Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout
Elysian Brewing Company

entheos from California

2.26/5  rDev -42.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2

A very poor tasting coffee stout. It’s rather weak for an espresso and it tastes like bad coffee. The redemption is the alcohol content, but I am not about to drink this again.

Jun 24, 2020

Spikester from Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pitch black with three fingers of tan head. Rings of lace appear as the head slowly recedes.
Smell is rich dark roast coffee with cocoa nibs.
Taste is dark roast coffee cocoa bitterness with good malt backing.
Mouthfeel is full with good carbonation. Finish is slightly bitter and mildly dry.
Overall a fine Stout. Experience by 6/16/2020.

Jun 09, 2020

MaltsOfGlory from Oregon

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can

Haven’t had this since I brought it to a basement party in college years ago, not the best place to appreciate a beer.

Pours about a finger of fluffy light brown head into my can-style glass. Retention is very good so far. Initial lacing looks great as well. Body is pitch black, no hues of anything. Looks great so far

Nose smells great. Fresh coffee blends with a sweet but smooth backbone. Some bitter roasty notes come through as the nose opens up a bit more, balances the sweetness quite well. Perhaps not the most exotic coffee, but that’s fine, nothing wrong with strait forward.

Definitely a “classic” drip coffee flavor, not necessarily bad, just not as one of a kind as some coffee beers are. Not as much of the bitter roasty notes on the taste, more of an ice coffee esque sweetness comes through. Some might call this fake, but I think it’s fine, it’s a milk stout after all. Very nice flavor.

Mouthfeel is good. Definitely on the sweeter side overall, again, not a problem. Maybe a touch cloying though. Bitter coffee is on the lower end, but present. Carbonation is a little below medium. Body is pretty smooth, and somewhat light. Solid mouthfeel.

Drinkability is very high. Not too sweet that it’s gross, and not too bitter that you have to sip it. I wouldn’t say this is perfectly balanced, but it drinks well.

Appearance turned out very nice. Head mostly dissipated, but the lacing was thick all the way down.

Overall a solid beer. Decently balanced, and definitely tasty. Nothing fancy, but a good coffee beer go to.

Apr 01, 2020

jkblr from Indiana

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle "Experience By 07/04/20" poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 6% ABV. The beer pours dark brown with chocolate milk colored head and medium brown highlights. The head recedes to a thin ring and single layer of bubbles leaving a few spots of lacing. The aroma is baker's chocolate, black coffee and dark roasted malt. The taste is bittersweet chocolate, mild coffee and some earthy, roast driven moderate bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, ok. This bottle is several months old although well in its published drink by date. The coffee is ok and the beer is ok, but there's no richness, no length of flavor and nothing special.

Mar 28, 2020

Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a tulip.

Pours opaque brown-tinged black with limited head but good webbed skein of foam on the surface of the brew and good lacing.

The aromas are decent and check the boxes, but are very subdued. Hints of caramel malt, coffee, cocoa, and a touch of earthy hops. As the brew warms, some roasted grain opens up, but still pretty restrained.

The flavor redeems a bit, and also does a yeoman-like job of hitting the required notes for the style, but is still very restrained. Generally sweet caramel malt on the tip of the tongue is followed by bitter cocoa and coffee blended with ash in mid-stream. Roasted grains manifest along the way but remain faint and vague. All of that said, the lactose definitely arrives at the end of the mid-palate and firms up at the close along with some herbal/anise notes to provide some welcome blooming flavor. Hints of earthy hops are there as well. Ultimately, the flavor profile is somewhat inverted, with the initial impression begging for something--anything--to deliver something of note, but the overall presentation getting better at the very finish.

The brew is very drinkable. Despite being objectively medium-full in body, it feels lighter than that subjectively, with good carbonation, and a nice drying finish. The oats shine here, with some creamy smoothness.

A decent take on the style, but very limited. It has nice aromas, but they are restrained. It has solid flavors, but they are vague and muddled until the very end.

Mar 28, 2020

lwillitz from Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12-oz bottle into Guinness pint glass

A - 2 fingers of medium/dark tan under a body of beautiful pitch black; nice web of lace

S - coffee, chocolate milk, dark fruits

T - rich coffee, lactic character, caramel sweetness, burnt malts, dark fruits

M - smooth medium body, medium carbonation

O - a decent coffee/milk stout

Mar 04, 2020

defunksta from North Dakota

3.82/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a dark, black color with a small, light-tan head. SRM of 23-24. (3.50)

Aroma: Strong aromas of smooth chooclate covered biscotti with a prominant roasty and espresso finish to wash it down. Mixes into a chocolate pudding type of aroma. I would have expected more espresso, but it's definitely there as the beer warms. (4.00)

Flavor: Flavor follows the nose of biscotti briefly, but then evolves into a roasted cocoa, chocolate, and espresso to clean it off. Then some cream (even a little smokey tobacco), but finishes with a cocoa & cream flavor and finishes relatively clean due to the dry body. (3.75)

Feel: Lighter-bodied. Moderate carbonation, but finishes flat and watery on the mouthfeel. The body didn't impress me. (3.50)

Compared w/ Castle Danger's George Hunter Stout: Similar in appearance. Aromas of more roasty chooclate. Flavor too. More roasty cocoa and bitter. Less fruity. Finishes more bitter, but similar body.

Compared with Deschutes' Black Butte Porter: Pours a similar color, slightly darker with a larger and heavier, darker head. Stronger aromas. More chocolate, cream, and espresso all around. A bit more chocolate pudding (& smoke?) and espresso to define it as a style. Less roasty. I prefer this one.

Overall: It sort of fits the profile here, but a little wishy washy in terms of is it sweet or is it roasty? It's like a girl that's giving you mixed messages. Sometimes I drink it and get delicious malty flavors, and then others I get a strong roasty espresso. Seems to change on me. More like 80% cocoa and less than 20% espresso. Then the body is watery, flat, and a disappointment. Maybe I'm being too harsh. It's not a bad beer, just didn't quite meet my expectations. Drinks like a dry milk stout. (Final Rating: 3.82)

Feb 22, 2020

Mister_Faucher from Washington

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Six pack of bottles picked up at Fred Meyer in Bothell, Washington.
EXPERIENCE BY 07/01/20. Aggressively poured in to a Samuel Smith pint glass.

Look- Dark opaque coffee/almost black color, solid khaki head with great retention, light spotty lacing. Light carbonation streaming as it sits.

Smell- Fresh ground coffee, milk chocolate, dark bready malt, burnt sugar/caramel, dark fruits (raisins and figs), vanilla and slight licorice.

Taste- Coffee, rich roasted bready malt, sweet chocolate, burnt sugar/caramel a little raisin/cherry and vanilla. Light coffee like bitterness that doesn't linger on the finish.

Feel- Medium bodied with a smooth, creamy texture. Really well balanced. Very light carbonation on the tongue.

O- Definitely one of the better milk stouts I have had. A very solid offering from Elysian.

Feb 01, 2020

tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is strong of black coffee. Taste is of coffee, roasted malts, light notes of chocolate. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer, especially if you like your coffee strong.

Oct 06, 2019

Tsar_Riga from Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Solid brown-black body, short tan head and minimal lacing, quick to fade.

S - Strong coffee nose and the smell of toasted bread.

T - Strong and pungent hit of chocolate and coffee, moderate bread notes in the middle, and a finish of light, dry bitterness.

M - Very light and easy on the tongue, soft and quite drinkable, but with just a bit of weight suggested by the finish. Surprisingly clean that makes this a great one for stout flavor without getting burdened.

O - Really enjoyed this one, and found it surprisingly satisfying and easy to quaff.

Jul 25, 2019

jjamadorphd from Florida

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Beer with a hefty shot of strong coffee, solid enough...

I picked this purely due to the bottle art. What I discovered was a beer strong in coffee flavor with a distinctive malty background, and a slight creaminess to the tongue. It looked good coming out and the head was appealing for the short while it lasted, with a scent that was all coffee (the Cuban variety though it really wasn't). Anyway, this was a very solid offering from Elysian's and one that I will be glad to partake again and again.

Jul 01, 2019

Bluerabbitbell from Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Nice find in my local distributor's $1/bottle bin. Glad to try another Elysian brew. Good coffee up front finishes on the sides with bitter. Reminds me of Edmund's Fitzgerald although Edmund's is a Porter. Anyway good choice!

May 09, 2019

hman43 from North Carolina

3.86/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Look: It pours very dark brown with a brown head. Head retention is good.

Smell: The aroma is full of roast, cream, and expresso. There are low levels of dark fruits.

Taste: The flavors are a combination of coffee, cream, and roast. There are low levels of dark fruit.

Feel: Is has a moderately full body and is creamy in texture.

Overall, a good combination of roast and coffee is a creamy texture.

Apr 21, 2019

ivertd90 from Washington

4.07/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I love coffee. Particularly espresso with a little half and half added and that's it. I also love beer... But generally lighter ones like lagers or pilsners. This beer is definitely a stout and it is definitely coffee, but it is also definitely good. The coffee flavor and aroma is there and the sharpness and bitterness of the coffee is rounded out very smoothly by the milk stout. This provides it with enough sweetness to make it easily drinkable but yet not overpoweringly so, that you regret drinking it.

Apr 10, 2019

TonyLema1 from South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

L: nice deep brown color, tan head, some lacing
S: heavy coffee and roasted malts
T: coffee, some roasty, some sweetness
F: silky, just a little bitter on the finish
O: definitely recommend

Apr 07, 2019

srw from Virginia

4.16/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter glass. Pours a dark brown with a slight light brown head that fades quickly. Coffee followed by caramel and toffee on the nose. The taste is similar to the smell with coffee as well as sweet chocolate. Some mild bitterness on the finish from the coffee. Light carbonation with a medium body. One of the best coffee milk stouts I've had.

Mar 11, 2019

AmishSlacker from Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured dark like coffee but no translucence. The foam was a chocolaty brown color which slowly faded to a ring around the glass and lace. First smell is coffee and then a malty tone. Very little carbonation and really silky smooth in the mouth. The taste of coffee is most predominant and followed by a chocolaty caramel malt flavor. It has a pleasant sweetness. Nothing is overpowering. Overall very nice milk stout.

Feb 14, 2019

Anselm from New Hampshire

3.94/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Wonderfully smooth, there's a lot of complexity to it that I've been hard pressed to find in other milk or coffee stouts. There are notes of caramel and licorice and it feels a bit more bitter and less overly sweet than say Left Hand's Milk Stout, I guess they went light on the lactose.

Jun 21, 2018

Davepoolesque from Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Solid espresso/ coffee aroma. Getting coffee, cream and roasted malt but very muted. Medium to thin feel. A bit of bitterness on the finish. Eh, I want the flavors to punch through a bit more.

May 23, 2018

Mattpodos from North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours with 2 finger head.
Smells of coffee chocolate and vanilla.
Sweet tast of cream blended perfectly with coffee taste. I love this beer they definately got it right.

May 18, 2018

ajm5108 from Pennsylvania

3.66/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pretty standard - espresso isn’t very distinct and doesn’t pack much of a punch but isn’t off in any way or offensive, easy drinking desert beer no fuss no muss

Apr 20, 2018

TheBrewsky from California

3.99/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

No bottling date on bottle.
Look: Pours dark cola brown. I achieve about 3 fingers width of a tan head from a simple pour. Alot of floaters in this brew.
Smell: Roasted malts, espresso coffee, burnt sugar, chocolate, and maybe some hints of vanilla and a pecan or peanut nuttiness. There is a sweet aspect to the smell which is no doubt due to the lactose.
Taste: Follows the nose for the most part. Roasted malts and chocolate are on the front end, with a slight sweet finish. There is a residual nutty/roasty taste in my mouth, but it is pleasant. As it warms, the coffee and chocolate really blends nicely, with a sweet sugary milk finish.
Feel: Moderately carbonated and too thin for my liking, but does have smooth mouthfeel.
Overall: This is a tasty offering by elysian. It is low abv, and very easy to drink. I am grateful to have tried, and think it is worth a "shot." Cheers!

Apr 19, 2018

Czequershuus from Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

This beer pours a dark black with a moderate head. The aroma is sweet with notes of milk chocolate, milk, brown sugar, and coffee. The flavor is soft and sweet, with strong notes of milk, milk chocolate, brown sugar, and caramel. The mouthfeel is quite light and slightly thin, with minimal carbonation. Overall the flavors are nice, but a bit too sweet and a bit too light for my tastes.

Mar 23, 2018

beerqa from Virginia

3.94/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. very dark with small tan head. As expected nice espresso coffee aroma. Some chocolate but I have had some "coffee" or "chocolate" flavored stouts that were like drinking syrup. This beer has a nice balance that is creamy, flavorful, and rich that lingers in the aftertaste.

Mar 12, 2018

zeff80 from Missouri

3.99/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. Poured out an opaque, dark, dark brown color with a small, tan head of foam. It smelled of espresso, chocolate and toasted caramel. Sweet chocolate with some rich, roasted coffee flavor.

Mar 04, 2018