Tuesday, 27 April 2010

• Happy Hour! Ninkasi Oatis Oatmeal Stout

  
  
  

  This seasonal brew comes to us from the Ninkasi brewery in Oregon. Oregon is home to so many great breweries and great beers, so of course our expectations for this beer were high. Picked up a 22 ounce bottle of this beer while shopping and split it two ways. We weren't let down, either.

  
  
  Pour:
  
  LG: Opaque brown in color with noticeable setiment and a thick 3 fingers of brown, frothy head. When held up to the light appears a very cloudy dark brown.
  
  Tracy: Cloudy jet black with a big head. Almost too pretty to drink.
  
  Smell:
  
  LG: Oatmeal sweetness dominates the nose with underlying tones of chocolate malts, expresso, and a little bit of fruity/floral scents.
  
  Tracy: Sugary sweet overtones with undertones of coffee, toffee, and some floral hops.
  
  Taste:
  
  LG: A huge wallop of oatmeal sweetness right off the bat. Gives way to a chocolate malty and coffee middle of the palate with undertones of toffee and molasses. The back finishes up with a slightly dry hop bitterness and a little bit of a citrus note. Lots of subtle hints going on, but a very big flavor indeed.
  
  Tracy: The first thing you notice is a syrupy-sweet front end, almost a little overpowering. The middle of the palate is very Guinness-like but intensified a bit - it has that semi-sweet coffee/chocolate taste. Not much in the way of hops, but the beer is well-balanced and delicious.
  
  Mouthfeel:
  
  LG: Medium-to-full, yet slightly thin comparatively for this style. Low carbonation and extremely smooth. Very pleasant.
  
  Tracy: Thick and creamy. Hardly any carbonation, I thought it was perfect.
  
  Drinkability:
  
  LG: A nice sipping beer. Goes down well, but drinks a bit like a meal. Half the bottle was plenty for me.
  
  Tracy: Goes down easily but it's very filling.
  
  Final Notes:
  
  LG: I had high expectations about this beer, and for good reason. This beer was pleasing in every way. I would definitely drink this again and I hope to add it to my rotation. A bit pricey, and very alcoholic (7.5% ABV), but worth it. I'm grading this beer an "A."
  
  Tracy: It was a good beer. I think the front end sweetness could be toned down a little bit, but other than that it's very good and I would recommend it. I think it would pair well particularly with your favorite desserts or as an after-dinner beer. My final grade is "A-."
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