Fiddler Oatmeal Stout

Thanks to Joey Waldorf for donating this beer to the blog. I currently just got business cards for the blog, So I hope it will boost hits for the blog! Tasted following a tough track workout and making malt agar plates in order to inoculate them with Great River's house yeast and begin developing a yeast library!

Appearance: Very dark brown in the glass while the pour was clear and mahogany. A nice cloud-like foam head of tan complexion layers the top with a fluffy film. Lacing is speckled. To bring light the beer does have some clarity making me think it was definitely filtered.

Aroma: Robust toasted malt sweetness with caramel and roasty complexity. Some nuttiness but also a little bit of oxidation makes it seem somewhat papery but more along the lines of a vinous scent. Some roasted nuts permeate as well.

Taste: Very smooth and sweet. Caramel and roasted flavors are immediately picked up. Similarly I find rich chocolate malt and nuts. Bitterness is nicely settled into the alcohol, by which is definitely on the high end, and gave the beer that viney smell. The beer reminds me of a Starbucks coffee with a hint of baileys. Develops into a toasted malt, but the booziness persists. A big sweet stout with not a whole lot of bitterness. Nevertheless the beer has a very clean and well defined taste because it was filtered. No yeastiness or grit/graininess present.

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation and body, though on the thinner side. Very drinkable, so the alcohol hits surprisingly, the only warning is the mild alcoholic taste. I would have expected it to be a lot thicker with the oats. A little tacky to the lips.
Overall Impression: Actually this beer was quite decent, aside for the fact that I couldn't really find the oats in the body, and I'm unsure really how to pick them out in the taste. It boasts a big chocolate and toasted malt flavor, but still just seems thin.

83/100