Wagner Valley Brewing Oatmeal Stout

Brewed By: Wagner Valley Brewing
Brewed In: Lodi, NY
ABV: 5.5 ABV
Type: Stout

What They Say: A classically brewed British style oatmeal stout. Dark, rich malt tones are highlighted with the subtle sweetnesss of fresh whole grain oats. Chocolate, coffee & caramel notes abound in this creamy, full-bodied flavor profile. This complex, yet elegant British ale is extremely smooth & drinkable.

Why I Picked It: Wagner Vineyard has become, I think, my favorite place in New York State. I’ve gone consecutive years and both times I had the same thought at the end: I want to live next door to this brewery and come here every day. I’ll take a job cleaning the toilets. I desperately want to go to one of their Fridays On The Brewdeck even if I don’t know any of the bands. Just the idea of sitting outside, overlooking the vineyard and lake, and sipping great beer to music is awesome. I chose this because it was one of only two beers (the IPA was the other) that I hadn’t reviewed after my trip last year. I also purchased a growler of their Maple Porter. If Rogue is the most underrated brewer on the west coast, Wagner Valley is the best brewery you’ve never heard of unless you live in a small, five county block of Western NY.

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Presentation (5): Their labels are relatively generic. I like the seasoned wood look, though I don’t understand the longship as the beer’s iconic image. Also, the website suggests this beer’s full name is “Caywood Station Oatmeal Stout” but that isn’t evident on the bottle. They use the same longship image on their IPA label. Maybe it’s just the default if they have nothing else? 2

Originality (5): Standard oatmeal stout. Nothing fancy. 2

Body (10): This pours a deep, oily black with a small strip of head, good lacing, and the aroma of a stout. The carbonation is a little bit more than I’d expect out of a stout but it works in this case. The one word that comes to mind is hearty. The carbonation offsets a bit of the heartiness but still, well, hearty. 9

Taste (10): There’s nothing groundbreaking in this particular version of a stout. The coffee and chocolate malts take the feature presence in the aroma and flavor. It’s stereotypical stout across the board. The most impressive thing about this beer is the crispness in the finish. Stouts usually finish dry and malty. This one is almost, well, refreshing. Mind you, it doesn’t quite reach refreshing, but it’s closer than most stouts even dream of getting. 8

Efficiency (10): I purchased this directly from the brewery in a mixed sixpack with some other favorites reviewed last year. Ordered online, the beers are $10/sixpack and, according to the website, they are currently not shipping beer due to state regulations. Allow me one more chance to state categorically how much I despise the absurdly crooked state of New York. But, hey, the Democrats and Obama will protect consumers, right? They’d never consider anti-consumer, stifling legislation at the federal level, right? The cost kills the efficiency for the 99.999% of the country outside the local brewery area. 6

Versatility (10): This is hurt by the generally low versatility of a stout. They’re very seasonal and, near as I can tell, their fanbase is even small amongst those of us in the every growing beer snob community. As usual, this isn’t something someone would drink much of and they probably wouldn’t offer it to their friends. That’s not to say it isn’t delicious because, well, it is. 5

The Snob Sez: Another great offering from Wagner Valley. I really wish I could get some of their stuff more often than the one time a year I get to Central New York.

Final Score: 32 (of 50) OK beer.

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