For those unacquainted with these brewers, they claim to have a sense of balance in their beer by saying, "A healthy dose of all things in a balanced way keeps your right brain feeling good and the left brain knowing it’s all good... ...Everyday we strive for that perfect balance between malt and hops..."
I'm not too sure about all this "balance" mumbo jumbo. Perhaps it is just my poorly educated palate? Or simply my preference to more "nutty" stouts? At any rate, this wasn't my favorite. Does this mean that I hate it? HA! Heck no. This sweet stout has a proper roasty-toasty coffee feel to it, with a good amount of bitters from the hops, just as any stout deserves. It has the creamy feel any reputable stout with milk sugars should have. It does seem a bit lighter in flavor as other stouts, mainly because I don't feel the requirement to almost chew it as I drink. You may, then, be wondering what warrants the reservations I have. Well, simply put, Left Hand kind of over-hyped this brew for me. They claim that "America’s great milk stout will change your perception about what a stout can be." That just doesn't sit well with me. I have had many other stouts that I would rate higher than this. Again, not to say this brew is BAD in any way, just doesn't stand up to the words that are behind it.
All things considered, it is a beer that is worthy of purchase. Just don't get ahead of yourself and hope that it's the best stout you'll ever have.
Taylor rates this beer a 3 out of 5
