Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Fat Dog

Beer Name: Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout
Brewery: Stoudts Brewing Company
ABV: 9%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a lager glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

There were a whole lot of beers on the menu that I wanted to try, but I had to limit myself to two so that I didn't explode from a full stomach of beer, burger and chips. I think that would have ruined the day a bit. I believe the beer came in a lager glass, but I'm having a little trouble confirming this as Google doesn't really interpret verbal descriptions very well.

Fat Dog is a very dark beer that poured with little to no head. That fact along with the lack of much lacing doesn't really trouble me for this style of beer. It just makes me expect a thicker, creamier feeling stout, and there's nothing wrong with that. There's a somewhat strange aroma here, with the expected chocolatey notes (sweet chocolate to be a bit more specific) mixed with something I can't really put my finger on.

If I had tried this at a brewfest, I don't think I would have liked it. A couple of sips wouldn't really do it justice, as it needs some time to warm up and let the flavors mix together. Then it turns into a nice, smooth combination of chocolatey flavors with some coffee and just a light hint of hoppy bitterness in the background for some balance. It's very lightly carbonated, and seems quite thick in your mouth, making for a sort of velvety feel to each sip.

Final thought - A bit off-putting at first, this beer warms up nicely and turns quite delicious. The alcohol really sneaks up on you though. Many high ABV stouts have a noticeable alcohol taste to them, but I wasn't getting that here. You have to be careful with beers like this, as a few can quickly take their toll.

-Jon

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