Beer Review: Hitachino Nest Sweet Stout Lacto

The Kiuchi brewery is a great Japanese brewery, making a small selection of craft brews and most well known for Hitachino Nest White Ale.  Here’s my review:

Pours smooth, black liquid with a capping of finely bubbled foam.

Gives off aromas of sweet chocolate, caramel, vanilla, coffee.

Light carbonation on the palate gives a prickle that leads to a sweet yet bitter dry cocoa, espresso and chocolate flavor mid palate followed by more coffee, some vanilla, and a caramel sweet finish.

This stout has a lingering stick, is sweet and slightly bitter.

Very drinkable stout and is very versatile, even good in warm weather.

Style: Milk Stout

ABV: 4%

Cheers!

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Beer Review: Left Hand Milk Stout

Pours a deep brown with a capping of creamy khaki foam that sticks to the glass.

Gives off notes of sweet vanilla with a deep roasted coffee and sweet caramel aroma.

This beer is smooth and creamy, with a medium body.  It is sweet and tastes of roasted coffee and sweet caramel, vanilla and milk notes with a slight burnt sugar and coffee bitter finish.

This beer is very drinkable.  Good for after dinner and it is not too heavy so one bottle won’t weigh you down.

The lactose sugar used to sweeten it and make it a “milk stout” really gives it that Bailey’s in beer taste, which might sound gross… to those of you who have never had the pleasure of drinking an Irish car bomb.  Perhaps a guilty pleasure of a serious beer drinker, but I am not embarrassed to say I love the sweet finish of Bailey’s in Guinness, and this subtly suggests that shining moment.

 

Beer Review: Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout

Pours a deep, impenetrable black with no highlights whatsoever.  Gives off an off white, but minimal head.

Has a roasty malt aroma with a sweet note, like maple syrup or cream soda.

The taste is sweet and soft up front with a creamy medium bodied mouthfeel.  The roast fades in the bubbly-dry finish to give off some woody notes and a hint of espresso.

This stout is deliciously simple, I really could drink it all night.  It is creamy and a touch of sweet balanced by a touch of roast and bitterness.

This would go great with a heart dinner of grilled chicken or lamb, or save it for dessert with a chocolate cake or mousse.  Definitely will be awesome with crème brulee!

Style: Milk/Sweet Stout

ABV: 6.10%

Cheers!