Style: Stout (Sweet, Milk, Oatmeal)

ABV: 4.5

90/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	17
Mouthfeel:	5

Denizens Brewing Company Cool Breeze

What the brewers say

“Our English-style oatmeal stout. Flavors reminiscent of coffee and chocolate-chip cookies.”

What our panel thought

“Pleasant aroma of chocolate malt, with light pear esters. Mineral notes imply dryness. Flavor is roasted malt with chocolate overlay. Malt body with hints of toast and dark candy sugar. Creamy on the tongue; smooth, bitter finish.”

What our editors thought

“Peanut and milk-chocolate aroma with a touch of hay and earth. Sharp dark chocolate in the initial sip gives way to warmer nutty tones, but the bitter chocolate lingers with a mineral edge.”

Review printed in: The Malt Is the Message (Spring 2024) (View All Issues)

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Union Craft Brewing Snow Pants

“Nice chocolate-latte aroma, lightly sweet. Floral, earthy hop notes. More roast malt in the flavor than in the aroma. Assertive bitterness dries the finish. Lingering dark-chocolate aftertaste.”

Upslope Brewing Company - Flatiron Park Oatmeal Stout

“Malt aroma medium-strong, roasted with some chocolate, coffee. Chocolate and dark-roasted malt balance nicely in the flavor. A pleasant nutty, toffee malt character mid-palate. Firm bitterness balanced by medium body, a light sweetness. Some lingering astringency in the dry mineral finish.”

Soul Fire Brewing Co Goatman

Moderate chocolate and light coffee malt aroma. No hop. A bit of light fig. Brown (not black) w/ ruby highlights, nearly absent head and retention. Strong malt flavor, lots of chocolate and toast. Lower coffee. Sweeter than expected with an FG more in a sweet stout range. Quite a smooth roast flavor overall and very pleasant and enjoyable to drink. Mouthfeel nice and full. Carbonation low (needs to be creamy in mouthfeel). Quite lovely, but really misses the mark on an oatmeal stout. Sweetness seems like a robust/American porter, but I don't really think the alcohol is there. Style doesn't really need to mean anything if this beer is selling well (and I expect it does). Black pour with ruby highlights and a thin tan head. Sweet chocolate nose with a touch of ash. Round body with a thinner underlying malt structure. Chocolate, dark roasted coffee and dark fruit flavors with an elevated roast character. Sweeter finish with more coffee notes and a lingering roast quality. Leans more porter than oatmeal stout.

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