Hollister Black Oak Stout

Draught at the brewpub. Black with a tan head. Chocolate and belgian yeast aromas with a little pear skin as well. THe flavor strikes a good balance between smooth roast, chocolate, and light yeasty fruitiness. The roasted malts cover a lot of the yeast character, but this does a good job at an American version of a Belgian stout if that makes any sense. It lacks the bitterness and roasty edge of American imperials, but the malts still dominate the show. Full bodied with tight carbonation. If anything, it is a tad too sweet and malty, but it is definitely good stuff. From what I could gather, no oak was used in the beer, and the bartender wasn’t sure where the name came from.

A thick dark and rich big beer. A lovely smoky nuttiness to this one. Dark as night with a thick tan frothy head. A delicious beverage! I’m trying to figure out how the black oak plays in - I forgot to ask if it was barrel aged...