Oh happy day! A new beer from a new brewery for me. This time it’s Nimbus Oatmeal Stout, From the Tuscon, Arizona based Nimbus brewery. According to Nimbus, their first year of operation was 1996, when they brewed about 200 barrels of beer. Today, their annual capacity is around 22,500 barrels. Indeed, they have come a long way.

Nimbus Oatmeal Stout is one of the company’s first beers. Introduced in 1997, it was introduced to me at Taco Mac recently on draft. At six bucks for a pint I thought it a fair deal. The beer has an alcohol content of 5% by volume and 36 IBUs of bitterness. It’s made with a “six-malt blend” according to the company website, and “100% German and domestic hops”. They also say, though, that it’s made with English Kent Goldings, which to me are neither German nor domestic. EKGs can be and are grown in the United States, but to me they are still English hops. They are perfectly suited for the oatmeal stout style, too.

My mug of Nimbus Oatmeal Stout arrives. Wow at the deep black color and even more wow at the grainy oats and chocolate in the nose! Taking a sip, I get a creamy chocolate palate, a hint of licorice, much silky smooth texture, and a pasty grainy oatmeal flavor. I don't think I've ever tasted so much oat in an oatmeal stout before, which is a good thing. There’s plenty of bittersweet chocolate and grassy herbal hops in the finish.

This beer is killer, and one I’ll surely be seeking out in bottles. Thanks Nimbus!

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