2020: A Candy Cane Milk Stout
R. Shea Brewing - Merriman Valley

 

I've had a number of products from this brewer, and they have shown creativity and the ability to produce quality output. This review is from notes - I had it on my son's birthday last month.

It pours expectedly black, with small fizzies. The smell is cool - candy cane! The taste also shows the candy cane, but it isn't at all too sweet. It finishes with a nice creamy mouth feel.

Recommended. Some of R. Shea's are worth seeking out, like this one.

I got a can of this beer off the single shelf from my local beer store just around the corner. It poured an opaque dark with tan head that is not leaving much lace. The scent had peppermint notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with peppermint base and subtle chocolate highlights. The mouthfeel was fuller in body and had good carbonation. Overall it is a solid beer.

 

Canned on 10/21/20. 16oz can poured into a tulip. Pours black; creamy khaki head that falls slowly leaving great thick retention and sticky lacing. The aromas are malt forward along with some hints of peppermint. There's some interesting sour notes coming through in the aroma department. The flavors basically follow the nose. More peppermint along with some cocoa. Some marshmallows in the mix. The lactose comes through. Moderate sweetness with a low bitterness. Nice malt backbone. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is very nice. It's full-bodied with moderate carbonation. It's fluffy, creamy, velvety and smooth.

This is a decent peppermint stout, but there's something slightly odd about it and I can't put my finger on what it is or how to describe it. It's not anything "offensive" or anything like that. It's not bad, but it's just not one of new favorite peppermint stouts.

16 FL. OZ. can
Served in a snifter

This beer pours black and is topped with an inch of tan head that leaves little lacing.

It smells like mint chocolate chip ice cream.

The taste is milk chocolate with peppermint. It is darn tasty.

Full bodied with a creamy mouthfeel

I like this beer a lot. It delivers on the flavors and smells that I would expect. It is very enjoyable and makes me happy.

Very dark appearance, two finger head if you pour aggressively. The aroma is unmistakably peppermint. That's really the only thing that I smell. Taste is sweet as you expect from a milk stout. Ok, once I got passed the idea of mint beer, it's not bad. The mint completely dominates though. I wish it were dialed back a bit.Mouthfeel is medium full with soft carbonation and a sweet mint finish. Overall, they were shooting for a milk stout with peppermint and they hit that target dead center. but to me it is kind of mediciny. I won't buy it again. I don't hate it and I'll drink all I have, just not impressed.

EDIT: Since I still had three cans to drink, thought "If the reason we pour beer into a glass to release the aroma, wouldn't drinking from the can contain the aroma?" And I was right. I drank the second one from the can and now I am looking forward to the next two.