New England Series: Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout

After spending the past two weeks in 70+ degree weather in bone dry Colorado, it was actually a pleasant surprise to wake up to a classic Massachusetts spring morning freshly soaked by an early morning shower. At the end of my walk on the mud packed trails of Borderland State Park, nothing sounded better than getting back to my warm home and cracking open a stout, but the problem was that I had no stouts waiting for me and honestly had nothing in mind for a good stout around these parts.

A quick glance at what the coolers had to offer at the local packy (or liquor store for you out-of-staters) brought me to  Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout. I had never heard of Wolaver's before, but "Vermont's Own" adorned the top of the label, which honestly sealed the deal for me. After all, I am searching out New England brews that I have not been exposed to.

Wolaver's is credited as the first USDA certified organic brewery and is a subdivision of Otter Creak Brewing, which are both brewed in Middlebury, Vermont. Wolaver's mission takes simply brewing beer with organic ingredients to the next level by making efforts to support local sustainable agriculture as well as reducing their impact on the environment. This is slowly becoming a trend I think all micro breweries, as well as other businesses big and small, can appreciate and strive for. Anyways...

Picture from utoledo.edu

Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout was everything I was hoping for on this chilly, wet day. It poured an impenetrable dark (and I mean dark) brown with an inch head that dissipated down to something resemblant of cappuccino foam.  The smell is dominated by roasty aromas with hints of coffee and some chocolate, but I must say that the smell did not do the beer justice, in my opinion. The first sip was full of dark, robust malts that were accentuated by notes of sweet chocolate and coffee bitterness. There is also a very full bodied mouth feel that is quite creamy and silky, which can (more or less) be attributed to the high quantity of oats. In oatmeal stouts, oats make up as much as 20% of the grain bill which enhances the body while also adding a distinct creamy mouth feel.

I wish I could get this beer in Boulder. It is an exceptional example of an oatmeal stout that I would absolutely encourage anyone to get there hands on. It is also worth mentioning that this stout just took third place in the stout category at the Great International Beer Festival held in Rhode Island. Not too shabby...