Hunter Double Milk Stout
18th Street Brewery - Gary Taproom

3.97/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

No evident canning date. Poured into a stout glass. It pours an inky black with dark walnut hues, and a large, frothy, light-mocha colored head that dissipated slowly leaving a thin film of lacing. The smell was a bit subdued: just roasted malt, nuts, and a whiff of cocoa and caramel/toffee. While there is initial sweet milk chocolate in the taste, it is balanced by slightly bitter, acidity, nutty char. As the glass warms there are caramel and vanilla notes but they fail to overcome the increasing bitterness. For a Milk Stout it boasts a fairly creamy, viscous feel with a very low level of carbonation, and the 8% ABV gives it good substance. Overall, I'm somewhat disappointed. I enjoyed the coffee variant considerably more. I cannot tell the age of the can but 18th Street Brewery only recently began to distribute in New Jersey so it shouldn't be too old.

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4.09/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Big English milk/sweet stout and opted for a snifter for this guy.
The appearance was a dark brown close to black color with a small cap of tan foamy head softly dissipating. Slight filmy lace coating the glass in the corners in a small concave sort of sense.
The aroma had some shaved cocoa nibs jabbing at some sweet ash/char with some earthy sweet character. Coffee grounds coming forward with more warmth. Dried dark fruit (prunes/raisins/dates sort of thing going on).
The flavor leads with a dried sweetness of those dark fruits with some dark toast and dark chocolate bitterness. Quick semi-sticky dark chocolate to dark toasty aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fine sipping quality about it. Good carbonation with some stickiness lingering on my tongue, nothing cloying whatsoever. Nice finish with some grip of roasty coffee bean harshness.
Overall, the balance between all of it is incredible. Let this settle in on your tongue and soak on your palate and you'll find this as enjoyable as I did!

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3.56/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

16 oz can poured into a snifter.

Appearance
Oily black. No light penetration.

Nose
Chocolate fudge, prune, charcoal, espresso, and earth.

Taste
Dark chocolate syrup, molasses, and charcoal. Espresso, prune juice, caramel, and earth.

Mouthfeel
Full bodied, sticky, oily, and sweet.

Overall
Slick, rich, and sweet; perhaps too much so for my tastes.

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4.04/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with a slight purple hue. Three fingers of dark mocha head. Lasts a good while and leaves sloppy rings of lacing.

Roasted malts and chocolate stand out in the nose. Maybe a slight coffee impression and a hint of stone fruit, too.

Roasted malts, bitter chocolate and milk in the taste. Very bitter finish.

A little more heft than medium bodied. Slick with just enough carbonation.

The bitter chocolate in this is really top notch. Cut just a little by the lactose. Quality brew.

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4.29/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

L - 1.5 finger thick mocha head atop a pitch black body.

S - chocolate pretzels. Milk chocolate, vanilla, salt, caramel.

T- bittersweet chocolate, sea salt, vanilla, anise, tobacco, roast. Moderate bitterness. Low sweetness. Low booziness.

F - medium-full body with average carb.

O - really-well put together, and quite drinkable.

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4.09/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz can, snifter glass. Dark black body, one finger mocha head, good retention, a bit of lacing here and there. Smell is lactose, dark chocolate, a bit of dark fruit, oats and a bit of earth. Flavour follows, a bit less of the dark fruit and more of the milk chocolate presence, Baker's chocolate, a bit of caramel, lactose and oats. Mild earthy bitterness on the backend for some balance. Medium bodied, good carbonation, smooth and savory, a bit of umami on the backend.

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3.34/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Pours like motor oil, taste not bad, but more stouty, than milk stouty. A bit sweeter and this might have been a home run for me. Did I mention this one pours thick, like I've never seen in a beer before, pretty cool.

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4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Can @ home. Canning Date Sept. 19, 2018. Pours a pitch black colour, oily, with a dark brown head. Aroma's of firm roast, umami, ground coffee. Retronasal it's sweetish, roasted, almost burnt, dark caramel, mocha, umami. Flavour is heavy sweet with some drop/licorice candy, roasted malt. Pretty full bodied. Alcohol is warming. Almost sticky mouthfeel. Long finish with roast caramel, light bitterness. Pretty sweet, but nice stuff!

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4.38/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured black with two fingers of brown head.
Smells of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, dark roasty malts.
Taste follows, full of chocolatey roasted malts, slightly burnt sugar, vanilla.
Full bodied, creamy.
Overall a rich, dessert type stout.

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2.96/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Wickedly disappointed in this one. (Had 3 of the 4 cans to date - all similar). Aromas were quite nice - cocoa, vanilla, wood - but the flavor was way smoky. Tasted like burnt wood, bitter chocolate, and a strange acidic fruit. The finish is what kills it. Very sticky / cloying on the tongue. Needed a water after every sip.

Everything else from this brewery has kicked ass, so I was totally looking forward to one of my favorite styles. Part of my disappointment.

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4.26/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This is another entry for New @jkblr Sunday, MKII, or CANtinued (Week 717) since I did not have a ChANce, on my initial foray, to run through all of the beers that were sent to me.

From the CAN: "Brewed and CANned by 18th Street Brewery Hammond, Indiana"; "Double Milk Stout"; "Cocoa Nibs and Lactose Sugar create a rich chocolate flavor and a creamy texture. Vanilla, roast, and caramel sweetness are met with a bright hop bitterness."

I was VERY excited when this one showed up in my box! I had visited the Gary, IN location several years ago, but my haul got lost in transit, including one of these. 8=( The Crack! was nice & loud so I followed it up with a heavy-handed Glug. This resulted in a modest pseudo-cascade that ended up forming just under two fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, deep-brown head with good retention. Color was Black/Opaque (SRM = 44), allowing ZERO light penetration through its inky darkness. 8=O Nose was really rich, with notes of light smoke, burnt caramel, chocolate, vanilla & coffee. Mmm. Mouthfeel was big, thick, full & creamy. It was like a dollop had been scooped onto my tongue! I let it roll around, warming on my palate, slowly bringing out the intense chocolate & caramel flavors. This was most assuredly a dessert beer! It reminded me of chocolate cake with caramel frosting with coffee as a chaser. I made this in high school HomeEc & it was really well received. At one point, I toyed with becoming a baker, but it just did not work out. Onward! I did not find it overly bitter, although it had a smoky, slightly burnt quality. Hops were not its strong suit. Finish straddled the semi-sweet/semi-dry fence & I am going with the former, but a definite case could be made for the latter. I was left licking my lips, hoping for some dessert to magically appear.

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3.99/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a deep rich black color, highly viscous in appearance. Very little brown head that disappeared quickly. Picked up rich vanilla tones and bakers cocoa powder to the nose. Overall its very sweet and malty, there is a slight presence of cola.
Taste was a little muted when cold but at room temp there were notes of bakers chocolate, vanilla and subtle cherries. The cocoa lingers around in the mouth at the finish. Full-bodied and creamy, just seems to have very little carbonation. Very sticky in the mouth and around the lips. Overall: its a heavy milk stout for sure - maybe too sticky. Flavors are heavy and bold, just maybe a little one dimensional, something seems to be missing. Maybe an added adjunct will help?

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3.99/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Stout brewed with lactose sugar and cocoa nibs. Poured from a can into a Fibonacci tulip. The pour is black and viscous and sports a finger of dark brown head - one of the darker heads I've seen on a milk stout - with average retention. The nose is properly roasty and rich with strong notes of roasted malt, cocoa powder, and cookie dough.

Medium body with a firm feel. The flavor is well-balanced between sweet and roasty. Iget the roasted malt, some toffee, unsweetened chocolate, sweet cream, and a hint of sarsaparilla. Finishes with lingering flavors of roasted malt and baker's chocolate.

Overall a very nice example of a milk stout. The mouthfeel was a little thinner than I anticipated (based on its appearance), but it didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. Offerings from this brewery just showed up at my bottle shop recently and one of the beer guys at the store said they were pretty good. He wasn't lying (he never does). I look forward to trying a few other beers from 18th Street that I have tucked away in my fridge.

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4.06/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In a world of experimentation in beer, its the basic flavors of beer that's a long lost pleasure. But the hunt for a classic, traditional, milk stout done well is over. The 18th Street Brewery hangs their hat on a roasty, toasty, malty stout with an offset of milk sugars for balance and softness. But the dark ale also hangs onto the edge of imperial status, basically because they can't help themselves.

Very dark brown and a hair's shade off of black, Hunter carries a deep sandy lather into an aromatic array of coffee, cocoa, cream, vanilla, nuttiness and burnt toast for a savory, robust introduction. Savory sweetness washes the tongue with toffee and coffee. Sweet but roasty, a sense of malted milk candies, s'mores and latte.

As the sweetness begins to lose its grip on the tastebuds, the sharper roasted edges of burnt grains offer an aura of french press coffee, burnt toast, baker's chocolate, black walnut and campfire that carry the middle palate. But a late undercurrent of those milk sugars bring in a sense of soothing vanilla, sweet cream and marshmallow to offset what would otherwise be a rough, arid and burnt flavor on the late palate.

Full in body, the stout is robustly textured for standard milk stout but is soft and somber compared to the bounty of imperial stout currently on the market. A long roasty sweet taste of the coffeehouse resonates on the after palate with nary a flaw in sight.

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4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours jet black, mocha head dissipates quickly. Smells of milk chocolate, subtle coffee notes. Tastes like chocolate syrup, some caramel and vanilla. Mouth feel is thick, slight carb balances it. This beer seems like a great one to sip and enjoy, not too strong to tank your pallet or limit you to one can in a night.

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4.02/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to FFFjunkie for this one. Poured into a snifter. Viscous motor oil on the pour with a modest tan head. Chocolate and floral hops on the nose, like an RIS. Big, sticky sweet beer with heavy milk chocolate and roast. A nice floral hop bitterness to balance it, adding to the bitter chocolate. A bit sweet and full bodied as expected. Very nice.

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4.38/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A 1 pint can, canned on 20th December 2017. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass.

Appearance: Black in colour with a one finger creamy brown head that had ok retention but no lacing.

Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate and cocoa with hints of vanilla and nuttiness.

Taste: Similar to the aroma with roasted malts, chocolate, cocoa, vanilla and caramel with a light char. Also a nice light sweetness throughout.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with low carbonation.

Overall: Very nice Double Milk Stout with great flavours that wasn’t overly sweet.

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4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

16oz can dated 10/04/17 poured into a becker boasts a solid, almost purple tinged, black body and floats a 1in milk chocolatey medium bubbled foam cap that dwindles to a constant cover. A spotted lacing runs back down to the body.

Aroma is chocolate, cocoa powder, and a little fresh air.

Flavors match. Roast malt, barely a hint of coffee (great), sweetness.

Mouthfeel is smooth and tongue coating-ly silky with a wet finish.

Overall a very good version of the style.

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4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16oz can into a pint glass.

Looks fantastic, oily black body with a one finger dark brown head. Spotty lacing.

Aromas are roasty and charred, coffee and dark chocolate. On the tongue it’s also roasty with dark coffee and cocoa notes, lightly sweet with a burnt finish.
Velvety smooth body with low carbonation.

This was a great beer, id buy this regularly if available to me.

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4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

An inky black pour produced a one finger dark tan head with poor retention. The left no lacing the glass at it dissipated. The head is dense and creamy. The inky black beer is opaque, obviously.

Wow, a rich dark roasted malt aroma with sugar, milk, dark chocolate, espresso, burnt sugar, yeast, bready, earthy, wood, char, caramel, and molasses.

A vibrant dark roasted malt with loads of character for the initial taste. Additional flavors in the beer are dark chocolate, dark roasted malt, sugar, milk, burnt sugar, bready, earthy, wood, char, molasses, and caramel.

The mouthfeel of the beer is creamy, chewy, and velvety. The body of the beer is full, medium carbonation, and a long finish.

Flavors explode on the pallet giving the drinker an experience. I enjoyed drinking this beer. Thank you FFFJunkie for another awesome beer.

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4.47/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a 16 oz Troegs Snulip glass canned on 10/04/17. Pours as pretty as in gets, slick near pitch black, with a 2 plus finger sticky mocha head that leaves massive streaks of lace all over the place.

Smell is vanilla bean, cocoa nibs, coffee, leather, and toffee.

Taste follows a nice roastyness, dark chocolate, vanilla, dry coffee, toffee, and hints of new leather.

Mouthfeel is near large, moderate carbonation, maybe a tad dry, and excellent drinkability for its size.

Overall this is so darn tasty, a bit one dimensional but insanely drinkable and deliscious. Thanks jzeilinger for yet another winner!

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4.34/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A wonderful milk stout, with more heft, mouthfeel, and especially taste than others deliver. Brewed with cocoa nibs and lactose, neither get in the way of the beer's overall impression. Not sweet, exactly, and not boozy or over the top. If you don't like barrel aged or bourbon-inflected beers, this might be one of your new go-tos. We thought it was great. Cheers.

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4.32/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Pitch black pour with a thin toffee lacing ring after the pour that subsides.

S - Robust chocolate dark roast aroma with cream and light smokey char.

T - Dark roasty chocolate/chocolate cream from start to finish with a mild chocolate finish and a long lingering roasty char bitterness.

M - Heavy, thick, sticky, and full bodied with a velvety/milky texture.

O - This is an outstanding stout and highly recommend. Nicely done.

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4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had poured from pint can, no date but "DRINK FRESH" printed on the label, into nonic pint.

This 8.70 ABV milk stout may be the blackest beer I have ever seen, and it has a nice balance between lactose, cocoa nibs and roast malts.

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4.32/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

16oz can
Pours black with a creamy brown head. Chocolatey aroma with roasted barley, vanilla, and creamed coffee. Bold flavors of cocoa, vanilla, cream, caramel, and french roast coffee with some earthy hops. Thick and exceptionally creamy mouth-feel; more sweet than bitter. Great beer here. Highly recommendable and worth buying if you can find it.

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