Barrel Aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout
7 Seas Brewing - Tacoma Taproom & Brewery

 

375 ml bottle- Pours black with a small tan head that reduces to a collar and a thin blanket. Aroma is raisins, figs, oatmeal, cocoa, touch of bourbon, but overall pretty velvety smooth. The taste is creamy, coconut, bourbon barrel goodness, oatmeal, raisins, other dark fruits, Not bad.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a thin brown head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt and bourbon; the bourbon masks most of the smell. Flavor is dark toasted malt, bourbon, woody oak, hints of coffee; finishes with bourbon infused oak with a moderate grassy hop bitterness. Medium bodied with light creaminess. A bourbon forward stout with distinct, almost astringently woody oak notes and more hopping than expected from an oatmeal stout. That being said, the flavor is full from start to finish and although bourbon forward, is pretty well balanced. A more robust oatmeal body to the malt would have made this shine, but it holds together quite nicely. After a good start, it finishes with pleasant woody, hoppy and lingering dark stout character. 7 Seas first few bottled barrel aged offerings are quite good (I really liked their English barleywine and wish I could find another bottle for cellaring.). This is very good and with a little tweaking to boost the oatmeal creaminess to the body, could be stellar. I look forward to future big beer offerings from this brewery.