Maplewood "Fat Pug" Oatmeal Milk Stout

My journey with Maplewood has been up and down, but I'm certainly not put off of this brewery. A brown ale is difficult to get right in the first place, so the fact that their worst so far just nosedived under the average rating to get a 1.75 is nothing to hold against them. I want to see how an oatmeal stou... I mean a milk stout? I dunno. Either way, I want to drink.

Black beer. White head. The black of the beer is as predictable as night and day, but the white head is a pretty nice addition. I don't recall the last beer I had that was this dark and had the stark contrast of a very white head. The aroma is sweet added to oatmeal, so it might be a sense memory that makes me think this is oatmeal with brown sugar in it. Either way, it smells pretty good. 

First sip is very, very nice. The oatmeal is added to wood and the sweetness of the milk is added in an amusing way. This has the depth of a barrel aged beer without the heavy alcohol. Honestly, I think they should make a Fat St. Bernard version that is aged in barrels, as I think it would fit the beer nicely. I shouldn't be taking anything away from this beer in front of me, though, as it is good without the added effort.

Tip-in is somber oatmeal with light carbonation and sweetness from the lactose. The middle becomes stodgy as the oatmeal seems to back itself up a bit, and the flow doesn't seem smooth at all. The finish is bitter oats and a coating of wood and charcoal. 

As the cold leaves, and room temp starts to warm the beer up, the beer gets better again, but it brings coffee with it, so a little good and a little bad.

Bottom Line: A mixed bag

2.5/5