Husky Oatmeal Stout
Brooks Brewing

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with solid retention, that reduces to a thin ring of lace. Minimal lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Good appearance. Aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted oats, nuts, and dark bread; with light notes of licorice, molasses, smoke, char, dark fruit, herbal, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas. Nice aromas with good complexity and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with good strength. Taste of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted oats, nuts, and dark bread; with light notes of licorice, molasses, smoke, char, dark fruit, herbal, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/spicy hop, and roast/char bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted oats, nuts, dark bread, light smoke/char, herbal, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great hop/roast bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/roast bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is good. A bit too thin. Zero warming alcohol for 6.4%. Overall this is a nice English oatmeal stout. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Nicely rich malt complexity; with mild fruity yeast presence and earthy hop balance. A nicely enjoyable offering, and good style example.