Steel Toe Stout - Ska Brewing Co.

younger35

Minnesota

2.78/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Received this beer as part of my BA Suicide Pool winnings from jhammerly. Has a bottled on date of March 2005. Drank from my Black Butte Porter pint glass while watching the Steelers vs. Dolphins.

Appearance- Pours a super deep mahogany/brown with a half finger foamy head. I’m surprised by the huge amount of carbonation in this brew but the fairly small head. The cap dissipates quickly and leaves a string thin collar.
Smell- Has a very nice dark espresso nose from all the dark roasted malt. Slight sweet chocolate and caramel with a bit of soft smoke. Nothing from the hops. This is all toasty malts.
Taste- Slightly sweet from the start that isn’t cloying but gets close. Some chocolate and vanilla amongst the sweetness. There is a small bitter citrus bite on the back of the tongue that quickly gets taken over by the sweetness. The nose is full of roasted malt but the there isn’t as much in the taste and it could really use some. Leaves a lingering sour aftertaste.
Mouthfeel- Very thin and watery with not near as much carbonation as it appears.
Drinkability- This beer has all the elements to be delicious but comes up just short. I’m going to assume that it’s a bit past its prime since it was bottled almost 3 years ago. I’d really like to try a fresh bottle and bet it would be pretty damn tasty. Big thanks to jhammerly for this brew!

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2007 03:37:32 | More by younger35

genek

Maine

2.9/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Poured 12 oz bottle into a Pint. very dense malty brown, running to black. Slight brown with no lacing.

A - Malty & stale, though in a good way.

T - Spicy, Caramel malts come through. Weird watery aspect. Slight bitterness and a sweetness that doesn't seem like maltiness.

D - very quaffable and pleasantly smooth. A workingman's beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2010 21:04:37 | More by genek

Zorro

California

2.9/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Clear black colored beer with very little head formation, looks a lot like a glass of coke.

Smells sweet per the style with a good chocolate aroma. Patent malt and a scent of mint. Slight smoke scent.

Starts out slightly sweet with a smoky after taste. Little bit of chocolate and coffee flavor, this seems to lake substance to it, lot like drinking a coke.

Mouthfeel is soda pop.

Overall there isn't that much to it. Like drinking a beer flavored soda.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 02:53:46 | More by Zorro

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

2.93/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is a dark cola color. The head starts out dark tan and rather small, then dissipates to virtually nothing. Minimal lacing. There is an aroma of coffee and roasted malts. They don't mislabel this beer, it's definitely a sweet stout. The sweetness comes through at the beginning with the burnt malt and dry bitter chocolate taste. It finishes dry. The mouthfeel gets knocked because this beer is watery, and feels like a cola to me. Overall, I wanted to like this beer, but it just didn't add up to much. With a name like "Steel Toe" I'd expect something a little more ... solid. I'm glad I didn't buy a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 20:12:38 | More by JuicesFlowing

birchstick

Missouri

2.95/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - pours a dark brown / black color without much of a head

S - smells of sweet, chocolate malts with a touch of roasted malt

T - the taste is similar to the nose in that it begins sweetly with the sweet chocolate malt and a touch of vanilla. This faded to some citrusy and spicy hops. These are all rounded out by a touch of roasted malt & coffee. Not bad.

M - a little thin and strangley carbonated - not a big fan of how this feels

D - pretty solid stout here. Nothing flashy, fits the style and has decent drinkability. I only bought a single of this and wasn't too upset about not having another on reserve. I would definitely drink it again, though.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 03:54:04 | More by birchstick

Oxymoron

Colorado

3.03/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Is it a stainless steel toed boot? Pours a mostly clear lighter black color with red hues throughout. A light brown head with big bubbles. Quickly the foam is gone and next to no lacing at all.

The nose is mostly astringent with malt but limited overall. A good roasty and coffee nose with some light walnut smell. Some noticeable caramel. No real lactic quality. No off yeast aroma either.

The taste is limited. The coffee and richer caramel flavors come out a bit more with the astringent characteristic really backing off. Very wispy lacking that malt presence. Some fruity esters, plums and hints of figs. Some lighter alcohol notes but feint. A touch of earthy hops in the finish.

The body is not good. Really for a sweet stout/milk stout, I want more of a lactic and sweeter flavor. This is more wispy and watery. Very disappointing, more of a dry coffee finish. No off flavors but lack of body.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2008 17:06:18 | More by Oxymoron

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.05/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a dark brown color, produced a decent creamy beige head. Average retention and lacing left on the glass. The aroma consisted of chocolate and roasted malt. Medium in body, this Milk Stout had a base of roasted malt, milk chocolate and was sweet throughout. Nice session beer, this is not my favorite Milk Stout that I have tried to date, but it is a decent example of the style. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 16:45:22 | More by GossageBrewery

mdvatab

Indiana

3.13/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Received as an extra in a recent trade. (Cheers!)
Poured from 12oz bottle into imperial pint glass.
Best by: 12/15/11

Aroma: Light chocolate, cola, and coffee notes. Not bad in the aroma dept.

Appearance: Dark espresso brown. A very hard pour, however, results in VERY minimal bubbles. Looks like there's a significant carbonation issue with this one.

Flavor: Nice, sweet milk chocolate, some tootsie roll, and a vinous note. Bitterness is enough to provide a little bit of balance, but does not hang on through the finish.

Mouthfeel: A thick, slick, syrupy body, which is excellent for the style. Unfortunately, though, this one is highly under-carbonated; almost completely flat. This significantly diminishes the enjoyment of this beer.

Overall: On a positive note, the flavors and body of this beer are great. On the flip side, however, the serious lack of carbonation (not to mention any foam) is a big problem. The beer reminds me of a good homebrew that I've tasted prior to racking to the bottling bucket-- it's just not a finished product. If you can find it adequately-carbonated on draught, try it. Otherwise, I'd recommend avoiding this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 02:39:09 | More by mdvatab

tonistruth

Nevada

3.15/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- dark brown in color, featured, for a extremly limited time, an itty bitty tan head, no lacing, no retent

S- sweet, milk, ice cream like,roasted/burnt malts, and some coffee

T- milky ice cream like sweetness with a lingering sweet aftertaste. Some burnt malt flavor up front, unsweet chocolate as well

M- cola like feeling, carbonation slightly less though, smooth, decent body

D- had some flavor, strong yummy scents, but was not a fun drinking experience at all. As always, i'd be willing to give this brew another try, but i'm not going to inconvience myself for it. This is my 2nd brew from Ska, and i have to say i'm very disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2006 17:29:20 | More by tonistruth

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

The beer poured into the glass translucent black with a brown low and persistent head which laced the glass.

The aroma was roasty with a strong coffee impression followed by a very strong nutty character. The caramel in the aroma was fairly high as was the dark chocolate.

The flavor was fairly bland with coffee and chocolate and a roasty presence. The flavor was fairly fruity and did contain a bit of caramel.

The finish was dry with lasting coffee and chocolate into the aftertaste. The body was below medium and the mouthfeel was watery. A great smelling beer with a less than mediocre flavor and body. It might have passed for a porter.

12 ounce bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2006 23:51:29 | More by GCBrewingCo

Halcyondays

California

3.18/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours black with a solid finger of off-white head, no real lace.

S: Lots of creamed coffee, some brown sugar, licorice. Smell is very much to style.

T: Definite milk chocolate and some coffee. Lightly acidic, not infected but it thins out the whole flavour and gives a lemon/chocolate combo that's weird, not off-putting but weird.

M: Thin and a tad acrid. Light-bodied, light carbonation.

D: Not a trainwreck of a beer, but comparing this to the wonderful Left Hand Milk Stout, it's playing in the minors.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2010 22:26:30 | More by Halcyondays

Hemi

Colorado

3.3/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Black in color. Head tan with poor retention. Lacing subtle and doesn't stick aroundl

S - Sweet chocolate and roasted malts. No aroma from hops.

T - Chocolate, roasted malts and subtle cream taste

M - A bit thin for this style almost watery. Some co2 burn but not much. Creamy

D - Much more drinkable then simular sweet stouts

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2007 06:55:18 | More by Hemi

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.3/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into imperial pint glass...

A- Very dark brown. Pours a finger light khaki head, very creamy and sticky.

S- Nice soft roasted aroma. Great milk chocolate covered caramels in there also. Wonderful smell.

T/M- Tart! Damn, why do so many milk stouts have this slightly sour dark fruit taste? Otherwise a subtle roast and burnt toast flavor. The flavor is all around weak. As it warms the tart drops off mostly but nothing else shines through to create a better profile. Medium/light body and moderate carbonation- not as creamy as I like them.

O- I've had better milk stouts but also worse. This one just didn't have a lot behind it to really make me think highly of it. It was decent and drinkable, but could have been better; especially if the tartness wouldn't have been so prominent for first half of the glass.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 18:16:18 | More by TheGordianKnot

AndoBrew

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

*like it would nit buy again*

app: not a black vail.. a bit of a dark dark ruby hue to it looks like a stout, a weak one.. but a stout.

smell: yummy! creamy coffee, roasted black malts, some sweets.

taste: like it smells but more sweets and water. a bit lacking in some of the richness places but good flavor.

mf: thin and no good!

drinkable?: yep. cause its so thin and weak

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2007 03:43:15 | More by AndoBrew

readbaron

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with only the smallest hint of head.

Smells of burnt coffee with malty undertones.

Tastes like it smells - prominently of coffee with some mellow malt underneath.

Mouthfeel is pretty good - a bit creamy, but lighter and thinner than I'd expect from a milk stout.

Quite drinkable, especially for the price.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 05:54:32 | More by readbaron

Phelps

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle into a schooner pint.

Deep mahogany with surprising clarity, becoming ruby at the clear edges. A thin, large-bubbled head the color of cocoa powder slowly fades, becoming denser as it does. When it gets about a millimeter tall, it stands its ground and goes nowhere.

Bready nose. Lots of sourdough with a light toasting, along with some milk chocolate and sharp, earthy hops.

Less bready, more roasty here, but it’s altogether lighter. A bit of sweet chocolate, a touch of dark fruit sweetness, some sourdough and coffee. A touch of earthiness.

Soft, prickly carbonation in a creamy medium body. Nice viscosity. Surprisingly clean finish.

Not bad. Steel Toe’s a solid, drinkable stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 04:17:48 | More by Phelps

flexabull

California

3.53/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice dark black with a very thin head.

Aromas are creamy, sweet, with some slight roasted malt and coffee like hints as well.

Flavors are pretty good, a bit light but tasty. A creamy dark roasted malt taste up front, beer finishes a bit flat, dry, with a just a hint of bitterness.

Mouthfeel is average at best, too lean for a stout.

Drinkablility is pretty good. Yet another session worthy brew from Ska. A decent milk / sweet stout... but there are better examples out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2006 21:38:25 | More by flexabull

toolbrew

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle with nice artwork. Pours dark brown, nearly opaque with a thick tan head. Great retention and lacing down the glass.

It is a milk stout, and it does smell like milk, slight chocolate aroma, probably from the malts.

Also has a milky taste. Starts as a "regular" stout taste, then the milk taste comes in and dominates.

Smooth beer; not heavy, but lighter. And again...milky feeling/watered down milk feeling.

I could easily drink a few of these per sitting, although I prefer heavier stouts.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2008 21:48:12 | More by toolbrew

chileman13

New Mexico

3.53/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured from 12 oz bottle into a stone pint glass.
A- dark brown almost black with mahogony tint at it's edges.
A- Chocolate, sweet malts with small amout of coffee malt smell.
T- chocolate milk sugar malt. Had off aftertaste undecernable to my tastebuds.
M- Thin for a stout with a little more carbonation than alot of stouts.
D- Though I have had this in the past and liked it maybe this wasn't such a good batch. I'm just unsure and will have to try another...

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2008 02:33:58 | More by chileman13

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Out of the bottle and into my glass this one was a dark, nearly opaque brown with a tan head. Decent retention but good lacing. Aromas of sweet malts and chocolate with a bit of herbal hops. The flavors were chocolate, malt and something creamy or milky. Definitely a milk stout with the sweetness. Good, but limited in depth. Decent body could be richer and heavier. Moderate carbonation could be smoother too.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2008 02:54:14 | More by thekevlarkid

GarrettB

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sweeter and deeper in its chocolate tones than most milk stouts, the Ska Brewing Steel Toe Milk Stout is almost a dessert substitute. The coal black black body hints at the deep, enveloping chocolate flavors insude. In the nose I find scents of freshly unwrapped premium chocolate (the kind you cringe when buying, even if it’s for a special occasion) with chocolate malt and a nice, rich dairy freshness in the nose. The flavor is oozing with even more chocolate, more sweet than bitter, and recalls slices of decadent chocolate cake had at fancy dinners in the past. The boisterous carbonation washes away the flavors in the aftertaste, leaving behind a short but very intense burst of chocolate astringency. Milk stouts are engineered with lactose sugar in mind, but the Steel Toe is a special example of just how sweet a deep, dark beer can get with a heady dose of lactose. I never find it cloying, but I also know that a drink that sweet doesn’t seem like a beer sometimes. All the same, darn good drinking, and practically begging to be paired with a nice vanilla ice cream.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 19:47:26 | More by GarrettB

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Roast bold heavy lactose mocha with aggressive carbonation and sour finish.Sour not sweet aftertaste. Some smokey astringency. I don't drink coffee nor put sugar into my drinks, but I appreciate the effort, and the milk stout style. This is not double cream Bell's.
Thank you Hopdog.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2006 03:29:36 | More by northyorksammy

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz brown bottle care of my friend Ryan's recent trip back from his new residency in Durango Co. Thanks for sharing some of your new hometown's brew with me.

No indication of freshness or date coding but since it was picked up right from the brewery I have no worries about freshness. Poured into a snifter, this brew appears dark brown in color but when held up to the light it displays quite a bit of ruby clarity. A bit more than a finger's worth of tan head appears and receeds quickly leaving faint patches of lace about the glass.

The aroma of this brew is primarily dark roasted grains and smells of such with a slight indication of coffee. Fairly one dimensional in the nose initially. There is not much else to pick up on other than the smell that is quite similar to a package of freshly opened black patent. As it warms however, there are indication of lactose but it is quite faint along with trace amounts of unidentifiable hops.

The taste of this brew is a bit deceiving. Not much of the roasted grains comes through like I had thought. Upfront it has a sweetness of residual sugars mixed with chocolate malt and a bit of estery alcohol. As the brew sits inside the mouth, more of the lactose sweetness becomes aparent and blends with the flavors previously described. In the finish some slight roasty grain bitterness balances out the brew and leaves a long lingering aftertaste of coffee and bitter chocolate.

This is a medium bodied brew with moderate carbonation. Quite drinkable, there is no problem finishing the glass. However, it is a bit too forward with the lactose sweetness. More of the roasted grains would have been much more enjoyable with the lactose being a bit more faint instead of being so forward in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2010 00:10:43 | More by stakem

oberon

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured more of a dark brown than black with some ruby highlights,a thinner mocha colored head atop.Sweet lactose and caramel aromas along with dark roast and some roasted nut.Nice and smooth feel with little carbonation,sugary flavors upfront wih caramel and molasses,a nice drying roastiness in the finish.Not overly complex but its smooth and pretty flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 01:47:42 | More by oberon

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours a coffee color with a frothy tan head that retains well and nicely laces the pint glass

Smell: Roasted notes, caramel and mocha

Taste: Starts with a caramel influenced milk chocolate flavor that betrays some sourness, mid-palate; after the swallow, the sour flavors clearly make their way to the forefront and are joined, at the finish, by the return of the milk chocolate sweet flavors on the tip of the tongue; after the finish, some dark coffee makes an appearance at the back of the tongue

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: An OK milk stout but it would be a lot better without the sour notes

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2007 19:20:46 | More by brentk56