Review: Ipswich Oatmeal Stout

Ipswich Oatmeal Stout
7.0% ABV

Mercury Brewing Company, Ipswich, MA

22 oz btl

Served in St. Bernardus chalice glass

Bottled on 9/28/12
Reviewed on 3/15/13

This stout pours a dark inky color with a bubbly toasty beige head that keeps good form.  Quite good lacing.

Smell has chocolate, oatmeal, coffee, malt, slight hops, slight caramel, mild milk, mild dark fruit.

Taste has bitter dark chocolate, coffee, malt, oatmeal, some hops, hints of raisin and perhaps cherry, mild alcohol.

Mouthfeel is smooth yet with some good bitter bite on the tongue.  Creaminess and even some dryness on the palate.

Overall, this is a quite solid tasting oatmeal stout with a nice bitter dark chocolate flavor and good notes of coffee and oatmeal.  Fairly complex with a touch of alcohol and some good smoothness and creaminess on the palate that's somewhat balanced by the bitterness and some dryness.  The shelf life on this is almost 6 months, but it's still quite good.  A nice discovery at a great price. 

My score: 95