Carolina Brewery Oatmeal Porter

Brewed by Carolina Brewery
Style: Porter
Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

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Thin dark black pour. Thin tan head. Grainy aroma. Chocolate & coffee flavor. Dry

Poured from a growler, this one has a dark earthy brown color, with a thin film of beige head on top. The aroma is subtle but hearty, with a dry, earthy combination of bittersweet chocolate and roasted nuts. The flavor is more robust, with characteristics of brown bread, bitter cocoa, an earthy minerality, and some oatmeal with brown sugar. The mouthfeel is substantial and satisfying. Overall, with a complex, dry earthiness and only a subtle sweetness to balance, this beer is a very nice representation of one of my favorite styles.

Below average beer. This beer have had a lot from the brewery. It is not that good.

Draft @ the brewpub. Pours a dark brown color with a small off-white head. Has a roasted malty chocolate aroma. Roasted malty chocoalte and caramel flavor. Has a roasted malty chocoalte finish.

Poured on tap into a shaker at the Mediterranean Cafe in Chapel Hill, NC. Porters are of course beloved for their combination of roasty flavors and lager-ish smoothness, yet this one seemed to go too far in the latter direction to give that yin-yang balance that you seek from one of these. The body was thin to the point of watery, and the oats in the porter negated the most assertive elements of the flavor profile. A disappointment, though by no means a terrible beer - in fact, this is probably a good gateway beer for all the undergraduates who have decided to try something other than Schlitz.

On tap at the brewpub in Chapel HIll. Dark brown in color with a nice lasting tan head. Roast and dark chocolate on the aroma, with a hint of cardboard that has become a common theme in many Carolina Brewery beers I’ve had. Slight vinous notes and cardboard on the flavor with a roasty and chocolatey malt base. Rather dry with medium body and average carbonation. The description mentions that this kind of beer was originally called "entire butt," and after drinking this beer I can understand why. Just kidding, but still it was below average.

Sampled on draft at the brewpub. Pours a dark brown color. Medium head with decent head retention and lacing. Aroma is roasted malts and green apple. Taste is bitter roasted malts with tobacco, leather, light but bitter hops and the same green apple from the aroma. Seems maybe a bit off. Creamy mouthfeel, medium bodied.

On tap at the Cat’s Cradle (great place to enjoy this beer!) in Carrboro. Dark brown pour with light brown head. Roasty chocolate-y aroma with a good bit of toasted oatmeal as well. A bit of nuts and coffee and tangy lactic flavors added as well on the tongue. Tasty beer, and better than PBR when watching a show.

Roasted coffee in the aroma. Pours a dark mahogany with nice ruby highlights. Malt character is roasted barley with some bitter coffee. Hops are slightly fruity and lend a slightly tart finish. Carbonation is soft, but mouthfeel could use more girth.

Growler. Pours black with a nice brown head. Smell of nut, chocolate and malt. Nice oatmeal flavor and a subtle after taste. Pretty solid offering.

On tap @ Mellow Mushroom in Durham. Black pour, thin khaki head. Moderate roasty bitterness on the nose, hints of chocolate. Palate was thin despite the oatmeal, and the beer was quite bland as compared to aroma. Slight roast up front tempered by a mild sweetness, not much of a finish. A nice porter, still.