Barrel Aged Milk Stout - OPA-OPA Steakhouse & Brewery

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.64/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA. Yankee Spirits exclusive.

Poured into an imperial pint, formed a 1/4" dark tan head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. Head is down to a froth-surrounded skim pretty quickly, with slow-falling lace. Aroma is dark malts.

Taste starts sweet, a touch tart in the middle, with lactic character through the close and lingers. Mouthfeel is smooth, and drinkability is easy. However, unsure where the barrel flavors went. Paying extra for the barrel time is frustrating when there is no evidence of it.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 03:42:57 | More by ppoitras

davey101

Connecticut

3.41/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Has a sticker that reads "Barrel Aged Surabhi Milk Stout", supposedly an exclusive to Yankee Spirits. Haven't a clue what the hell "Surabhi" is...but moving on. Born on 121212. So Opa Opa is getting into bombers and limited releases now huh?

A - Pours a nice dark black body that lets a little light in around the edges. Three fingers of khaki foam, settles into a thin cap. Really solid lacing and retention. Looks good.

S - Milk stout elements are in check here; milk chocolate, cream, light vanilla, lactose, and a touch of coffee. Has a bit of a spiciness on the finish, its like a light roast...that is just sort of unpleasant. Not that I'm even sure what this was aged in, but I detect zero spirits or oak/wood. Boring, boring, just very average.

T - Milk chocolate, lactose sweetness, light coffee, weird roasty spice/bitterness. Eeesh, this is not good. Its certainly drinkable, but man this just seems like amateur hour. Zero notes of a barrel. That's odd, the label distinctively said "barrel" on it....

M - Thin to medium with low carbonation. Low ABV does make it highly drinkable, so thats a plus.

O - An unbelievable disappointment. Very boring milk stout with an odd roast character and zero barrel/spirit notes. Congratulations Opa Opa, you suckered me out of $7.50

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 06:28:43 | More by davey101

FosterJM

California

3.26/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

1707th Review on BA
Bottle to snifter
22oz

Shared with AfroKaze

App- A nice looking stout with some deep browns and a little inky black in the center. A small 1/2"-3/4" head that was slightly tan was there and faded quickly. A small amount of cling. Maybe a couple dots. A small bit of bubbles on the top.

Smell- This was just meh in the aromatics. A small amount of lactose sugars and a bit of barrel. I don't get the meat of this one. A bit light and thin all around. Maybe a touch of vanilla to add some depth.

Taste- This was better than average but not by much. This was a bit lacking in flavor. Small lactose and vanilla. A small touch of chocolate and a bit of grainy roast.

Mouth- A lighter thin body with a fairly thin carbonation. A bit of residual sweet sugars and lactose.

Drink- Just okay. Wasn't the best/wasn't the worse.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 04:00:49 | More by FosterJM

mdfb79

New York

3.48/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 12/29/12 notes. Bottled on 12/12/12. Thanks to nmann08 for sharing this one. 22 oz. bottle from/for Julio's.

a - Pours a deep brown mahogany color with one finger of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of cocoa, cream, vanilla roasted malts. Pretty light smelling overall; not bad at all, just faint in all flavors. Also not getting any bourbon in the nose at all.

t - Tastes of roasted malts, cocoa, chocolate, vanilla, cream, and toasted malts. Very light alcohol/bourbon, but not much. Slight step up from the nose.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation. No heat, pretty easy to drink overall.

o - Overall an interesting idea, though I don't think the barrel came though much at all. Nose is a bit bland and not much bourbon in the taste. A decent beer I'd try again, but don't expect much barrel from this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 19:43:47 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.5

Supposedly aged in Jefferson Barrels.

Born on 12/12/12, neat. A barrel aged stout is great, but milk stout? Weird.

Pours a darker colored creamy 1 finger head that fades semi slowly, nice lacing, pitch black beer no light.

Nose starts with powdered cocoa, creamy milk chocolate and choc milk, lactose, light caramel, light bready wafer, hint of vanilla barrel and wood dust, very slight touch of roast. No bourbon or whatever was in the barrel before it.

Taste creamy, milk choc and choc milk, lactose, hint if roast and char, light cocoa powder, hint of acrid. A touch of vanilla barrel but again no bourbon and barely any barrel. Light spicy chewy bitter hops. Finish is dry, more bitter light spicy hops, lingering milk choc and lactose.

Mouth is med to lighter bodied, quite creamy, decent carb.

Overall a big let down. As a milk stout not a bad beer, but as a barrel... supposedly barrel aged beer, finding the barrel is like finding a needle in a hay stack. Why would you barrel age a milk stout anyways is beyond me. I'm actually offended by this, after finding out more of the story. Julios gave them some great Jefferson's barrels for it, and instead of a Julios exclusive beer, they added it to the overall beer, and blended it back in to the rest of the batch, AND only left it in the barrel for a few weeks from what I hear. F-U Opa-Opa, how dare you try this crap.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 03:34:35 | More by jlindros