Left Hand Brewing Company Milk Stout

**Aroma:** “Strong roasted malt character with sweet creamy lactose coming through. Some chocolate and coffee notes provide a bit of malt complexity. Very pleasant chocolate milk up front, some black licorice, some mild earthiness and pepper. Very sweet on the nose in a classically lactose way.” **Flavor:** “Wonderful round chocolaty sweetness. If it were the right color I would swear I was drinking chocolate milk with a touch of coffee. Chocolate flavors are complex, from semisweet to cacao nib. Nice mild roast with a touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness. Very subtle dark fruit ester notes. Finish is balanced with a lingering roastiness.” **Overall:** “An amazing beer. A very tasty milk stout with a bit more pronounced roastiness for the style, but very well executed. Very sweet from start to finish with hints of chocolate and lactose.”

__Aroma:__ “An earthy roastiness leads up front, with notes of baker’s chocolate and vanilla and a light sweetness in the back. These aromas give way to a really nice coffee-and-cream aroma as the chocolate dissipates.” __Flavor:__ “A nice milk sweetness up front is ushered in by light, not-too-sweet chocolate notes that work well with the vanilla. Smooth roast character is evident in the back and provides a great balance to the sweetness. Dark cherry and black walnut notes hang in the background. The body is medium and creamy, and it finishes sweet and round, yet dry enough to invite another sip.” __Overall:__ “Chocolate flavors abound, without being overly sweet. A pleasing complexity of sweet combined with cherry and walnut notes, and new flavors are detectable in each sip. It’s everything one looks for in a sweet stout, and the balance was spot on. It was like eating chocolate pie with a cup of coffee.”

**Aroma:** “A moderate chocolate note that reminds me of opening up a chocolate bar. A slight boozy note, but sweet enough to complement the chocolate. Strong chocolate flavors, reminiscent of bittersweet and sweet baker’s chocolate. Nice malt sweetness and a touch of roasted malt notes.” **Flavor:** “Sweet malt and chocolate prevail, with just a bit of roasted malt coming through as coffee. Balanced with a slightly sweet finish. Intense sweetness has some fruitiness that comes off a little bubble-gummy. Cherry and fig, dark fruit malt sweetness. Slight warming helps in the finish, and the fruitiness adds complexity.” **Overall:** “Full-bodied, sweet chocolate stout. A boozy chocolate milk is the best descriptor. The dark fruit esters from the fermentation overwhelm the chocolate character. Not quite enough hops bitterness to balance out the malt bill. Smooth, with a nice warming, and very easy drinking.”