Seventh Son Stone Fort Oat Brown Ale

Seventh Son Stone Fort Oat Brown Ale is an English-inspired beer brewed in the heart of Ohio.

Seventh Son Stone Fort Oat Brown Ale
By Bill Lau | Potable Pastime

English-inspired oat brown ale, 5.0% ABV, 20 IBU
Seventh Son Brewing Co., Columbus, OH

Today’s post finds us delving into a beer style which I was rather appalled to discover was not represented here on Potable, the brown ale. Now it’s not as if I don’t drink or like brown ales by any means, because I do (as my history on Untappd will show). One of my long-time favorite English ales is Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale (no doubt to become the subject of a future review, now that I’ve realized I haven’t done one here). But, never too late to fill in a gap.

This particular beer brings an interesting variation on the style, namely the inclusion of oats. I’m used to stouts or (more rarely) porters utilizing the famous breakfast grain, typically to add a smoothness and extra body to the texture. There’s certainly no reason oats can’t be employed in other styles, though, and from what I’ve read it seems many craft breweries are doing just that.

This review also adds another brewery to the ever-growing list of ones I’ve sampled. I do have my favorites, but I also like to explore and try the offerings from other places. Seventh Son takes me to the center of Ohio and Columbus, a city I’m rather fond of. They have a lot of great beer and great food there; when we finally get past this pandemic, I’ll be exploring more of both on some day trips. In the meantime, enjoy the review and cheers!

Impressions:

Lovely red chestnut hue in the glass with excellent clarity, capped by a short-lived pale beige head settling to a thin cover.

Luscious malty aroma with brown bread, nutty, toasty and lightly roasty notes. Very enticing!

Medium body with prickly carbonation and a slight sharpness on the tongue, followed by a pleasing smoothness (hello, oats!).

Complex, malty flavors wash over my palate. All those aromatic components are present – brown bread, toasted nuts, and a light roasty note. Some malt sweetness present but balanced by both a tanginess and gentle bittering. That roasty note is almost smoky in character, and slightly coffeeish with the bitter note that follows. Nice, lingering finish slowly fades like the darkening of the sky at dusk. Flavorful, well-made brown ale.

This would be wonderful paired with roast meats or a tourtiere, or with some artisan smoked cheeses. Delightful!

Disclosure: The author has received no reimbursement or compensation for this article. All opinions and remarks are those of the author alone.