Young’s Oatmeal Stout

Chocolatey, roasted, nutty. This is a light stout that does not have a true, distinct scent. The color is a deep, ruby red with a milky tan head with a touch of red.

I tasted chocolate, roasted nuts, coffees, ashtrays, cigarettes and cigars in this disappointing offering. Particularly at $4.00 per bottle, I was expecting this to be on par with Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. I admit that the bar is set very high by my special occasion beer, Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout, but Young’s comes in at about .35 cents more for a single bottle. At the price point, I think it is OK to expect more.

Don’t get me wrong. Young’s Oatmeal Stout has some excellent qualities. It drinks a little more like a saspirilla than a beer. It has a certain hint of latte sweetness and the toasty flavor is quite delicious unless you happen upon the ashtray aftertaste. I hope that was an aberration as I clearly am not much a tobacco guy. This is disappointing in an i-was-expecting-it-to-get-into-harvard-and-it-is-going-to-babson way, not a my-honor-student-got-a-DUI-and-knocked-up-his-girlfriend way.