The Active 20-30 Club held their meeting at Total Wine in Uptown tonight and afterwards, I wandered over to the beer aisle to see what new stuff had landed in Albuquerque. As of late, I sorta look for something that stands out as different. With all of the new breweries being distributed out here, it's been fun finding new things.Don't ask me why a bomber with a bright purple galleon seemed like a good choice...but it sure did. The Ipswich Oatmeal Stout out of Ipswish, MA does stand out for me as a somewhat different style of oatmeal stout. I like me a good stout, but most of the ones designated as an "oatmeal" stout lean much more to a mellow flavor than I found with the Ipswich. Not that this is bad - you got a big ol' hit of coffee at first taste. This beer is thick and sticks to your mouth a bit, really coating it with flavors of bold coffee, tart dark chocolate and a whole lotta malt. Without reading the brewmaster's recipe card, I also believe they use a lot of roasted malt - there is a heavy smoke flavor to this brew. It definitely meets the visual and aromatic qualities of an oatmeal stout - good luck seeing anything on the other side of this glass.
Would I get this beer again? Yes, but it's not one I would probably pick up on a routine basis. I checked it out on BeerAdvocate and I can't say I agree with the overwhelmingly good reviews. While good, I have found a lot of other beers that I think better embody the style - check out my posts on the Marble Oatmeal Stout and the Four Peaks Oatmeal Stout.
Emerging next from the fridge will be a pumpkin beer from Samuel Adams. 'Tis the season for pumpkin beers, so only seems right to review one...or a few.
