Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

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

Bottled. Inky black pour, with a nice brown head that faded quickly, leaving a bit of lace on the glass. The nose was roasty and chocolatey. Flavor was bitter chocolate, roasted, smoky malt, and a nice touch of alcohol underlying it all. The finish was soft, perhaps due to the oatmeal. Dry finish. I really enjoyed this one, and the use of bitter chocolate to replace the extra hops was genius.

(tap at Hollingshead in Orange CA & 22oz btl)

opq-bk, tan-head, med-co2, med-full-body.

aroma: oatmeal anise alchl.

flavor: silky oatmeal-sweet T1, roast-malt dark-fruit alchl §coffee §smokey §anise T2, chrrd alchl bitter-chclt T3.

dark, rich, complex, awesome.

THOUGHTS: A great beer. One of the darkest I’ve ever had. It didn’t hide the alcohol, but it isn’t harsh. Stone makes some of the best anniversary ales around. Not super complex, but who cares when simplicity is this good. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured an opaque black with an average, tan head that mostly diminished and left good lacing. The aroma was mostly alcohol, heavy mild coffee and lighter dark chocolate. The initial flavor was moderately sweet and lightly acidic and bitter; while the finish was heavily sweet and moderately bitter with and average to long duration. There was coffee, milk chocolate, dark fruit and alcohol. The full body was creamy with fizzy carbonation and a light to moderate alcoholic finish

I love good stouts, porters, etc., and this one didn’t let me down. I get a bottle almost whenever I see it. Pours thick and pitch black with a small milk-chocolate colored head. Roasty aroma with a hint of chocolate and slight hoppiness. Excellent taste. I’m thinking coffee/espresso with some dark chocolate sauce thrown in. Excellent, silky smooth. No problems putting this one down at all. It’s be an easy session beer if the alcohol was halved (but who wants that). I agree with those who say the %9.2 alcohol content is well hidden.

ok, i had this beer once, and it was some time ago. it was probally one of my favorite brews of all time for dark ales. i rembered it poured thick and black with an off white head that had the most awsome smell and aroma. could taste chocolate, malt and hops all combined with the perfect proportions. if i could have this again, i would buy it in an instant. great brew from stone!!

22 oz bottle in July 2008. Pours black, thick, with a chocolate brown head that nearly disipates after a couple of minutes. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, and cherry. Rich, sweet (from malt), bitter chocolate taste. The 9.2% alcohol doesn’t show up in the taste. Nice rich, smooth, with a chocolate and slight coffee finish.

Pours dark black with a brown head. The aroma is malty. Taste like dark chocolate with a roasted malt after taste.

Great chocolate stout! Big on dark chocolate and roasted coffee flavor. I would say its on par with the Imperial Russian Stout but lots more chocolate. The high alcohol is an added bonus but you wont notice it!