#015 Double Milk Stout
Exit Brewing

I hope Exit have a backup plan for their #000 numbering scheme - they’ve only got like another 983 beers before they tick over to 1000 :P Seriously though, I’ve really been looking forward to this one since it came out and sat for a while at the back of my fridge, biding its time. For you see - their #003 Milk Stout is my favourite Aussie Milk Stout... admittedly that isn’t a style that is common in Aus, but anyway - it’s still a great Milk Stout. The only thing I’m wary about is how Imperial versions of great brews sometimes fall short of the original. Case in point: La Sirène Imperial Praline, which was a boozier, ergo less good (depending on how much of an alcoholic you are), version of La Sirène Praline. Well there’s only one way to find out if #015 lives up to #003 [the fun part!].

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: “You’re as black as ice (black ice), you’re willing to sacrifice our love”... deep, dark, ominous obsidian body, with some reasonable carbonation producing a thin tan head... TBH I would prefer to see less carbonation - for a Milk Stout needs to be dense and smooth, which the carbonation isn’t giving away here. 7/10.

S: Coffee prominent nose - roasted bean and red coffee cherries, a mingling of espresso and earthy filter coffee. Hints of bitter dark chocolate and a touch of smoke, quite bold and dark in character for a Milk Stout - #003 had a lot more range being sweeter and nuttier in the aroma. Not as much a fan of this one. 7/10.

T: Huh, the flavours aren’t so heavy into the dark/roasted aspects, also it’s sweeter than the aroma would lead one to believe. Flavours are: Milk and dark chocolate, coffee (espresso and filter), dark fruits as well (plum and prune hints), with a long dry finish that has a slight booze hit and a mild tobacco leaf astringency. Aftertaste lingers on with dark chocolate, liquorice and tobacco. Pretty tasty, BIG too, but my personal preference leans towards the flavour profile of #003 more. 7/10.

M: Medium bodied, definitely could use a bit more heft for an Imperial Milk Stout, with a thin, not-quite-dense carbonation. Yep, needs more body. 6/10.

D: Tasty brew, not quite reaching the glory of #003, sometimes it must be said that “bigger isn’t always better” and this is an example of that - #015 has a big sugar hit and a touch of booze in the finish that #003 didn’t have, so there’s that. Plus I don’t think Exit have doubled their #003, this tastes like different malts/hops were used, which is a pity because #003 was ace! 8/10.

Food match: Definitely made me think of cigars with that tobacco leaf character.