Mooove over, I want another beer.

Based on the label of this beer, there could be a serious issue of bovine domestic abuse. Look at all of those hand prints... Anyway, whatever was being done to the cow by Left Hand Brewing Company, not my business, so long as the beer comes out good.

The Left Hand Milk Stout is pretty dark - as if milked straight from a black beer-cow. The tan head makes a brief appearance then disappears into nothingness, although it does leave a residue on your glass. Lots of mocha in the nose of this one, plus roasted malt and dark chocolate. The coffee stands out as the strongest taste - very sharp, roasty goodness. There is some sweetness from the chocolate, but not terribly much. I prefer milk stouts that are a bit more subtle, so good job Left Hand. The aftertaste is primarily light malt, almost like a chocolate malt shake. A sturdy, medium bodied beer and not very carbonated. I would definitely recommend this beer, especially you want to try something that isn't sweet, but has a hint of lighter flavor to offset the potent coffee. Only a 5.2% ABV, so you could easily enjoy a few of these without getting sloppy.

Appearance - 3.5/5.0 - Milked straight from the black cow; but the head was disappointing
Smell - 4.5/5.0 - Lots of coffee, mocha and chocolate.
Taste -4.0/5.0 - Strong flavor, but not overpowering. Coffee is the biggest flavor, with chocolate coming up second.
Feel - 3.5/5.0 - Flavors fill your mouth with a light malt aftertaste.
Drinkability - 4.0/5.0 - a solid milk stout, good for mixed company and for those who want a less "robust" stout

The Young and the Chocolate

I think that chocolate stouts are one of those things you either REALLY like or REALLY don't care for. Chocolate flavors are in other stouts, but are not so terrible pronounced that it deserves a spot in the name, let alone adding DOUBLE to that name. I have found myself on the "REALLY like" side of the spectrum, having found a true blessing in the Rogue Chocolate Stout a few months ago. I wanted to see if the Rogue was a ah...rogue and not characteristic of the style, so I picked up the Young's Luxury Chocolate Stout. I got two versions of the beer - the bomber that was carbonated and the can which contained the nitrous pill.

The color of the brew was a nice pitch black dark color, with a toasted tan creamy head that sticks around for the party that will be coming to your mouth. You could definitely smell the chocolate, but not doublely so. There were some good roasted coffee notes too. Upon getting around to actually taste the beer, the coffee flavor was far more pronounced than the chocolate was, which is fine, just a bit odd when it's a "double chocolate" stout. You'll get some toffee flavor in there as well. The beer was very smooth with little aftertaste. The nitrous version was far more smooth and also less filling (the joy of nitrous), so you feel like you could polish off the four pack of cans in one sitting. Either way, this isn't a heavy beer - don't expect to feel like you just drank a loaf of bread. I would surely get this beer again. Just a note, I found this at Kelly's for $10 a 4 pack of nitrous cans, but found the same 4 pack at Sunflower Market on San Mateo & Academy for only $8.50. No reason to pay $1.50 more for the same beer if you can avoid it.

Appearace - 4.5/5.0 - Nice, pitch black, dark color; toasted tan colored head with good retention
Smell - 4.0/5.0 - Roasted coffee, dark chocolate, not overly strong, but enough to get a nice aroma going
Taste - 4.0/5.0 - Roasted coffee, toffee, subtle chocolate (odd for a double chocolate stout). Smooth, but with a sharper taste at the end.
Feel - 4.0/5.0 - Smooth, little aftertaste, not a heavy beer, mid body for a dark beer
Drinkability - 4.0/5.0 - Indeed, if I'm in the mood for a chocolate stout, would definitely think about this one again - I preferred the nitrous cans over the bomber.

Elsie's Irish Cream Milk Stout

There is a very large one of these monks when you enter Papago Brewing in Scottsdale. Two of them in fact.

Anyway, today's feature is Elsie's Irish Cream Milk Stout. This beer just sounded tasty and it definitely was. The beer is dark with a rich chocolate colored head, which did dissipate pretty quickly. Lots of roasted coffee and chocolate aromas to be found. The beer's name is fitting as it has a milky consistency, lacking a bit of the thickness I come to expect with a stout. The coffee and dark chocolate flavors blend well with the malt. It's not really that sweet, which is good. You'll get a little bit of bitterness at first, but then it mellows out pretty quickly. No aftertaste to speak of...the beer sorta "cleans" itself and leaves a fresh palate. A pretty solid beer, so if you like stouts, I would suggest you give it a try!

Appearance - 4.5/5.0 - dark with chocolate colored head, head lost quickly
Smell- 4.0/5.0 - rich coffee and chocolate aromas
Taste - 4.0/5.0 - roasted coffee and malt flavor, hint of chocolate, more bitter up front then mellows out, beer isn't as thick as I would expect with the style
Feel - 4.0/5.0 - Good mouth feel, no funny aftertaste - sorta cleans your mouth after itself
Drinkability - 4.0/5.0 - Solid beer

Rogue Chocolate Stout - A Real Treat

When Tina and I were in San Francisco, she had the Chocolate Stout at the Rogue Public House. She loved it and I got a sip and wanted some more. We were putzing around the West Side of ABQ the other day and we swung into the new(er) Quarters over there. They have an awesome liquor store and unbeknownest to me (and knownest to the Quarters people), they have a great selection of bombers and six-packs inside the cooler. To their credit, there is a little sign on the door saying "LOOK INSIDE! MORE BOMBERS IN HERE!" Love being able to read.

The Rogue Chocolate Stout is probably one of the best beers I've ever had. From first glance, the beer has a dark, rich color and the head is a frothy, creamy light chocolate brown (see the picture). The head sticks around for a while too, so you don't have to worry about blinking and it's gone. The cocoa, coffee and malt smell is really appetizing and nothing overpowers any of the scents. The best part is the taste, which has a rich dark chocolate (not really sweet) and truffle flavor. The strongest taste hits in the middle of the tongue, but it's smooth and robust at the same time. The entire beer is extremely well balanced and versitile, as a number of different types of beer drinkers would enjoy this beer. The Chocolate Stout has 69 IBUs, which surprised me as the beer wasn't all that bitter.

Oh and this beer was only $4.99 for the bomber. I ended up seeing it at Whole Paycheck Market for $5.99 and Kelly's Liquors for $6.99 (yikes!). So, if you want this beer, check it out at Quarters and save yourself a few bucks.

Appearance - 5.0/5.0 - Rich, dark color with a tasty, frothy, creamy chocolate tan head.
Smell - 5.0/5.0 - Scents of cocoa, coffee, malt - rich aroma, with a little hint of alcohol
Taste - 5.0/5.0 - Wow! Rich, roasted chocolate, truffle flavor; Smooth but robust flavor; Aftertaste a little bitter, almost dark chocolate tasting, everything extremely well blended
Feel - 5.0/5.0 - smooth, hangs out with a nice mellow aftertaste
Drinkability 5.0/5.0 - Would drink this anytime and a number of different types of beer drinkers would enjoy it too.