Millstream Back Road Stout - Millstream Brewing Company

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.88/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black with bright ruby highlights. The head is a light toasty brown with large bubbles visible where foam meets glass. It falls unevenly to a softly lumpy disk and leaves a small amount of lace in disordered scraps.

The aroma delivers sweet, roasted malt without much in the way of coffee or chocolate. Maybe those guys will make an appearance as the beer warms. Note: some chocolate becomes noticeable as room temperature approaches.

The flavor is enjoyable and is of dark chocolate-laced black malt. There's also a subtle hop bite that fades in roughly two seconds after beer enters mouth. The finish is increasingly (though still only modestly) bitter. The mouthfeel is a few notches more full than medium and has a softness that might be due to the oats.

Millstream Colony Oatmeal Stout is a good version. I'll have no problem drinking locally after tasting this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2004 01:40:23 | More by BuckeyeNation

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.53/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Pours a black body with ruby-hued edges and a thin, thin khaki-colored head.

Smell: Mild, faint aroma of dark malts, with a hint of dark chocolate and metal.

Taste: Lightly sweetened, smokey dark chocolate flavor. Finishes tangy and metallic.

Mouthfeel: Thin-bodied. Displeasingly watery.

Drinkability: Using a lager yeast for an oatmeal stout, though it could be considered an exercise in creativity, did not serve the final product well at all. Or, hell, it may just be an infected bottle. Either way, this is one poor beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2007 23:15:23 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a nearly pitch black color with a firm mocha head; lots a lace left behind, too

Smell: Coffee, Bakers chocolate and cookie dough

Taste: Opens with a sweet, doughy flavor that moves in a chocolate direction by mid-palate; after the swallow, the flavors tend to fade, although the chocolate and coffee elements remain; on the sweeter side for a stout, almost a milk stout in flavor

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: While pleasant to drink, nothing really stands out

Thanks, BuckeyeNation, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2008 01:16:26 | More by brentk56

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

You think you know a thing or two about beer, until someone puts a bottle in your hand that reads "Oatmeal Stout Lager." Whodidthewhat? Howdidthehey? Huh.
Appearance: fully black, with a nice, burnt tan head.
Aroma: bitter and roasty, with fruity notes.
Texture is limpid, body and mouthfeel and everything else is light, light, light. Short finish. Drinks down extraordinarily smooth, but ...Actually, I have a hard time criticizing this. I could fault it for lacking the complexity, depth, or flavor of a good oatmeal stout, but it's an oatmeal stout lager. It is what it is. But I'm not sure why it is what it is.
Fruity notes emerge in the middle, and are appreciated.
Not a bad brew at all, but the lack of top-fermenting yeast did not please this stout-fan's palate at all, only left me yearning for a true stout.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2003 23:18:42 | More by feloniousmonk

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade from cpolking, so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a short beige head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, a faint touch of hops but also a metallic quality.

T: The taste starts out very creamy with flavors of coffee, chocolate and roasted oats. The malt character is on the thin side for the style but it works well for this particular beer. The hops presence I mild but complementary and brings a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, although there are others in the style that I would choose first, this is still a solid beer to drink for a while if you’re in the mood for the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 23:29:24 | More by TheManiacalOne

Wasatch

Utah

3.53/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks goes out to tedpeer for this one.

Pours a nice dark brown color, nice carbonation, nice little fizzy tan head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with some nice little chocolate/toffee/caramel notes. The taste follows the nose pretty much, with some nice sweetness. Medium body. Drinkable, a nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2010 01:48:12 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Low carbonation and head as expected, nice and chewy with a chocolate/coffee flavor. Smooth throughout with the malt and hops balanced. I see why it is brewed year-round.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2002 16:14:15 | More by jdhilt

Jason

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: Big E-Z Cap swig-top brown one liter bottle with no freshness date.

Appearance: Ink black with a sizeable frothy tan head.

Smell: Creamy and sweet ... pretty much what you would get off of an iced cafe latte.

Taste: Silky smooth and held together by a textured medium body. Intermingling roasted and sweet malt flavours ... followed by more silky sweetness. Roasted flavours are a bit restrained though leave a nice bitter bite. Underlying caramel flavour and a coffee like aftertaste wrap up the finish.

Notes: Very drinkable and quite clean ... not your usual over roasted character found in a lot of oatmeal stouts, just good easy drinking. Goes perfect with any kind of chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2002 12:12:07 | More by Jason

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer is a dark ruby. It is capped by a fizzy brown head that recedes to and edging within seconds. Chocolatey and coffee-like on the nose. Pretty nice. This stout features some bittersweet chocolate tones as well as burnt malt. Also present to a small degree is dark fruity tones. Everything melds together nicely. Not as creamy of a mouthfeel as I like in my stouts, but drinkable nonetheless. Not too bad. Not too great.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2002 20:49:13 | More by Bighuge

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.45/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Ah, one of the few advantages of having a girlfriend in law school in Iowa ten years ago.
Great dark black (oxymoron) beer with frothy tan head. Aroma was a little more alcohol than I liked, but the deep rich and roasted malt also came out nicely with it.

Taste, definitely chewy, and the alcohol was no longer as omniprescient (sic) as it was in the aroma. Came off as smooth. More coffee and caramel to it than chocolate. The mouthfeel did develop a little more bitterness than usual with the use of oats, but I guess when you have a coffee feel, you're gonna get some bitterness usually.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 23:52:33 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Gusler

Arizona

3.93/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The beer pours that most lovely of colors A deep mahogany brown to black, the head is plentiful, light chocolate in color, the lace sticky thick sheets that adhere nicely to the glass. Sweet roasted barley dominates the nose, hot milk chocolate also come to mind, caramel and quite a pleasure to “Sniff”. Front is sweet, the top is middling in mouth feel, with a pertinent acidic bite, hops pleasing to the palate, the aftertaste bittersweet and dry. The beer is drinkable, although a bit "Watery", would classify it as a "Beginners" introduction to the dark side and stouts, so maybe I should temper my criticism.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2002 16:02:18 | More by Gusler

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to BuckeyeNation for the trade. Pours a very dark brown color that lets a little light through. Thin beige head that dissipated rapidly. Not much lacing until further down the glass. The aroma consists mainly of coffee as well as a touch of malt. Medium-bodied with a milky texture. Roasted coffee, malt and a touch of tart fruit in the flavor. The finish is smooth with a lightly bitter character. Nothing too exciting going on here, just a run-of-the-mill Oatmeal Stout you can find anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2004 23:05:32 | More by Dogbrick

tavernjef

Minnesota

2.73/5  rDev -27%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Brown bottle liter swing-top: Matte black color with a bit of a darker brown tint in brighter light. Firm finger high crown of lumpy broken chocolate brown, keeps a good puff for a while, settles to keep s broken skim and firm frothed edging, drippy lacing with nothing sticking.

Aroma is fantastic, soft bakers chocolate and milk chocolate, just grazes a roasted tint; sweet nuances of oats and barley flakes, little noting of iced coffee and charred wood.

Taste is far too sweet; it has tart, tangy, tones that aren't doing it for me. Lots of malt and oat sweetness thats becoming uncomfortably close to wine-like for an oatmeal stout. Dark cherry and some charred wood notes actually make a way in towards the finish, but the sweetness here is over the top for me. Perhaps this has gotten past its prime. The smell maybe eludes to what it may have once existed in flavors, but this is a sweetified, tangy mess. No matter how hard I try, I cannot enjoy this bottle. Looked and smelled promising, but the taste promised nothing but an overly sweet twang of undrinkable soda pop syrup.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2004 02:27:59 | More by tavernjef

gford217

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of tedpeer poured into a snifter.

Pours a dark, dark brown that appears black in the glass with mahogany tints around the edges. The head is small but dense and fades quickly leaving only hints of lacing. The smell is dominated by dark roasted malts, chocolate and burnt coffee. The taste is not quite as distinctive as the smell but does have a little more sweetness in the form of molasses up front. Then it's more of the roasted coffee and malts with a slightly bitter coffee finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and a little thin for the style. This is a very drinkable stout though I'm not sure what the lager label is about. Either way, nothing distinctive but not too bad.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2008 03:27:24 | More by gford217

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks one last time to Nick the Greek, you know who you are, for the Iowa beer hook-up.

Pour a dark brown to blackish color with a slightly oily consistancy. The head reminds me of brownies, and dissipates a little too fast for my liking.

The aroma is mild bakers chocolate with just a very light touch of soil, then some rich coffee and cream notes.

The taste has a grain and oil mix upfront combined with chocolate. The middle presents a subtle chocolate, giving way to more deep roasted grains and a little coffee. The finish is smooth, dry, and a little bitter from the almost burnt grain flavor. Another good beer I wish was available in Chicagoland, but alas....

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2010 00:23:53 | More by scruffwhor

ZAP

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Brownish black with some scarlet hues....nose is dark malts...a little coffee bean...and a hint of caramel..

Body is creamy and nicely textured...medium to full bodied...smooth and clean...nicely done..

Flavor is basic stout....burnt malts..a little java...light caramel....pretty decent...

Finishes pretty clean.with a little burnt toast bite....

Overall this is the best of the Millstream sampler I just tried...I'd slip a sixer of this into my winter rotation if this was availabe in my area....

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2006 06:49:14 | More by ZAP

jrallen34

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Mike for this second Iowa tick. 12oz bottle poured into a Cigar City snifter... Black body that looks decent. A darkish tan head rises a bit, but poor retention and lacing... The aroma doesn't get my hopes as its quite plain, milk chocolate, light cocoa bitterness, a touch of cream, pretty boring... The taste just screams average stout. Not bad or offensive, just a plain boring stout that has such a horrible mouthfeel that really knocks it down even more. The feel is water light with low carbonation.

I would pass on this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 15:43:43 | More by jrallen34

dirtylou

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz single, consumed last friday...a friend of mine got it at brennans-watts road before we cooked up some grub

appearance: dark brown, almost opaque body poured into a pint glass...strong tan head with decent lace

aroma: just fine...bakers chocolate, light coffee, rather roasty

taste: nice dry chocolate, bakers chocolate, strong roasted malt, light char...not anything bad to say but its pretty standard

mouthfeel: medium body, lightly acidic

drinkability: a-ok

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2007 04:16:58 | More by dirtylou

cokes

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Interesting since this is clearly marked "lager" on the label. Doesn't seem to be, and it would be odd if it was. Who knows?
Quite black with some burnt-orange fringes. Fluffy dark tan head does not stick around long.
Faint toasted aroma, with some oat sweetness. Very nice, but not enough.
Smooth roasted body. As opposed to brashly roasted, it is subtle and rounded here. Oaty smoothness enters and lingers. Lactose sweetness is perceived. A touch of grain, mingling with chocolate. Evident butter. Java tones last long into the finish. This is very nice tasting, but seems too slight to really blow anyone's socks off.
Thinnish (once again, Millstream) in the mouth. What presents itself is smooth and silky. Boost the body of this just a little, and it is a very, very solid oatmeal stout. Above average as it is. Easily consumed.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2002 00:46:57 | More by cokes

Tone

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with an amber color along the bottom of the glass. 1/4 inch head of a tan color. Poor retention and poor lacing. Smells of roasted malt, oatmeal, sweet malt, and slight hops. Fits the style of an Oatmeal Stout. Mouth feel is coarse and sharp with a high carbonation level. There is also a strong bitterness associated with the roasted malt. Tastes of roasted malt up front, slight hop background, sweetness of the oatmeal, and slight coffee in the finish. Overall, a pretty good oatmeal stout. The bitterness level is too high and the head retention is negligent, though.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2009 00:25:43 | More by Tone

AgentZero

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A home state tick, not familiar with Iowa beer, picked this up on a trip to see my grandma.

A - Black beer, brownish head that didn't stay around long and left the sides clean.

S - Cocoa, lactose, fairly sweet. Reminds me more of a milk stout than anything else. Little bit of roasted grain, not a ton going on.

T - Pretty much in line with the nose. A little bit sweet with some roasted notes. Slight cream taste. It's not bad, and there's probably a group of beer drinkers who would appreciate it for what it is, but I find it pretty ho hum. On the plus side, it does't have that out sourness that happens to often.

M - Slightly thin, little too much carb.

O - Average, has a couple things going for it and a couple that aren't. Sum of the parts is something some will like and some will pass on in favor of more exotic beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 14:18:45 | More by AgentZero

alexgash

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark brown body. No light penetrateth. Creamy, toasted-tan head. Nice. Good lacing. Sweet, roasted barley with notes of coffee and chocolate. Smells good to me. Sweetish mocha sweetness unfolds, amidst lightly roasted barley. Full-bodied, and velvety-creamy. Slight homebrew funk. Reminds me of Lake Superior's Sir Duluth. Overall, a very nice oatmeal stout that would make a great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2004 04:11:40 | More by alexgash

drpimento

Wisconsin

2.98/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is from a bottle that I got well over a year ago in a beer of the month club. I reviewed it elsewhere and am not comparing this beer to then too. It seems to have smoothed out somewhat. But it's still an opaque black. It poured now as then with a big foamy head that quickly dissipated to nothing; no lace. Nice aroma of black fruit, licorice, dark malts, roasty, and just a bit yeasty. Big licorice in the flavor with some of the other aroma components too. Not bad. finish is a typical stout. Not bad, nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2007 03:22:12 | More by drpimento

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.98/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this brew in a trade with akokandy, Thanks Adam!

L - black color with a tan head that thinned to a layer leaving little bits of lacing.

S - roasted coffee and malt aromas.

T - roasted malty taste, burnt, bitter black coffee flavor on the finish.

F - medium bodied with a smooth feel.

D - easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2009 23:48:06 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Vancer

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Welp, this was a nice sixer of a solid oaty. Not outstanding, but a very good drinker that would be nice in the DBF this coming winter.

The pour was always very good – dark ass brown/black with a frothy tan head and supportive lacing. Good smeller too – tons of chocolate bar with a marshmallow backing. Dry and crisp finish, nicely done.

Taste is where it wimped out a bit, solid Oaty of chocolate, coffee and malt – but on the weak side. Still decent and tasty. Good priced at $7.50 a sixer, drink ‘er down !

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2007 01:35:09 | More by Vancer