Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown | 4 Hands Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
4 Hands Brewing Co.
Missouri, United States
4handsbrewery.com
Style: American Brown Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.50%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
This is one monster of a Brown Ale! We use an obnoxious amount of chocolate malt and roasted barley to give this beer a cask iron backbone. Our oatmeal brown pours a dark mahogany with aromas of dark chocolate and coffee.
Added by JoEBoBpr on 01-06-2012
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 331 | Reviews: 47
Reviews by russpowell:
4.05/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours crimson/brown with 2 fingers tan head. Great head retention & lacing
S: Nuttyness, coffee & that's about it
T: Follows the nose, dryness, & bit of Baker's chocolate up front. Coffee, a touch of iron from the oatmeal, plus more (hazel) nuttiness once warm, some caramel lurking in the background, along with woody hops. Finishes dry, with much coffee, & slight nuttyness
MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation that smooths out over time
An interesting hybrid, drinks easy. I like the coffee flavor on this. First beer from these guys for me, not bad
562 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours crimson/brown with 2 fingers tan head. Great head retention & lacing
S: Nuttyness, coffee & that's about it
T: Follows the nose, dryness, & bit of Baker's chocolate up front. Coffee, a touch of iron from the oatmeal, plus more (hazel) nuttiness once warm, some caramel lurking in the background, along with woody hops. Finishes dry, with much coffee, & slight nuttyness
MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation that smooths out over time
An interesting hybrid, drinks easy. I like the coffee flavor on this. First beer from these guys for me, not bad
562 characters
More User Reviews:
3.95/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
It's odd with 4 Hands BC - we get distribution here in PA, but it is scattered to the point that I CAN find some in PHL, some in LNC & still others were returnees with me from CHI. I dig the graphics on the CANs & I am anxious to CANduct a horizontal tasting/review of their CANned beers. When it is over, if you know of a CAN of theirs that I missed, let me know.
From the CAN: "Food Pairings: Charcuterie - Hearty Stew".
After I Crack!ed it open, I CANducted a gentle Glug. Following this, I gave it a vigorous swirl to raise a brief finger of light-tan head before it fell back to wisps. Color was Brown to Dark Brown (SRM = > 22, < 27) with NE-quality clarity & deep-amber highlights. Interestingly, this smelled more like milk chocolate than their Chocolate Milk Stout did! Now, it may have been the power of suggestion, but I also thought that I smelled oatmeal. Quaker had an oatmeal with chocolate chips that I tried, but it was too sweet for me & especially at breakfast. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was lightly chocolaty, almost like inhaling powdered chocolate, like Quik. I did that once, as a kid, and I sneezed afterwards for a day. It filled my sinuses the same way as this seemed to, although this was not nearly as sweet. I liked that there was an inherent bitterness to this beer that kept the chocolate malt in check. Finish was semi-sweet, but just right after that Chocolate Milk Stout of theirs. I debated drinking them in a particular order, but I seem to have hit upon the right CANbination for me. I CAN imagine that this would go well with stew.
1,577 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
It's odd with 4 Hands BC - we get distribution here in PA, but it is scattered to the point that I CAN find some in PHL, some in LNC & still others were returnees with me from CHI. I dig the graphics on the CANs & I am anxious to CANduct a horizontal tasting/review of their CANned beers. When it is over, if you know of a CAN of theirs that I missed, let me know.
From the CAN: "Food Pairings: Charcuterie - Hearty Stew".
After I Crack!ed it open, I CANducted a gentle Glug. Following this, I gave it a vigorous swirl to raise a brief finger of light-tan head before it fell back to wisps. Color was Brown to Dark Brown (SRM = > 22, < 27) with NE-quality clarity & deep-amber highlights. Interestingly, this smelled more like milk chocolate than their Chocolate Milk Stout did! Now, it may have been the power of suggestion, but I also thought that I smelled oatmeal. Quaker had an oatmeal with chocolate chips that I tried, but it was too sweet for me & especially at breakfast. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was lightly chocolaty, almost like inhaling powdered chocolate, like Quik. I did that once, as a kid, and I sneezed afterwards for a day. It filled my sinuses the same way as this seemed to, although this was not nearly as sweet. I liked that there was an inherent bitterness to this beer that kept the chocolate malt in check. Finish was semi-sweet, but just right after that Chocolate Milk Stout of theirs. I debated drinking them in a particular order, but I seem to have hit upon the right CANbination for me. I CAN imagine that this would go well with stew.
1,577 characters
3.75/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.24/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Deep brown to light black in color with a quarter inch of creamy khaki foam on top. Aroma of chocolate and cocoa powder is very enticing. The taste is dark chocolate and cocoa powder. The mouth is silky smooth and creamy.
224 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Deep brown to light black in color with a quarter inch of creamy khaki foam on top. Aroma of chocolate and cocoa powder is very enticing. The taste is dark chocolate and cocoa powder. The mouth is silky smooth and creamy.
224 characters
3.74/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Pours from can a caramel-amber brown, with a big head of tan bubbles. Very little lace here.
Aroma: Rich chocolate and some caramel maltiness. Actually pretty nice.
Taste: More chocolate notes here, for sure. A tinge of hops come in at the back of the palate. This traditional brown ale hits the right notes. It’s tasty, well-balanced, and easy to drink. Prost!
377 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Pours from can a caramel-amber brown, with a big head of tan bubbles. Very little lace here.
Aroma: Rich chocolate and some caramel maltiness. Actually pretty nice.
Taste: More chocolate notes here, for sure. A tinge of hops come in at the back of the palate. This traditional brown ale hits the right notes. It’s tasty, well-balanced, and easy to drink. Prost!
377 characters
3.79/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
The Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown is a decent offering by 4 Hands. The beer poured a rich brown with ecru head that was leaving some lacing. The scent leaned toward coffee and earth. The taste was evenly balanced with espresso push with hints of peat. The mouthfeel was medium in body with smooth carbonation. Overall quite nice...I would drink this again.
350 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
The Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown is a decent offering by 4 Hands. The beer poured a rich brown with ecru head that was leaving some lacing. The scent leaned toward coffee and earth. The taste was evenly balanced with espresso push with hints of peat. The mouthfeel was medium in body with smooth carbonation. Overall quite nice...I would drink this again.
350 characters
3.75/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Probably my favorite brown ale to date. Lack of hop-bitterness really lets the malt-centric features of the flavor profile shine, with the oatmeal lending a delectable mouthfeel that makes putting these away dangerously easy.
225 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Probably my favorite brown ale to date. Lack of hop-bitterness really lets the malt-centric features of the flavor profile shine, with the oatmeal lending a delectable mouthfeel that makes putting these away dangerously easy.
225 characters
3.61/5 rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.97/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark brown, almost cola looking. Inch plus frothy head.
Sweet roasted malt, light coffee. Richness.
Very roasted but not charred. Depth from the chocolate malt, leaving that sweet chocolate flavor.
Thin but not too thin. Light enough to make to make it painfully easy to drink.
I am not the biggest brown ale fan because most are dull. This was not dull, quite lovely.
381 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark brown, almost cola looking. Inch plus frothy head.
Sweet roasted malt, light coffee. Richness.
Very roasted but not charred. Depth from the chocolate malt, leaving that sweet chocolate flavor.
Thin but not too thin. Light enough to make to make it painfully easy to drink.
I am not the biggest brown ale fan because most are dull. This was not dull, quite lovely.
381 characters
3.7/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Opaque mohagany body with tan head.
Strong nose of cocoa and nuts with a little char.
Sweet and bitter chocolate flavor and nutty. It tastes good up front but the finish lingers and tastes like cardboard.
Full, smooth mouthfeel with moderate carbonation.
This was a solid bown ale. My only knock is an off putting aftertaste.
333 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Opaque mohagany body with tan head.
Strong nose of cocoa and nuts with a little char.
Sweet and bitter chocolate flavor and nutty. It tastes good up front but the finish lingers and tastes like cardboard.
Full, smooth mouthfeel with moderate carbonation.
This was a solid bown ale. My only knock is an off putting aftertaste.
333 characters
Cast Iron Oatmeal Brown from 4 Hands Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
3.84 out of
5 with
331 ratings
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