Organic Oatmeal Stout -- Wolaver's (Middlebury, VT)

Wolaver's is the organic side of the Otter Creek Brewery. I am definitely a fan of these guys (even though I was disappointed by the Copper Ale) -- and the Oatmeal Stout (originally sampled at the "DC Greenfest") is part of the reason why.  It seems that they've moved this beer to a seasonal / occasional schedule, which is a mixed blessing -- I'd like to get it year-round, but perhaps it's nice to anticipate the seasonality (getting back to the old days or something like that).

Characteristics: Medium body, dark brown color, slightly bitter finish on a full, round middle.

Minor Gripes: Somewhat uneven bitterness quotient from bottle to bottle -- within the same six-pack -- an unusual result (but ultimately not a death-knell).

Bottom Line: A good domestic interpretation of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. Doesn't quite have the full complexity of Smith's, but I've never had relatively "fresh" Smith (i.e. anywhere in the UK).

Rating: 6/10.