Oatmeal stout as a style of beer disappeared for awhile after WWI. I don't know why. I also don't know why Turkey got so much of Armenian land after the destruction of the Ottoman Empire, but this isn't about things I don't know having to do with WWI. The good brewers at Samuel Smith re-introduced the oatmeal stout in 1980 (the same year the brewers of my genetic material introduced me, as luck would have it), and it has developed into a reasonably popular style.
When they first started brewing oatmeal stout, they gave it to lactating mothers. Having regressed as a society to the point that we do not encourage pre-natal or early infancy drinking, I guess this no longer applies. At any rate, it's nutritious: it has oatmeal in it, so it must be healthy (as healthy as this taco salad I'm eating, I swear).
I assure you I'm not lactating (the night is still young), and I do not vouch for its health benefits, but if you're looking for a beer that's so smooth it makes a baby's ass seem like Pancho Villa's mustache, the Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout is there for you.
I'm not an expert on pairings, but I've had it with Italian food on multiple occasions, and it worked really well. I imagine it goes awfully well with a steak, too. Take it out of the fridge for a while before serving it, as you want it chilled as opposed to cold (hey, if you're doing the Italian thing, grab the Pinot Grigio while you're in there...should be about the same temperature to serve).
Mom always said oatmeal was the thing to get you going on a cold winter's morning. Had I known I could have gotten my nutrition with enough alcohol to get me through social studies and creative writing, perhaps my life would be different.
Oatmeal stout has to be one of my favorite types of beers, and definately in my top 3.
Posted by: BloodyTomMorgan | 07/02/2009 at 07:37 AM