Santa Cruz Dark Night Oatmeal Stout

Brewed by Santa Cruz Ale Works
Style: Sweet Stout
Santa Cruz, California USA

Santa Cruz Ale Works Dark Night Oatmeal Stout is a dark ruby black ale with a brown sugar colored, gel-topped dense foam that has outstanding retention and lacing. There is deep roast in the aroma with notes of oatmeal cookies, raisins and chocolate chips. It is medium bodied and very dry with an acidic finish. It’s sweet at first, with notes of chocolate and berry. The finish is long and bitter. It kind of tastes like oatmeal cookies. It’s bitter, dry and full flavored. I’m impressed.

Cask Stillage from the Jug at the GABF, Colorado Convention Center 26/09/2009 Hoppy aroma. Beige head. Black and smooth on the palate with some alcohol present. A little dryness and bitterness in a crisp roast finish.

Poured from bomber, darkest brown with medium dark tan head that lingered. Nose of coffee, bitter chocolate and malts. Taste was on the biiter side with a blend of chocolate, coffee, malt, and a hint of Malt O’Meal....very good stout at a good price.

From a 22 oz bottle purchased at the Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa, this poured a very opaque black with a fat tan head and very robust lacing in the glass. The nose greets you with aromas of burnt malts with some chocolate and just a tiny bit of coffee. Medium body and mouthfeel and quite smooth. Flavor is more chocolate than anything with a hint of smoke. Dry bitter finish. A very nice sweet stout that is eminently drinkable.

Bottle. Poured black with thick foamy beige head. Medium roast and oatmeal aroma..Medium flavour, roast malt, oatmeal, a little chocolate, a little coffee. Sweetish malty finish

22 ounce bottle purchased at Cost Plus World Market in Davis, CA. Aroma has some burnt roastiness with hints of sweet sugar and anise. Pretty interesting aroma. Mostly opaque dark brown body with a large, dark tan head that leaves some nice lacing. Starts with a little coffee flavoring with a touch of sweetness. Pretty carbonated. Finishes with a burnt, roasted, bitter chalky flavor and mouthfeel.

Bomber from Market of Choice. Pours a dark ass black with a thick, bubbly tan head. Aroma is redolent with chocolate and some roastiness. Flavor is also hefty chocolate, light roast and some mild coffee. Palate is very thin, but that’s relatively typical for the style. Solid offering, no regrets here.

This black ale poured with a rich tan head and a strong chocolate aroma. There is also a lot of chocolate in the flavor, which is smooth but sort of thin. It’s a decent oatmeal stout, but not among the best of the style.