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Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

Samuel Smith's Old Brewery
United Kingdom·Oatmeal Stout·Rank 1 of 42 · The Best British Stouts
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An oatmeal stout that pours an almost opaque deep brown under a tan head. Oats give it a silky, smooth body; roasted malt brings cocoa, mild coffee and toasted bread, and tasters add a nutty note, a touch of molasses and some dark fruit from the house yeast. The palate is medium-dry and the finish bittersweet rather than sharp. Brewed with hard well water and fermented in slate Yorkshire squares. The brewery revived the style in 1980, after it had disappeared from British brewing.

ABV
5%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter32 IBU
Roasted bitterness
SRM
dark35
PaceTwo or Three

AWARDS

Gold · 2021
U.S. Open Beer Championship
Oatmeal Stout
Bronze · 2022
U.S. Open Beer Championship
Oatmeal Stout
Gold · 2011
U.S. Open Beer Championship
★Gold — U.S. Open Beer Championship (Oatmeal Stout)
★Bronze — U.S. Open Beer Championship (Oatmeal Stout)
★Gold — U.S. Open Beer Championship
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
roastedchocolatenutty
roasted
chocolate
nutty
coffee
dark fruit
toasty
Aroma
The nose leads with roasted malt, offering cocoa and mild coffee notes beneath toasted bread and grain.
also:malty
not found:hoppy,caramel,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

◎ Appearance

Pours deep brown, nearly opaque under a tan head that settles into a persistent collar. The dense foam clings to the glass with evident lacing as the beer is consumed. Carbonation is moderate, appropriate to the style.

deep brownopaquepersistent headgood lacing

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with roasted malt, offering cocoa and mild coffee notes beneath toasted bread and grain. Subtle dark fruit esters emerge from the house yeast, accompanied by a gentle nuttiness and hints of molasses. No harsh roast or burnt character; instead, the aromatic profile remains balanced and inviting.

roasted maltcocoacoffeedark fruit

◐ Taste

The oat adjunct delivers a silky, creamy mouthfeel from the first sip. Flavor unfolds with chocolate, toasted grain, and nuttiness in the mid-palate, underpinned by a medium-dry character. Bitterness is measured at 32 IBU, arriving in the finish as a bittersweet edge rather than sharp bite.

silky smoothchocolatenuttymedium-dry

◑ Finish

The finish lingers with a bittersweet tone, fading gradually rather than abruptly. Residual cocoa and toasted malt notes persist gently on the palate.

bittersweetsmooth fade
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
84
Taste
85
Appearance
82
Finish
78
Serve at 10–14°C

Slightly warmer than you might expect. 10–13°C lets the roasted malt, chocolate and coffee notes open up fully.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

Drink within a year. Standard stouts are best fresh but hold reasonably well for 6–12 months.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

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About Oatmeal Stout

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Oatmeal Stout?

Stouts are dark ales with roasted barley character, 4–8% ABV and IBU 25–45. Expect coffee, dark chocolate and toast flavors with a creamy body and dry finish.

Finding a similar Oatmeal Stout

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same smooth, roasted, creamy character as Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Oatmeal Stouts in hopIQ

FEATURED IN

#1 of 50The Best British Stouts→#4 of 50The Best British Beers→
Compare with another beer →Explore all Oatmeal Stout beers in hopIQ →New to Oatmeal Stout? Read our guide →Browse United Kingdom beers →