Glassware: The roasted malt notes in a stout are fully unlocked as the beer begins to warm slowly toward room temperature. Glassware that allows body temperature to help warm the beer through the hands is the best choice. To accomplish this, the glass should be slightly thinner than standard shaker pint glasses. A great choice would be the Spiegelau stout glass, if this is not an option and you want something more authentic that you’d find in an English pub, try a nonic pint glass.
Description: Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout pours a deep brownish black with beige head that leaves behind a wonderful amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma is extremely inviting with bitter dark chocolate, hints of coffee, and oats backed by subtle earthy hops all melding together for a refreshing sensation. The taste follows the nose with hints of chocolate and coffee making appearances first followed by oats and hints of dark red fruits with earthy hops and fresh cream. The flavors all come together perfectly and the smooth body of the beer make for the perfect vessel to deliver these incredible flavors. The moderate carbonation is also perfect to invigorate the palate to fully enjoy all these wonderful flavors. This oatmeal stout is a phenomenal version of the style and a must try for all craft beer lovers and is also a great gateway beer for those looking to get into craft beer but haven’t found an approachable one yet, especially if you love darker beers!
Food Pairing: Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout is an absolute must-have when enjoying traditional English dishes. Fish and chips, bangers and mash, or even a simple Shepherd’s pie, all of these wonderful dishes are enhanced by the flavor profile from the rich roasted malts and very smooth body. These pairings will immediately transport you to a rural British pub. This is also an incredible beer to enjoy with seafood, especially steamed clams and oysters. The subtle salty flavors from the seafood match wonderfully with the semi sweet chocolate undertones in the beer imparted from the malts. One of the more obvious pairings with this beer is with dessert, but who doesn’t love ending a great meal with a great beer and dessert? Try pairing with rich chocolaty dishes such as chocolate cake, fruit tart, coffee cake or simply drop a scoop of your favorite ice cream into the glass for a delicious beer float!
The Final Word: Samuel Smith is a brewery with a long rich history of brewing world class beers and if you have ever been lucky enough to enjoy one then you already know this to be true. Their take on English styled beers is rivaled by few and their Oatmeal Stout is especially phenomenal. The rich flavor characteristics and smooth body bring a high drinkability factor and the easy approachable 5 percent ABV make this a great go-to beer for any St. Patrick’s Day celebration. While there is one very popular stout that many enjoy this time of year why not make the switch to craft beer for this years celebrations. There is no better time to begin drinking more flavorful delicious beers and don’t worry, you won’t see this one tinted green anytime soon.
