Lefthand Brewing Milk Stout

The Brewers:
Company:  Lefthand Brewing Company
Location:  1265 Boston Ave., Longmont, Colorado
Website: http://www.lefthandbrewing.com

The Beer:
Style:  Milk Stout (could it get any better?)
ABV:  6.0%
IBU:  25
SRM:  47
Brewed with:  Magnum and US Goldings hops, Crystal, Munich, Roasted Barley, and Chocolate malts, Flaked oats and Flaked barley (and lactose)
Served:  12 oz. bottle

The Drink:
Drank out of a 16 oz. traditional English pub glass

Beer pours a delicious pitch-black with a tan, creamy head.  Head dissipated relatively quickly and left little to no lace.  Appears a deep ruby color when back-lit.   

Aromas of coffee, roasted malts and chocolate.  Some faint sharp oat aroma, my feeling is that this only stands out because of the poor aging quality of rolled oats.  

Beer starts with typical coffee and chocolate flavors and a moderate carbonation level typical of the style.  Body is pleasent and light, more like a dry Irish stout (think Guiness) but still with a healthy presence from rolled grains.  Middle to finish exhibits the smooth, sweet properties indicative of brewing with lactose.  Roasted coffee and chocolate flavors carry through into a dry finish, which is accompanied by a subtle and interesting earthy/spicy flavor, probably from the rolled oats.  

Overall:
Again, one of my absolute favorite beers.  The roasted malt backbone of this beer is complimented perfectly by the smooth and sweet traits of the lactose and rolled grains.  Bear in mind that rolled grains and lactose contribute a great deal of unfermentable sugars to the beer, and so they have a profound impact on the flavor profile and mouthfeel of the final product.  This beer is sure to please any drinker; its dark roasted character will charm any black beer aficionado, while its smooth milk-sugar sweetness will suit the tastes of any light-beer drinker.  If you're looking to get into the dark arts of black ales or looking to try something on the lighter side, this is definitely the beer for you.

Note:
This beer is also available in "Nitro."  A nitro beer utilizes compressed nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide for the "bubbly" effect.  A nitro beer has better head retention, a smoother/creamier mouthfeel and can maintain carbonation longer, once opened, than a beer that is pressurized with carbon dioxide.  If you have the opportunity, get the nitro: it's fantastic.  If you have a second opportunity, get both:  compare, contrast and drink two beers instead of one.