Stone 20th Anniversary Encore Series: 12th Anniv. Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout

Who knew a worldwide hop shortage in 2008 would give rise to such a memorable, delicious beer? When it came time to craft a commemorative offering for our 12th anniversary, we decided to trade in the bitterness of hops for the bitterness of unsweetened chocolate, and paired that with flaked oats. Featuring a thick, rich, roasty mouthfeel and chocolate-heavy flavors and aromas, this onyx-colored, malt-forward beauty became an instant classic that shares space on our liquid trophy case alongside our hop-focused fan favorites. Rebrewed for our 20th Anniversary Encore Series.

Hops: Summit, Willamette, Galena & Ahtanum

3.9

1157 reviews

Escondido, United States

Community reviews

3.5 On bottle from Vinmonopolet Aker Brygge å while back. Pitch black color, some quickly dissipating foam. Medium high aroma intensity; choclate, roasty, coffee, malt, wine barrels and some leather. Full body & high complexity . Some sweetness, high bitterness-ok balance. Enjoyable

4.0 Whoa. Older bottle. Deep and opaque black pour; thin tan head. Surprisingly not too bitter. Tons of cocoa, dark chocolate and mild espresso notes. Long lasting rich cocoa notes, mild bitterness, moderate roast. Body is heavy but with mild booze presence. Overall very enjoyable stout.

3.9 Bottle, 650 ml, courtesy of Max. Shared with him and JFK10000. Black with medium brown head. Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, sweet, bitterness in finish, medium bodied.

3.8 Many thanks to Erzengel for sharing! A black beer with a mid-sized most good lasting tan head. Aroma of sweet mild roasted dark malt, chocolate, bitter hops. Taste of roasted bitter malt, coffee, intense bitterness, nice!

4.2 Many thanks to Werckmeister for organising this bottle! Deep caramel and dark chocolate. Moderate bitter, quite dry, great with lots of chocolate and roasted malts. Fantastic depth, bitter milk-chocolate, round, deep, fantastic. Long milk-chocolate and slightly roasted bitter aftertaste. Great brew!!

4.2 Bottle from pivny raj. Aroma: chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, slightly alcohol. Dark brown color, medium brown head, medium body, medium carbonation. Taste: coffee, roasted notes, chocolate, fruit tartness, red fruit, long lasting light hoppy bitterness.

3.8 Bottle. Black pour. Aroma of bitter cacao, oat, chocolate, coffee and roasted malt. Taste of soft smooth bitter pure chocolate, oatmeal, roasted malt, mocha coffee and a bitter hoppy finish. Smooth mouthfeel. Nice one.

3.5 Flaska. Svart med ett beigt skum. Dofter av mörk choklad och rostad malt. Smakinslag av mörk choklad, mörka bär, rostad malt och säd. Om än högst drickbart så lite oslipat i smaken, eller hårt i kanterna om man så vill.

4.6 Smell of chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, tar. Black colour, very dark brown, high head. Aroma of chocolate, coffee, oak, tar, alcohol, roasted malt, some vanilla. A myriad of flavours. Sweet, also rather bitter. Viscous texture, extremely heavy body. Excellent.

3.3 From Sept 2008 I got this bottle in a trade with russpowell. Thanks Russ! This pours a pitch black with a 1 finger head of tan foam. Head retention is so-so and there's very little lacing. The smell has a good bitter chocolate nose...surprise! Oh, I also get some notes of coffee, roasted malt, and a slight citrus hop smell and quite a bit of alcohol. The taste has a big dark chocolate bitterness up front followed by some roasted malt, coffee, good dark fruit, and some hop bitterness. Some alcohol peeks its way through as well giving me some warming. It has a fullish mouthfeel making it silky smooth, the carbonation is on the light side of medium, and it finishes with a nice oatmeal taste that brings some dryness...pretty drinkable and tasty but...I don't think I'd seek it out again. Like they said in the "old" days, it just doesn't turn my crank. Try some and see what you think,

3.4 Seems a bit rough around the edges for a Stone stout, unexpectedly tart in places and with an alcohol presence that belies its year on the shelf. Tons of dark chocolate sweetness to start things off, but a slash of currant gives a brief but unwanted fruitiness in the middle, while the back end grows increasingly dry and somewhat medicinal in its bitterness. Raisin, anise, and espresso pop up, yet the increasingly clingy finish doesn't quite jibe with the overall mellow oatmeal-and-chocolate profile. Pours a thick, bubbly black with a tan head and slight lacing. Nose is chocolate liqueur and a little coffee. Texture is viscous and creamy, but warmer than it should be. I much prefer the oaked edition.

4.9 Dry and compact stout with the usual stout characteristics, but in a very clear, succint way. Pours noticeably thickly. Coffee color. Elegant, dark beige lacing that diminishes quickly though. Perfect appearance with regards to how the beer tastes and smells. Aroma is solid, not too overwhelming, not too rich, has the usual chocolatey imperial stout aromas: dark malts, cocoa, mämmi, burnt notes, dried plum, maybe a hint of leather, some alcohol, ... But in this case the aromas are "compact". That is, it has all the aromas, but they group together in a very succint way. They're "intact" and perfectly balanced to each other without any part feeling overwhelming. Palate is refreshing and sleek. Very well balanced. Carbonation is small and dense, but fits to the style very nicely. Taste follows the aroma, but is more pronounced presentation of the aroma. Dark malts, dark chocolate (not pure cocoa this time), leaves a slightly oily, but pleasant mouth feel, mildly dry and bitter (lingering on the tongue) after taste that both feel very "coherent" as finishes. Surprisingly clean taste that could have more tastes than merely dark malts and dark chocolate, but these are what I can pick out. Perhaps the beer is just very clear tasting, that it focuses on these few tastes, but in perfect portions and textures. Solid beer that has nothing that tastes like it doesn't belong there.

4.0 Black with tan head. Aroma: chocolate, molasses, liquorice, dried fruit. Taste: bitter roasted malt, dry taste, cacao, some tartness.

3.8 Bottle bought @ Systembolaget. Black pour with a big frothy pale mocha head. Heavy burnt toast roasty taste with plenty of both coffee & bitter chocolate. Sweet & bitter taste. Soft, round & velvety mouth. Solid.

4.1 Pours pitch black with dark brown head, rather balanced, but quite small. Aroma is full of cocoa, dark chocolate, coffee beans, some vanilla and typical dark malts aromas. It could be more intensive. Taste is quite powerful punch of chocolate and cocoa as well as roasted grains, similar to chocolate or coffee liquor. Suprisingly high bitterness, it overwhelms finish, which is long and warming. Full-bodied with oily texture. Very nice beer.

3.8 650ml bottle. Jet black colour with slightly late awakening, small to average, thick, creamy, moderately lasting and lacing, tan head. Chocolately, dark malty aroma, notes of dark chocolate, fruity hoppy overtones with hints of physalis and blueberry. Taste is minimally sweet, chocolately dark malty, notes of dark chocolate, hints of liquorice, a touch of rust, blood, blueberry, physalis; minimally sticky palate. Super clean, relatively light and easy drinkable.

3.8 Bottle. Pours black with a pinkey finger, brown, creamy mostly lasting to a ring head that leaves no lacing. Creamy texture, medium body, medium bitter owing to the oatmeal, lightly sweet, soft carbonation, big nose of molasses, flavor of chocolate and a lingering medium bitter finish.

4.3 Bottle. Dark brown color, coffee foam. Aroma: caramel and sweet chocolate, coffee, cognac, cream, dried fruits. Taste: caramel, bitter chocolate, coffee, roasted, brandy, bright, mighty.

4.2 Vom Fass Stone Brewing Berlin 2016-04 getrunken. Auch ein perfektes Imperial Stout allerdings ohne Schörkel. Doch die Haferflocken machen die Stout ganz cremig weich am Gaumen und machen es zu was besonderen. Lecker! Vom Fass Stone Brewing Berlin 2016-10 getrunken (Special Rating 1-4-8-5-8) . Dies hatte ich besser in Erinnerung. Ok hier dominiert die leckere, bittere Schokolade am Gaumen. Doch in der Nase beginnt es wenn es wärmer wird nach einem Urinal einer Autobahntoilette zu stinken. Holla so was hatte ich noch nicht! Wenn man es nicht beim Trinken einatmet oder dran riecht dann geht es, alles andere kostet irgendwie Überwindung. Am Gaumen ist es aber immer noch verdammt gut. Daher immer noch 2 Daumen hoch.

2.6 Black with an uneven, brown, bubbly head. Aroma is oatmeal, cocoa, and firewater. Taste is mostly booze with some close-to-pure chocolate at the back end.

3.9 Zwart bier met wand klevende bruine schuimkraag. Geur: melkchocolade, groene kruidige hop, wat koffie. Smaak: geroosterde moutbitterheid, redelijk zoet, alcoholisch, noterig. Medium koolzuurprikkel. Afdronk: lang, bitter-zoet.

4.0 66cl bottle. Dark color. Taste is medium bitter. Quite dry body. Aroma and flavour is chocolate, liquorice, nutty, coffee.

4.1 1pt 6fl oz bottle at home from De Caigny, Belgium. Nose is cocoa, roasted malt, light smoke, vanilla. Body is black, head is small, brownish, creamy, mostly lasting, good lacing. Aroma is roasted malt, dried fruits, old wood, dust, attic, dark chocolate. Light sweet, medium to heavy bitter. Finish is long lasting roasty and hoppy medium bitter, alcohol is not noticeable. Full body, creamy texture, soft carbonation. Relative easy dessert beer, tasty, well balanced, nice one.

3.9 (650ml bottle from Systembolaget) Pours black with with a big latte-coloured head that fades to a solid cap with lace. Aroma of unsweetened chocolate, umami, burnt grains, molasses, some brewed coffee, sweet but with some balancing bitterness. Semisweet chocolate, torrified sugar, sweet black coffee, rapidly shifting towards bitter notes of roasted, somewhat burnt grains, baker’s chocolate and cacao nibs, a little hint of a liqueur to it, and then finishing bone dry with no real hint of the sugary sweetness from the start, long lingering burnt grain and unsweetened chocolate notes. Mouthfeel is moderately thick but fairly silky, oats showing a bit, with soft carbonation. Feels like a foreign stout more than an impy, given the relatively lighter body and ABV for contemporary examples of the style. It drinks really really easily for that ABV though.

3.6 22oz (Educators on Tap)- Dark, dark pour with caramel head. Slight coffee and chocolate scent. Sweet promise and then the bitterness and burnt caramel.

3.9 Bottled 01/16. Pours pitch black, tan head. Aroma is lots of roasted malt, chocolate, cocoa powder, dark fruit, plum, licorice. Flavor is smokey, dark chocolate, dark fruit, bitter coffee and chocolate. Solid.

4.0 Bomber from web SB cons 2017-06-11 Göteborg AR: cacao beans, roasted malt, java AP: opaque black, black thick lid F: dark rich chocolate, bitter, richcarbonation, chocolate liquor, warming feeling, dry, elegance,

3.6 Pours almost black, elusive tan head. Aroma is coffee, wood, smoke and dark chocolate. Some dark fruits emerge on the tongue, raisin, cocoa powder, wood, roasted nuts... Very bitter finish, lingers, a tad chalky. Good.

4.0 Draft at Aces. Kicked the keg. Pours nearly black with a beige head. Aroma is deep dark chocolate, coffee. Very smooth and easy to drink for the abv. Flavors of semi sweet chocolate, dark coffee. Nice.

3.7 Draught @ Ted’s Corner Tavern. Inky black with small creamy tan head, mocha aroma with roasted malt, medium carbonation, medium bitter roasted malt and bitter chocolate taste, smooth but thin body, long bitter roasted malt finish. Very tasty but disappointingly thin for a stout.