Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout
Odell Brewing Company

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Black; light barely passes at the edges.

Small dark khaki head; minimal lace.

Muted malt nose; not much here.

Medium mouthfeel.

Prominent milk flavor, with hints of peanut butter.

Sounds great, but this mingles together uncomfortably.

Not great. Sad, the brewery & style had me very excited. Still, this is drinkable.

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4.56/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

L- Pours a one finger headed stout with a dark, almost jet black appearance. The head dissipates rather quickly, but sticks around enough to not be offensive on the eye. Quite nice to look at, to be honest.
S- Malty chocolate sweetness sets itself apart up front. This is followed by a dairy like nuggety freshness and savory aroma. I get hints of whiskey and rye, vanilla and toffee. Another strange, but pleasant pick up is some tart cherry. Pretty interesting and rewarding smell.
T- The flavor is exactly what I wanted and hoped for. Very sweet with obvious hints of milk chocolate, bitter dark chocolate, toffee and vanilla up front. As I let the beer sit on the tongue, I get some nuttiness, toasted oats and stone fruit as well. Very nice. The sweetness isn't over bearing and the hints of each flavor combined is rewarding with each sip. A slight bitterness is present at the end. And I don't know if it's just me, but I get a hint of earthiness.
F- Medium bodied. Fresh, lively but soft carbonation.
O- I would give this beer an award if I could. Wonderfully crafted and loved at every sip. I can't say enough complements about Lugene. Sad to hear that the beer is retired, but I'm glad I got to savor it at this moment. Happy I'm starting off my year of beer reviews with such a winner. Cheers!

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4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The appearance was a pure dark brown closer to black color. One finger off white foamy head tries to cling but slides for the most part. The smell was a super nice arrangement of bitter coffee to smooth milk chocolate. The taste was mainly sweet milk chocolate enticing the taste buds to indulge in more of this luscious brew. Light chocolate to coffee aftertaste leading to a nice somewhat dry finish. On the palate, it sat about a medium on the body, not that sessionable but I wasn’t expecting it to be considering the style. Carbonated exactly how a milk sweet Stout should be. It has one the smoothest and creaminest mouthfuls one could ever ask for from a milk sweet stout. Overall, very nicely done milk/sweet stout.

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4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one literally tastes like chocolate milk with a slight bitter burn on the finish. It's really nice and strangely refreshing for a dark beer, although there is no balance.

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4.39/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours pitch black with a finger width foamy head. Retention and lacing are both good. Has a more faint aroma than most stouts. More roasted malts with hints of coffee and some chocolate. Has a very silky smooth taste with roasted malts up front. From there, if is almost like milk chocolate is moving along your tongue. There is mild coffee bitterness at the end. More heavy bodied with moderate carbonation. It is a very enjoyable beer.

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3.96/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Odell Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout, 8.5% ABV, 18 IBU. Pours moderate (not thick, not thin), opaque, almost no head, smells chocolate. Taste is chocolate, smooth, not bitter, a bit sweet. Mouthfeel is short of chewy. I found a new one for my favorites list.

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3.74/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

I'm already filled with dessert, but just for the heck of it, let's cap it off with this dessert like beverage. Onto the beer:

Ink black colored and topped with an espresso tanned head with solid retention on top. I smell some fruity booze here, some cocoa, and vague fruity esters. It certainly has that Imperial Stout strength to it.

Imperial Stout Meats milk chocolate
The beer itself is quite smooth in texture with a light buzz of booze. Sweet milk chocolate and cherries are all wrapped up in a very smooth liquid that's full-bodied.

I think I've had enough dessert for tonight. Until next time...

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3.78/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Charcoal black with just a finger of clingy tan in spite of vigorous pour. 3.75
Tin, meat crust, and ash - no chocolate. 3.75
Licorice root, cocoa nibs, some roasty sweetness, purple plums, slight Maltesers and a mildly, finish. Thickens up with molasses notes as it goes. 3.75
Creamy, round, past medium, chewy. 4

There’s purists who say that milk chocolate isn’t much chocolate at all, and that’s the problem here. Roasty dark notes can’t compete (no coffee notes!) with the abundance of malts (it is 8.5%, after all) that make this creamy, sure, but also a bit too sticky and hard to work through. That might not matter if there was euphoric truffle and cocoa powder notes (Choklat, Young’s Double) but… milk chocolate. 3.75

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3.93/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Black with a nice brown head and good lacing. A pleasant fragrant smell of chocolate and maybe a bit of banana. The feel is very smooth and creamy. The taste is nice and sweet and chocolatey. A nice beer!

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4.34/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz. Bottle
Best By: 5/5/16

Pours a very nice black color, with some pretty nice carbonation, which leaves a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger light tan head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with chocolate/toffee notes, slight vanilla, slight roastyness. The taste is malty, very nice sweetness, chocolate/toffee. Medium body, ABV hidden very well, nice little dry/bitter finish. Overall, for being available in sixers, and at this ABV, this is a very nice Milk Stout.

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3.96/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured dark and opaque. Got pretty much no head. Smell was a mixture of chocolate and sweetness. Taste was what you'd expect nice and chocolately, sweet but not overly so, didn't get any bitter chocolate flavor. Beer was mildly carbonated and nice and smooth. supremely drinkable, it hides the ABV very very well. Overall a really good chocolate milk stout - definitely one of the better ones out there.

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3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - dark in color, nice retention along the glass. Smell - chocolate and bitter chocolate. Taste - follows the nose but nice and sweet, without being overly much so. Overall - very solid beer. Would def get again. Girlfriend cringed and said it was awful. Funny, she likes DIPA but not stouts... women.

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4.02/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: The liquid settles in with a translucent coffee color and the rocky beige head leaves a lot of foam sticking to the side of the glass

Smell: Chocolate milk, lactose and a hint of vanilla

Taste: Milk chocolate from start to finish, with just a slight grainy tinge developing in the middle

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Every now and again I enjoy a milk stout; it's not something I like to drink frequently but this one is one of the better ones I have encountered; hides the ABV well

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3.89/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours deep brown/black with minimal head that goes away quickly. Mouthfeel is on the heavier side and the beer coats the glass as you drink. Smells of coffe chocolate and roasted malts. Tastes mainly of coffee to me with a roasty chocolate aftertaste. Very smooth with minimal sharp edges.

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4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured a dark black color with a nice dark tan head into my snifter glass. The gives way to the sweetness of this beer with some nice chocolate overtones along with richness from the sugar. The taste is not overly sweet to me a nice blend of chocolate and other flavors in this beer. The mouth feel is smooth. A really nice take on a chocolate milk stout and would like to enjoy this again

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4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I had this the first night it was tapped in my town, and bought a few last night to have it again in the bottle.

L: Dark chocolate brown with a tan head that stick around and looks pretty.

S: Lots of chocolate in the nose, impressive!

T: The taste is like chocolate milk, stout, and a mocha had a baby.

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4.84/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

everything I've ever looked for in a stout. Top three of my favorite stouts for sure. The only reason I can see why someone would not like this beer is because of its sweetness. Let's be honest, if you don't want a little sweetness don't buy a stout.

anyways, this beer is creamy, smooth and soft. It leaves an after taste and texture you would get after eating a milk chocolate bar.
Simply amazing.

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3.88/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Dark brown color, light tan head under half an inch. Aroma was lactose and chocolate milk. Roast brought up the rear aroma wise.

Easy drinking chocolate flavor, without the chalkiness of Nestle quick. Not overly sweet thankfully. Solid beer, solid price.

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3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Look: Dark brown/black with a half finger or so of tan head that settles down pretty quickly
Smell: Dark fruit, roasted malt
Taste: Roasted malt, dark fruit, chocolate syrup. On the sweet side but with a decent balance. The chocolate doesn't seem artificial - it blends well with the other flavors. Finishes with bittersweetness
Feel: Medium-full body, prickly carbonation for a stout of this strength.

Overall: Among other stouts I've had this seems to fit in best with the foreign extra stouts, but with a bit of the milk/sweet stout character. The best by date was listed as 5/27/2015 - though I've read others who say this doesn't age well, this seems quite good considering it is 5+ months past its BB date. The flavors are really well blended and despite others' opinion that it was too sweet, I find it to be just about right for a sweet stout (maybe it's the extra age?).

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3.94/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brown, deep color, nice looking. The head is a lighter shade of brown in the 1/4" depth ranger. No lace. Pretty color, intermingling.

Aroma was mild chocolate, wasn't all roast, good mix.

Taste was all about those chocolate and cocao impressions. Alcohol covered amazingly for an abv like this one. Noticeable moreso as it warms. Lactose/sugar dialed in right where i want it. Mild bitterness. Already going 'solid 2nd tier chocolate beer'. Koufax21 hooked it up for the first time. Have had since.

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4.09/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

From backlog. On draft at Gingerman in Houston, February 2015.

Love chocolate stouts and am a big fan of Odell, so may be a bit biased, but I really enjoyed it. Lots of chocolate, light roast, some earthy hops add balance, right amount of sweetness. Really creamy mouthfeel.

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4.09/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a dark brown color with a moderate chocolatey brown head with good retention. Minimal lacing.

Aroma of chocolate, vanilla, and some lightly roasted coffee and nuts. Chocolate smell is very rich, almost like a melty molasses aroma coming from it. Sweet.

Taste absolutely nails the chocolate. You can taste it melting in your mouth. Milk is there too, with a silky, sweet taste to it. Some very light notes of coffee, very slightly roasted. A surprising amount of hops on the back end, resulting in a little bit of bite on the finish. Alcohol is masked very well for 8.5%

Medium bodied. Very creamy and smooth. Alcohol can and will catch you off guard here; it won't be readily evident in the taste, but if you drink it quickly you'll feel it.

An excellent example of a milk stout. It is a little bit on the chocolatey side (obviously), so if that's not your thing then stay away. Otherwise, a very good and drinkable beer, especially for 8.5%.

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4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Single 12-oz bottle with date of 4/30/15 on label side. Poured into a snifter for review. Pours a dark brown which appears black with decent head to begin with. Head quickly fades to small thin tan head. Some noticeable lacing on the glass sides. Smells of brown malt, cocoa nibs, earthy & woody hops, some chocolate and vanilla. As it warms the chocolate takes predominant role in the nose. Tastes has initial bitter kiss that fades to a sweetness with chocolate & lactose. Some vanilla & light roast finishes out the flavor with no real hop notes. Perhaps a very faint noble hop taste but just barely. Feels medium for 8.5% ABV with no perceived alcohol notes. Carbonation seems fine. Drinkability is very good. Overall, I think this beer is a solid chocolate stout offering. The lactose gives it a nice milk stout dimension. Could easily drink a few of these in one sitting. Would be great in the winter months or as the perfect breakfast beer or maybe even a good pairing with some cookies.

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4.07/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 12oz bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: rich, deep dark brown, nearly black; head is a finger of creamy brown foam. Very good indeed.

Smell: rich and chocolatey aroma; there's some sweetness here but it's not *too* sweet. I like the balance.

Taste: chocolatey with a little bit of roastiness present. A dash of vegetal hop flavor at the end, but it isn't so bad. Again, the sweetness is nicely balanced and not overwhelming. A very tasty chocolate stout.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body but with a good, well-integrated carbonation and a nicely smooth creaminess.

Overall: this beer appeals to me a lot. I feel like sweet stouts can often be too sweet, but here the balance works out very well. Highly drinkable for a big beer.

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2.69/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.75

Look: Poured well, slightly thin, dark body and low tan head.


Smell: Not appealing, little chocolate notes but mostly very acidic hoppyness.


Taste: Very bitter chocolate, not extremely sweet, metallic finish. Bitter chocolate overpowers everything until the metallic finish.


Feel: Very smooth, slightly silky, fades decently quickly.


Overall: I did not enjoy this beer as much as I'd hoped. Fairly hard to drink for milk stout and not too flavorful. Very harsh alcohol taste the more you drink.

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