McNeills Oatmeal Stout

Brewed by McNeills Brewery
Style: Sweet Stout
Brattleboro, Vermont USA

Wow, just wow. The pour is ebony with 1-finger brown head. The beer looks oily and almost shiny like a crow. The aroma is awesome, big roasty malt, big chocoff, some licorice, hazelnut, and anise. Dense palate, very creamy and smooth, with tons of flavors including chocoff, roasty dark malt, hazelnut, and slight anise. This one is outstanding, and well worth a 5.0 score.

The finest oatmeal stout ever made. A perfect combination of deep, dark body, surprising hop bite and a pleasantly toasted head make for a memorable drinking experience.

Fantastic Oatmeal Stout. Had it once on the hand pump.

Yum. This stuff is killer. Right up there with Sam Smith Oatmeal Stout. Pours opaque black with a frothy brown head. Aroma rich in coffee, chocolate, Quaker Oats. Full bodied with a rich feel. Negligible carbonation, as it should be in stouts. The flavor was breakfast: coffee, oatmeal, toast. Thoroughly enjoyed this beer. Phil, you have come through again.

Perhaps my favorite Oatmeal Stout. Delicious. creamy, chocolate, toffee, malty, wonderful long lasting finish are all words that came to mind as I drank.

Dark pour with secent sized brown head. Nice lacing throughout. Roasted cocoa like aroma. Powerful bitter hop taste. I also tasted dried fruites. Finish is roasted chocolate.

thanks to captaincougar for the bomber. comes out of the bottle almost jet black, with some scarlet highlights up against a bright light. the head might be the darkest brown head i have ever seen, almost coffed colored, and it was thick and creamy, sitting on top for almost the whole glass, almost like a nitro-beer. the aroma engulfed me is sweet chocolates, with vanilla and expresso interwoven. the taste was very nicely balanced, with the coffee not nearly as overbearing as some other "coffee" stouts, as the chocolates blended in smoothly. also making an appearance were hints of oatmeal, toffee, and just a bit of hops. the mouthfeel was smooth and velvety, but i could have had a little more body. just a hint of hops at the end, but no bitterness, and the chocolates linger sweetly on the palate after each sip. thanks tom for an excellent brew.

Yes, as Muzzle said, a bit toward the harsher coffee notes in this one, as in some other oatmeal stouts (Siletz rings a bell!) - but with a good healthy sweetness and a big hop dose, this actually manages a balance and (the usual) oatmeal stout creaminess to earn it a place among Bell's OS, El Toro OS, Lost Cost 8 Ball, St. Ambroise and some other fine fine beers.