Oatmeal Stout is one of my favourite styles. It is my most cherished (and most medalled) homebrew recipe, and I am a sucker for a well made version. At home, I make a big, roasty version with lots of everything in it. Likely too big for commercial purposes.

I also love that oatmeal stouts seem to have a built-in authenticity sticker. Most styles, in particular IPAs, pale ales and the like, have commercial versions that are simply not up to snuff – the brewer intentionally or unintentionally mis-appropriated the name, or was afraid to brew it the way it should be. Even Stout has that problem. I have had more than a few stouts that simply do not classify as such.

However, Oatmeal Stout seems to avoid all that. I think it is because it has never been the “next big thing” and the marketing advantage of “oatmeal” is virtually nil. Plus oats can be a bit finicky to work with. The result is better brewers are the ones who take a stab at the style, and when they do they are committed to getting it right. Think of the Canadian examples, from Paddock Wood’s Bete Noire, Wild Rose’s Alberta Crude to the globally recognized St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, and they all land nicely in my belly and call out for another to join them. They are all nuanced differently, but all clearly come across as an oatmeal stout. No debating what they are.

The veracity to the style is even more curious due to the fact that it was a 1970s creation of Charles Finkel and Samuel Smith Brewing, so it can’t claim a long history of brewing techniques.It is just a style brewers don’t want (or need) to mess with.

All this is a rambling preface to report that the first beer of Alley Kat’s Big Bottle Series is now out, Three Bears Oatmeal Stout. I had a chance to try a bottle yesterday. It is a dark, opaque black with mahogany highlights at the edges. Its medium tan head builds strongly and then maintains a thin blanket with a touch of lacing. In the aroma I pick up big chocolate, dark toffee, some raspberry (surprisingly), and a hint of subdued roast.

The first sip brings more chocolate, some light coffee character and a soft grainy sweetness. I also pick up dusty cocoa in the middle. The finish and aftertaste leave a moderately sharp roast linger and balanced between sweet and dry. The beer has a subtle silkiness to its mouthfeel, which, I think, softens the roast.

It has everything required in an oatmeal stout – moderate roast, chocolate, balanced finish, and a silky mouthfeel. I might have preferred it to be a little less sweet and offering a touch more roast quality, especially in the aroma, but this is nitpicking. Like other Alley Kat special offerings, Neil, Lavonne and the boys have kept one eye on authenticity and first class brewing quality and another on balance and drinkability. A worthy addition to the catalogue of oatmeal stouts.