22 oz. bottle, pours black with a small tan head. Aroma of oats, sweet roasted malt and chocolate. Flavour of rich, sweet roasted malt, oats, light chocolate and coffee.

Draught @ the brewpub. Pours a black color with a tan head. Has a roasted malty chocoalte and licorice aroma with some hoppy hints. Roasted warming malty bitter chocolate and licorice flavor. Roasted malty chocolate finish wit some bitterness in the aftertaste.

Draught chalice at Redbones on 11/1/07
Not much retention or lacing is put forth by this and there isnt even much of the tan head, but the beer is a lustrous, deep espresso brown-black, with burgundy-violet highlights. Clarity is medium.
Lovely vinousness is allowed to shine, not being beaten down by too much malt sweetness or bitterness. Hops display a touch of piney resin, but they augment the deep espresso dryness and do not assert themselves, neither in aromatics or bitterness, thankfully. Some doughiness and cookie-like notes soften the vinousness, somewhat, on the finish, but prunes and poignant berries can not be held down here. Chocolate-espresso-liquor-like notes give warmth and complexity on the finish. Medium sterngth of aroma, no flaws.
Lip smackingly tart vinousness notes are elegantly displayed atop of "antique" maltiness. Very woody and old, but in a good way. It has none of the crystally, bready, crackery-like dryness, but all of the woody, lightly fruity and daintily roasty notes that make the top tier stouts what they are. Light hoppiness shows some juicy green leafiness that adds light bitterness, in combo with the dark malts. Body is medium, with a very silky-soft texture and the attenuation, quite high, being one of the best parts of this beer. Raisins and anise collect on the finish, with some light black pepper-like phenols and a touch of alcohol that cuts in to the richness and elegance of the malts. But it’s still a fantastic stout and brings more delicious vinousness than I can remember having in any oatmeal stout since the last Bells Oatmeal stout I had.

Draught, at the brewery

My first impression of the name was "why bother with the oatmeal?" Shows what I know. This really is an imperial oatmeal stout, not an imperial stout. Black in colour. Light, roasty aroma with a hint of chocolate. Full, soft body. A little bit roasty. Mild bitterness. I need more time to adapt to the concept but that’s okay because it’s very good beer.

Bottle Pours a jet black witha very large frothy creamy tan head and dense thick lacing. Aromas are a fairly sweet dark roasted malt. Prunes, grapes a little smoke and the ABV is there as well. Flavors are more of a bitter smokey burnt taste and plenty of hops. The alcohol cuts through the flavors pretty easy. Feel is a very smooth buttery, oily sensation.