#12beers of Beercember Left Hand Milk Stout review
It’s the second day of Nathaniel Square Corner Store’s Beercember event, it’s me Keith again with a review of today’s selection Left Hand Brewing Company’s Milk Stout.
Those of you who are long time listeners to happy time magic hour may remember we actualy have had this beer on the show.
htmh #9 left hand mil stout & the right hands of tolkien
Perhaps it was because we had this brew back in May, perhaps it was due to the trouble we had getting our Left Hand Craft Packs beers to match in Texas and NY, or perhaps it’s that my tastes have matured in the last 31 episodes.
I was prepared to hold that line when I tried this beer tonight, but… In trying it again, I am finding it to be a bit smoother, a bit creamier and generally speaking a better brew this time around.
This 5.2% ABV beer pours a dark almost black brown that lets no light through. The head is small tan but indisputably there. There is a nose of vanilla cream and coffee, and the taste has a definite creaminess that comes from the introduction of lactose, there are definite coffee and chocolate tastes floating across the pallet. The carbonation is light, leaving it a tad thin in the mouth in my opinion, but some people like that.
Personally Stout is my favorite style of dark beers and I’d still prefer to have a good Irish Stout or dry Russian Imperial Stout to this one given the choice. But If you don’t like the dryness of those bigger bolder animals than this would be a good stout to try.
I think I am going to bump the original show rating to a 4/5 for this brew, because I have to say I am enjoying the coffee/chocolate notes and the creaminess this time around. It’s an after dinner brew, reminding me a bit of the classic Italian dessert, tiramisu.
That’s the thing with these craft brews from smaller breweries. You can get a run that is ok one time and excellent the next, the beer can change due to seasonal conditions and age. It’s the holiday’s and every beer deserves a second chance. I’d say if you avoided the Left Hand Milk Stout because of our review back in htmh #9, then it’s time to give it a look see.
Another solid pick for Beercember. Now I’m off to record happy time magic hour #41, with Old Fezziwig, oh and some beer too. ;-)
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