Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

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

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.

Bottle from the Coop in Davis, CA. It is indeed a black pour with a 2-finger tan/brown head. Aroma is primarily chocolate over dark roasted, not burnt, malt. Full bodied with chewy carbonation. Flavor is a touch of heat, dark roasted malt, coffee, and some chocolate bitter. Very well integrated. The hop doesn’t stand out until things have pretty well gone down. Guess that’s a description for the finish. Really outstanding. Great nose.

22 oz bottle from Holiday Wine Cellar: Pure black color with a medium cocoa colored head. Aroma is Dark chocolate with a hint of black coffee. Flavor starts bitter dark dark chocolate, a touch of coffee with a bakers dark chocolate bitter finish. Full body is silky smooth and creamy with soft carbonation.

22oz - Perfect Pour. Black, tan creamy head. Bittersweet chocolate licorice nose rides soft waves of black currant and vanilla oat. Swirls of sugary coffee play out at room temp. Black chocolate and dark coffee berry flavors round to a bittersweet and smooth oatmeal-like finish. Full bodied and oily with medium carbonation. Happy 12th Stone. Loved it!

On tap Blind Tiger. Deep dark brown in color with a nice off white head that left a nice lacing on the glass. Bitter chocolatety malty aroma. Caramel roasty oak notes. Chocolatey creamy malty hoppy flavor. Roasty grainy citrusy notes. Creamy and smooth tasting. Full bodied. Finish is roasty. Nice. Enjoyable beer.

Got the last bottle at Mustard Seed on Route 18 in Montrose Ohio. Pour is a thick black with a dark brown head. Aroma is really dry, it warms up to some subtle chocolate bits and a little bit of...oatmeal? Flavor is amazing. Its well balanced between bittersweet chocolate and the smoothness of an oatmeal stout. Thankfully this has a minimal hop profile, keeping the meat and potatoes of the beer- the chocolate and oatmeal- right in the front lines of flavor. The dryness of the beer really makes this amazing. Smooth, sweet, bitter, dry, rich. Just delicious. Too bad this was the last bottle I have seen anywhere.

1/2 pint from tap at Bodega; pleasant aroma, solid flavor, strong bitter aftertaste on first sip, fades with subsequent sips; I’m a stout fan, and this was a treat