Yellowstone Valley Black Widow Oatmeal Stout

Brewed by Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company
Style: Sweet Stout
Billings, Montana USA

Thanks Jake65! Black pour with a nice tight beige froth that lingers nicely, leaving behind quite the stickey lacing in its wake. Aroma is chocolate, roasted barley, sweet oatmeal, some dark roast coffee, and a slight creamy aspect. Flavor is actually a bit sour and wholly startling. I’ve never tasted a beer this dark with a tart puckery aspect- even vinegary. perhaps a bad batch? Either way I dont think it works for this style. All sweet malt and roast aspects are upstaged by the bracingly sour kick. Palate is medium to full with a pillowy, well carbonated mouthfeel. I’m not sure what to think of this.

Black pour with a one finger light tan, frothy head. Aroma has lots of oat, roasted barley, a bit of coffee, and some creamy chocolate. Flavor is surprising; lots of sour notes mix with dark chocolate, cream, and coffee. Palate is dominated mostly by the sour aspect; could this bottle be past its prime, or is that intended? Can’t rate it too high with such an odd flavor, but if I stumble across it again, I’ll give it a second try.

Bottle: Pours a dark brown, near black color with a large brown head. Aroma is rich with roast and milk chocolate. Just a light coffee presence. I’ll admit that I first got into this while it was too cold and holy crap was it sour... I thought sour coffee grounds were something I’d never experience, but there ya go! After about 20 minutes of counter time, the taste mellows out into a more roasty, coffee and lightly bittersweet chocolate blend. Still some light sours up front. I’d agree with the recent rate that noted a metallic element. Darn, I had really been looking forward to trying this... re-rate to follow soon.

"Pours dark black colour with a medium sized tan head. Dissipates quickly leaving a trace of brown lace around the glass. Aroma has some burnt toast and dirt notes to it. Taste comes across a bit too metallicy for my liking. Roasted malts with some dark chocolate on top of everything. A little espresso bean flavour as well. Which it wasn’t so darn metallicy otherwise i think i would rated this higher.

12oz bottle. Opaque black with a respectable beige head. Sweet and pungent chocolate aroma. Lots of lacto oatmeal flavors, slightly sour and pungent but very drinkable. This is a really well done version of the style, capturing those sweet nuances while remaining drinkable and refreshing. Some crispness up front, but quickly fades into malty chocolate sweetness. Well done.

Brown with a thin tan head. Aroma of roasted and sweet malt and chocolate. Taste of roasted malt, chocolate and milk sugar and some sourness and cardboard, perhaps infection is setting in.

Great coffee and chocolate Aroma. Heavy dark brown/black appearance. If i was told it was an imperial stout i wouldn’t have questioned it. Flavor smooth, thick, rich, creamy, coffee, chocolate. palate pleasant. Overall impression: i was impressed.

12 oz bottle. Poured an opaque mahogany color. Aroma was very strong and pleasant, mostly chocolate and coffee, very sweet-smelling. Flavor was quite different, very sour up front, some roasted malt taste, with a long finish and coffee aftertaste. Palate was very lively for a stout, but thick nonetheless. Overall a great tart stout.