Beer of the week: Highland Brewing Oatmeal Porter

Beer score: 7.9

Company: Highland Brewing
ABV: 5.8
IBU: 35

This beer is a pleasant surprise for me. First, I've been disappointed with many of the North Carolina brews I've tried over the years, but this one from Asheville, NC, gets it right. Second, I'm not normally an oatmeal kind of guy when it comes to beer (but cookies is another matter). Third, Porters aren't usually one of my favorite styles of beer, but here all of it works quite nicely.

This one pours so dark I would almost think it's a stout, and there's nothing wrong with that. When poured, the foam at the top is present but not overly thick, and it comes with a deep roasted scent that reminds me of coffee and a little of chocolate. There's definitely a taste of smoky molasses in the drinking, and again a little of that chocolate quality. If you don't like beers with lots of carbonation, this one could be for you, though it's also not what I would call a thin beer, pouring strong enough without being weak. Not the strongest of porters, but again, I wouldn't call it overly weak, so just right, at least for me. Those who like stronger porters might want to look elsewhere, but this one worked for me even though I usually prefer stouts. Served cold or room temperature, I found this a more than serviceable drink fitting for many occasions, especially in the winter.

As a side note, I found this a perfect drink with chili while snowed in. While in North Carolina, of course.