Tallgrass Brewing Buffalo Sweat Oatmeal Cream Stout

I can't help but think of Booty Sweat from Tropic Thunder when I read this name. I'm not sure if that was their intent, but that's the effect. Obviously, they have a sense of humor, so it has a sparkle of creativity right there on the label. This is my first Tallgrass Brewing beer, and I am loving that I have found so many good beers lately.

It's a deep, deep brown with a tan head that dissipates nicely and leaves a shallow cap of head across the top to let you know this isn't a kind of soda - it's a grown-up drink. The aroma is dark and mysterious. It has smokey wood, bitter dark chocolate, and coffee. There is the undeniable smell of oatmeal, as you might expect, but it mingles with the smoke to make it seem overcooked.

First sip is sweeter than I expected. It still has the smoky malt and coffee, but it's cut with sweet cream to give a certain amount of lightness to the whole beverage. I can taste a bit of coffee and a gritty, earth taste like the coffee grounds are fine, but heavier than you'd expect in actual coffee. As is my way, I'm going in for the swig.

Tip-in is coffee and chocolate, but the chocolate is pushed to the back. Smoke swirls around everything like it's trying to make things more dramatic. Carbonation is all but missing at the beginning. The middle is very laid back - creamy and smoky - it highlights the grains that hit the back of the throat. As the finish comes, things alter pretty dramatically. The taste turns to iced coffee with an earthy trail.

Bottom Line: A very good beer, and I look forward to whatever kinds of animal sweat Tallgrass can brew up next.

3.75/5