Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

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

Bottle. Black body, stouty nose, good solid dark tan head. Creamy, oily mouthfeel, hides alcohol well, good stout flavors but less than you might expect for a big beer. Very drinkable with no flavor flaws. Not particularly bitter.

Pours dark brown with a ring of tan bubbles. Bitter espresso nose with cocoa, anise, granola, and molasses. Lives up to its bitter chocolate oatmeal name. Nice blend with roasted malt and brown sugar/oatmeal cookie flavors. Big, earthy flavor that is very, very bitter for a beer without many hops. Loved it.

OK, so this was Stone 12. Ima give it to y’all straight no chaser. Black with small ring type head. Aroma of Chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla, ash, oats, and alcohol. The taste was the same but very smooth on the palate. Alcohol was very apparent at the end. Much better as it warms up. Soild brew.

Bottle, from a case purchased at the Beeryard (Wayne, PA). Pours very deep brown, nearly opaque, capped with a big tan head. Aroma of roasted chocolate malt, baker’s chocolate, and smoke. Flavor is big and roasty, with dark chocolate, dark fruit, oatmeal, charcoal, and alcohol. Long roasted malt finish. Nice, big stout.

Pours a rather dark brown with almost no head, though a bit clearer. The nose is dry but chocolately. A good bit of alcohol with some licorice running through. This reminds me a small bit of Expedition stout in the nose. A decent hint of roast. The mouth is fuller enough, but there’s not much carbonation, and I’m not a huge fan of carbonation. The flavors are bold. Big sweet alcoholic anise filled lightly roasty imperial stout. Lots more residual sugar than I would have guessed from the nose. Drier stouty roast. A good hint of hops. The lingering bitterness is probably from roast. Not terrible, but not mind boggling.

Deep brown, nearly black, with a dark, dusky head that leaves tiny bead lacing all over the side of the glass. On the nose, a little leather, some savory herbs, like sage and thyme, but an overwhelming light chocolate. Bright palate, nice acidity, slick mouthfeel and a bitter chocolate finish that grows as you consume the beer. Flavors are peaty and leathery, like scotch, with the bitterness of chocolate nibs. There is no attempt to hide the alcohol on the beer, and that’s just fine with me, as it’s obviously done on purpose to heighten the bittering flavor and really matters on the palate. A very good beer -- I’m appreciative of the thought and effort that must have gone into making it.

22 ounce bottle split in Duvel glass. Black with lasting flat brown head. Chocolate coffee port earth aroma. Chocolate covered fig sweetness, earthy, with underlying hop flavor and bitterness. Full body, low carb, amazing soft mouthfeel, maybe because it’s pretty warm. Well-disguised alcohol. Complex and wholesome. Definitely excellent!

bottle from columbus. damn, i guess my rating from yesterday didnt get saved. so i have to do it again. it was pitch dark and thick, thin dark brown head with nice lacing. smelled like chocolate, nuts and vanilla. flavor was weird, at times chalky but usually very creamy. smooth, thick. hides the alcohol really well. great beer.