Oats first found their way into stouts in the United Kingdom in the late 1800s, when brewers attempted to add nutritional value to sweet stouts. Despite its initial popularity, interest in the style slowly faded and eventually it disappeared from the beer landscape. In 1980 the Samuel Smith Old Brewery revived the style, and still brews what is considered to be a classic example of Oatmeal Stout. Related to the Milk Stout, Oatmeal Stouts have a smooth and viscous medium to full body, due to high lipid content of the oats, but lack the lactose sweetness characteristic of Milk Stouts. Flavors imparted by the oats are typically muted, but when used as a higher percentage of the grist, they can come across as nutty or grainy in the finished beer. The alcohol percentage in this style typically ranges from 4% to 6% by volume.
