Genesee Brew House Oatmeal Stout
Genesee Brewing Co.

 

 

 

On tap at The Genesee Brew House in Rochester, NY.

This is very thin and a bit watery, but the flavors are nice, with some nice clean roast and some light chocolate. It's very drinkable.

 

This brew was served from the tap at The Genesee Brew House in Rochester, NY. It arrived in a house hefe glass showing a deep black coloring. It held a two finger head of chunky medium brown bubbles, showing nice retention. Thick, spidery lacing was left all around the glass as the bubbles receded. No haze or sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared on the lighter end of average. The aroma gave thick, powdery chocolate malts against a background of char-blasted barley. Smokiness was big, but there was a cutting white sugar sweetness, with light and airy lactic sourness for more of a balance. Coffee and chocolate malts predominated with warmth, as did the hearty char to them. Our first impression was that the malts were hugely roasted, as in the nose, but smooth and very clean to the palate. As we sipped, roast and char coated the mouth. The malts, however, remained on the sweeter side, with caramel and milk chocolate flavors to balance the initial bitterness. The peak hit with more of this sweetness, in the way of burnt brown sugar. Powdered milk chocolate and malted milk balls hit the finish, with that warming smoky quality of a cured meatiness. The aftertaste breathed of apple vinegar, more meatiness, robust caramel and chocolate malts, and the sourness of charred grain. The body was medium to full, and the carbonation was even. Each sip had creamy slurp, froth, and cream, with a thick, bubbly coating left all around the mouth. The mouth was wet and happy, with a final noting of light, drying astringency. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the general robustness of flavoring. The char, and even the general strength to the base roasted barley, was nicely strong, and appropriate warming and inviting considering the season. The feel was also of note, with a very, very smooth and creamy takeoff. We lost the most points on the nose which, while inclusive, was a bit light and dry off the back. Otherwise, this was a surprisingly tasting beer, making us even more excited to see what Genesee does on their single batch adventures.