Name – Oat
Country – United States
Type – American Imperial Stout

My first craft beer I ever had was Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout years ago.  From that point on I have been hooked to craft beer and that beer in particular hold a very special place on my pallet.  It was unlike anything I ever imagined a beer could be like.  The body of the beer from the oats and the subtle taste of them just took me to far off lands I didn’t think actually existed.

It is a number of years later now but we have been finally been graced with a beer I have been eagerly awaiting.  When Southern Tier hit South Florida early in 2010 I took it upon myself to read more about them.  And when I saw that they have a fall/winter seasonal beer called Oat I figuratively jumped out of my seat.

A couple weeks ago the bottles started hitting the shelves and the kegs hitting the lines of some select bars.  I grabbed a bottle and it was time to see what Southern Tier pushed out.

It poured into my nonic pint glass a mostly black color.  But there were some deep red highlights along the edges of the glass.  A nice sized light brown head sat atop the brew.

The nose was subtle but you got what you needed.  Cocoa and roasted malts were the main driving force.  A little bit of the alcohol peaked out in the nose as well.

The taste is more cocoa along with a lactose flavor as well.  There is a slight bitterness to it but it seems to be from chocolate or coffee more so than hops.  The body is full and creamy as you would hope with the style.

I made a bold claim on Twitter the other night when I was drinking this beer.  I called Southern Tier the “Kings of the Stout.”  But this Blackwater Series is incredibly good.  From Choklat to Mokah to Creme Brule and now to Oat (yes I left out Jahvah since I’m not a coffee stout fan) they just continue to hit the seems off the ball with these stouts.

So if you want yourself a very good oatmeal stout for this winter season I can’t recommend enough to pick this beer up.  Let it warm up a bit and have it by the fire.  Well I guess if you have a fire place.

Grade – A-