Cream Stout
St. Croix Brewing Company, LLC

surprised this beer hasnt gotten more love, its an absolutely textbook classic old world style cream stout, as good as any of the more well known examples, fusing all the necessary elements together in a beautifully silky and drinkable beer, this came out of nowhere for me and was a real winner in my book. i love a classic style done expertly, and thats exactly what this is. matte dark brown in the glass with a short but thick off white head and nice lacing as it drinks. smooth dark grain to start, its dry for sure, roasted well, hearty and warming but oddly enough less bitter than many for how much depth it has. not sure what the creamy element is, if there is actually lactose in here or not (i would venture that there is), but there is this light velvety almost corny sweetness, not a sweet beer, but a sweet element within it, that really makes this mellow and balanced. some dry cocoa notes to this too, and an old world english type ale yeast that brings plenty of character and really ties the beer together. i found it a touch thin, but impossibly smooth and easy drinking, dry for how flavorful it is, and it brought me back to a distant time in a far away land. rightly restrained, old world charming, and absolutely delicious. if this beer doesnt become a hit, old world styles are officially dead...