Elbow Patches
The Virginia Beer Company

 

From a can, pours as an opaque black with a thin tan quickly dissipating head. Aroma of cocoa and sweet malts. Taste is roasted malt forward with chocolate-like cocoa-ness and caramel; nicely smooth but a bit watery actually. Overall, really pretty solid. Not quite "world-class", but I'd offer this to guests.

Pours a very dark color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has chocolate and malt hints
The taste follows the nose with a chocolate and malt flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Stout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from the can into a nonic pint glass.

Good sized just under three finger tall head, with a light tan appearance. A bit of foamy styro looking but real good retention. Nice classic dark walnut opaque body to go with it.

Simple yet solid aroma. Touches of light fruity yeast, mixing with a good bit of char but some real nutty almost peanut butter quality on the nose. Flirts with a little bit of chocolate but the nut quality dominates, and doesn’t quite make that chocolate peanut butter character either. Faint touches of roast coffee as well.

Palate manages a bit more subdued. Slightly wet bodied, with a little bit of grass like bitterness. Good flavors of mixing malt Whoppers like candy and a kind of mixing not and char like roast. Misses a lot of the classic chewy texture of a good oatmeal stout unfortunately.

Drinkable, and decent, but this could be better.

 

ON DRAFT AT BRICK ANCHOR BREWERY IN NORFOLK VA

A solid oatmeal stout. Pours dark with a tannish head. Aroma and taste are dark roasted malts, coffee, and bitter chocolate. Well made with no off flavors or sourness.

L: bright dense dark brown with light brown highlights around the edges. A 2” creamy dark tan cap with clingy lace and good retention blankets the top.

S: fresh oatmeal, traces of light city roast coffee, chocolate, a faint nuttiness, and a mild sweetness

T: very creamy, mild, with malty dark sugars, coffee, chocolate, oats and traces of dark dried fruit

F: has a luscious, creamy, velvety, silky, smooth medium full body with a moderate slickness from the oats

O: The brewer achieves a nice balance between the intensity of the oats and the roast

12oz can into a tulip appears black in color with mocha head.

Decent aroma of coffee roast, char and earth. A little tinge of green yeastiness/hops.

This tastes roasty almost acrid with char/earth. A slight coffee appeal lingers with modest bitterness in the finish.

This is medium to lighter in body with ample carbonation. Overall pretty decent.

 

Poured from a 12oz can into a speiglau stout glass.

Look is a deep dark black with no highlights and a cafe au lait head.

Aroma is rich and decadent roast malt a wonderful mix of chocolate and coffee.

Taste is again rich and malty with a definite smoke and roasted note running through it.

Delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

While this one may not bring anything new, this is a very nicely crafted oatmeal stout. Pretty standard in regards to nose and flavor which seem to come exclusively from the dark malt. Nice velvety mouth feel. No bourbon, no coffee, no spice - but if you are looking for a straightforward oatmeal stout done well - this would be a good one to reach for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sampled from draft

 

On tap at brewery:
Pours black-I have trouble seeing through even at the edges. Head is a medium tight rim around the glass, fairly tan leaning brown. Agitation brings a fleeting resurgence of the head.

I get the oat in the nose, and would like a little more roasted malt notes that are present, but slightly subdued. Charred wood comes out most.

A bitter beer at heart, the wood comes through lightly charred as well as an unsweetened medium roast coffee. The oat hides underneath initially but pops out early mid taste. A medium bodied brew, a light drying friction accompanies this beer like many oat-based beers for me.

A nice representation of the style.