Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

Formerly brewed at Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Escondido, California USA

Pours pitch black with a one finger creamy tan head. The nose is smokey, roasty, has some coffee, but is predominated by this cigarette smell. The flavor is similar, very smokey, lots of tobacco, not pleasant, bitter bakers chocolate, coffee. Thick mouthfeel and a little warm on the finish.

Tasted at the Carolina Crew gathering, Greenville NC - I was slightly inebriated at this point, but I really enjoyed this thick chocolaty beer. Slightly bitter finish

Bottle. Pours dark black with a small creamy brown head and some slippery lacework. Aroma of roasted malts, chocolate, caramel, dark fruit and a hint of vanilla. Flavor is creamy and roasty with rich dark chocolate, coffee, alcohol, molasses and a touch of toffee. Medium to full bodied with a rich texture and a dry roasty finish

bottle thanks to bhops. black with a huge 3 finger tan almost chocolate head. huge chocolate notes with roasted malts on the nose. at first the roastiness comes through and overpowers everything until the end when the chocolate works it’s magic.

On tap at Monk’s Kettle (S.F.). This dark brown ale poured with a thin tan head. There is an intense chocolate malt flavor with coffee notes and a slightly bitter finish.

Draft at the Bistro. Pours black, with a small off white head. Smells of some dark choclate, lots of bitter roast, and small coffee notes. The flavor is quite bitter as its title suggests. Also very roasty, with some chocolate andvanilla cream notes showing up. Not a chocolate bomb, but it definitely lets you know its an imperial stout. Oily and sharp on the palate. Alcohol was masked quite proficiently. Nice flavor to it.

Pours very dark, nearly opaque and appear inky black in the glass. Light tan heads fades into a collar around the glass. Very light aromas of dark fruits, roast and chocolate. Lots of taste, but not the greatest balance. Very heavily roasty and burnt, some dark fruit notes, with a light hint of chocolate. Hops as well, especially towards the finish. A bit brash and overly bitter for my taste, but I suppose it has decent aging potential. Towards the end of the bottle, I was liking it less and less.

A nice but typical imperial stout. Aroma was nice and chocolaty but a not as full as most. pour was a perfect deep dark black with a 2 finger tan head. Taste was a good mix of chocolate and roasted bitter malt. Slight hints of coffee. Almost tastes like those dark chocolate covered coffee beans. Decent carbonation and hides the alcohol well. It is good, just typical.