Special Delivery Oatmeal Stout
Willimantic Brewing Co.

 

Thin espresso hued head that leaves some semi-intricate lacing on the pint glass. A deep, opaque midnight black in color. The aroma is burnt chocolate, roasted malt, dark unsweetened coffee beans, and a hint of oak. A nice roasted dark chocolate malt character is joined with a hefty flavor of smoked oak. Some grape and other dark fruit flavors as well with a wave of warming mocha. A full bodied stout with a vapor-like presence on the palate. A solid version of the style with all the right hints of flavor going on. Definitely worth grabbing another pint to contemplate its intracacies. Looking forward to this one on cask.

The beer pours a deep black, completely opaque and unfiltered. A broken tan head tops the liquid, dying out to a meager tracing of bubbles around the glass about 2/3 through the pint. Some residual yeast collected on the bottom of the pint as I finished, which was very cool.
Aroma is replete with oatmeal and roasted barley goodness. A slight sweet yeastiness, with excellent chocolate, toffee, and coffee aromas. Some light fig and black cherry, with a light, vague hopping sneaking behind the roastiness.
Flavor is very solid and rich. Medium to full bodied, with an unfiltered yeasty mouthfeel. Smooth small bubbled carbonation. Tasty bittersweet roasted malt starts off the sip, exploding with baker's chocolate and dark roasted coffee. Some caramel toffee and oatmeal follows, mingling with a light fig and cherry fruitiness. Some minimal hopping comes through in the end, with the oatmeal carrying through into the finish. Some yeasty cookie sweetness carries through as well. Oatmeal and juicy ripe black cherry linger in the aftertaste.
An absolutely superb oatmeal stout. Willimantic makes terrific oatmeal stouts every time, and this one is simply outstanding. It's worth a drive just to drink a couple pints of this beer.