Summit Oatmeal Stout

Brewed by Summit Brewing Company
Style: Sweet Stout
St. Paul, Minnesota USA

On tap @ "Summit Brewing Company" Dark brown with a thick tan head. The aroma is of roast and swwet dark chocolate. The flavor is of coffee roast with a well balanced backbone of maltyness. The finish is dry with a hint of bitterness.

On tap (nitro-pour) at the brewery. Dark brown colour (although perhaps a touch pale for a stout) with a thick tan head. Rather lively - it took the bar tender a couple of pours to fill the glass. Quite milky aroma, although not lacking in roasty malt. These characteristics continue into the flavour, where there’s a little chocolate coming through. The mouthfeel is smooth, with a burnt caramel feel, and, whilst being described as on the sweet side, I thought it finished reasonably dry. Glad they had this one at the brewery, as I gather that the availability is limited. Pleasant, but I have to say I preferred the porter overall. I also have to say I’m not a big fan of nitro dispense anyway as it tends to favour texture over aroma.

Sample from tap at the brewery. Pours dark brown with an amber hue, head is a creamy light brown foam. Aroma is soft roasted malt, coffee and slight fruity. Soft mouthfeel. Flavour is mild malty, only slight sweet. Finish is roasted mild.

Nitro tap at Groveland Tap. Aroma is complex after head dissapates: caramel, coffee, with slight chocolate and raisin in the background. Appearence is black with a standard frothy nitro head. Slight chocolate bitterness carries through a medium sour finish. Medium full bodied, definitely notice the oatmeal, but it could be a little less thin.

I was pleasantly surprised by how good this beer was when I first tried it. It stacks up well against other nitro stouts like Guiness and Great Lakes but is surprisingly sweeter with a strong coffee and chocolate aftertaste. I must admit this rating stems from my only trying it recently and being so surprised that Summit was able to make such a sweet yet malty brew.

Nitro-tap. Aroma: Medium sweet roasted malt with notes of chocolate and light smoke. Oats, slight dark fruit, coffee. Appearance: Pours black and opaque. Medium beige head was full and creamy with good retention. Nice lacing. Flavor: Medium sweet roasted malt and oats with notes of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and caramel. Light bitterness and a medium sweet finish. Palate: Medium-full bodied. Moderate carbonation. Overall: This was going to be the last beer of the evening, but it was so good I had to have another. Tasted good and a nice rich mouthfeel. Good one.

On tap (nitro) @ Brew Kettle: Pours black with a tan creamy nitro head. Aroma, chocolate, some oats, vanilla, and roasted malts. Flavor, lots of oats, and sweet chocolate malt, roasted malts, an odd tangy flavor towards the end. But over all, pretty good.

On tap (nitro) at the Happy Gnome. Pours an opaque dark brown, with complete tan nitro head. Aroma is a combo of roast barley/oatmeal and bitter. Taste is very smooth and creamy, with excellent texture, full body, and a palpable of cocoa and coffee blend. Too bad this is not bottled with nitro charge. But again, give them time.