Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

Bottle. Moderate malt aromas of burnt, molasses and dark chocolate, light perfume and meat for the hops and yeast, with smoke, alcohol and almond in the background. Head is frothy brown (which gets lighter as it settles) with fair lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is black. Flavor starts moderatelt sweet and lightly acidic, then finishes lightly acidic and moderate to heavily bitter. Palate is medium to full, dry and has a soft carbonation. It finishes moderatley alcoholic. I really liked the boldness of this Imperial Stout. It was rich and well rounded.

Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout is an opaque black-brown ale with a soft, muscovado-colored head. There is a purplish red overtone to it. The head exhibits excellent retention and lacing. The aroma is of dark chocolate with roastiness and some alcohol in the nose. The is a hint of licorice or salmiakki. It is full bodied, smooth and very soft. It has a dry, almost silty finish, like chocolate milk. Dark chocolate dominates the taste. It is quite bitter and boozy. There is an herbal or medicinal kick at the finish. It has a long aftertaste of dark chocolate. It’s bold, chocolaty and bitter.

Bottle. Pours black with tan head. Aroma is chocolate, coffee, bread. Flavor is cocoa, coffee, creamy, and malty. Rich finish with a little alcohol flavor.

Pours opaque black into the glass, with a deep chocolate head that builds with initial froth, then diminishes to a thin cap that leaves soapy lace. Perfect baker’s/dark/semi-sweet chocolate notes to the nose, with some hints at roasted malts and processed beef (with jerk spices?). The flavor is very nice... Roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, tiny esters, with a hint of peppering alcohol. Finishes medium-dry, with hints of dark esters and roasted cocoa. There is a slight lingering bitterness to close the pull. Very well integrated and deeply complex in its oily-creamy, yet simple mouthfeel. This is a darn good brew... rich, but not overt. Very nice offering from one of the best brewers in America.

Pours thick and black with a dark brown head that dissapates quickly. Roast coffee, chocolate, oatmeal scent. Incredibly dark. Body is not too thick, mild carbonation. Sweetness hits first. Bittersweet roasted chocolate then comes, a little nuttiness. Finish is bitter chocolate/roastedness. Subtle, yet complex flavors. A wonderfully flavorful, lighter-bodied stout.

This was such a great beer. Smooth, full flovor full body, you have to et this one with a spoon. Nice chocolate flavor and aroma. This one sneaks up on you, you’ll be buzzed in a hurry, becareful.

On tap @ Stone Release Party at Oldsmar Tap House. Wow. Not what I expected, but still damn good. Poured a dark black with an aroma of bitter coffee and dark chocolate. Flavor is lots of bitter with chocolate and malty flavors. Finish is bitter with some lingering chocolate maltiness. Better from the tap.

Not impressed at all. Hoping for a nice chocolaty flavor but got a bland, alcoholish chocolate. Opaque black with minimal head. Aroma is dark chocolate, coffee, smoke and alochol. Slightly bitter but a strange bitterness that doesn’t come close to hops.