action is in the fine coffee and chocolate flavors that are quite pronounced. Very smooth and tasty beer, but a tad thin in the body. A good hop bite in the small finish. Nicely enjoyable and drinkable, it is less filling than many stouts.

Tasted at the Eugene Oregon resteraunt. This chain's beer quality tends to very from facility to facility so.. Dark Black color. Medium creamy head. Aroma is roasted malts, coffee and CHOCOLATE. The chocolate in the aroma is really outstanding. A medium bodied stout. Malts are roasted, coffee and chocolate, slightly sweet. Hops are slightly spicy. Nicely balanced, lighter bodied Oatmeal Stout. Not as much chocolate taste in the flavor as I would expect from the aroma, yet more of the oatmeal flavor is noticeable in the taste than the aroma. Very smooth and a touch sweet, as expected. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter. It’s a little weird that the special brew of the month of July is an Oatmeal Stout!

No head on this one - quite dissapointing. The smell was very smoky and roasted. Smelled good.

The taste followed suite, with a nice smoky roundedness and a roasted lingering aftertaste.

Good beer, but i missed the head. The color was good and dark.

There are better offerings here.