Odell Brewing Company Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout

**Aroma:** “Strong bold notes espresso roast character up front with a nice creamy-like lactose sweetness and some nice dry chocolate character and coffee. Clean, with very little fruitiness from esters. Some mild earthiness and murkiness as the coffee fades. Some dark chocolate notes.” **Flavor:** “The coffee character continues into the taste with milky lactose sweetness that is nicely balanced with caramel sweetness and roasted character, reminiscent of dark chocolate and espresso. Light tannic astringency in the finish, which helps cut some of the sweet. Aftertaste is chocolaty and smooth. Light earthy hops with just enough bitterness to keep the sweetness in check.” **Overall:** “A very well balanced and very complex, full-bodied stout that is reminiscent of chocolate milk mixed with cold-brewed coffee. I love the rounded lactose character offset by the dark malt bitterness. Roasted malt character is excellent, and sweetness is perfect for the style. I could see myself drinking a lot of this through the fall and winter months.”

**Aroma:** “A smooth blend of pumpkin-pie spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg) and a rich, bready sweet caramel malt character (bordering on toffee) compete for dominance, with a pleasant note of fresh-baked pumpkins.” **Flavor:** “Deep malt sweetness comes through as caramelized brown sugar and toffee, supported by a very nice spice character with notes of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Surprisingly balanced, considering the sweetness, thanks in part to the spice profile. Clean, crisp, warm finish with a slight lingering sweetness, but far from cloying. Definitely a big beer.” **Overall:** “This beer has a lot to offer—full-bodied, rich, and complex, with a very well designed spice profile that’s not too spiced nor too sweet. It all comes together well, and the warmth of the beer makes it bigger than most pumpkins. Big yet approachable.”

**Aroma:** “Cacao nibs, toffee, and light cherry esters with a touch of lemon. Mild roast and hints of fresh coffee with a moderate alcohol nose.” **Flavor:** “Roast and chocolate dominate with low level dark fruit esters to complement them, specifically cherry. Hops bitterness throughout balances the malt sweetness. Finishes fairly dry and slightly bitter, but this makes you want another sip. Slight heat on the finish as well reminding you that this is imperial. A bit light on body relative to other contemporary examples. The addition of some caramelized sugars or other dark fruit flavors would help the complexity.” **Overall:** “This beer does everything right but doesn’t quite reach its full potential. A good example of the style that could benefit from a bit more body and complexity, but a great beer overall.”