Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

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

Pitch black pour with a quarter inch brown head that fades quickly. Aroma of toasted malt and chocolate. Flavor is dark, rich chocolate syrup with a semi-sweet finish. Pleasantly bitter. Like an alcohol-infused Hershey’s Special dark. Very good.

Bottle. Poured black with a brown head that had a thin layer lasting and light lace. Nice aromas of roast coffee, chocolate, light alcohol, and a hoppy bitter background. The flavor is rich with chocolate, coffee, and roast. Full body with a bitter cofffee aftertaste. Another great impy stout from Stone.

Subtle roast with smooth chocolate. A little coffee. A bit harsh at times...no head and a bit oily. Smooth with a bit of dark fruit and alcohol. Enjoyable.

Poured black... very black, with a dark brown head. Sweet aroma of milk and dark chocolate, some dark fruits, some alcohol. Flavor is very bitter chocolate, more like unsweetened cocoa powder. No mistaking it here. If this were actually chocolate, it would probably be too bitter to consume. But given that this is a beer, it works out fine. Chocolate slowly fades to some fruity and peppery alcohol. Body feels somewhat softer than I was expecting. Must be the oatmeal. Between that and the somewhat subdued alcohol, which although not invisible does is not indicative to me of a 9+% beer, makes this feel almost like a session. So I’m having trouble with the "imperial stout" classification, but I guess it fits, according to the "standards". Just doesn’t feel like it. Anyways, although I haven’t had a beer like this from Stone in quite a while, I think they did well. I think of them as a brewery that doesn’t pull punches, and I don’t think they have here. The bottle says "bitter chocolate oatmeal stout", and that’s exactly what it tastes like. Good job, Stone, though I’ll be looking forward to something more "traditional" from you when the hop price (hopefully) goes back down.

V - dark oil pour with a huge dark tan head A - dark oats, coffee, malts and hops T - bitter, chocolate, dark coffee P - velvety smooth and filling

(22 oz. bottle (labelled "July 2008") from Kappy’s, cellared for 7 mos. after purchase) Smooth, hot, bitter and chocolatey...Pours thick and inky-looking. Very, very dark brown with a thin purplish-brown head that recedes mostly to edges. Aroma of very dark chocolate, coffee, a bit of molasses and light char. Very fine sheets of lacing melt away quickly. Mouthfeel is quite full, silky smooth and turns sticky in the finish. Flavor of big dark chocolate over some coffee roast and then whoa! a big dose of alcohol comes in right in the middle. The alcohol is strange and almost medicinal. Leaves quite a burn. Big chocolate and coffee. Medium-heavy bitterness rides overtop and through into the finish and aftertaste. Finishes pretty grassy. Very nice mouthfeel and appearance but the alcohol is just too detracting, as is the grassiness.

Dark brown/black pour with a dark creamy head that lasts throughout and leaves streaky lacing. Aroma of super dark roasted grain, roasty malt and cocoa. Flavor is mostly the dark roasted grain and malt, but definate cocoa and bitter chocolate notes are there, mostly on the finish. Also some alcohol. This would benefit from some age. Overall, a really nice different stout.

Black as night pour, fluffy head, lacing...all that good stuff. The aroma reflected the flavor...huge in all regards! Loads of dark chocolate flavors, tons of roast and a noticeable sweet oatmeal flavor. Sweetness not overdone and a nice dry mouthfeel. Rich creamy somewhat chalky mouthfeel. I don’t know about the criticism of "harsh". This was less harsh than Ten Fidy. I love both beers!