I’ve tried his Oatmeal Stout and his Nut Brown Ale, but Samuel Smith Organic was something I had never seen before. I came across it one day at The Farms, a charming mom & pop grocery/deli on Montana (they make incredible sandwiches by the way). A 550mL bottle set me back 4 bucks.

The beer poured a gorgeous copper orange. Diminishing head, fruity/citrus aroma. Low carbonation. Interesting flavor, with a hint of orange or maybe banana, but overall malty. Its a little tart, almost like a Belgian but not the same bite to it. Overall, a very enjoyable beer.

• Appearance: 2.5/3
• Aroma: 10.5/12
• Palate: 2.5/5
• Flavor: 18/20
• Overall: 8.5/10

Rating: 4.2

To cap off the evening at FO, I tried the Shipyard Export Ale. This was up on their chalkboard under a header that said something like, “Feeling Adventurous?” or something like that. The blurb read, “Buttermilk Biscuit w/ a tangy finish.” Sold.

This beer poured out a golden blonde. Mostly diminishing, slight lacing, and almost no bubbles. It had a lemony taste. The carbonation was thin, and it definitely a tangy finish, but I couldn’t find the Buttermilk Biscuits. If anything, it was a slightly breadish taste more than a bisquity taste. Not what I expected, but still a tasty beer.

• Appearance: 2/3
• Aroma: 9/12
• Palate: 3.5/5
• Flavor: 15.5/20
• Overall: 7.5/10

Rating: 3.75

After that Rogue Hazelnut Brown, this stout was a welcome relief. It arrived with a huge, thick, light red head. There was great lacing all the way up the glass. The aroma was smokey, with a toasted taste that reminded me of burning mesquite. Young Oatmeal Stout has a medium body, with a well-rounded mouthfeel. There is a slight Guinness-type bitterness on the back of your tongue, with an almost clean finish.

• Appearance: 2.5/3
• Aroma: 8/12
• Palate: 3.5/5
• Flavor: 16/20
• Overall: 8/10

Rating: 3.8

OK, I had much higher hope for this beer, because I generally enjoy Brown ales, and Rogue is a well-respected brewer. But last week at Father’s Office, the Hazelnut Brown was definitely not living up to expectations. Poured a dark dark brown, like diet coke or something. Fully diminishing head, and not the greatest smell. In fact, a very odd smell.

Melissa had a Young Oatmeal Stout in front of her, which looked much more appealing. We traded glasses, she took a whiff, and then hit the nail right on the head.

“This smells sour, like turned milk.”

My God she’s right. It smelled (and tasted) like milk gone bad. Disgusting. I wasn’t sure if that was the way it was supposed to taste or if it was a problem with the tap. In retrospect, I should have sent it back. But I just kept on taking sips, trying to find its redeeming qualities. After half a pint it was a lost cause, and I was very disappointed. We ended up leaving it on the bar, still half full.

As bad as it was, this is a beer I will try again. It makes no sense for a beer to taste this bad, there had to be some sort of contamination between the brewery and my glass.

Update: Rating has been removed. This deserves a do-over. Right after I do the write ups for Dead Guy and American Amber. Mmmmmm.