Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

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

Served in tulip glasses for the whole family at dessert, the beer pours night black with about 2 finger tan head. Head retention is good, lacing is excellent. The aroma is impressive, it smells like roasted malt, semi-sweet chocolate, coffee, oats, caramel and some dark fruit. The taste is similar to the aroma, it tastes like semi-sweet chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, oats, caramel and molasses. Mouthfeel/body is full, it’s creamy, a bit oily and very, very smooth. Drinkability is very good too, it goes down very easy and the alcohol isn’t very noticable at all. Overall I think this is a very good beer. I’ll definitely have to keep some of this around.

Cocoa and coffee aroma, very dark pour, dark head (darker than a lot of beers themselves!), quick bitter finishing out into medium oatmeal taste. This beer doesn’t have the noticeable alcohol taste that most high-gravity beers exhibit.

Multiple 22 oz bombers over its run. Beautiful dark pour with a light brown medium sized head. They don’t stint on the bitterness in the chocolate, which could have been a novelty but paid off quite well. Well balanced with a little bit of sweetness in the body so as to not turn off pickier drinkers. I’m going to miss this one when it’s gone.

Poured into a goblet, thick black with a dark brown head. Tastes of thick chocolate and coffee and bitters well with the alcohol. Excellent!

Pours like a nice dark syrup with a thin carmel color head. Flavors not quit what I was expecting, (might not have been stored well before purchased) Kinda reminded me of licking a piece of dark mocha chocolate. A very well executed brew, but honestly the Sam Adams chocolate bock is better, but this ones only around for awhile so dont miss your chance if you have one.

poured like black syrup with a thin brown head. smelled of dark chocolate. very sweet start ending with a bitter finish.

Pours out of the bomber indigo black beneath a thick and creamy dark tan head. Admirable retention with some thin curtains of lacing adhering to the snifter. Rich aromas of dark chocolate, charred wood, caramel, espresso beans and vanilla greet the nose. Palate is quite full and slick (where the oatmeal additions contribute) making this Impy Stout even more enjoyable and authentic. Restrained carbonation adds to the mouthfeels creaminess. Flavor profile was also assertive with upfront notes of semi-sweet dark chocolate, espresso, licorice, molasses and charred oak. Starts out bittersweet and as with most Stone brews shows off a touch of hop bitterness in the finish along with the warming sensation from the 9.2% abv. A slight Belgian-like yeasty sourness sneaks in and is slightly distracting in the end. Overall however a superb anniversary beer.

Poured from bottle. Aroma of dark chocolate and fruit. Not quite the head as sen in picture. Pours oily black, thin tan head. Burnt chocolate flavor, like the edge pieces from the brownie pan. Oatmeal gives it a creaminess, alcohol is hardly noticed. Good finish. Great stuff.