Trafalgar Smoked Oatmeal Stout

22oz bottle purchased at LCBO in Toronto for around $5. Best before date of January 2008. Bottle explodes upon opening and spills all over the counter and floor. Good first impression. All I had done was move it from being on its side to upright five minutes prior. Beer on the floor and counter is poor appearance, thus the low rating there. When I finally do get to pour it, it’s fizzy and black. Aroma is not very smoky or stoutish and gives a hint of what is about to come. And that is sourness. The sourness dominates the palate and makes you wonder if a different style of beer was put in the bottle. This is not a good stout. But I seem to recall sampling this at the 2007 Golden Tap Awards at beerbistro, and it was just fine. Trafalgar’s quality issues continue.

Bottle: Poured a clear black color stout with a big foamy head with minimal retention and no lacing. Aroma is somewhat sour with some light subtle smoke. Taste is dominated by some disgusting sweetness with some light smoke and a sour aftertaste which leads me to believe we have another infected bottle from this atrocious brewer.

A dark brown stout with a light moka head. Aroma is sweet caramel and peat. In mouth, a sweet chocolate with peated notes, butterscotch, and toffee. Overall, rather light in mouth. But he, it ain’t infected! LCBO.

No head. Coke color.Weak carbonation. Nice flavor it’s real easy to drink. Classic stout flavor - not over the top.

This stout poured the usual deep black colour with a dishwater type foamy head. To the nose there are scents of smoke, oysters, glue, bread and burnt malt. First taste was quite smoky but thin for a stout. Kind of watery mouthfeel. Flavours of metal, smoke are the main found. The finish is thin and smokey with the palate carrying out to just smoke and a little bitter hopp flavour.

Dark black in colour with minimal dissipating head. Smells of smokey roasted oats, with a hint of chocolate. Tastes a bit watery with smokey meat kind of aftertaste. Pretty watery in consistency.

Bottle thanks to radiomgb. Not a bad beer by any means. Pours a clear black/dark brown with light tan head. Smoke, a little bit of bacon, roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee. Interesting stout because of the smokiness. Mouthfeel is too thin though. If they tried a little harder this would be a pretty good beer.

Bottle - 650ml. Pours an opaque black body with very low carbonation and an almost non-existent beige head. Decent malty/hoppy aroma with roasty, coffeeish and chocolate notes. Taste, however, lacks strength and complexity. It ends on a short and rather weak bitter/roasty finish.