Style: Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 5%
Presentation: 550 ml brown bottle
Brewery: : Samuel Smith Old Brewery (Tadcaster)
Country: England

KANPAI! w/ Jeff Werstiuk

It is thanks to the founder of the beer importing company Merchant du Vin, Charles Finkel, that Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout even exists, let alone reintroducing to the world what had become an obsolete and nearly forgotten beer style.  Back in 1978 he had made it his mandate to seek out the exemplar version of what he defined as the two dozen major classical beer styles, all from traditional breweries found in the homeland of each respective style.  His quest was nearly complete when he realized that no one was producing an Oatmeal Stout, in fact the last consumer produced Oatmeal Stout hadn’t been sold since the turn of the 20^th century.  This was when Finkel approached the Samuel Smith brewery in Tadcaster to devise a traditional recipe so they could once again reintroduce Oatmeal Stout to the world again in 1980 after 3 generations of its absence.  There are many other fine stouts of this style available these days, however it is Samuel Smith’s version that is used as a benchmark for it.

For those wondering, yes there are actually several different styles of stout, and are hardly like the “thick black molasses” or “motor oil” that many people stereotype them as.  The most well-known is Guinness which is a Dry Irish Stout, which also contains a small amount of oats.  Sweet/Milk Stouts are just like they sound, sweetened with lactose which is milk sugar.  Russian Imperial Stouts are extra strong and higher in alcohol content.  Oatmeal Stouts are also what their name claims, possessing a larger amount of oats (although still not overly substantial compared to the overall malt bill), which adds more sweetness to the flavour, and a rounder, silky smooth texture.  This style of stout even used to be prescribed to nursing mothers, not only for its high iron content but also for many other nutrients found within it.  I can’t personally condone this, but then again I’m not a doctor either (…although I always wanted to play one on television).  Still it was very popular in the 1800’s, almost as a liquid version of a multi-vitamin pill.

Here’s an ale you’ll want to pull out your favourite mug for, or any handy pint glass for sure.  It doesn’t have to warm up too much out of the fridge, yet a few minutes resting in your hands will loosen up the flavours a bit more.  Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout comes in a sturdy 550 ml brown bottle with gold foil around the neck and cap.  Not quite the stereotypical pitch black in appearance this Oatmeal Stout pours out a nearly opaque, a deep dark brown that will reveal a patch of garnet when held to direct light, while a thick spongy beige head crowns it with impressive retention.  Be prepared for a sweet aroma with mild roasted malt, even hints of treacle.  The mouthfeel is smooth, a little bit sticky at times, yet it is mostly silky and smooth.  Finally, the flavour is equally as sweet as the aroma reveals, the malt is roasted along with some cocoa notes, hints of licorice, a creamy milky sweetness with a dry finish.  Some acidity may be apparent too.

This Oatmeal Stout is decent with desserts such as cheesecake, buttery fruit pastries, and baked chocolate goods.  Curiously the Samuel Smith website recommends a wide array of food pairings to go with this stout, some that left me scratching my head, but to quote:  “Pizza and salad, Italian foods, steamed clams, grilled ahi tuna, lobster with drawn butter, steak, ploughman’s lunch, crumpets, shish kebabs, vegetable ragout and eggs Florentine, dark flavorful bread and aged Stilton.”  Also of note is that stouts in general go great with bivalve shellfish, especially oysters.  The slight acidity of this Oatmeal Stout also compliments lamb as well.  One last detail of note is that Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout is a vegan beverage, for those who take extra personal caution with what they consume.

The next steps in the cooler:

From This Brewery:
Old Brewery Pale Ale
Taddy Porter
Imperial Stout
India Ale
Nut Brown Ale
Organically Produced Lager
(also an Organic Cider!)

In-Style:
St-Amboise Oatmeal Stout
Bete Noire - Paddockwood

Other Stouts:
Shakespeare Stout - Rogue
Andean Stout - Cerveza Jerome
Midnight Sun Espresso Stout - Yukon
Jamaica Stout

For The Adventurous:
Old Rasputin Imperial Russian Stout - North Coast Brewing
Trois Pistoles - Unibroue
Old Crustacean - Rogue

Tags: England, Stout

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