Stoudt’s Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout – Can it work for large dogs?
Stoudt’s Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout – Can it work for large dogs?
Date: Western Pennsylvania, April 3, 2007 (9:22 pm EDT).
As I sit here writing this, it is 72 degrees outside at 9:22 pm on April 3rd. Seventy two degrees!?!? Yes, hard to believe. Got up to 82 today and tomorrow, the bottom falls off. Snow, yes, snow should be falling by this time tomorrow night and it’s supposed to be snowing over the Easter weekend. wow! For the craft beer drinker here in western Pennsylvania it’s a typical spring change, a roller coaster ride of temperatures, weather and extremes. Nothing so new. But it does pose a bit of a problem when it comes to embedding it in a proper malted drink. What to do what to do?
Should I go with a Maibock or Doppelbock? Something lighter, maybe even a fruit beer? hell no. We have snow on the way, and April or not, when it’s snowing outside, nothing goes better inside than a winter-style beer. Digging deep into the back of the fridge, I found my poison of choice for tonight. It’s an imperial oatmeal stout. Stoudt Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout to be precise.
Brewed on the east side of Pennsylvania in Adamstown, Stoudt’s craft beers have long held a respectable spot in my craft beer and microbrew rankings. Their Fat Dog Imperial Stout doesn’t disappoint either.
Pouring my cold 12-ounce bottle into a 16-ounce glass of Stoudt’s American Pale Ale (yes, purchased directly from the brewery on a visit a few years ago), this beer pours out a black licorice, but not as thick as I’ve made it. done normally. experienced or might have expected in an imperial stout.
A light, transparent candy head quickly leads to a quick melt to nothing more than a toffy crown of meek foam that sticks only to the glass wall. I’ve seen Cokes with creamier patches floating around than this concoction.
Taking a deep breath of aroma from the top, there is really a very true and rich chocolate aroma. Along with the chocolate, there is only a hint of roasted coffee that I was able to pick up. That’s a bit different from the start of many Imperials I’ve tried. Alcohol stings pinch the nostrils a bit too. Unsurprisingly, I’d guess from an adult beverage with over 9% ABV.
The flavor features a proper chocolate aftertaste, but yes, there are roasted coffee tones too. In fact, much more than I perceived from the smell alone. But still, creamy dark chocolate rules the day here. You can even find a few hits of molasses in the overall flavor environment.
The bite is also not as thick as I would have expected. A little thinner than I’d like in an Imperial Stout, but hey, that’s just me talking. The cords on my glass are also pretty non-existent. In fact, the glass is almost as clean when I finish the beer as when I started. It almost has that kind of bubble scrubbing effect. I could put this glass back in the cupboard and my wife would never know!
In the full sense of things, if you were to ask me, I would highly recommend Stoudt’s Fat Dog Oatmeal Imperial Stout. Personally, I’d definitely rank it in my Top 10 Imperial Stouts (of those I’ve tried, however limited). It definitely fits well within the guidelines of what one would expect to find in a quality, handcrafted imperial stout. It’s nice, with enough flavor to satisfy some of the most demanding tastes of dark beer fans. While not perfect in my book, it is presented well, chocolatey, warm, and memorable. A great craft beer to sip on a balmy early April night, on the eve of an impending cold front and snow and showers. Get yourself a Stoudts Fat Dog Oatmeal Imperial Stout before things really heat up in May. This is not a beer for a midsummer night’s dream.