Left Hand Milk Stout - Left Hand Brewing Company

elNopalero

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Personally, I tend to enjoy stouts (and porters, in all their various permutations) as much as ... well, I guess I'll just say that I enjoy them and leave it at that. I think a nice roasty stout on a foggy SF night is a perfect combination, and if it's an imperial stout with some warming alcohol in it, all the better. But Texas in the summer? Eh, not so much. My mind may be thinking cold but the world around me is way too hot! Which brings me to... milk stout. While I wouldn't say it's a summer beer, I think the sweetness of a milk stout makes for a nice beer when you're craving some chocolaty, roasty goodness. And since I don't see Left Hand in SF I thought I'd give it a try.

Poured into my Ranger Creek nonic. Got a couple of fingers of head off of it that gradually dissipated. Nice lacing. It's dark, almost black, and a few shades off from being completely opaque. Smells wonderful. The sweet notes come through in the aroma. I'm ending the night with this beer and it's definitely dessert in a bottle.

From the first sip on, I love the balance. It's sweet, definitely, but not cloyingly so. And the chocolate notes are there, more milk chocolate than bitter/dark chocolate. (note: I'm pairing it with a square of dark chocolate and some Redemption Rye to boot, per a suggestion.) I like my stouts to have a full body and this doesn't disappoint. Makes me curious as to what trying it on nitro does.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 05:15:11 | More by elNopalero

bcuz7

Florida

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-19-2013 21:16:33 | More by bcuz7

shamrock071521

Michigan

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-19-2013 18:48:50 | More by shamrock071521

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-19-2013 18:20:42 | More by drgonzo2k2

mikehillman

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

05-19-2013 18:14:15 | More by mikehillman

barbellsNbeers

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

05-19-2013 15:48:34 | More by barbellsNbeers

skriv

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-18-2013 22:39:18 | More by skriv

Photekut

Azerbaijan

3.25/5  rDev -18.1%

05-18-2013 22:16:34 | More by Photekut

jl28r1

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

05-18-2013 16:55:26 | More by jl28r1

mattsucks

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

05-18-2013 14:22:17 | More by mattsucks

Fcolle2

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

05-17-2013 21:51:57 | More by Fcolle2

rheff

Arkansas

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

05-17-2013 03:55:52 | More by rheff

ElizabethEleanor

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +19.6%

05-17-2013 03:09:31 | More by ElizabethEleanor

DMarlinJ

Michigan

3.19/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

This was the nitro but they say it's an alias. I poured into a standard pint glass and it looked pretty good. Nice head that settled to a thin layer that lasted throughout. Not much smell to speak of, slight caramel. Taste is weak and watery, not much there. Very disappointing, maybe this is a dead bottle? It doesn't taste bad just not much going on. The mouth feel is thin and watery and not much carbonation, that is what make me think it is not fresh.

I won't try this one again unless someone gives me one and says I should give it a second chance. Still it was better then a can of Labatts or Bud.

It certainly doesn't line up with what others are saying in there reviews. I can't see how so many are rating it above a 3.5

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 00:53:58 | More by DMarlinJ

greggy1972

Ohio

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-16-2013 23:15:02 | More by greggy1972

tviz33

New York

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-16-2013 18:31:19 | More by tviz33

bigbutter

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

05-16-2013 14:01:58 | More by bigbutter

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.19/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. nitro bottle into a stout pub glass.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brownish black with a lot of carbonation. About two fingers of beige head that settle into a thinner creamy layer. Leaves a good amount of lacing.

Smell: A very creamy, roasty, and toasty aroma with good hints of sweet milk chocolate and coffee roast. Sweet dark roasted malts with hints of cocoa, milk chocolate, coffee, cream, lactose, cookie dough, toast, caramel, toffee, grain, oats, and yeast. Sweet hints of brown sugar and a slight hint of syrup. Some earthy hop hints in the background. A pretty rich and solid milk stout aroma.

Taste: Like the smell hints at, a rich and creamy milky taste with lots of roasty chocolate and coffee notes. Roasted malts with good notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, cream, coffee bean, lactose, vanilla, dough, toasted bread, oatmeal, grains, caramel, toffee, and yeast. Sweet notes of brown sugar and a little syrupy taste. Earthy hops come in towards the finish adding a little balancing bitterness. A very good roasty taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a carbonation on the higher end. Very creamy, velvety, and smooth. Somewhat syrupy. Finishes somewhat dry.

Overall: A very solid milk/sweet stout and probably the best use of nitro I've had so far. The nitro adds creamyness without taking away from the other flavors.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

05-16-2013 06:20:18 | More by MattyG85

StevenH

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-16-2013 06:04:29 | More by StevenH

kuhndog

New York

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

05-16-2013 02:26:30 | More by kuhndog

somethingcreative

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

05-16-2013 02:08:55 | More by somethingcreative

ajtorres311

Florida

4/5  rDev +0.8%

05-15-2013 16:49:36 | More by ajtorres311

pstam87

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +19.6%

05-14-2013 01:53:49 | More by pstam87

HarmonMW

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%

05-14-2013 01:42:46 | More by HarmonMW

aty11b

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

05-14-2013 01:10:20 | More by aty11b