Schlafly has been on an innovative roll over the past several years, and the introduction of Coffee Stout as one of its fall seasonal bottlings seemed to have been a catalyst for the burst of creativity from St. Louis' craft-beer pioneer. Coffee Stout is a magical potion made from marrying Schlafly's Oatmeal Stout to cold-brewed coffee from local roaster Kaldi's. Cold brewing results in much lower acidity and bitterness than what you encounter in traditional coffee, and the process retains aromas and flavors that hot water brewing drives off. On its own, the Oatmeal Stout is creamy, mildly roasty and delicious, but perhaps a bit thin. The addition of rich, intense coffee transforms the beer into something truly special: a perfect balancing act of malt sweetness, roasty bitterness and pure coffee aromas and flavors. It is a joy to smell and taste, again and again, and the local beer we most find ourselves looking forward to drinking. This year's batch is scheduled for release November 1.