Oatmeal Stout vs. American Stout - Adv Cicerones Compare

In this stout-y episode, Advanced Cicerones Chris Cohen & Scott Fielder taste and discuss the differences between American Stout & Oatmeal Stout. We've got BJCP approved commercial examples Bell's Kalamazoo Stout vs. Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout.

These styles are both black, roasty, and they have similar ABV levels. So how can you tell them apart? The main differences here will be found in their mouthfeels, levels of perceived bitterness, and there will be some hints in their aromas/flavors.

First off, if you get dank or piney hop aromas in the nose, it's probably an American Stout. This is a beer style that typically features a surprisingly high level of hop aroma and bitterness (as usual, the US takes English beer styles and makes them stronger, cleaner, and more bitter!). American Stouts tend to be VERY roasty and VERY bitter. They finish with a sharp, acrid, burnt and bitter taste, often with a touch of roasted malt derived astringency (that's the mouth drying sensation you get from overly steeped tea or an intense red wine...it's a physical sensation but is often confused with bitterness, which one of the primary tastes).

Oatmeal Stout, on the other hand, typically comes across as more full bodied and creamier, without quite the high level of burnt roastiness or hop bitterness. It's still a stout, so it'll have burnt malt flavor, but thanks to the dense body provided by the addition of oatmeal to the mash, the roast isn't perceived as being so intense. Oatmeal Stouts typically only have enough hop bitterness to balance the beer, it usually won't finish sharply bitter. As for aroma and flavor, you may get some nutty oatmeal flavor, sometimes described as almost like toasted peanuts or peanut butter in some cases. The thing oats really do for this beer is boost the body of the beer, providing a denser mouthfeel that can verge on the strange descriptor of "oily." The denser mouthfeel and lower bitterness level of Oatmeal Stout means that you'll perceive it was sweeter and more balanced than an American Stout.

Remember, NEVER rely on visual cues in a blind tasting.

In the Beer Scholar "Classic Styles Side-By-Side" series, we compare similar classic styles, discuss them, & provide tips for how to pick them apart in a blind tasting. This is all about helping you pass the Certified & Advanced Cicerone exams. Tasting blind is HARD, we're here to help!

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