On the 8th Beer of Xmas... Wolavers serves up their Oatmeal Stout

Otter Creek Brewing / Wolavers
Type: Oatmeal Stout
ABV: 5.9%

Anyone else feeling a little more in the holiday spirit? I actually went out and did a little gift shopping after work yesterday... and certainly drinking all of these nice seasonals has me in a good mood. Kick back... sit with me now and let me introduce you to my buddy, Wolavers.

Whoa... Whoa... What's with the ORGANIC, Tone? You trying to save the planet one beer at a time? Let me guess, I should avoid this "healthy beer"?

Now, easy there buck-a-roo. Let's not judge a beer by its label. Yes, this IS an Organic Beer... but what exactly does that mean? (silence)

...yeah I thought so. "Organic" refers to the ingredients used to brew the beer. All of the agricultural products used fall under the USDA Standards. Natural fertilizers and non-chemical means of pest control. I'm sure my friends John and Kate (FoodCyclist.com), aka "Sussy" from the Howard Stern Show, could elaborate on that definition... but let's get to the beer.

When I'm walking in the package store, I never really give Wolavers a chance... I should too. Just a few months ago, they were a last minute addition to our 3rd Annual Pumpkin Tasting, and ended up finishing in the TOP 4! So, thank you Rit for suggesting this beauty...

It was very dark on the pour and had a slight brown/red hue near the sides of the glass. I got a little less than two fingers of fluffy head on the pour that ever so slowly settled after about 5 minutes, light tan in color. The lacing on the sides of the glass was much, much different than my last post, the Anchor Xmas Ale. This time around, the lacing coats the glass, almost creating a cascade on the sides.

The smell is something else... sweet malts, semi-sweet chocolate, vanilla... Maybe its just the time of the year, but I almost get a Christmas Cookie scent too with an almond, nuttiness. Needless to say, very enjoyable.

Over the past few years, I have acquired a taste for black coffee. Initially there's definitely a bitter-coffee quality to this beer, but it sweetens up quickly. There's a good malt texture as well... with more of that chocolate that I got in the nose. After a few sips, it was very similar to a malted milk ball flavoring.

Here's the surprise... between the beer style and color - one may think that this is going to sit like a lump of lead. But its surprisingly lighter than you would expect. A nice change for the Stout World. Come to think of it, I'm just finishing up my first beer and... hmmmm.. you know what? I think I have room for one more. You know, for the blog - just to be sure. Completely for research purposes only.

Overall: B+

Keep in mind this blog is OBVIOUSLY an opinion. So if you like a heavier stout, this isn't your beer. These are on the lighter side, which like I mentioned earlier is actually a good quality from time to time. By a 6-pk the next time you go out and enjoy a few with your friends.

Food pairing... Yes, this is a lighter stout, but still has plenty of sweetness happening. This is good on its own, but save it for dessert if you are sitting down to a meal. I had mine with some Apple Pie. Kinda awesome, not gonna lie.

...And definitely check out the Foodcyclist.com when you have a moment... the journey that these two are taking is AMAZING. JUST last week they were at Lagunitas! (See 12th Beer of Xmas)

Thanks again, Rit!!