General Lafayette Malted Oat Stout

Cask at the brewpub, July 2006. A pitch black beer with a nice dense brown head. The aroma is sweet with strong notes of roasted malt as well as light notes of chocolate as well as a fruit rich mixture of malt and hops, the latter lending it notes of lemon. The flavor is sweet yet slightly acidic with notes of oatmeal, chocolate, caramel, and light notes of burnt malt, leading to a dry roasted oatmeal end which also has hints of wood. The body is a bit watery compared to the massive flavors.

From an aged barrel on Sixtel Saturday(11/11/06)... Appears a black color with brown edges when held to the light. The small, 1 finger, tan head quickly fades out and leaves a mild cap that crawls to the edges of the glass as a collar. The smell is of cocoa, raisins, coffee, cream, caramel, and diacetyl(buttered popcorn). There isn’t a sourness, or overdone slickness to this which makes me think that it wasn’t caused by Lactobacillus but rather they fermented it intentionally with an English Ale yeast(ringwood?) and it has just come to the forefront with aging. In looking at the BJCP guidelines, there should actually be a low amount of diacetyl present in an oatmeal stout so it really shouldn’t be punished for being present. Taste is of the same aromas with a glazed donut, roasted nut, and creamy flavor from the oats and yeast. Mouthfeel is mildly grainy but overall smooth, in a medium/full bodied roastiness that seems to be fitting for this style.

Batch listed as 6.1% ABV. Deep, dark body with muddy brown highlights and a very creamy, slowly receding tan head. Alluring and complex aroma of lush mocha and warm caramel, plus rum raisin highlights. Medium high sweetness with abundant coffee and chocolate flavors, plus licorice and an edge of tangy dark fruit. Roast emerges and comes on strong with each sip, lending some firm, charry bitterness. Smooth, silky texture. A great all-around stout that warms very nicely.

On draft at the Inn. Pours jet black with no head whatsoever. Nose was roasty and full of malt. Flavor was terrific, one of the finer stouts I’ve tasted. Very easy drinking stout. This would be a great beer if the Inn could figure out how to properly carbonate beer.

Malted Oat is a very dry stout. Greyish colored head and black body. Maybe a bit much on the alcohol content to be a session beer, but an easy drinking stout nonetheless.