Why we picked it: It was a good value of a nice Flying Dog seasonal collaboration pack, and I was surrounded by stout lovers. I also have heard some people out there kind of like chocolate.
What Flying Dog has to say: Chocolate - because Lord knows the world doesn’t need another fruitcake. This Chocolate Milk Stout takes inspiration and ingredients directly from our friends at Salazon Chocolate Co. Roamers of the earth, pioneers of salted chocolate.
ABV: 6.3%
IBU: 20
Fun Fact: Salazon Chocolate is based in Eldersburg, Md. The origin story: "While on a backpacking trip in Utah during Spring 2009, we'd brought along the usual snacks. You know - energy bars, salty trail mixes, and as always, some organic dark chocolate bars (an energy-dense super food). Sitting around the campfire that night, it struck us that a simple, salted dark chocolate bar would be the perfect energy food. The idea for Salazon Chocolate was born."
Sweet. Just as I complain about the delay in postings, there we go! And Scott has promised this will be the new norm. All hail our new 24 days of beer overlord.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I drank this last night while waiting for the Atlas page to load. And I have 5 of them due to our delayed realization that 12x6 does not equal 54. So yes, we bought 18 extra beers and since Scott claims to hate stouts, he gave me all of these extras.
Anyway, I've always had problems with stouts since I compared them all to Guinness. And that just never ends well. I had no problem with this beer. Smooth. Seems like a pretty standard milk stout to me. I personally did not find it to have that much chocolate. But I spent the weekend eating chocolate so I might be desensitized. I'd drink it again (and have to since I have 4 more), but I wouldn't seek it out. I guess I wanted something special. Something more. Something different. Didn't get that. Just an average beer. Therefore it gets 3 J.J. Hardys.
Worth the wait. I had to get through a middle school band concert before I got to open my Advent fridge tonight, and I'm enjoying this thoroughly. I do taste the dark chocolate, subtle, but it's there. 4 7th grade trumpets.
ReplyDeleteMiddle school band concert! That would make any beer taste refreshing, like a breath of freedom.
DeleteI'm a big fan of stouts so was really looking forward to this selection. I wasn't necessarily disappointed, but I expected more. Maybe to be hit with a more robust, complex taste. A little thin for me. But don't get me wrong, I'd never turn one down. 3 Randy Watsons (aka Joe the Policeman from the What's Going Down episode of That's My Mama)
ReplyDeleteDecent. Nothing super special. Pairs well with a useful Texas win over VCU.
ReplyDeleteI am generally not a huge stout fan, so while I wasn't bowled over, it seemed like this stout is doing everything a stout should do. But, at the stout's end of year performance review at the imaginary stout office, the manager stout (in what I would imagine is in a larger bottle adorning a small red bowtie with a tweed jacket wrapped around it) would say something like "Look, you're a perfectly decent stout with an inoffensive flavor and smooth drinkability, but you're just not going that extra mile like Brad does. You're getting a 3% bonus this year - you're just not in the 12% league like Brad."
ReplyDeleteI am searching a bit for the chocolate in this, but it does hit me in something of an aftertaste. I was sort of expecting more chocolate given that they went to such trouble to brew the beer around the chocolate(?) For some reason, it really reminds me of one of the dark beers that used to go into the Sam Adams mixpack (maybe a double chocolate bock, or something.) Almost like it's the same beer.
So, for me, this stout gets a rating of "meets expectations," or if you prefer, 3 stout worker emoticons.
After 10-hours of meetings and alcohol-fueled "corporate networking" for another 5 hours, it's probably unfair to even be tasting this, but this the way the day fell. Oh, I should add that I am biased against stouts and generally don't like chocolate. So the odd of me enjoying this are very low... It has met exceeded expectations, but barely. Liker most stouts, I think it lacks body and the overall flavor is uninteresting. On the plus side, the dark and bitter chocolate is a bit better than others I have had in the past. All in all, it could be worse. 2.5 jingle bells out of 5.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I was expecting an unbalanced, over the top beer here with Flying Dog. I was pleasantly surprised by the balance and flavor, and really enjoyed it. I would definitely get this beer again.
ReplyDelete