Harper's Stout
Slate Creek Brewing Co.

a simple but well made oatmeal stout here. with a beer like this, the key is getting the fundamentals right. i want the fermentation to be real clean, i want the beer to be dry, and if there is some english character to it, all the better. i want to feel the oats, i want that frothy fluffy texture but i dont need it to be heavy. i want some nice bitterness from the roast but a tidy finish, no need for middle malt caramel character, close to one dimensional on the grain is just fine. i want there to be high drinkability with a lower alcohol content, and i need some carbonation to keep it moving. they have checked those boxes here, and thus we have a pretty nice glass of stout. it is a touch thin maybe, and there is just a bit of residual sugar, but its well within the acceptable ranges, even by my more rigid standards for the style. i can feel the oats but only slightly, and could definitely use a little more depth of the roast, although there is a pleasant coffee and cocoa layer in the center. smooth enough, flavorful, and although samey to other fine oatmeal stouts, its exactly that, a fine oatmeal stout, and thats good enough for me most of the time. cool little spot here!

 

Pint consumed at the brewery for $4. According to the chalkboard behind the bar, this is an oatmeal stout, brewed to 5.5 % abv, with 32 IBUs. Not sure if this is a regular beer for Slate Creek or a seasonal, so a modification may be needed.

Poured a dark brown, almost black color, with a decent sized, off-white head.

Big coffee aroma up front, with some brown sugary notes.

Like the aroma, a coffee-like bitterness dominates the first taste of this, with some dark chocolate and brown sugar jumping in immediately afterwards. The brown sugar becomes a little more dominant in the aftertaste. There are some mineralish notes as well, with things ending on a slightly dry swallow.

Light bodied for the style, almost watery in fact. Even so, there’s a slightly creamy mouthfeel.

Good, not essential. A decent, well- made but not terribly exciting oatmeal stout. Something to have at the brewery when in the mood for a stout but nothing worth seeking out, either.