AleSmith has built its reputation on big, bold beers, and Black Velvet Nitro Stout is the softer side of that same house character. It takes the classic oatmeal stout, a style built for smoothness, and pours it on nitrogen, which turns an already mellow beer into something closer to silk. This is a stout for people who like their dark beer rich but not heavy.

The basics

• Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company (San Diego, CA)
• Style: Oatmeal Stout (Nitro)
• ABV: 5.2%
• IBU: 28

What to expect

Black Velvet pours opaque black with the signature nitro cascade, a slow waterfall of tiny bubbles that settles into a thick, creamy tan head. The aroma leads with milk chocolate and fresh coffee, backed by a soft creaminess from the oats. On the palate it stays true to that promise: chocolate and coffee up front, a gentle roasted malt character underneath, and a smooth, almost pillowy finish that never turns bitter or ashy.

The body is medium and remarkably drinkable for a stout, which is the whole point of the nitro treatment. The nitrogen softens the edges, rounds out the roast, and leaves a luscious, velvety mouthfeel that lives up to the name. It is the kind of beer that disappears faster than you expect, and that is a compliment.

Our rating

7.5/10

Rated by Nick (7.5). Nick puts this one at a solid 7.5, and the score fits the beer: it is not trying to be the most complex stout on the shelf, it is trying to be the smoothest, and it succeeds. If you want a dark beer that drinks like a treat without knocking you sideways, this is an easy recommendation.