Youngs Oatmeal Stout (London Stout)

Brewed by Wells & Youngs
Style: Stout
Bedford, England

Can’t believe I haven’t rated this one since it’s in my regular rotation? Not terrible roasty, little dry so it’s a well balanced stout. Extremely drinkable b/c the palate is good and creamy. Like I said it’s in the regular rotation so it’s a definite favorite.

Astonishingly pitch black color--very slight orange/ruby highlights. Dark brown head composed of some very fine creamy bubbles and some larger, soapier ones. A pleasant, bittersweet aroma of bready, pie-crust-like grains, sugar, and a bit of hops. Hefty flavors of dark roasted malts, bitter hops, a woody smokiness, and some sugary sweetness. A somewhat sticky mouthfeel, full-bodied, pretty hefty, and with a very dry finish. Good stuff, I’ll be on the lookout for more...

Nice pour with a tasty aroma. The head lasted down to the last drop. Flavor is mild and not at all overwhelming. A little sweet complete with malty enjoyable finish. I’d buy another!

Nice molasses on the nose. Dark ruby red color with a health tan head. Chocolate malted taste up front with a pleasant bitter ending. Frothy on the palate, not as full or syrupy as the appearance would suggest. Pleasant drinking, although I could go for a more stout stout. This stout could be a training beer to the lager fans thinking about transiting to the darker side.

Bottle. Black colour with a thick tan head. Aroma of smoke, chocolate & tar. Flavour is coffe with a tinge of vanilla. Short smooth finish.

1/19/2007: When I was posting to Ratebeer for Young’ London Ale, I noticed it was retired. I now know why. The brewery sort of went out of business! Or more accurately is merging with a rival Charles Wells. The new company will be the Wells and Young Brewing Company. So I rushed back to the Norhcoast Coop here in Eureka, CA for a bolttle of the Oatmeal Stout. Sad. Sort of like seeing a species go extinct. As a touch of irony the Chairman, Charles Young died on Sept. 17, 2006 just eight days before the brewery closed. Was it worth it to go grab the bottle? . Darn right! Poured a nice black with a big tan head. Big nose of burnt malts and chocolate. Rich mouthfeel. Nice bitter finish. So long Youngs. Update: 11.6.2007. I sometimes think I am obsessed with the how this beer has morphed itself as it transfered from Young’s Ram Brewery in Wansworth to Wells and Young, in Bedford. So I purchased a numbers of bottles from the old, now closed brewery, and cellared them. I then recently purchased some new ones from the Well’s and Young Brewery and with some friends set out to compare them. It was apparent from the start they were not the same. The new brew had a lot more carbonation, left much more lacing, had much larger bubbles in the head, and finally was far sweeter. There was a difference in opinion as which was better with some liking the old Youngs, and some the new Wells and Young. But the same beer the are not.

50 cl bottle.Pitch black, lovely milk chocolate head. Smooth, but with a fine edge of burned barley/toast.

Pours black. Aroma is malty and nutty. Flavor is too sweet and not very complex. Dry finish. Dissapointing if you’ve ever had the Samuel Smith’s version.