Ninkasi Brewing Company Noir Milk Stout
What the brewers say
“Combines roasted malts with smooth coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters. A subtle sweetness from milk sugar makes this beer reminiscent of the most satisfying cup of Joe.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Creamy, sweet, nice coffee roast with the perfect touch of bittersweet chocolate. Reminds me a little of the coffee frappés I had as a kid.”
Flavor: “The roast malt slides in smoothly and builds to a nice coffee intensity. Creamy flavor and creamy mouthfeel. The underlying sweetness is pleasant but not too powerful until it fades down to let you really get the roasty bitter finish of the coffee flavor. The bitterness lingers along with some acidity, but it’s buoyed by the remaining sweetness. A faint whiff of hops in that initial sip adds some pleasant earthy complexity. Coffee balances the sweetness with a crisp roasted background.”
Overall: “Very nice smooth treat. Excellent balance of malt and coffee as well as sweetness, bitterness, and acidity.”
