Stone - Coffee Milk Stout

Greg I really liked it.
I think a lot of these dudes want all the qualities of your espresso Russian imperial stout but a super low abv so they can drink the hell out of them. Obviously it can't be the espresso(ps please bring back).
I personally drank mine after some Go To and it hit the spot.

 

I'm curious what your expectations were. Was it that you were not expecting a 4.2% stout, or that you expected it to taste 'big' like a stronger stout of a higher abv would? Sincere questions.

This beer has been interesting for us. We love it, but we knew what it was all about...a flavorful 4.2% beer. It's selling stronger than we anticipated, so clearly a lot of folks are enjoying it. However, reading comments it's also clear that some folks were expecting different than what we brewed. I am asking because it's important to me to clearly convey to people what the beer is, and not lead them to believe that it's going to be different or 'more' (aka a stronger character stout at a higher abv). Thanks in advance for the feedback!

 

Thanks! Glad you did.

Yes, I think by reading comments and some reviews there are those that see "stout" and "Stone" together and figure it's going to be a big character beer...even though it's a mere 4.2%. I wish we could indeed bend the space/time/abv continuum like that!

 

Didn't like it. Needs more body.

 

Greg - I know I can say for me personally that I would answer yes to both of your questions. I didn't know I was grabbing a 4.2% sessionable stout when I went out to purchase it. I just saw "Stone" and "Coffee Milk Stout" and my brain computed a big stout in a smaller 6-pack format and I was like heck yeah. My fault for not looking a bit closer at it since I'm just not a guy who likes "small" stouts. Having tried a few more bottles with this info, I certainly appreciate it for what it is. Thanks for honestly asking for constructive feedback, it says a lot about you and Stone. Keeping making great stuff!

 

Just starting to get into craft beers (even though Ive casually drank them for years). I have been reading a ton and went to Libation Station in Johnson City TN this weekend. Left with this and a 6 pack of Terrapins Peanut Butter Chocolate Porter that my wife picked out. I can say I am pretty happy with my purchases.

 

I was expecting a somewhat thin stout with big (though not your normal Stone big) notes of coffee and some sweetness to balance it out.

Almost like an iced mocha coffee from Dunkin Donuts in a way.

What I got, and I hope that this isn't the case for all other batches of this, was a six pack where so far three of them have had no coffee aroma or flavor and just had some sweetness. But since there was no coffee to balance that sweetness it was just kind of a nothing type of beer. The fourth one had some nice coffee notes and was exactly what I was expecting. Just a pleasant beer. Nothing earth shattering but I do not believe you were going for earth shattering, I think you were going for a pleasant to drink beer that's sessionable.

So that's where I stand, I feel like I experienced the beer how you guys want it to taste like, and I liked it though I didn't love it. The problem comes in that I bought a six pack where three of the four I've had so far did not taste like that at all.

 

Interesting. If you saw our bottling line, you'd see that it's virtually impossible that there was any difference at all between your bottles. Physically impossible for aroma or taste to be in one bottle, and not in the next. Taste can fool us all. Me included, as I'm no super-taster.

 

I agree, and I hope it was just my taste buds (and my wife's, and my friend's....), and I also hope that you guys keep refining this and improving it as time goes on, as I really think this could be a special 'go to' beer for people considering your distribution. It'd be great to know that where ever I went that I could get a nice delicious quality stout that won't make me pay the next morning or make my wallet pay.

Cheers Greg.

 

Old Rasputin.

 

I think a 9% stout is the exact type of thing that would make me pay in the morning haha.

 

I'm on my third six-pack.

 

First of all I'd like to say that I love Stone Imperial Russian Stout, it rates as a non-barrel aged stout in my top 5 with Plead the 5th, Ten-Fidy, Bell's Expedition, and Sierra Nevada Narwhal. I did not expect that kind of a beer when I bought this. I was expecting a milk stout. I have tried and enjoyed other beers that fit in this category, with Finch's Secret Stash at 5.3% abv possibly my favorite. What I was not expecting from this beer was the almost overpowering campfire, ashy, smoke flavor that I got. Not into "smokey beers" I guess.

 

I'm still waiting on it to hit my market and am definitely looking forward to it. I'm going in to this beer knowing its a lighter stout and not going to be what so many here think it should have been. If its here this week I'll take a couple sixers camping this weekend.

Hell what do I know, I still buy the occasional 25oz can of Busch and think it tastes pretty good

 

I tried it at stones new restaurant in san diego 2 weeks ago. I think the only reason I didn't like it as much as I thought I would is because I associate the stone name with a slap in the face of flavor and this was more subtle.

If stone started bottling water I would probably complain that it wasn't hoppy enough, so that's more my own pre-judgement than anything else I think.


With that being said, I think a 7-8% slightly sweeter version of this would be awesome.

 

Just picked up my 6 pack yesterday. Plan on popping one open tonight.

 

This week

 

Picked up a single in Providence....let's see if the west coast can do "coffee milk" right....

 

thanks for the heads up, at most places, or do you know a store?

 

I was definitely hard on this one, because I made a similar error to some on here assuming that I was getting a big-bodied offering. I think when I see stout, even a sweet stout, im expecting more of a heavy mouthfeel and a richness to it. This took on much more of a lighter ale profile. Knowing the ABV, that makes more sense to me. I gave 4 of my bottles to friends, and saved 2 for me. Ive got another in the fridge now, so ill give her another try while saying to myself "Do not compare to Espresso IRS!"