Alaskan Brewing Co: Stout

Happy New Years to all beer drinkers out there. If you celebrated 2009 with some drinks I hope you are feeling refreshed and recovered. This past NYE, I somehow mixed in a variety of beverages including tequila and champagne: which I immediately regretted the next morning. Despite some poor alcohol choices, I did manage to enjoy a couple fine beers before the festivities spun out of control.

One of the beers I sampled was Alaskan's Oatmeal Stout. I had this beverage really early in the night (with dinner actually) and thus I was able to sneak in a photo and I can remember enough to give you a solid review.

The first point of note is that the head on this stout is very dark. A heavy tan color with hints of brown. The foam is an indicator of a rich flavor to come. The drink hits the pallate with a sharp coffee and dark chocolate bitterness. The mouthfeel smooths out with some dark malty flavors. Overall I was quite surprised as a lot of oatmeal stouts have a light sweetness and oat flavor. This oatmeal stout reminded me of a traditional or export stout more than the oaty cousin. Maybe that's the reason Alaskan Brew Co. puts 'oatmeal stout' in small letters at the bottom of the label and the singular word 'stout' covers the center of the trade dress. Despite my surprise, it's a pretty tasty stout. It wasn't too thick and I was able to enjoy a couple before moving on to some other less worthy drink choices. Definitely a fine way to prepare for the new year. Cheers.