#003 Milk Stout
Exit Brewing

Day 23 of the 2020 Advent calendar.

Dark, like a stout should be. Roasted malt head that soon turns to just a skim on top. Aroma of chocolate.
Thick and malty. A cross between chocolate and coffee but velvety smooth. Really nice.

 

375ml can packaged on 09/10/2019. Poured into a tulip.
Look: dark black, about 2-3cm of foamy tan head. Head sticks around for ages, good retention.
Smell: little toasty, coffee, dark chocolate, a little earthy, touch of soy sauce.
Taste: coffee, some sweetness, milk chocolate, a touch of dark chocolate as well. Nice.
Feel: mid bodied, a little carbonation, feels pretty smooth.
Overall: enjoyable, would make for a good after dinner beer.

Fact: Milk Stouts are awesome [said in my best Dwight K Schrute voice]. I wish more brewers made them... oh well, I did ask for a decent example of a Milk Stout from the red-bearded one called Jamie at Plonk. He directed my attention to Exit’s #003 (terrible name, but “meh, as long as it’s good” I say) as I lamented the lack of Milk Stouts out there in the beer world. Fact: If every brewer had one Milk Stout on offer in their year-round range the world would be a better place. Fact: Bears eat beets.

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Rich dark cola-coloured body with a billowy khaki head. Looks delicious, but then again most Stouts do to the Stout drinking monster that is me. 8/10.

S: Intriguing ripe red coffee bean nose upfront, with a nutty and earthy coffee middle capped off with golden syrup goodness. It’s one of those aromas, if you love coffee (which I certainly do), you could breathe it in all day... possibly with some sort of self-contained breathing apparatus filled with this brew. 9/10.

T: Earthy, and nutty to the point of being one of the nuttiest beers I’ve ever tried (in a good way). There is a bold coffee note that isn’t OTT roasted, more like a smooth cold drip Brazilian blend, followed by cacao nibs and sweet cocoa. Wow! This is close to one of the best Stouts I’ve had flavour-wise and if you know of my previous forays into Stout-land that is saying a great deal. The finish is more dry than bitter and in balance loses out to the sweetness a touch. 9/10.

M: Medium bodied with a hint of wateriness found in some sips and a tight-almost-nitro carbonation. The only thing holding this brew back is that hint of wateriness, otherwise a stellar effort. 7/10.

D: An earthy cacao and coffee taste sensation in a bottle. I must admit that from the label and name of this brew I wasn’t expecting much [don’t judge a book by its cover Doc!] yeah, yeah, I get it, but I still think the name is terrible and the label is the face of the beer - get it changed, because what’s inside the bottle is liquid gold waiting to be drunk by beer aficionados like me... oh yeah and Frank... don’t forget Bill either - he loves a good brew. I’m just going to have to get my hands on more of this stuff *drives to Plonk* 9/10.

Food match: Jamie Oliver’s grilled fillet steak with the creamiest white beans & leeks sounds good, or if you want a dessert (something chocolatey) with this it will certainly match well with the low bitterness/medium sweetness of this Stout.