Smoked Oatmeal Stout - Trafalgar Ales and Meads (Canada - Ontario - Oakville)

Smoked Oatmeal Stout - Trafalgar Ales and Meads (Canada - Ontario - Oakville) 5.0%

Quite flat out of the bottle but with a delectable aroma: chocolate, smoke, with a touch of grain (oatmeal) and some earthiness. Smoky dark chocolate is the theme for this beer. This stout also has roasty coffee tones and some very subtle dark fruit hints. There is also a distinctly satisfying oatmeal characteristic to both the flavour and the mouthfeel.

The mouthfeel is very smooth since, though it is not flat, this particular bottle is somewhat flatter than I think it is supposed to be. Or perhaps not, I just realized that Trafalgar's full name is Trafalgar Ales and Meads: the same people that make a fantastic Mead Braggot I had. Because of their stated "authentic methods and ingredients" used in making their mead I suppose this may be a naturally carbonated product in which case a less than typically carbonated may be the product of their methods. But I digress, this is a tasty, smoky, chocolaty, refreshing, roasty ale whatever the level of carbonation.

Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout - Anderson Valley (USA - CA - Boonville) 5.8%

Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout - Anderson Valley (USA - California - Boonville) 5.8%

Dark brown, opaque really, in a glass. A very thick frothy head with great lacing (see below). A doughy, fresh bread, dark malt coffee flavour with oatmeal thickness, and that just in the aroma! Maybe just a touch of the raisin aroma mentioned on the label.

Coffee, oatmeal, a bit of toffee, dried cherries, a touch of smoke and some wooden hop tones. A slightly watery mouthfeel at times but intermixed with a creamy oatmeal feel; still refreshing with a sweet finish and a smoky aftertaste. A really nice stout with a cool label.