(Hopland, CA) – Mendocino Brewing will follow its Blonde Ale with an Oatmeal Stout.

According to the brewery website, this will hit the streets on October 1st. It will be Mendocino’s second time releasing an Oatmeal Stout in bottles with the first occurrence back in 2006 as part of a special release series. Are these the same recipes? Compare the two descriptions:

Mendocino Winter Ale (06/07) per RateBeer:

“This special edition Winter Ale is a smooth, full-bodied Oatmeal Stout. A rich blend of roasted barley and chocolate malts imparts wonderful coffee and chocolate flavors and aromas. The soft creaminess of this ale comes from the generous amounts of Warrior and East Kent Golding hops.”

Mendocino Oatmeal Stout (’10) per website:

“Jet black in color and full·bodied with a rich, creamy, long-lasting head. Robust, with luscious chocolate and coffee flavors, it is balanced with just the right amount of UK Golding hops. Brewed with massive quantities of oats, our Oatmeal Stout is smooth in the extreme. It pairs well with a wide range of hearty, full-flavored foods and delicious desserts. Our Oatmeal Stout is 6.0% alcohol by volume and 100% marvelous!”

Between ABV change and lack of a Warrior hops mention in the new description, it looks like this should be filed as a new beer on the rating sites (note that the new Imperial IPA is a different recipe from the old one so they’re certainly tinkering with their recipes). This will be available in 6-packs.