Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

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

Bottle shared with xnoxhatex and funkybrewster. Pours a lovely uniform obsidian with a small creamy frothy fine tan head. Aroma of bitter-sweet chocolate, molasses, some sort of spices, oatmeal, light fruit. Dry but decadent first taste, dark fruits, nice bitterness, prunes, lots of dark unsweetened chocolate, just a touch ashy, oatmeal aftertaste. A hint of alcohol is noticeable throughout with a touch of burnt sugar. Full bodied with a creamy mouthful and fine sizzling carbonation.

Had at tasting at the stinking rose. dark brown color, dark beige head nose is dark bitter choc smoke, flavor is similar with a nice hop finish that does not over power. good beer

Black in color with a small tan head. Aroma is of dark chocolate, oats, and coffee but the smell is faint. Taste is of coffee beans, oatmel, caramel and dark chocolate.

Pours so rich and thick. It looks like the oil from my last oil change. Almost black with some red and a dark tan head that disappears quickly. Aroma is not pronounced but offers coffee, chocolate, and must. Flavor is also somewhat muted and has plenty of alcohol. Also noted are dark chocolate, ok, even bitter dark chocolate. Some vanilla and oatmeal add nice texture. Some chocolate milkshake. The balance here is bitter and sweet with both showing nicely. Hops are buried so deeply they are barely noticed. This beer warms so nicely. It feels thicker and smoother with temperature. Almost like it should be eaten with a spoon. This might be the longest rating I have ever written but there is just so much to say about this beer.

Aroma is of baker’s chocolate. Definitely tastes like it’s on the dry side for an IS. Dark roasted coffee flavor with hints of charcoal. Light whisper of red fruits from the chocolate on the aftertaste. Pretty good.

22 oz bomber from Spirits Unlimited Toms River Rt 37. Pours blacker then a moonless night with a large thick mocha head. Boy do I love the look of a nice Impy Stout. Aroma on this one is still hop heavy with some pinapple notes mingling in with oatmeal and slight chocolate but mostly dominated by lots of roastiness and alcohol. Palate is smooth and full with some noticable warming on the back of my throat from the 9.2%. It sort of reminds me of when Rerun from What’s Hapening starts dancing. Big and full yet somehow smooth. Flavor has lots of burnt notes with only slight bitter chocolate being detectable. Good beer and I am curious to see how it will cellar.

22 oz bottle. Almost black with a brief tan head. Nose is coffee, chocolate and molasses but not really sweet. Medium body with a smooth mouthfeel ending with a tang. Taste is bitter chocolate, ash and club soda with a just a touch of brown sugar. Usual Stone quality but I found this pretty one-dimensional.

22oz bottle. Pours a black, thick liquid with a small brown head. Nose is chocolate, coffee, toffee. Palate is very thick, oily, sticky, coating. Flavors are chocolate and oatmeal with some Dark malt notes, resin. I very much enjoyed this one