Mendocino Winter Ale (06/07 - Oatmeal Stout)

Formerly brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: Sweet Stout
Saratoga Springs, New York USA

Name: Winter Ale
Date: 01/01/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Sherlocks, GA
Vintage: 2006

black, wispy tan head, touch of lace, roasted and chocolate aroma, rich and creamy oatmeal body, rich chocolate flavor blended with roasted malt, light licorice, a touch of sweetness brings out the vanilla, well placed bitterness keeps everything in balance,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 9/10
Score: **4

$7.99 for a sixpack at Broudy’s. Black beer with a small tan head. Aroma is chocolate and coffee. Flavor of bittersweet dark chocolate, dark malts, coffee, and roasted barley. A taste of molasses and a nice long bitter finish, A little tart and a little creamy at the same time. Nice medium body. A damn fine oatmeal stout. I like it.

pitch black with a creamy but not long lasting brown head. the aroma is sweet syrupy hints of coffee and oatmeal. the flavor is pretty sweet with some licorice and a good dose of nuttiness. pretty good, out did my expectations that is for sure.

Inky, chocolaty tar color that rests as opaque in the glass with a lasting, fuzzy, dark tan foam head. Dark chocolate, caramel ribbons and macchiatos take the nose while an ashen characteristic lies under it all. Fudge brownies are resplendently aromatic. Flavor comes in with heavy roasted barley flare, singing with burnt walnuts that take it straight to the tongue. Carbonation takes advantage of the body and pushes the potential fuller body down a notch. Dry, bitter feelings and flavor scratch with lactic cocoa butter over espresso grinds pulled straight from the tin. Carbonated café coolers shorted on milk and sugar. Burnt hazelnuts drive in the distance with a scorched French silk pie finish.

Very Dark. The beer has a creamy malt taste with a flavor of coffee and grapes.

Thanks to Ughsmash for the bottle. Pours near black with a small head. Aroma of sweetened coffee and cream. Taste heavily of coffee, with oatmeal creaminess. It’s kind of hard to believe that this doesn’t use coffee in the recipe. Nicely bitter finish. Very good.

Nice dark pour to this one, nice lacing. Very easy drinking, some sweetness on the lips, some roastedness, but not overdone, chocolate, caramel dominate, easy drinking, wouldn’t think its 7%. Very good. Thanks to several from Mystery swap 2.0 for this one!

Bottle consumed on 5/26/07
Black with some very minor cola tints. Light tan head is small and only moderately retained, leaving blotchy lacing.
This one didnt seem as successful as the last two incarnations. Obviously without the juicy hoppiness of their porter, but it also seemed to have too little carbonation, adding some wateriness. A waxy or oily texture as well, contributes to this effect.
Some coffee and vanilla in the nose, with lots of base malt sugar and a very fudgey chocolatiness. Respectable and without flaw, but perhaps a touch too much on the dark malt.
Crunchy roast is washed away by an oiliness that is full of chocolate and vanilla cream. Sweetness fails quickly however and the roasted bitterness returns on the end, though it’s more crusty and astringent, lending some slight scorched coffee notes. Soft, flowery hops are an afterthought and the alcohol is well-concealed. Well-done again, but nothing exceptional stands out and the malt complexity is somewhat lacking.