5 Barrel ‘Night Cap’ Milk Stout

Rating:

“Milk Stouts contain the non-fermentable lactose sugar to add a velvety smooth body to a rich roasty beer. These are the original dessert beers, and are a perfect way to cap off a meal or just enjoy whenever you please. Enjoy a little warmer and observe how the flavours develop.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: Black with a short cappuccino head which quickly retreats to the rim. Minimal lace as we imbibe.

Aroma: Classic notes of coffee, chocolate, porter-esque dark fruits, vanilla/lactose, cocoa, lightly toasted malts and toffee. Caramel and candy-ish scents also coming through…not going to go as far as saying they’re candi sugars but it certainly has a crystallised sugary sweetness which works in well. A little nutty and a little earthy as well. Diggin it.

Flavour: Very nicely layered with good progression. It kicks off with the classic four-to-the-floor stout characters; coffee, chocolate, dark fruits and a hint of creamy vanilla and or lactose. Hits a lightly charred note through the mid and carries the aforementioned, along with added licorice and ash, in to a dry and nicely drawn out finish.

Mouthfeel: A tad too light on for our liking. Medium body, mild-moderate carbonation. 6% ABV is well placed for the style.

Overall: A pretty decent drop. The one thing we usually find with Aussie milk stouts is this weak and almost watery texture. For us, any stout whether it be imperial, BA, milk or even session it needs to have a dense and almost chewy body. Still, not a bad offering.