What is up with Mother Earth Brewing of Kinston, North Carolina? Do they put gold in their beer? They seem to think so based on their prices, at least here in Georgia. Not so long ago I was at Sherlock’s in Marietta (or maybe it was Total Wine?) and saw 750s of their Silent Night Bourbon Aged Imperial Stout and a beer from their Windowpane series. I went to add them to my shopping cart, until I saw the price: a whopping $20 each. Back on the shelf they went.

Tonight I’m sipping a bottle of Mother Earth Old Neighborhood Oatmeal Porter, which though nowhere near as pricey as the aforementioned brews is still a bit high at $11.99 a six-pack. This is a nice enough beer to be sure, a quite enjoyable Oatmeal Porter with some silky smoothness from the oats and intruiging dark malt flavors going on.

Old Neighborhood is a fall seasonal beer but from my experience holds up well if properly stored. The beer has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume. My bottle was packaged on October 4^th, 2012. The brewery says of this beer:

Our Old Neighborhood Oatmeal Porter will take you back to the good old days. This classic dark ale is rich and robust, yet silky smooth. Its distinct roasty essence is deliciously balanced with a slight sweetness, creating a porter that boasts intense flavors.

Decanting my bottle into a glass, I get a good bit of roasted espresso in the nose, a minimal head formation and light carbonation. Taking a sip, I find the beer slightly thin in body, but there is a good silky oatmeal graininess to it. Licorice and chocolate emerge, and minty hops arrive in the finish, then some roasty and hoppy bitterness.

Overall, a very tasty beer, and I do love the roastiness here. That said, I much prefer Highland Oatmeal Porter (also from North Carolina), and that is $3 less a six-pack ($11.99 for the Mother Earth Old Neighborhood). I would certainly buy the Highland Oatmeal Porter over the Mother Earth old Neighborhood Oatmeal Porter any day of the week. And maybe twice on Sundays.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

(G)=Growler



Home