Independence Barrel-Aged Convict Hill Stout

I'm still working my way through writing about all the fantastic beers i drank over Christmas.  These posts will probably take me well into February, because i had a lot of great stuff.  One of those excellent brews was the Barrel-Aged Convict Hill Stout from Independence Brewing.  The 9% oatmeal stout pours a dark, oily black with a tan head and smells of chocolate, malt, vanilla, oak, and whiskey.  The flavor is a smooth and almost creamy mix of the same with some very subtle notes of licorice in for the ride.  Convict Hill has always been a pretty good stout, but the barrel-age variety is on a whole different level.

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Bristol Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

"Make the Empire Great Again!"  Like i wasn't going to buy the beer with storm troopers on the label.

Last week i spent a few days in Denver and was able to sample a hand full of different Colorado brews, as one is wont to do when in Colorado.  The first during the trip (literally just a couple hours after landing) was the 10% ABV Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout from Bristol Brewing out of Colorado Springs.  The beer pours dark with a fleeting head and smells of malts, oats, hints of chocolate, and booze.  The beer's flavor was predominantly a mix of malt and alcohol but with a little extra tang to make things interesting.  Not a bad way to start the trip...and again, dig on those storm troopers.

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Ghost Eye Oatmeal Stout

A couple of years ago, the folks over at Real Ale brewed a collaborative beer with the guys from the Austin metal band The Sword.  It was tasty.  And now it looks like they're at it again, this time around with an oatmeal stout.  The Ghost Eye Oatmeal Stout derives its name from a track on the band's latest album, "High Country."  The beer pours a dark blackish brown with a minimal head, and is light bodied than what you might expect.  Aromas of grain and chocolate with hints of coffee are present, and the flavor is similar and very smooth.  This is an easy drinker for sure, with a 6.5% ABV content, and probably pairs well with almost anything you can throw at it.  Listen to the song the beer is named for below.

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Black Pumpkin Oatmeal Stout

Years and years ago, i got turned on to pumpkin ales courtesy of the very delicious, though now seemingly hard to find (in Austin anyway) version from Buffalo Bill's Brewery in Hayward, California.  Since then, i've moved on to other pumpkin concoctions from other brewers, but just found my way back to fold with the Black Pumpkin, a tasty pumpkin-tinged oatmeal stout.  (Man, a whole lotta pumpkins in that last sentence.)  The beer pours dark and thick and smells of pumpkin, spices, and roasted malts.  The flavor is creamy and roasty, with subtle chocolate notes and a whole lot of pumpkin, and at 7.5% ABV, this is a fairly easy beer to consume through the better part of a ballgame.  Gotta get my fill while the season's strong.

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Independence Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout

Hitting up an old favorite this time around.  Independence Brewing used to be my go-to-local-brewer before the veritable craft brew explosion of the last few years, and regardless of my wandering taste buds and a whole new plethora of competition, they still manage to crank out some tasty brews.  The Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout pours dark black with a decent foamy, off-white head.  The beer smells of malts, coffee, chocolate, and oats.  The taste is similar, but with some added bitter roasted notes to round the whole thing out.  This is a great 8% ABV stout, and it was nice to go back...like visiting an old friend.

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Millstream Back Road Stout

I'm tired.  It's been a long week.  Some dental work done on Monday...and even more to follow next week.  I can only chew on one side of my mouth.  My shoulder aches.  My (almost) 11 month old son never lets us sleep in.  I need a beer.  Something nice and smooth and thick and tasty.  Something dark and foamy that smells like malt and coffee and tastes the same with some hints of oatmeal can cocoa.  Millstream Brewing out of Iowa has just the thing for me.  The Back Road Stout is a great, post-dinner, late night libation...and i'm afraid i only have one left.  And that's a shame.

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Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout

When a beer has a name that sounds like a pimp...you buy and drink the damn thing.  And so we have Firestone Walker Brewing's take on an oatmeal stout, Velvet Merlin.  The beer pours a dark brown, blackish color with a fast dissipating tan head (it kind of looks like a Coke).  Aromas of coffee, malt, and woodiness pair with flavors of caramel, oatmeal, and more coffee.  For a stout, it's actually pretty refreshing and crisp, and is easily drinkable at 5.5% ABV.

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