Crackalacka Milkshake Stout
Rochester Mills Beer Co.

A- Pours a dark chocolate brown color and is more or less clear, as I can see the carbonation when against lighting. The head is pretty much non existent, with maybe a half finger of fizzy foam noisily dissipating quickly into a thin ring around the inside of the glass. There is also a wispy thin layer of lacing that swiftly drifts back into the liquid. Overall this is a below average looking milk stout.

S- This area is much better! I get an initial smell of strong dark roast black coffee, followed in closely by chocolate covered coffee beans, cocoa nibs/freshly ground cocoa powder, dry dark and black charred malts, hints of vanilla biscuit, burnt brown sugars, or maybe even some scorched toffee, and a finish that is of astringent Earthy char and leafy hop bitterness.

T- This has a fairly intense coffee flavor....black dark roast to be exact. Secondary flavors of dark and milk chocolate, charred toffee/brown sugar, muted vanilla, cream, social biscuits, heavily toasted chocolate and black malts to add some complex astringency, chocolate coffee truffle filling, toasted barrel char, slight tart cherry and a dry grassy/grainy finish.....no noticeable hop bitterness on the finish....just highly roasted coffee and cocoa powder....decent!

M/O- This area is a bit of a disappointment for me....the body is quite light and leans more into the watery end of things....like a coffee! The carbonation is fairly zingy as well on my palate, which makes this more of a flavorful quencher, than the robust richness that I was looking for in this style. I like it overall, but it definitely isn't one of Rochester Mills stronger offerings in my opinion. Drinkability wise, Im good with having one can and moving on.....this was part of a mix pack and while I do enjoy the coffee character here, I think there are better options that could have been included here.....still....it's not bad by any means.

 

 

 

 

Pours a black color with foamy tan head lasts quite a while. No discernable aroma. Tastes sweet, lots of roasted coffee flavour. Good mouth feel. No noticeable bitterness.

 

16 ounce can into pint glass, best before 6/7/2020. Pours slightly hazy very dark reddish brown color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky kahki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roasted coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, raisin, fig, date, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bread malts, coffee, cocoa nibs, lactose, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roasted coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, raisin, fig, date, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light pine, herbal, grassy, peppery, roast, char, coffee bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roasted coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bread malts, coffee, cocoa nibs, lactose, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/roasted bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and fairly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.35%. Overall this is an awesome coffee milk stout. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bread malts, coffee, cocoa nibs, lactose, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/charred/drying finish. Great soft/silky feel for the ABV. Awesome balance of rich malts, fruity/nutty coffee, cocoa, and lactose flavor complexity; with solid earthy hops and restrained fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and impressive spot on style example.