Youngs Oatmeal Stout (London Stout)

Brewed by Wells & Youngs
Style: Stout
Bedford, England

Into a pint at just on cool. A slow pour resulted in 4 inches of head, a little excited to be free obviously. Deepest ruby brown in the shallow otherwise this baby is black as night. Head held strong it needed to be eaten, and eaten quick. Bitter coffee beans, tar, leather, warm, damp bread and vegemite in the aroma. Quite pronounced and pleasing. In the mouth it was a little thin at first. Instantly creamy and smooth, the carbonation is very soft. Charred malt bitterness, maybe a little ash dominates the palate and lingers for long between swallows. Distant yeasty note, otherwise some subdued 85%+ cocoa plays with some bitter coffee and lowly anise and burnt rubber, but other than the degree of ’Black patent’ perceptible there is not much here. It is pleasant to drink, along the same way all of Young’s beers are. There is just nothing outstanding to this. Started off well, just didn’t deliver in the end. Brainless session beer. (50cL, 02/03/07, Int’l Beer Shop, W. Leederville)

Pours a dark brown with a nice creamy off white head. The aroma is lighlty roasted. The flavor is mild with a slight hint of roasted malt and finishes very smoothly.

Bottle. Were I a raging alcoholic, this would be a good start to my day. Hearty and satisfying, like a good stout should be.

Very dark brown color with a nice, pale brown foam. Roasted with a smooth and fruity aroma. Notes of chocolate and coffe. Medium body with a touch of bitterness in the aftertaste.

Bottle. Dark brown color, almost black, with ruby / pale brown head. Nose is leaning towards brown, with notes of smoke and tar, chocolate, coffee, liquorice and some hops in the background. Taste is roasted, fairly dry, with dark chocolate and liquorice.

I tasted this placed next to a variety of other oatmeal stouts and I’m glad I left this until last. It showed what complexity of flavour can be given to this style (one that admittedly I’m not a huge advocate of). The head lasted a lot longer than all the the others and consequently didn’t taste mealy or warm at the bottom of the glass... mainly because after the first sip I necked it and it didn’t have time.

500ml bottle sampled with Finn. Solid brownish foam. Smell of roasted grain. Grainy and earthy flavours with hints of coffee and chocolate. Not so sweet as the Double Chocolate Stout. A bit watery (served at perfect temperature at The Lamb, Bloomsbury 14.09.2006 and a bottle on my own at Calthorpe Arms 20.09.2006).

Young’s Oatmeal Stout 500 ml bottle Recent bottling, digested 09/06 Medium pour in an English pint glass Poured dark with mahogony outer edges with a fizzy mostly diminishing light brown head with not lacing. Smelt of moderate burnt toast and prunes Taste was upfront perfect blend of light chocolate sweetness, light coffee bitterness, light creamy acidity followed by a moderate bitter burnt finish on an average dry hoppy finish. Mouthfeel was light to medium bodied, watery, lively carbonated with light astringency. Overall, the perfect combinations of aromas and flavors definately give the beer an oatmeal quality, but the grain seems subdued and consequently overly hopped.