Bristol Winter Warlock Oatmeal Stout

Brewed by Bristol Brewing Company
Style: Sweet Stout
Colorado Springs, Colorado USA

Serve in English pint

UPDATED: NOV 30, 2006 I’ve been meaning to get my hands on Winter Warlock because it’s one of the best offerings of my local brewer. I finally sneaked a few sips from a bottle before acquiring a full glass directly from the brewery. To my great surprise they were very different from one another. I’m not certain if adjustments were made to the batch on tap at Bristol or if the bottled version I tasted was accidentally exceptional, but the question will be easily answered. In appearance both held similar character: a deep hearty black crowned of a rapidly diminishing creamy cocoa head. The nose bore similarities in the warm wet straw odor and sweet coffee qualities but the primary chocolate aroma had a much darker tone out of the growler. The flavor only furthered this impression by delivering an overly dark bitter ending. I much preferred the sweet and rich milk chocolate profile found in the bottle but luckily the bitterness mellows out as this beer warms up. An interesting brew either way, monotone but distinct and a pleasure to drink during a cold winter day.

Pour out of 12 oz bottle is dark brownish pretty much black, some slight brownish edges but really opaque with a fairly thin leading to almost no tan head. Aroma brings notes of chocolate, espresso, lactose notes, hints of oat in there with a slight vanilla and caramel note in there as well. Taste is nice with roasted espresso, dark chocolate and booze soaked caramel, hints of oat filling out the body a bit more but it is slightly thin, hints of toast, roasted malt finish this out fairly bitter, surprising for a sweet stout. Nice carb to push it through the palate, and overall a very nice and easy drinking stout that is also very tasty.

Very balanced oatmeal stout set apart by some nice residual malt sweetness and a subtle hint of ’Christmas’ spices. I like this more than regular Lefthand Milk, but would be a push if the nitro LH was available (this is a good compliment).

bottle... light black body with a medium tan head, two finger cap stays for awhile... nice subtle but balanced know, roasty coffee at first but has a nice creamy body, definite oatmeal notes, as it warms the sweetness takes over losing the balance... the taste is mostly sweet, milky chocolate with a creamy finish, wish there was some coffee or roast here, finish is a bit weak, watery and flavorless... solidish oatmeal, small recommendation

Bottle at Papsø. Pours black with a small tan head. The aroma is tobacco, roast, chocolate and coffee. The flavour is tobacco, roast, chocolate and coffee. Long roasted finish.

Bottle at Papsø’s - Thanks. Black - offwhite head. Roasted, fruity, licorice, high malty, smokey, high malty, dark chocolate, light lactose, smooth body.

Bottle at Papsø. Dark brown coloured with a small beige head. Roasted aroma of caramel and liquorice with notes of dark chocolate. Roasted flavour of caramel, liquorice and dark chocolate. Roasted finish.

12 fl oz bottle. Pours dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma is roasted malty and sweet malty and slight vanilla. Dry malty and sweet toasted malty. Lingering dark malty and caramelish.

Bottled. A dark chestnut brown beer with a thin beige head. The aroma has notes of caramel, malt, and wood. The flavor is sweet with caramel, malt, and wood, leading to a bitter finish.