Firestone Walker Nitro Merlin Milk Stout
What the brewers say
"When Velvet Merlin is brewed with milk sugar to create Nitro Merlin Milk Stout, the effect is similar to adding cream to your dark roasted coffee. The result is a stout that is still dark and roasty, but now with a mellow sweetness and added roundness of body."
What our panel thought
"Roast chocolate nose, mellow, like a dusting of dark cocoa powder on toasted cereal, with a pleasant fruity hop note. On the palate, the lush creamy texture is the star of the show. Hints of coffee, chocolate, and coconut—light sweetness and low hop-and-roast bitterness in harmony—dovetail through the finish. Creamy finish dries out nicely. Smooth and agreeable."
What our editors thought
"Pour and just watch it for 5–10 minutes before taking a sip—the sheer joy of the soft and creamy head persisting indefinitely is palpable. The nose is subtle with gentle spice reminiscent of chai and very lightly roasted coffee, with bits of caramel apple and marshmallow. The sip is masterful, gently rolling in without so much as a hint of a sharp, dark malt edge, redefining ‘smooth’ and ‘creamy’ in the process. As it sits on the tongue, the spice emerges, softly, with luxurious milk and dark chocolate notes that feel crafted to a soft hand, like leather worked by a master tanner—structured and strong, but comfortably worn."
