Excelsior Oar Lock Oat Stout

This 6.0% oat stout is from the Excelsior Brewing Company of Excelsior, Minnesota. Excelsior is on the shores of Lake Minnetonka, and you'll see a lake activity theme on the bottles of their beer. 

The beer pours black and opaque, even when held to the light. There is about a half inch of somewhat creamy foam, light brown in color. The aroma is not overly intense, dark roasted malt, a bit of char, a touch of dark chocolate mocha, and a bit of a tang on the end. The taste has more intensity in the dark roasted malt notes, especially a really nice char. However, the end is overly tangy, veering into a touch of sour. I don’t think this much tang was intended, it again seems to be a flaw in the bottling process.  The mouthfeel is nicely smooth. 

These Excelsior beers have great potential, but three out of the five I have tried seem tainted, this one mildly, two being drain pours. I hope they get their bottling issues sorted out.