This is my first official post about something so here goes. Rain started coming down pretty hard this afternoon so I decided to grab a lawn chair and enjoy the weather outside with a beer. I had been craving a stout for awhile and decided to grab the Ipswich Oatmeal Stout that Anabel brought me from Boston. It was just what I've been craving. It smelled very roasted and like a mix of coffee and dark chocolate although no one aroma prevailed over the others, very balanced. First sip gave me a pronounced roasted malt and barley flavor with an underlying hint of bitterness and slight coffee taste. Had a nice caramelized flavor to finish. Nice thick mouthfeel with not too much carbonation, which I like in a stout. Could tell this was not your typical stout and I think it's the first oatmeal stout I've had. As it warmed and I got towards the bottom of the bottle, began to feel a slight tickle on the tongue and the toasty flavor stood out more. I think the tongue thing was more because I hadn't eaten anything all day rather than a characteristic of the beer. A slight hop flavor also started to come through which was a pleasant surprise. Overall very balanced and a must try. It made me crave the steaks I had yesterday again and this would be a great compliment to a thick juicy steak. Beer got me craving Chico's now which begs the question: Which beer is the perfect pairing for Chico's?
