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Madagascar
4 Hands Brewing Co.


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- 4 Hands Brewing Co.
- Missouri, United States
- Style:
- Sweet / Milk Stout
Ranked #15 - ABV:
- 9.3%
- Score:
- 98
Ranked #339 - Avg:
- 4.44 | pDev: 7.43%
- Reviews:
- 121
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Aug 08, 2022
- Added:
- Feb 15, 2014
- Wants:
- 460
- Gots:
- 151
SCORE
98
World-Class
98
World-Class


Notes:
Imperial Milk Stout aged in bourbon barrels with whole Madagascar vanilla beans. Madagascar is full-bodied with strong notes of vanilla, marshmallow, chocolate, and coffee.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by cjgator3 from Florida
4.33/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.33/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
12oz can poured into a snifter. Strong bourbon, vanilla, and sweet marshmallows on the nose. The taste is oh so big, sweet, and boozy. Overall, really good stuff!
Nov 24, 2020Rated by AllOfTheCats from Wisconsin
3.52/5 rDev -20.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -20.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Rating based on 2020 can.
Sep 27, 2020Reviewed by JohnnyHopps from Indiana
4.6/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance - The beer poured a milky black color with just a smidge of tan bubbles clinging to the sides of the glass.
Smell - Vanilla marshmallow sweetness led the way in the nose. There were some roasty notes from the stout, but not much bourbon.
Taste - Before the sweetness hits, the bitter coffee notes led the way. Thereafter, vanilla marshmallows soaked in bourbon were the prominent taste notes. The bourbon was a bit light and largely canceled by the sweetness. Toward the back, the alcohol had a bit of bite to it. I imagine this would cancel the bite.
Mouthfeel - Smooth vanilla and the lactose from the milk stout create a creamy profile with low carbonation.
Overall - This was once a top 250 beer. Perhaps it should be again.
Aug 23, 2020Smell - Vanilla marshmallow sweetness led the way in the nose. There were some roasty notes from the stout, but not much bourbon.
Taste - Before the sweetness hits, the bitter coffee notes led the way. Thereafter, vanilla marshmallows soaked in bourbon were the prominent taste notes. The bourbon was a bit light and largely canceled by the sweetness. Toward the back, the alcohol had a bit of bite to it. I imagine this would cancel the bite.
Mouthfeel - Smooth vanilla and the lactose from the milk stout create a creamy profile with low carbonation.
Overall - This was once a top 250 beer. Perhaps it should be again.
Reviewed by darktronica from Indiana
4.41/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.41/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Very minimal fuss and fizz from an aggressive pour; not super carbonated but it does the job on the palate. As thin as you'd expect from a 9.3% ABV milk stout competing against big bruisers these days, but that's fine. Very rich and smooth, with some prominent barrel character. Vanilla is luxurious but not overwhelming. I'd say this is one of the best BBA vanilla stouts I've had with respect to balancing the various flavors while still overall being an intensely flavorful experience.
Jul 01, 2020Reviewed by maxpower from Missouri
4/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a clear dark reddish-brown, small light tan head that doesn't last long, not much lacing either, aroma of dark chocolate. Medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. Smokey coffee, Vanilla and chocolate flavors, finishes a bit sweet, damn good!
May 30, 2020Reviewed by Pinz412 from Pennsylvania
4.33/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.33/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Look - Pours a jet black color with absolutely no head on a rather aggressive pour. Small bubbles of carbonation meander to the surface, but don't collect.
Smell - In order of intensity: bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, roast.
Taste - The bourbon is very forward in this beer. While sweet, it is not cloyingly so. Intense vanilla is present throughout. More subtle notes lean towards chocolate and roast with maybe a touch of marshmallow(as indicated in the description).
Feel - Madagascar is rather thin, but nicely carbonated. It's slick and smooth going down, but doesn't really compare to the body of many other BBA stouts.
Overall - This was a delicious BBA stout that did not lack in the promised vanilla. The bourbon barrel took center stage to accompany that sweet vanilla flavor, but was balanced by some deeper notes of chocolate and roasted barley. Nice to check this classic off the list, and I'd happily have another.
May 17, 2020Smell - In order of intensity: bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, roast.
Taste - The bourbon is very forward in this beer. While sweet, it is not cloyingly so. Intense vanilla is present throughout. More subtle notes lean towards chocolate and roast with maybe a touch of marshmallow(as indicated in the description).
Feel - Madagascar is rather thin, but nicely carbonated. It's slick and smooth going down, but doesn't really compare to the body of many other BBA stouts.
Overall - This was a delicious BBA stout that did not lack in the promised vanilla. The bourbon barrel took center stage to accompany that sweet vanilla flavor, but was balanced by some deeper notes of chocolate and roasted barley. Nice to check this classic off the list, and I'd happily have another.
Reviewed by maximum12 from Minnesota
3.85/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.85/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From the fridge comes a 22 oz. bottle that, I swear, has been ducking in & out of the bottom of the top 250 for years. Split with my wife as we begin to ration our stash.
Quarantine diary day six: the chosen beer is dark, which is confusing, since it’s titled a milk stout. Nice nose: vanilla, roasted malt, bourbon, chocolate, perhaps in that order, perhaps in another.
Madagascar must have been soaked with chocolate beans as well as vanilla beans. Chocolate ascending with a moderate shot of vanilla, followed mid-palate by light roast, a touch of char, wrapped by the promised flecks of marshmallow. No bourbon; disappointing. Creamy, smooth, which makes for a nice drinkability.
Interesting beer: the two primary advertised components are missing & secondary, but the chocolate covers for them. Very good beer that would rise in esteem if there were evident bourbon. Now, where is my last roll of TP…
Mar 22, 2020Quarantine diary day six: the chosen beer is dark, which is confusing, since it’s titled a milk stout. Nice nose: vanilla, roasted malt, bourbon, chocolate, perhaps in that order, perhaps in another.
Madagascar must have been soaked with chocolate beans as well as vanilla beans. Chocolate ascending with a moderate shot of vanilla, followed mid-palate by light roast, a touch of char, wrapped by the promised flecks of marshmallow. No bourbon; disappointing. Creamy, smooth, which makes for a nice drinkability.
Interesting beer: the two primary advertised components are missing & secondary, but the chocolate covers for them. Very good beer that would rise in esteem if there were evident bourbon. Now, where is my last roll of TP…
Reviewed by matts2896 from Connecticut
4.2/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.2/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Wonderful vanilla character: spring flowers, milky sweetness, sauteed figs, pie crust. Unfortunately, however, the big vanilla presence up-front suggest a more decadent, roasty base than this beer ultimately provides. Smell and vanilla character are top-notch, but feel/body and base malt flavor leave a little bit to be desired.
Mar 06, 2020
Madagascar from 4 Hands Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
98 out of
100 with
936 ratings
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