Black Treacle Oatmeal Stout - Tasting Notes

Tasted 2/7/2011

Appearance

Deep black, with a nice tan head that recedes after pouring but never quite disappears.

Smell

Lots of heavy roasty notes (more coffee-like than chocolate), with a little sourness from the roast barley and a hint of smooth butterscotch (presumably from the black treacle).

Taste

Similar to the smell; it begins with tons of roasty flavors, then progresses to a sort of tangy molasses-like sourness that’s probably due to a combination of the dark malts used, the oatmeal, and the treacle. It finishes smooth with some serious (but not overpowering) coffee bitterness and some of the complex caramel flavors I tasted in the treacle.

Mouthfeel

Nice thick body with medium carbonation.

Notes

The finish is fantastic (it reminds me a bit of Deschutes’ The Abyss), but overall it’s a little more bitter and sour than I would like. Still, it’s definitely drinkable and a fun experiment, even if the recipe could use a bit more tweaking.

See the recipe for this beer.