Youngs Oatmeal Stout (London Stout)

Brewed by Wells & Youngs
Style: Stout
Bedford, England

Yet one more fine product by Young’s. Rich aroma bitter-sweet and roasty. Decent pour with a good creamy tan head, would like to see some more lacing though. Mouthfeel is good and smooth, could be thicker. Great flavor very sweet for a stout which is a nice change. Roasted malts and a hint of mild chocolate with a bitter end. Very solid stout here, although I’ll take the Double Chocolate if given a choice.

16oz bottle from Weaver’s Liquors, Elkton, MD...pours black, tan head...aroma of sweet chocolate, roated malt, (and yes) jelly bean...taste is also sweet but dry, coffee bean and a bit of vanilla...thin mouthfeel but good drinkability.

Poured black with tan head. Great look. Aroma of oatmeal and chocolate. Some fruit in the finish. Wasn’t bad.

Bottle. Poured black with a thick light brown head. The aroma is of rosted malt. Body is pretty thin but I find the flavor very smooth. Definitely malt also some light smoke and coffee. Very drinkable.

While doing some research on Young’s Oatmeal Stout, I was very surprised to find it not listed at all on their English homepage. I searched high and low, night and day, through winds and rain and thunderstorms, but alas, no Young’s Oatmeal Stout. How can this be, I ask myself. Refusing to grow flustered, I try another search tactic and voila, the answer appears like the Northern star shining high upon her perch. She is export only, meaning while she is brewed with much love and tender care by Young’s in England, she is then exported to the US and apparently nowhere else.

She poured a thick black mass into my glass while a mountain of foam graces her summit, fading stubbornly into a tan blanket. Cragged lace marks her downward path, sticking to the side like s stalwart spelunker. A whiff of her nose reveals to me whispers of soft oats, delicate chocolate, and fresh licorice with a backdrop of lemon esters. Such a delicious invitation would be rude to ignore, and with eager grace I delve into her expectant brew. As an oatmeal stout should be, her mouthfeel and body is pleasantly soft and clean with faint chewiness holding her fast. Immediately, light chocolate notes dance with soft mulled oats, both in flavor, aroma, and texture. I can see how oatmeal stouts can be considered the breakfast of beers. A swift nip of lemon brightens her finish while lace continues to mark her downward spiral. More chocolate along with prunes, toasted malts, and licorice continue to please. As I finish our journey together, the lemon fades into a whisper while more dry roasted malts linger in the finish with soft, chewy oats.

I would currently be hard-pressed to say there aren’t too many other oatmeal stouts out there that are as well-balanced as Young’s. The best, no, but certainly she is near the top with a pleasing richness and fullness that honors her name. Considering her complete unavailability in England, it makes me wonder if native Englanders ever import some in for their own quaffing pleasure. I may never know, but I do know that when I crave some liquid breakfast, Young’s Oatmeal Stout is ready and waiting to satisfy.
**as of this posting, this beer is no longer available in the Us market**

50cl bottle from Willow Bend Liquors (Tampa, FL). Pours a murky dark brown with a two finger tan head that settles slowly. Aroma is roasted and malty with chocolate, ripe dark fruit, toffee, grain, and molasses notes. Flavor is roasted and malty with notes of chocolate, ripe dark fruit, coffee, toffee, molasses, caramel and honey. Generally medium to full body with a malty and roasted finish.

Bottle. Pours a black color with a two finger tan head. Very creamy smell. Chocolate and caramel aromas in the nose. Flavor is much of all the same. Very complex brew.

Nitrocan. Last tried this when it first came out in nitrocan. Remember that it was a good oatmeal stout though I prefer some of the other ones out there.