[font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular] One of the remarkable things about Youngs Oatmeal Stout is that people who claim not to like stout often do like Youngs. Although it has a roast barley element to it, it doesn't taste overwhelmingly roasted. It's also not strongly bitter, nor does it have the sharp edge of some of the finer Irish dry stouts (like Guinness). It's less cloying and more balanced than typical sweet English stouts (like Mackeson), and it's lower in density than most American craft-brewed stouts. In short, the beer is very un-stout-like -- at least when stacked up next to its cousins. Sure, Youngs is still a stout, but it is a kinder, gentler stout.
In my opinion, Youngs Oatmeal Stout is the finest example of the style you can buy. It not only exemplifies every quality that I think a good beer critic expects to find in a beer of this style, it actually defines the style. Few beers are perfect benchmarks, but this is one of the few.