El Toro Negro Oatmeal Stout

Brewed by El Toro Brewing Co.
Style: Sweet Stout
Morgan Hill, California USA

12 oz bottle, from Brennan’s in Brookfield, WI. Midnight black, absolutely opaque, slightly oily/tarry, with small but lasting dark tan head...aroma is mostly dark chocolate, hints of anise and tobacco...on the tongue, rich deep bitter chocolate is the predominant characteristic, hints of bittersweet coffee and malted milk, slightly vinous nature, moderately full body...a quality stout, somewhat lacking in original character, but solid drinking.

"Brew #880" stamped onto label. Poured into tulip with great big head, but quicly faded awat. Dark brwon with hint of red in color. Bitter, chocolatey nose. Medium bodied with fresh chocolatey taste on lips, but a bit too soury around the edges of my tongue. Slightly dry at the finish with lingering roasty coffee aftertaste. Decent coffee substitute this morning.

Bottle into tulip glass, sometime in 2004. Musty oatmeal smell, dusty, cold butter, and toast. Black in the glass with a brown frothy head, no retention. Sweet, but not too much so. Vaguely minty. Roast and oatmeal blend together perfectly in the middle. Dry bite with a bit of bitter in the finish, which was nicely long and complex. Overall, maybe the best (i.e., most enjoyable) oatmeal stout I’ve ever had.

Draft. Black beer with a dark beige head. Seet malt aroma with oatmeal and some roastiness. Malty, chocolate flavor with a bit of roastiness. Nice.

Dark, dark brown with a mocha colored tan head. Strong burnt aroma. But the beer itself is meaty and smoky on the tongue with a VERY mellow linger. Nice, subtle stout.

This is the first time that I can remember being able to pick out a strong aroma of oatmeal in an oatmeal stout. It took me a while to identify it. Black with a slender brown head, it also had caramel and roasted malt in the aroma. Quite smooth, the flavor is roasted malt, caramel, bittersweet chocolate, and a bit of coffee. Not bad.

Sweet, caramel and malty nose with toasty chocolate notes. Deep tan head that dissipates quickly. Black black black body. Smooth attack, coffee flavored without all the bitterness. Chocolatey aftertaste with burnt coffee taste. Very clean for a stout, not sticky at all.

A very roasty aroma, with heavy choclate, and the obvious oatmeal. Taste is very nice roasted malts, along with the oatmeal, much like St. Ambroise but didn’t have as much ’zing’ too it. 2nd best Oatmeal Stout I’ve had, very impressive.