Hamburg Brewing Company - OMS

This Oatmeal Milk Stout from Hamburg presents an attractive garnet brown in the glass, capped by a crop of beige foam. On the nose, look for rich, deep-down maltiness to come through prominently. We picked up lots of roasted character, deep caramelization, touches of dark chocolate and coffee, and hints of lactose, all overlaid with a noticeable floral and woody-herbal hop note. This brew offers nice balance on the palate as the lactose sugar offers a creamy impression and a touch of sweetness to balance the more bitter notes of dark chocolate and scorched caramel. There's a nice toasty quality here, too, which is often missing or buried under tons of roasted barley in other interpretations of the style, and we dig it. The use of flaked oats leads to a super smooth body, and the overall impression is just a super tasty, balanced, and satisfying brew for the colder months. For food pairings, we'd definitely recommend roasted and charbroiled meats. A BBQ bacon burger with cheddar or slow-cooked ribs would be at the top of our list. Chili, oysters, mac & cheese, or a plate of well-aged cheeses sounds dynamite, too. Cheers!

Hamburg Brewing Company was founded by father and son duo, John Russo, Sr. and John Russo, Jr., whose family is known in western New York as the founders of Sorrento Cheese (now sold under the Galbani brand). John, Jr. got his start in the brewing world like so many others, as a long-time homebrewing hobbyist. After some encouragement from friends, he decided to team up with his father to start his own brewery. The two toured around western New York state looking for the best place to launch their business, eventually realizing that it made the most sense to build it right near their home in Hamburg, in Erie County just a few miles south of Buffalo. They built their 20-barrel brewery in a building that had been owned by their family for many years and was originally home to offices and a collection of automobiles.

The brewery opened to the public in 2013 and has become a prime destination for beer lovers in the Buffalo area. Their large Taproom is built like a mountain lodge, with vaulted ceilings and a large central fireplace along with a patio overlooking a large pond. Hamburg currently produces five year-round brews plus four seasonals, in addition to a large variety of limited edition beers. Their beers can be found at restaurants, bars, and for retail sale mostly in the western part of New York. For more info, call them up at 716-649-3249 or visit www.hamburgbrewing.com.