Left Hand Brewing Company - Nitro Milk Stout
It is this time of year that I make the switch from strictly drinking IPAs (pumpkin beers too) and make the move to hearty, warming stouts. Maybe that's why I gain a few pounds over the holidays...I thought it was the food?
Anyway, there is absolutely nothing Christmasy about this brew, but I have seen videos on my Instagram feed that talk about Pour Hard. I guess since the beer is somehow bottled differently with nitrogen instead of the traditional CO2 way, the pour will not foam up and over the glass, wasting precious ounces of beer. Think back to when you were that poor college kid and needed to save money. You learned how to pour a beer properly with a tilted glass and you learned to turn the glass at just the right time to achieve the optimal head. Well, throw that out the window Gladys!
I tried it, and it worked (see picture at the bottom of this post), but this video here does it better justice than my photo (I know it's not the same beer, but it's the concept that counts).
I tried it, and it worked (see picture at the bottom of this post), but this video here does it better justice than my photo (I know it's not the same beer, but it's the concept that counts).
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After pouring, I couldn't help but be in awe of the fact that this beer did not flow over the lip of my glass. At the same time, the head on this beer, a creamy, white color, was at least a half inch thick, the entire time. What a glorious sight! The beer poured a deep, dark brown color, and it was pretty close to being completely black.
According to the bottle, the ingredients include malted barley, flaked oats, hops, yeast, water, and lactose. Fairly simple to say the least. The lactose is the signature ingredient of the milk stout style and is what gives it the characteristic milky white head and smooth taste.
The review of this beer will be pretty basic as well. Roasted coffee was the predominant aroma found in this brew, almost mocha-like.
The flavor of the brew was exactly as described above. The smooth taste from the lactose, along with the roasted coffee flavor and mild bitterness makes this beer a must-have for coffee lovers and hopheads alike (as long as the hophead can step outside of their comfort zone to appreciate this for what it is). It should be noted that this beer is recommended to be consumed between 40-45 degrees. I pulled it out of the fridge and immediately realized it was much colder than that. A few years ago, I thought that temperature really meant nothing and I liked my beer cold. The colder, the better. Now that my palate has matured slightly, I have come to realize that the recommendation is there for a reason. As this beer warmed to the recommended temperature, it actually became smoother to drink. I didn't think that to be possible at first. Learn from my early mistakes...follow the brewers recommendations! Sometimes, other flavors mellow out in different styles, or the combination tastes altogether different.
According to the bottle, the ingredients include malted barley, flaked oats, hops, yeast, water, and lactose. Fairly simple to say the least. The lactose is the signature ingredient of the milk stout style and is what gives it the characteristic milky white head and smooth taste.
The review of this beer will be pretty basic as well. Roasted coffee was the predominant aroma found in this brew, almost mocha-like.
The flavor of the brew was exactly as described above. The smooth taste from the lactose, along with the roasted coffee flavor and mild bitterness makes this beer a must-have for coffee lovers and hopheads alike (as long as the hophead can step outside of their comfort zone to appreciate this for what it is). It should be noted that this beer is recommended to be consumed between 40-45 degrees. I pulled it out of the fridge and immediately realized it was much colder than that. A few years ago, I thought that temperature really meant nothing and I liked my beer cold. The colder, the better. Now that my palate has matured slightly, I have come to realize that the recommendation is there for a reason. As this beer warmed to the recommended temperature, it actually became smoother to drink. I didn't think that to be possible at first. Learn from my early mistakes...follow the brewers recommendations! Sometimes, other flavors mellow out in different styles, or the combination tastes altogether different.
Lastly, there was some sweet lacing on the glass. That lacing, in beer, is mostly an aesthetic thing that makes your beer look better, and in turn, taste better. Don't tell me I'm full of it...tell science!
At 6% ABV, this beer won't knock you out for the count (like last night's 8.9%), but will fill you up nicely after a dinner. Or, if you'd rather have a few of them, it's just light enough to have another if your work week was not the best. Hey, it happens to the best of us. Right?
For the first time in this year's blog, this beer gets a 4 star rating out of 5. Definitely a quality brew for sure! Cheers to you on your thirsty Thursday!
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