I don’t know how the minds behind Cigar City Brewing decided to brew an oatmeal raisin cookie beer. I imagine a few beers had been consumed and someone with a sweet tooth tossed out the idea of brewing beer inspired by Grandma’s favorite cookie. And now, here we are with a lactose, raisins, and cinnamon-coated version of the Florida brewery’s popular Maduro Brown Ale.

Appearance and Aroma

You might mistake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie for a stout at first glance, though it isn’t quite as opaque, and the creamy head dissipates at the rate it would for a light ale. When it comes to the smell, there’s no mistaking the big, sticky, and boozy raisins fragrance. It’ll send you back to those rex boxes of Sun-Maid your mom used to stick in your lunch bag. The nostalgia only deepens as the cinnamon and roasted malt comes off like a freshly poured bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Flavor

They did it: Pure cookie. Grandma’s greatest hit distilled into an eminently drinkable 12-ounce package. The lactose adds a much needed dose of body, but the finish is clean. Strange that there are no actual oats in the malt bill, as some earthiness would go a long way to ground this beer. But can you blame them for going a little wild with the sweet tooth?

Overall

It’s easy to dismiss a beer that pangs at the heartstrings of nostalgia as pure gimmick, but Oatmeal Raisin Cookie mangages to masterfully transform a straight-up pub beer into the highlight of the cookie jar. It’s pure fantasy. None of that boring health benefits, just a cavity-causing indulgence.