Nebula
Block 15 Brewing - Southtown Tap Room

16oz tallboy can purchased at Huckleberry's, on Spokane's lower South Hill, for $3.29 (sale price). According to the stamp on the bottom of the can, it was canned on January 23, 2025. Can art is different (and better) than what is currently pictured here on BA.

Poured into a large Fremont snifter given to me by the incomparable Nik, this was a very dark brown, virtually black, that was only allowing in a slight mahogany color at the edges when held up to direct light. A decent sized head was produced that was somewhere between khaki and mocha in color. Modest lace.

Nose was kinda standard for a stout: dark roasted malts and oats gave off a chocolatey, coffeeish aroma. There was also a bit of soy sauce at a level a little higher than I prefer, but not to the point of being a deal breaker.

Taste was much like the nose. It's a typical tasting Stout, but, just like in the nose, there's a slightly briney, soy sauce-like flavor.

Body was somewhere between medium and full. Mouth feel was not as creamy as I expected for an oatmeal Stout.

A decent but still kinda mediocre oatmeal stout, I'm glad to have tried it, but I don't think I'll rush to have another.

16oz can. Date stamp on bottom lip is 'PKGD 10/01/24'.
Dark brown colored body, with a mahogany back lit edge. One finger of beige colored head and this becomes a creamy cap with a high ring. Leaves behind extensive webbing of lacing.
Aroma has an initial rush of coffee and chocolate, a bit of char, and oat malts.
Taste is a mix of sweet malt and char, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, caramel, and a little vanilla. Slightly sweetened coffee rules in the aftertaste.
A little more than medium mouthfeel. Drying finish. Very good carbonation.
Positive experience, with a balance of flavors, very good presentation, and a smooth to dry sip sequence.

Poured from a 16 ounce can dated 5-7-24 into a Teku glass at 51 degrees.

Look- Black, opaque, medium brown creamy head, above average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Chocolate, coffee, roasted oats, between weak and medium strength of scent.

Taste- Coffee, roasted oats, chocolate, between weak and medium strength of flavor.

Feel- Between thin and medium body, average carbonation, highly bitter, mildly creamy, mildly mouth warming, moderately mouth coating.

Overall- Black and opaque with above average head retention and lacing. The bouquet was an underpowered mix of chocolate, coffee and roasted oats. The flavor followed true to the aromatics, but lacked intensity. Also, the label mentions notes of caramel which I could not detect. The feel was thinner than expected, but it had some creaminess with moderate mouth coating character. Overall the bouquet and flavor needed to be more vibrant and the body more robust.

 

Taster at brewery. Dark brown pour, ring of beige head. Roasty aroma, char, coffee. Taste is roasty, coffee, chocolate, bitter, mild sweetness. Creamy feel.

You can just see that it's brown looking at the light, but in the glass it's nearly black. Just a wisp of dark beige foam in the Brigand chalice. Mouthfeel is the classic slippery oat sensation. Aroma of dark roasted grain with a burnt touch. It's sort of like an Irish Stout with a proper dose of sweet malt and of course the alcohol amped up for the Yank drunkards.

Overall this is clean and tasty. Reminds me how good Stouts can be with a little restraint on the charred grains and plenty of sweet roasted malt. From the 16 oz can purchased at Elizabeth Station. Dated 10/20/21, it spent the winter in the fridge.

 

Had on tap while socially distant outside at Special Brews Lynnwood, WA

This is about as dark as it gets. Black with a thick, tan head. Very aromatic. Oatmeal, chocolate, and coffee notes are strong. taste follows scent with chocolate, coffee and oatmeal upfront, with lightly bitter hops on the finish. Silky smooth going down, with medium carbonation, this beer feels great in my mouth and tastes exceptional. Overall, I'm a fan and definitely would grab another one.

Look: Jet black with a huge, billowing, tan head that dissipates to 1-finger leaving behind great lacing
Aroma: Chocolate, roast, coffee, a little sweetness and warm brown bread
Taste: Huge chocolate and roasted barley up front. Oats enter the frame along with light coffee notes, slight hops and some sweetness that is, and then it isn’t – in and out of the frame and quite the play on the beer’s mouthfeel. Dry finish. Tasty
Mouthfeel: Viscous, deep and silky but medium carbonation keeps it much lighter that initially thought
Overall: Dank (as in good, not ‘dank’ the aroma/taste). I love everything these folks do and crazily, this one eluded me for a while but glad we finally had our hook-up. Love the silkiness that the oats bring and a tasty profile overall. Another winner.

 

Good quality brew. Ink black.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a two finger dark khaki head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, cocoa, light coffee and vanilla. Flavor is dark toasted malt with moderate char, milk chocolate, light coffee and licorice. Dry, lightly charred and cocoa finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. A very well balanced, full flavored stout with good char and chocolate notes, starts slightly sweet and finishes dry. Pleasant lingering flavors and a respectable oatmeal body. Nicely done.

16oz can

Pours a wonderful finger of tan head into my nonic. Fades a little at first, but holds up with half a finger of head for some time. Initial lacing looks very nice. Body is black with some subtle hues of brown around the edges. Looks really nice so far.

Nose is magnificent. Huge oat character, big roasty presence, very clean. Smells very well balanced; maybe a touch too high on the dry, bitter malt side, but a dash of British malt sweetness balances it out pretty well.

A lot of flavor here. Definitely on the drier, bitter side, even more so than the nose. Very roasty, noticeable coffee comes through toward the end of the palate. Oats very present as well. Super creamy, drinks almost like a latte. Solid flavor, a tad abrasive for my taste, but the creamy nature does a good job of rounding it out.

Mouthfeel is appropriate. Bitter and mostly dry. Very creamy feel, with a medium body. Carbonation is a touch below medium. While the creamy feel helps, it doesn’t quite overcome the slightly excessive dryness and bitterness. Wouldn’t mind a little more malt sweetness.

Drinkability is pretty good. Kinda a sipper, but it’s tasty.

Appearance turned out wonderful. Head hung around in small fashion the entire time. Thick lacing all the way down.

Overall a very solid beer. A lot of flavor, and pretty tasty. Within the style this on the grittier side, and I wouldn’t mind something a touch sweeter to balance things out, but that is preference.

16 oz can purchased from Lifesource natural Grocers in Salem OR.
$2.99
can says 6% alc.
Pours the expected but still delightful black..with a nice sized tan head..that goes and is replaced by thick lacing.
Lovely aromas..of milk chocolate, oatmeal, semi sweet chocolate and toast.
Taste is the same except for the appearance of some aniseed at the back..enjoyable.
Its the mouth feel where this beer really takes off..luscious , silky thick and just so damned enjoyable.
Very good Oatmeal Stout

a really great no frills stout here, truly a textbook example of the style and one i wish was available here in idaho. its fuller bodied, rich feeling but not sweet, sturdy and hearty, but not limited to cold weather drinking, nice to see a more simple style like this executed so well from a brewery i already admire for more wild and ambitious brews. i get a lot of nuance in the grain, coffee for sure, especially in the nose, dark fudge and raw cocoa, subtle molasses and licorice too, leather, wet soil, and oatmeal, like porridge and coffee for breakfast, this drinks like its good for me! there is some nice bitterness running through this from the roast, but it doesnt linger in the finish like it does in so many of these, almost shocking for how big the body is, but its drier and nearly gone on the swallow, just a little mid palate dark chocolate remains. i get a light dried fruit layer too as it warms, raisin and prune maybe, unique and adding complexity. the contribution of the oats is obvious, and this feels protein rich, earthy, and pillowy. an expertly crafted beer again from these guys, just what i want in an oatmeal stout, robust and delicious and smooth!

 

I had this beer on-tap in a pint glass at the brewery.

Appearance: black with a thin layer of dark tan foam.

Smell: nice combination of sweet and roast; a well-executed classic stout.

Taste: medium roastiness with a nice astringence and just a dash of sweetness. I like it.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good carbonation and concomitant creaminess.

Overall: a very solid stout indeed. Good stuff.

32 ounce crowler
Served in a snifter

This beer pours black in color and is topped with two inches of mocha head the disappears quickly leaving little lacing.

Aromas of roasted malt, cocoa and dark chocolate are present.

Roasted malt is the main flavor. There are hints of bitter chocolate and black coffee.

Moderate mouthfeel for a stout. I prefer thick, chewy stouts.

It's a decent stout. Almost comes across as a dry stout.