A cold wind scatters
The night blooms dark
A fire beckons one
To sit amongst its embers and mind-stir awhile
Yet my glass,
Once dark and roasty with delight,
Lies empty
Another?

As winter chill arrives in earnest, I find my beer fridge depleted of the kinds of succor I most certainly look for on a cold chilly night: a porter or stout or some other winter warmer.  Cold winds, dank weather, and snow shoveling demands some sort of reward, lest one lose hope over the long winter cycle of boots on, boots off, and other assorted aches and pains of the season.

This year I found a newer offering in my area and a welcome addition to my beer fridge, an oatmeal stout that though it did not overwhelm me with flavor in the beginning, it certainly left an impression, or two.

Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout is certified organic, made with rolled oats grown in Vermont, as well as organic wheat, malts, barley and hops. Its alcohol by volume (ABV) rating is 5.9%. It is available from September through April each year.

Tasting Notes
Brewed with oats ands large amounts of malt, the stout pours to a wonderful pitch-black espresso color with a slight head. There are coffee notes abounding in the taste and mouth-feel: a roasted, toasted smoky flavor, hints of chocolate, with some sharpness at the finish. It has a bittersweet bite, like that of burnt chocolate with caramel flavors underneath. There is a definite and welcome espresso-like quality at work.

The stout is smooth but has a subtle oiliness to it. The mix of sweet and bitter battles against the smokiness, which largely predominates. There is little in the way of a hop presence; the dryness is mostly on the bitter side of the mix. The smoky quality will lessen its appeal to some stout drinkers who prefer a creamier, more rounded flavor.

That said, I think the flavors marry pretty well. I warmed to the smokiness after awhile and I liked the bitter chocolate edge it had. This is a nicely done stout, but not a must-have. It is worth consideration as a winter warmer and would add a nice smoky coffee flavor to a beef stew as well.

Indeed, Wolaver's has recipe for oatmeal stout stew on its site. It also suggests pairing it with Gouda if you should be having a beer and cheese tasting.

Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout has grown on me. I prefer some of their other offerings more (Pale Ale, IPA, and Pumpkin Ale) but I will definitely keeping some of this in my beer fridge for winter nights and conversation. I might simmer some Brats in it at some point. (three stars, $8.49 per six-pack)

[Wolaver's Brewing Company is more of what it used to be (it started as a contract-brewed organic brand for Otter Creek Brewing and later wound up buying Otter Creek in 2002). It now exists as a niche organic brand of Otter Creek, stilled brewed in Middlebury, Vermont. The Wolaver's side of the business offers 3 year-round offerings and 3-4 specialty seasonals, and a few one-offs; all made from organic ingredients. The Otter Creek side offers 5 year-round, 4 seasonals, and a number of a specialty releases.]

*My thanks to Bruguru for adding the stout to the category.*

Sources
www.wolavers.com

Recommended: Yes