Surrounded by the chattering voices of some of my closest friends, the New Year’s Eve night was off to a great start. After a few snacks and drinks at our home, we decided to brave the chill of the Chicago night and head over for a nice hot meal. Our reservation for twelve was confirmed and we sat down near a crackling fire at Wildwood Restaurant. As I’ve noted before (see my review on Left Hand Brewing Company’s Black Jack Porter), Wildwood has a pretty great beer menu. Tonight I was going to splurge, the filet mignon had caught my eye and so rather than a light beer or a glass of red wine, I wanted a hearty, thick stout to wash it all down. After a bit of confusion, a delivery of Samuel Smith’s Brown Ale and several minutes, I at last had the Oatmeal Stout in my hand. It was a deep brown, surrounded by amber edges and topped with the thinnest of heads, tan in color. It smelled faintly of oat, but that could have been the label telling me what to smell. The food, the smoke of the fire and the blend of several dressy ladies’ perfume, stuffed my nose and disallowed me from discipering anything more. The taste was fine. A bit of coffee and raisins were predominant, followed by a bit of a metallic, burning aftertaste. The lacing crept down the sides of the glass through the next hour or so of sipping and, as it warmed, chocolate notes and a bit more of the oatmeal was apparent. While it was a decent match for my filet, as a stand alone beer it was nothing too interesting. I have tried some incredibly complex and subtle stouts and this, in comparison, seemed a bit simple-minded.

ABV: 5.0%

Grade: B