22oz bomber courtesy of Scottie. This is a fine looking stout with a completely opaque near-black pour and a two-finger tan head. The head dissipates slowly and leaves tons of lacing. The aroma is very sweet but with a huge dark roasted malt backbone with coffee and chocolate on top. Dark fruits and oatmeal are also present in the nose, very pleasant smell overall. The taste is fairly tame with mainly sweet dark malts and dark chocolate. There are some dark fruits and roasted coffee in the background but nothing too big. The mouthfeel is creamy with the oatmeal presence but pretty thin for the style. The look and aroma are great on this one but the taste and mouthfeel don’t quite live up to the promise. Overall a decent stout.

Another best of style for me...in this case, the Oatmeal Stout. Dark brown pour, off white head. Aroma is toasted malts, chocolate, coffee and a little bit of oatmeal. Flavor is much of the same with some hop characters. Nice creaminess from the oats.

Sampled from 22-oz bomber during Surly D-Day. Pours an opaque dark brown brew with a thin off-white head that quickly dissipates to a thin white ring and some film top. No lacing noticed. Aroma of toasted multi-grain malt with some oatmeal character, dark chocolate and mild coffee. Taste is medium bodied, with flavors of toasted dark malt, chocolate and touch of coffee, floral hops, and some dark pitted fruits. Finish is smooth with a light hop bitterness that quickly disappears with the toasted dark malt aftertaste.

GABF 2008. Dark walnut brown, low creamy brown head. Sweet lactic chocolate and coffee, low hop bitterness in the finish. Creamy mouthfeel. well done.

Draught. Low lasting off-white fluffy head. Pitch black body. Coffee caramel aroma. Mild coffee caramel flavor with high carbonation, long coffee aftertaste with little hops bitterness.