Nitro Milk Stout (Discover Brew) By @SpectreUK

For some reason my brain has started to think that stouts should be written about in Autumn and Winter time. I have no idea why, as I enjoy a good stout washing down a juicy steak anytime of the year, especially in barbecue season. It may be a little cold and grey and wet most of the time outside at the moment, but barbecue season is very much on the way.

Looking at this can I realised I've never drank an American stout. This Nitro Milk Stout was produced by the Left Hand Brewing Company in Colorado, USA. At 6% volume it's a stronger ABV than I'm used to in a stout, but that certainly won't dissuade me! I don't have a steak at hand unfortunately, but this milk stout sounds like it needs to be savoured on its own. Made with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, flaked oats and hops, it's sported as being "super smooth with soft roasting and Mocha notes".

The can was so hard before opening it, I held it over the sink in case it exploded on opening. I see why they call it Nitro. On popping the can there was the loudest crack and fizz I believe I've heard from any beer. Yet no stout was lost during the writing of this blog. That makes me happy. I hate it when any beer goes all over the place on opening a bottle or can. It's mine to drink and savour, not to lose precious drops on the floor or down the sink.

As with any stout I let it settle in the glass for a while after pouring. There was a smooth dark creamy head. Staring at the black stout made my mouth water. I could smell roasted chocolate malt, and those coffee undertones mentioned on the can. On taste this luscious milk stout tastes anything but fast and furious. There is a roasted chocolate malt sweetness and then coffee at the back of the flavour, the herbal hops barely touched my tastebuds, but their bitterness was there, just underneath all that velvety smooth creamy milk stout. Ah, another can please… this one didn't last as long as I'd hoped it would.