Terrapin Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout

It’s no secret amongst my friends that I am a huge fan of most of Terrapin’s beers.  Terrapin Brewery is located in Georgia, in Athens actually, the home of UGA (GO DAWGS!) and I like that we’ve got a ‘local’ brewery putting out some amazing beers.  Terrapin has a stable of year-round beers as well as some excellent seasonals, in addition they have done several one-off beers as part of their Side Project series and a few collaborations with Left Hand Brewing as part of the Midnight Brewing Project.

Terrapin’s Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout is a seasonal beer, released around November each year.  I’ve actually just started running into it in stores within the last couple weeks.  The name changed this year, it was previously known as Terrapin Wake ‘N’ Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout, not sure why the name changed… maybe their customers were taking the suggestion on the label and forgetting to buy more beer?  You still see the reference to Wake ‘N’ Bake on the website and when on tap, but it is no longer prominent on the labels of the bottles.  In smaller text it’s mentioned that the beer is made with Jittery Joe’s Wake ‘N’ Bake coffee blend, special created for Terrapin.

Terrapin Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout
ABV: 8.6%
IBU’s: 50
O.G.: 20.8
Malt: 2- Row Pale Malt, Flaked Oats, Flaked Barley, Chocolate Malt, Black Malt & Roasted Barley
Hops: Chinook, Northern Brewer
Coffee: Premium blend of Costa Rican, Guatemalan, & Zimbabwe : Premium blend of Costa Rican, Guatemalan, & Zimbabwe
Serving Types: 12 oz. bottle (about $10.00/4-pack), on-tap

I have to admit, the specs above don’t mean a whole lot to me.  I love craft beers but don’t get into all the ABV’s, IBU’s, OG, BVD’s, TLC’s, etc. that some people do – but I know others like to see these stats.  I just know whether or not a beer tastes good to me.

Pour: This pours very thick and as black as night.  There is very little head, just a slight bit of creamy brown foam on top with some gentle effervescence.  The beer leaves some slight lacing on the glass as you drink.
Aroma: Coffee, lots of delicious coffee.  One of the most enjoyable aromas I’ve smelled from a beer.
Taste: When you take a drink of this stout you get a wonderfully rich, dark coffee flavor.  As you swallow the coffee lingers for just a second and then a creamy oatmeal glides across your palate to finish.  There is very little hoppiness in this brew, and I really appreciate that as I’m not a fin of the bitterness that hops generally add.
Mouth feel: Thick and creamy on the palate with very light carbonation

Overall: This is a fantastic beer.  Some places around Atlanta still show 2008 on tap, so try last year’s if you are lucky and find some.  Due to the high alcohol content these beers age well and they are marked on the bottle with the year of vintage if you’d like to cellar a few for later – personally, I have trouble keeping them that long.  If you can get Terrapin beers where you are then definitely pick some up, if you can’t get Terrapin where you are you’re missing out.