I know, I know; leave it up to a beer drinker to be longwindedly praiseful, but us sud-sippers in La Crosse have plenty to be thankful for. For instance, I just bought a six-pack of Goose Island Oatmeal Stout for $7 at Festival Foods. In Chicago, where this beer is brewed, you can hardly find a pint for that price, but La Crosse’s cost of living and stunted tax rate make craft beer tasting one of our more economical hobbies. We also have a wide selection here, and the recently expanded Festival Foods liquor section puts a smorgasbord right in the middle of town. While you’re there, pick up some milk and eggs, because La Crosse won’t ever subject you to those sterile vice dens known as liquor stores. And best of all, even our convenience stores come stocked with the finest crafted Midwestern ales. We have it so good in La Crosse that I can drink this perfectly delicious Goose Island product and realize that it’s merely a mediocre oatmeal stout.

The Goose Island pours a nearly opaque black color that reveals a ruby lining when held to the light. It has a bubbly and short-lasting head, and while it may be overcarbonated it is hard to see any evidence in the brew. Wafting the beer from a distance, there’s a real aroma of well-seasoned oatmeal, and closer sniffs reveal strong coffee then burnt toast and finally some English-style hops. The first sip is weak in flavor yet full in body, though the taste improves as it warms and moves along the tongue. Bitter chocolate dominates the palette. There’s some coffee ground taste in there, too, but it’s not especially flavorful for an oatmeal stout. Really, it’s the chemical-y aftertaste that makes the Goose Island stand out from others in this style, because the hops induce a heavy salivation that’s more metallic that oatmeal. Still, this is a fair introduction to oatmeal stouts, and at 5.1 percent ABV it could make a decent session beer. In other words you could drink a lot of these without feeling too many adverse effects, which is something else I may be thankful for when I have all next week off.

— Adam Bissen