Great Waters Blackwatch Oat Stout

Brewed by Great Waters Brewing
Style: Sweet Stout
St. Paul, Minnesota USA

Aroma of coffee, milk, and roasted malts--a classic oatmeal stout with residual sweetness. 96% opaque, dark brown. Roasted, vanilla, coffee flavors, very solid. Not too thin but oily quick in the mouth; still, smooth. Nice, bold. (handpulled cask at brewpub)

Black Coloring with Tan Ring/Skin. Aroma is a Very Pure and Refined Hit of Chocolate, Roasts and Sherry. Quite Alluring. Light Mouthfeel Overall. Notes of Sherry Continue, Glossing Over Continued Hits of Roasts, Oats and Chocolate. Dry Oat Aftertaste. Really Nice for a Light Bodied Stout

Black color with a medium head. Outstanding aroma of port and sherry with a bit of coffee on the end. Oh man... the port turns very sweet in the taste and is just outstanding. Choclated laced malt shines through as well. It’s a bit on the watery side, but I’m willing to overlook that. A fairly light stout that I’d drink pint after pint of. Outstanding.

Dark with a frothy brown head, nice sheeting. Nose has lots of burnt roasts, coffee bitterness, some chocolate sweetness. Lovely flavor, burnt wood mixed with a punch of berry fruitiness. Good mix of bright fruit and sweetness with roasty bitterness. Slight bourbon character to it. Incredibly drinkable. I could drink this stuff all the time. Very good.

On-tap at the brewpub: Darker then dark brown, nearly black appearance with a soft brown topping of foam. Keeps a small skimming once fading has paused. Great lacing in an emense curtain across the glass. Aroma is quite nice with mildly roasted malts, solid milk chocolate, and soft oat bread backing. Tender, sweet, and chocolatey with an adequate amount breathing out from the glass. Taste starts a bit weak but has promise with a light roasted guild of malts, gathers the oaty sweetness in towards the middle, finishes wonderfully rounded and chocolatey with tender sweet milk chocolate and bits of undersurges of bitter roast and a sweep of light dark fruity nuances. Gracefully holds the chocolate in place on the palate for good length. Quite nice. Feel is nearly full for an Oatmeal stout, not overly sweet, thick and lavishly creamy with a super nice silky body and clean, tender roundedness to it. Quite bold and unhampered. Finishing qualities really are the overall controlling factor to its character. Which is very nice to let settle across the palate after each sip. Great milk chocolate creamy build up. A solid Oatmeal Stout. Served way too cold though as it had to sit nearly a half hour before it became fully enjoyable and broader to the taste buds. Was worth the wait as its becomes a fairly fine drinker at that point.