Samuel Smith - Oatmeal Stout

Description/Background: Although this is not a Colorado brew I decided to pick it up anyway because I had been hearing more and more hype about it.  This is a brew out of Tadcaster, NorthYorkshire in England a brewery that was opened in 1758.  To this day the brewery still uses the same well water adding a distinct flavor and mouthfeel to all their beers.

Oatmeal Stout - In Review
Appearance: deep black with a almost reddish-plum hue.  The head on this beer was almost creamy and a great dark tan color.

Aroma: swwwweeeet, roasted, nutty, chocolate

Taste: smooth combination of roasted malts and oatmeal with hints of coffee and chocolate

Mouthfeel: smooth, creamy, an "easy to drink" feel of well balanced carbonation and sweetness

Overall: This beer is the easiest to drink stout I have had in a long time.  In the last month I have been drinking beers like Dogfish Head World Wide Stout and Avery's Mephistopheles which are two my personal favorites but also just happen to be some of the most intense stouts available.  While I still thoroughly enjoyed this Oatmeal Stout I was not as overly impressed and was surprised that it was rated so well by rate beer and beer advocate.  It is a very possible that from tasting so many intense stouts this one was just slightly overshadowed.

Rate Beer: 99
Beer Advocate: 94
My Rating: 90

On a side note: Happy belated vernal equinox.  Time to start drinking some spring time brews.  In the not to distant future I will be giving Fort Collins Brewery another try and hopefully review their sought after Maibock.

Cheers!