Madagascar
4 Hands Brewing Co.


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- 4 Hands Brewing Co.
- Missouri, United States
- Style:
- Stout - Sweet / Milk
Ranked #15 - ABV:
- 9.3%
- Score:
- 98
Ranked #344 - Avg:
- 4.44 | pDev: 7.43%
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Apr 10, 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.
4.41 by mattmarka1 from Minnesota on Apr 10, 2022
4.5 by ScottP from New Hampshire on Dec 11, 2021
4.5 by brittanylicious from Indiana on Jul 03, 2021
4.5 by heysuz from Indiana on Jul 03, 2021
4.46 by Phoodcritic from Michigan on Jun 17, 2021
4.25 by dsshuck from Delaware on May 12, 2021
4.36 by pconn10 from Illinois on Jan 10, 2021
4.33/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
by cjgator3 from Florida
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, 2020
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
by cjgator3 from Florida
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, 2020
3.52/5 rDev -20.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by AllOfTheCats from Wisconsin
Rating based on 2020 can.
Sep 27, 2020
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
by AllOfTheCats from Wisconsin
Rating based on 2020 can.
Sep 27, 2020
4.46 by gardner254 from Ohio on Sep 24, 2020
4.49 by NappyB from Illinois on Sep 01, 2020
4.6/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by JohnnyHopps from Indiana
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, 2020
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
by JohnnyHopps from Indiana
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, 2020
4.41/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
by darktronica from Indiana
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, 2020
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
by darktronica from Indiana
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, 2020
4.44 by jmh21 from Minnesota on Jun 22, 2020
4.49 by Hopelessly0 from California on Jun 09, 2020
4/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by maxpower from Missouri
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, 2020
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by maxpower from Missouri
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, 2020
4.33/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
by Pinz412 from Pennsylvania
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, 2020
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
by Pinz412 from Pennsylvania
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, 2020
4 by pepesylvia from Pennsylvania on May 01, 2020
4.25 by rare_bird from Michigan on Apr 30, 2020
4.55 by Zekenyce from New Jersey on Apr 06, 2020
4.23 by Appearanceswc from Virginia on Mar 27, 2020
3.85/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by maximum12 from Minnesota
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, 2020
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
by maximum12 from Minnesota
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, 2020
4.39 by allison_ay on Mar 19, 2020
4.65 by KAP1356 from Pennsylvania on Mar 16, 2020
4.1 by mjpolzin from Wisconsin on Mar 15, 2020
4.63 by WDJersey from Colorado on Mar 15, 2020
4.2/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
by matts2896 from Connecticut
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
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
by matts2896 from Connecticut
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
4.63 by psdonnelly from Alabama on Mar 01, 2020
4.51 by Mikexw from New York on Feb 27, 2020
4.25 by paulish from New York on Feb 22, 2020
4.18 by Duffman79 from Connecticut on Feb 16, 2020
4.68 by Ristaccia from Nebraska on Feb 15, 2020
3.88 by leinie13 from Ohio on Feb 09, 2020
4.38 by Dark_Scarecrow from Virginia on Feb 03, 2020
4.38 by Greeny87 from Pennsylvania on Jan 23, 2020
4.23 by ruzzal from Texas on Jan 13, 2020
4.32 by Rothobinide from California on Jan 12, 2020
4.5 by JoeyStats707 from California on Jan 03, 2020
4.63 by Jdells09 from New Jersey on Dec 10, 2019
4.5 by soundaurora from Pennsylvania on Dec 01, 2019
Madagascar from 4 Hands Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
98 out of
100 with
934 ratings