New Holland The Poet – Oatmeal Stout
March 22, 2010
When I wrote this beer review awhile back it happened to be the same night that there was the “Full Wolf Moon“. I thought it fitting that I reviewed “The Poet“. A 5.2% ABV oatmeal stout by the New Holland Brewing Company! Why is it fitting? Well, on the label of New Holland’s The Poet, there is a full moon. Dig?
I’ve heard some good things about this oatmeal stout, and I’m hoping to compare it to the bottles of Founders Breakfast Stout and River Horse Oatmeal Stout that I’ve enjoyed recently. Maybe it will become another favorite of mine!
The Poet looks just about black in the glass, and creates a decently sized cream-colored foamy head. Held up to a bright light to see what the heck is going on in there, some bits of brown light escape which is interesting as most of the really dark beers I’ve had lately are red.
The smell is surprisingly mild to me. I thought there would be a stronger malt, chocolate or caramel aromas, but no. Really all I was able to pick up was some faint malts, coffee and oatmeal. Its good, but much more mild than I had expected.
Taste was also surprisingly mild to me, but considering the moderate aroma, I guess it shouldn’t have been a such surprise! The Poet is, from a macro perspective, very middle-of-the-road tasting. Its mild in every way with no flavors that really stand out. The best I can describe it is a mild malty flavor, and like the smell you’ll find oatmeal, and chocolate with perhaps some faint pings of coffee and licorice. A good combination, but it just seemed too weak to me.
I found the mouthfeel to be on the thin side, and there was very low carbonation which did make for a nice smooth drinking beer, but it just seemed a bit watery for a stout. I wasn’t digging this beer at all really.
I will note that while I had this beer a little warm (about 15 minutes out of the fridge and in my glass) it would probably be advisable to let this one warm up a little more as the flavor improved a bit as I took my time to sip. Still, it didn’t really impress me.
Overall, this particular bottle of oatmeal stout was not impressive. The smell and the taste seem like the ‘right stuff’ but with the flavor knob turned down to a 2 instead of turned up to an 8 or so. The body of The Poet was also a big turn-off. Too thin. Way to thin for my liking. (I like chunky poets)
Rating: 
So, what about you? Have you tried The Poet Oatmeal Stout from New Holland Brewing? How was it? Should I try it again or move on?
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Posted in 2 Star Reviews, Ales, American Beers, Bocks, Porters and Stouts
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March 22nd, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Too bad to hear you didn’t like The Poet… I definitely enjoyed it a lot. We went out to the New Holland pub and brewery a couple years back (http://drinkcraftbeer.com/editorial/interviews/interview-with-fred-bueltman-of-new-holland-brewing.html) and had a great time… plus definitely enjoyed the beer. The Poet was one of my favorites that they made. It was just a super drinkable, smooth stout. The flavor wasn’t over the top, but it was tasty. Good for a long night of drinking.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:37 pm
@Jeff – I was a little surprised actually because I’ve read many good thing about this beer. Almost everyone seems to like ‘The Poet’ and described it much like you did. Not over the top, but flavorful and enjoyable.
If given the opportunity I’ll give it another shot. Maybe I had an old/odd bottle? That’s one of the problems with the beer exchanges we do – you only get one bottle – no second chances!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Founders Breakfast Stout =-.
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:59 am
Well good to hear you aren’t saying “Nevermore” after drinking the Poet. It actually looks like it pours really nicely. I think I might enjoy it, because I’ve been appreciating some “lighter” stouts lately. Kind of transitioning to summer I guess, but still cold in the evenings.
.-= Don´s last blog ..THE BOX! =-.
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:39 am
@Don – the beer did pour nicely and had everything going for it – except an interesting taste!! Stay warm buddy!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..O’Hara’s Irish Stout – Carlow Brewing Company =-.
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:04 pm
New Holland is a very Hit or Miss brewery for me. Dragons Milk and Black Tulip were awesome. I had the poet about a year ago. I bought a six pack. I have little to no recollection of it, which means it had to be average. if it were great or horrible, it would have left a lasting impression.
.-= nate´s last blog ..Natural Carbonation Vs. Forced Carbonation =-.
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:29 pm
I had this a couple of weeks ago, and like Nate, can’t really remember much about it, except that the label was better than the beer. I really enjoy Dragon’s Milk and I liked Night Tripper Stout alot too, but this New Holland offering left me wanting. Probably not enough booze in it.
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Thanks @Jim and @Nate for confirming (sort of) that perhaps I wasn’t that far off after all! Not bad, but considering all I’ve heard about the beer, it was a letdown. I’ll have to try the Dragons Milk & Night Tripper sometime Jim – tnx for the suggestion!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..River Horse Oatmeal Milk Stout =-.
March 24th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Too bad. I hate to see a bad Oatmeal Stout review. An Oatmeal Stout that is too thin is a miss in several ways. The oats should certainly contribute to the mouth of the brew. I’ve had this beer many moons ago, before I started taking notes and writing the blog. It’s obviously pretty forgettable or I might be able to add my thoughts.
.-= Michael Reinhardt´s last blog ..Baby Beer Drinkers =-.
March 24th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
@Micheal – I suppose in time I too will forget this beer. It shouldn’t matter, but its nice to be validated by people with more knowledge than me. I was really pulling for this beer but is just missed the mark plain and simple. The good thing is there are lots of other great oatmeal stouts out there!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..My Personal Beer Rating System =-.
June 24th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Well, I just wanted to say that I had the opportunity to have another bottle of “The Poet” tonight (thanks Liz!) and it was like a completely different beer than what I had back in February when I wrote the original review.
While not outstanding, I thought this bottle of Poet had a much better body, thicker as one would expect and very creamy texture. Warmed up a bit, this was a nice beer, even on a hot day like it was today!
If I had reviewed the beer I had tonight, I would have given The Poet a 3.5 star rating as compared to the 2 stars. Who knows. Maybe I had a dud or or it was a little too old? I’d say it redeemed itself.
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Do Beer Glasses Matter? =-.