Mikkeller Milk Stout
Tonight's post is on another stout, since today marks the official last day of summer. Headed into the fall and winter seasons, which means here come the stouts. I am super ready for this season. It brings with us the start of Octoberfest and Pumpkin brews. I am trying a brew from a brewery I have not sampled a beer from before. Now if you recall a post on Sour Bikini from Evil Twin Brewing. The beer I am having tonight is from the other twin and his brewery called Mikkeller. Mikkeller started homebrewing and then transition to gypsy brewing. According to a Bloomberg post, "so-called gypsy brewers-- globe trotting artisans who used friends' brewing facilities-- scaled up production to satisfy demand." Mikkeller Brewery started in 2006 and since they started the have over 700 unique beer recipes that have been released under the Mikkeller brand with distribution in more than 40 countries worldwide.
The beer I am trying tonight is Mikkeller Milk Stout that was brewed at De Proefbrouwerij in Belgium. If you look at the label it says product of Belgium. The Milk Stout has an alcohol by volume or ABV of 6%.
The aroma of the stout is very sweet. I notice right away the sweetness of the lactose from the milk. Then you are swirled with a roasted aroma that could be a combination of things. I notice the roasted malt and grain aroma. Then there is a roasted black coffee aroma that is not overpowering but is noticeable. Lastly, there is a sweet/bitter chocolate note in the aroma. Almost like you added chocolate milk to your coffee in an attempt to sweeten it up. As far as Milk Stout aroma, I am really eager to gulp this beer down after it's aroma. The appearance is black like black coffee. There is a chocolate or tan foam around the top of the glass. The foam or head has a thin layer at the top of the glass and there is lacing around the outside of the glass.
Appearance of Milk Stout
Let's see where the aroma and taste take us. I took my first sip and I thought about waking up. The aroma follows the taste. The first thing I notice taste wise was the roasted coffee. Followed by a bitterness from the coffee being black and no sweetener added. There is a subtle sweetness to the Milk Stout, but not enough to curb the bitterness. You pick up on the roasted note right away and the roasted malt and grains are on the palate instantly. There is a faint chocolate note as you finish your sip for a subtle sweetness as your sip ends. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. I would say the body of this stout is medium. The more and more I drink I begin to notice a lactose sweet note as a linger taste, almost like a malted milk.
Mikkeller Milk Stout
Overall I think this was a good brew. It gave you the roasted notes you look for in a stout with a subtle sweetness that is not too sweet. I think some drinkers think that milk stouts can be too sweet, but the additions of coffee and the roasted malt and grains into the brew, give this beer a change of pace. I think that if you like your coffee black with no sweeteners than this is a stout you can enjoy. The bitterness in the beer paired with the roasted notes, tone down the bitterness to an acceptable range in my opinion. The lingering taste at the end of the beer almost reminds me of a beer that is a liquid version of Milk Duds.
Check out Mikkeller Brewery on their website and their social media:
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