Craftsman Oatmeal Chocolate Stout

All the way from Blenheim, New Zealand comes Craftsman Oatmeal Chocolate Stout, a tasty offering from Renaissance Brewing Ltd. Craftsman comes in 500mL bottles and contains 4.9% alcohol. It pours a very dark brown--almost black--with a gleam of ruby, and comes topped with a thin but durable tan head.

Unfortunately, the label came off on the way home from the liquor store, so I didn't bother photographing the bottle.

Craftsman has a strong aroma of roasted chocolate, backed with an espresso charge. The flavour is very chocolatey. It definitely leans toward dark, high cacao chocolate. It also features some really delightful cafe mocha notes. There is even a decent hop profile stalking around the finish.

Just like quality chocolate, this stuff manages deft balance between sweet and bitter. I'm not always into chocolatey beers, but this brew works. It's rich and flavourful, but not too sweet.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10.