Famed beer writer Michael Jackson is credited with reviving this nearly forgotten old English classic when he wrote about it in 1977. He describes these ebony potables as "firm, smooth, silky, [with] a hint of nuttiness in their complex of coffee, chocolate and roast flavors." If we could describe our Oatmeal Stout more eloquently, we be the ones getting paid to drink the best beers in the world.