Um.

I will attempt to go running today. After that nine-day stint on the disabled list, being on weather-related house arrest is almost more than I can bear.

And, since I’ve professed to have very little sympathy for anyone who says it’s too cold or too dark to run (excepting Sweaty Kid of course), I feel obliged to eat my words and make a slight modification to that: if you don’t have any Yaktrax and your entire neighborhood is covered in a two-inch thick sheet of solid ice, it is okay to stay indoors.

But, you know what you can do indoors?

YOU CAN DRINK BEER INDOORS.

Last night I drank One Oatmeal Stout (8% ABV), from Dark Horse Brewery of Marshall, Mich.

It’s the first in a series of holiday stouts “produced to help ease you through the cold and grey midwestern winters.”

Yep.

Dark and rich in color with a thin caramel-colored head; strong tones of chocolate and coffee; rich enough to sip, but not overwhelming. Brilliant.

The rest of the series includes a cream stout, a blueberry(!) stout, a smoked stout and an imperial stout. I’d be happy to try them all (for you, my dear readers, of course).

I sent DBR a Dark Horse Scotch ale in our recent beer trade; I’ve never tried it, but the oatmeal stout inspires confidence. Provided it didn’t expire three years ago, he should be in for a treat.