Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout

Brewed by Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Style: Stout
Boonville, California USA

It poured black in color with a thick head of fine light-brown bubbles. The aromas were sweet with scents of maple syrup and oats. The color and scents have me expecting a thicker, richer beer than reality brings. The palate was rather light and smokey with some bitter hops evident on the finish.

Bottle. Deep dark brown color, with a medium sized tan head. Great initial smell with roasted malt flavors and almost a slightly bourbon/oaked aged flavoring(?). Bourbon/oak flavoring vanishes, giving way to roasted chocolate malt aromas. Flavor is well balanced between roasted, chocolate and hop flavors and slight oat-like finish. The mouth feel is slightly lighter than I prefer for an oatmeal stout. Overall a very drinkable beer with good balance.

very creamy, rich flavor. notes of choclate and coffee with a little hoppyness to it. overall all, a great oatmeal stout.

Bottle. Dark oak black color. Limited beige head, mostly ringing the glass and lingering. Mocha, coffee, somewhat milky and creamy in aroma. Nutty. Flavoring is flat, like black coffee gone cold, albeit with more pleasing finishing notes. Thin in body, certainly smoother than most oatmeal stouts. It’ll work but memorable enough to come back to.

Pours a dark brown color with frothy tan head. Aroma is light chocolate and light toasted malt. Also has a slight buttery nose to it so I’m guessing this bottle is past it’s prime. Taste is light chocolate and coffee with a mild hop finish. Finish is a bit too bitter for my liking. Meh.

Dark brown color with a mocha head of about a finger. Leaves some solid lacing on the glass. Chocolate and roasty aromas emanate from the foam. Flavor is hearty chocolate malt with a little fruity hop character. Too much carbonation hurts the mouthfeel and disrupts the richness of the body.

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass. The aroma was heavy with malt, mostly chocolate character, with some lighter coffee and caramel notes, and a touch of hops. A thick, black color with a creamy, dark tan head that had average retention and size. Sweet, malty and chocolate/coffee-like flavor, with some bitterness for balance. The palate was a little bit too watery, with average carbonation, but some good fizz; a creamy, wetter mouthfeel. Definitely a very solid oatmeal stout, but falls short of some of my favorites.

Pours a dark black with a thin, dark tan head. Great aroma, chocolate/caramel dominate the nose. Flavor is light, but takes on roasted nuts, chocolate and coffee. A bit of an alcohol bit on the finish. Palate is smooth, but far thinner than expected...not nearly as "thick or rich" as the commercial description would have you believe. Overall a very drinkable oatmeal stout.