Left Hand Milk Stout - Left Hand Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A decent beverage, a transition from a soda pop, or an ovaltine. Looks like coke with a snap crackle from active carbonation. Roasty medium mouthfeel coffee cocoa nutty bittersweet chocolate. Very dark brown with tan head. Roasted malt aroma. Not too smooth, but easy drink. Where are the cookies?

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2004 04:58:31 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.53/5  rDev -36.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

This milk stout looks more like a weak porter or even a dark lager. It's ruddy brown in color and is nowhere near opaque. The ecru colored cap displays shallow pits on its surface and falls uneventfully to a thin film, leaving absolutely no lace.

The aroma is weak and consists of milk chocolate and a faint whiff of coffee. The flavor switches thing around a little bit and is coffee-dominant. Were coffee beans used in the brewing? There's a hint of cocoa in the background, along with a slight metallic tang.

The body/mouthfeel is disappointing, especially for a beer that calls itself a stout. It's thin and two-dimensional, not thick, rich, or creamy in the least.

Left Hand Milk Stout is not a stout, I don't care what the label says. A light porter maybe, but not even a very good one of those.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2004 16:34:01 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep dark brown, essentially black, and pretty opaque. Large tan head faded very slowly to reveal a thick layer of lace that lasted till the bitter end. Smell was alot of chocolate to say the least. Huge lactose mile profile, but bigtime light chocolate aroma. The flvor picked right up where that left off. Very smooth, could use a tad more carbonation but really very nice. This was more of a chocolate stout, then a milk stout to me, but the sweetness is very prevelent. Low ABV makes this totally a session beer. Overall very nice and highly recommeded for a try. Really redeemed left habd for me after the smoke jumper.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2007 01:54:12 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Jeff for this one.

A: The pour is a very dark brown color with a finger of off-white head.

S: A slight smokiness along with a lot of the roasted malt. Not all that much lactose/sweetness to it. Some toffee and molasses to it as well as roasted malt.

T: Quite a bit of smoke and roast to this beer. Some sweet lactose flavor and a bit of toffee, too. A little bit of chocolate flavor to it as well.

M: Medium bodied with a medium carbonation.

O: Not a bad milk stout, though the smokiness was a bit strange.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 22:02:23 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a really nice deep, deep brown color with a light tan head. The head is fairly long-lasting. The nose is nice with some roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, and a bit of light sweetness. The taste is a bit more plain with some light chocolate and a touch of roast. The feel is nice and creamy. Drinks really well and is a nice cold-weather session brew.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2010 02:51:53 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.83/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours an opaque, black body with a bubbly cap of chalk white bubbles.

Smell: Dark malt aroma with some roasty grain notes, a bit of scorched sugar and a pint of chocolate milk.

Taste: Dark malts with a chocolate milk flavor. A bit of roastiness perks up. Crumbled fudge cookies. Medium sweetness. There's only a mild bitterness present, so the beer certainly remains on the sweet side. Finishes roasty and milky sweet.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Slight creaminess.

Drinkability: Not bad! A flavorful, sweetish milk stout.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2008 17:11:08 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours an opaque dark brown with a small beige head that fritters away to a film while leaving a few shards of lace

Smell: Milk chocolate and a bit of roast in the aroma

Taste: Starts out chocolatey with hints of caramel and finishes that way, too; slight bitter coffee at the very end

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with modest carbonation

Drinkability: Nice and easy to drink; enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2006 22:41:46 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On nitro-tap at Falling Rock in Denver, CO.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a 1 inch beige head that fades to a small cap that lasts. Nice foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of roasted malt and chocolate milk. Taste is of the roasted malt, slight coffee beans, and dark cocoa powder. Mild roast bitterness on the palate quickly fades. Due to the nitro-tap this beer is very thick and creamy. Overall, this is a very good milk stout that I would get again. My first beer from Left Hand.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-15-2011 15:58:21 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of Shp555: Poured a medium black color stout with a medium foamy head with better then average retention. Aroma of light roasted malt with some coffee. Taste is also dominated by some coffee malt with a good lactose feel also noticeable. The creamy texture was very interesting with a nice full body. I thought this beer was well balance between roasted coffee malt and the creamy lactose aspect of it.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2007 18:50:38 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.16/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

What has largely become the epitome of milk stout, Left Hand further celebrates the smooth and velvety textures with "Nitro" giving the lush ale a Guinness-like creaminess and visual appeal.

Even with the beer's turbulent pour, the beer appears all foam until the beer starts to separate from the tightly woven bubbles with cascade-like effects. As the beer mesmerizes the eye, a seriously dense head develops on the beer with a mocha-brown meringue. The beer beneath is about as dark brown as you can get before crossing the black threshold. Its onyx-like sheen suggests good clarity despite its darkness.

Medium intense aromas of mid-weight coffee, chocolate, nuts, heavy whipping cream, and caramel command the nose, and doing so with minimal char or harsh notes. With virtually no fruit, spice, or hop contributions- the beer's robust scent is all about roasted malt and supporting sweetness.

But where the aromas seemed moderate, the taste is more pronounced. Hampered by its dense foamy barrier no more, the bold flavor is chocked full of robust coffee, bittersweet chocolate, malted milk candies, cream, walnuts, and lightly singed caramels. It's a balanced taste that all rises in similar intensity and careful not to allow one taste to dominate. Light woodish hops weave into the roast and mild earth for a subtle signal of closure in finish. The beer is simply a straight forward dialogue between roast and sweetness.

The nitro-infused gas gives the beer a dense, creamy whipped topping texture like eating Cool Whip. Velvet, silk, satin come to mind as the foam occupies the mouth. But as soon as the cream proves to be fast-fleeting, so is the beer behind. A brisk after-texture stems from the relatively thin beer that follows the cream. Its semi-dry finish is from dry roast, slight residual sweetness, and light roasty coffee-like bitterness.

Without taking a stance on whether the beer is best with standard carbonation or this new nitro-infused version; the nitrogen gives the beer a tighter weave making the beer look and feel more dense. But the beer is also slightly less aromatic and thinner if not drank quickly. I honestly enjoyed this version very well!

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2005 23:16:34 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured nicely black with ruby red hue,light head caramel colored head that left a nice lace.Smelled of very bitter chocolate,tasted nece and sweet with chocolate and burnt tones,very creamy in texture,like drinking desert.Nice hop flavor to balance out at the end,I really enjoyed this stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2003 14:36:15 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a shaker pint glass at The Firkin.

I guess you could call this my dessert after downing a spicy pork sammich (with the Victory edition of the Saison du BUFF). It pours a mostly opaque black-brown, highlighted with a lighter shade of brown, topped by a half-finger of off-white foam. The nose comprises light buttercream, sweet coffee, cocoa, coconut, light roasted malts, and vanilla. The taste is a simple combination of roasted malts, coffee, vanilla, cocoa, and sour cream. The body is a somewhat hefty medium, with a very light carbonation and a feel as smooth as Billy Dee. On nitro, this thing is dangerously drinkable, a very tasty and enjoyable milk stout.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-12-2010 18:37:14 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Dark brown, shining red 'round the edges,highly carbonated, prodigious cocoa head, which slims down right-quick.
Bittersweet in the nose, but minor, mostly smooth, sweetness and cream.
Taste: Smoothness reigns here, very slick, easy-going, but just enough taste to redeem it. but there's a definite lack of character, though. That could be what they're going for, a readily palatable stout that would please the masses. That's good for something, but not really for me.
Yeah, I really don't feel like knocking it, but true stout aficianados won't miss anything if they pass this by.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2005 02:05:38 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a deep black color with a thin tan head that fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a nice black patent scent, but not much else. It has a rather dry aroma. The taste is above average. It has a rich black malt flavor with a dry, yet slightly sweet finish. It is very dark and hides the lactose addition. It's not as sweet as other milk stouts I've had. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with a little lacking in carbonation. This is a decent stout, but nothing more. It has a one sided flavor and aroma and is undercarbonated. It's one and done for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2004 23:14:35 | More by WesWes

Mora2000

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a dark brown/black into a pint glass. The head is two fingers thick and tan colored. Very creamy. The beer smells of roasted malts, but overall, there isn't much of a smell.

The taste is chocolate and coffee with some sweetness. It went down easy and I could see myself drinking several of these in one sitting. I only wish I would have tried this on a day where the high temperature wasn't in the 80s.

Overall, this is one of the best sweet stouts I have had. I will definitely have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2008 05:19:18 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is essentially jet black in colors; traces of amber are visible near the edges of the glass when it is held up to the light. It poured with a finger high dense and creamy tan head that has excellent retention properties and consistently left a small head covering the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of lactose in the nose. As the beer warms up, hints of chocolate also become noticeable.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has flavors of lactose along with notes of milk chocolate and roasted malts.
M: It feels medium-bodied and very creamy and smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a bit of dryness in the finish.
O: The appearance and mouthfeel are probably the best parts of this beer. It’s very easy to drink and quite sessionable.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

03-31-2012 13:50:18 | More by metter98

zeff80

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a jet black color with a tan, foamy, one-finger head. Left some small traces of lace.

S - It smelled very sweet, tons of caramel and chocolate.

T - This truly is a sweet stout. The chocolate, caramel and toffee flavors are outstanding.

M - It was soft, creamy and milky. A medium-bodied beer.

D - This is a very good stout. The chocolate sweetness is very good.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2007 01:57:37 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap 12/5/07 at Doherty’s East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

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

S: The aroma is of dark chocolate, roasted coffee and dark malts.

T: The taste is very creamy and milky, with flavors of dark chocolate and coffee. It’s very sweet and malt as well. The hops presence is very mild but it works well for this beer. The after-taste is quite sweet.

M: Very smooth with a little crispness, medium-to-heavy body, light-to-medium carbonation, sticky finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down easy, a little filling, mild kick, good representation of style, it’s a nice stout that I could drink a few of until I get too full and one of the better stouts that I’ve had.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2007 16:08:29 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a deep black colored liquid with a thin tan head on it. The lacing is very minimal. The smell of the beer is chocolatey and roasted. The taste of the beer has a really good creamy lactose flavor to it. The beer is sweet but it's well balanced. The mouthfeel is pretty good too, the body is between medium and heavy. Overal this beer is pretty good, I would drink this one again for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2011 22:00:15 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very effervescent mahogany with 1 thumb of caramel colored head. Good lacing & average head retention

S: Roasty & coffe note

T: Follows the nose , some chocolate too up front. Roasty & cocoa notes as this warms, slight lactic acid twang & dryness as well. Finishes roasty, a little dry with a whisper of vanilla mocha & just a bit of figgyness

MF: Medium bodied, silky smooth carbonation

Very drinkable, a nice presentation of the style

Serving type: nitro-bottle

12-10-2012 04:09:59 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottled: 01/07/2012

Poured into a pint shaped glass mug, it has the standard nitro slow motion cascade of tiny bubbles moving through it. Creamy head of tan foam that settles to a thin, well-defined cap. Some frothy lace forms a collar around the edges.

Cafe latte aroma, cream, chocolate, and coffee, though rather mild. Nicely melded and very smooth.

Similar chocolate and mild coffee flavors, dry with a light sweetness at first, and mild roast in the middle. Very smooth and creamy feeling, but also a bit flat. Sort of like an English stout on cask. Milk chocolate, lactose, very mellow coffee that imparts little to no bitterness or acidity. Overall it's not wildly different from the regular version, though it seems every tap in town is nitro at the moment anyway.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

01-26-2012 00:27:40 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours black with a creamy white head, thick lace.

S: Roast, charred caramelized sugar.

T: Roasted malt and coffee, with a sweet lactose finish, very tasty. Lots of various chocolate notes.

M: Medium-bodied, fairly flabby carbonation, smooth.

D: My first true domestically made low ABV milk stout, and it was quite good. Shame they don't distribute to CA.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2010 18:23:00 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black in color with a 2 finger tan head. The head reduces to a spotty residue. Some nice lacing does develop through the drink. The aroma was of roasted malts and chocolate. The flavor is dominated by roasted malts and very sweet chocolate, but some coffee, nuts, and light bitterness is in the background. This was quite a sweet flavored brew.

The mouthfeel was creamy and smooth at the start with a short smooth chocolate finish. Nicely drinkable, but slightly sweeter and less roasted than other milk stouts. Overall an enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2004 19:07:26 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours very dark brown with a thick tan head that settles to a lasting thin cover. Some trailing lace sticks to glass.

Smell is of chocolate, slight coffee, lactose, underlying earthy notes with subtle dark fruits.

Taste follows through from the aroma - chocolate, some coffee, dark malt -- some lactose, but not overpowering. Subtle underlying earthy/dark fruity notes give it balance. Finishes appropropriately sweet.

Medium bodied, smooth. Flavor lingers on the palate.

This is a nice milk stout. Flavorful and well-balanced for the style.
It has nice, subtle complexities.
Thanks to bitterbill for including this one in our trade.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2007 01:43:59 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one came out of a variety case. Pours pitch black with little bit of lacing.

This reminds me more of an oatmeal stout than a sweet/milk stout as there isn't much lactose flavor. That's not necessarily a bad thing. The aroma is rich with chocolate grains and fresh java. The flavor follows the same notes with a bit of milk chocolate, almost like hot chocolate, but with a mild, bitter black pepper finish. The body is neither too thick or thin, call it just right. There's a obvious roasted taste and bitter feel (in addition to the hops) and while I wouldn't drink this all night, it's good for a few pint fulls.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2008 22:00:07 | More by tempest