Burial Skillet Donut Stout
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Tasting Notes
The aroma opens with fried dough, vanilla glaze, and roasted grain — it reads like a bakery counter without being cloying. On the palate, dark chocolate and coffee sit alongside a pronounced sweetness, with oatmeal contributing a silky, full body that keeps things from feeling thin or syrupy. At 9.7% this sits well above the typical oatmeal stout range, so the alcohol warmth is present and noticeable, adding a faint boozy depth to the finish. The finish lingers with roast and a residual sweetness that echoes the donut concept without becoming dessert-level heavy.
About the Brewery
Burial Beer Co. is based in Asheville, North Carolina, where they've operated since 2013. They've built a strong regional reputation through a combination of dark ales, IPAs, and heavily concept-driven specialty releases that often incorporate local ingredients and literary or folkloric branding. Their Forestry Camp and Surf Wax IPAs have gotten consistent attention, but their stout and dark beer program is equally serious and well-regarded in the Southeast craft scene.
Food Pairings
A chocolate brownie or flourless chocolate cake works well here because the roast in the beer mirrors the bitterness in dark chocolate and keeps sweetness in check. Smoked pulled pork benefits from the beer's roasted backbone cutting through fat and complementing the char. A glazed donut — leaning into the conceit — actually pairs cleanly because the fried dough sweetness echoes the malt without competing. Sharp aged cheddar provides a salty contrast that resets the palate between sips of something this rich. Vanilla ice cream floated in the beer is a straightforward move that the high ABV and chocolate notes support without apology.
Style Guide
Oatmeal stout is a dark ale brewed with a portion of rolled oats alongside roasted barley and dark malts, which gives it a notably smooth, velvety body that sets it apart from drier Irish stouts or more aggressively bitter American stouts. The style originated in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where oats were added partly for perceived nourishment and partly for the textural softness they lend. Typical examples run between 4% and 7% ABV with flavors of coffee, dark chocolate, and mild roast — this version at 9.7% pushes into imperial territory, giving it significantly more warmth, sweetness, and complexity than a conventional oatmeal stout delivers.