Left Hand Milk Stout nitrous draught at Dave’s Pub

Dave’s Pub now offers Left Hand Milk Stout from a nitrous draught, meaning that your beer will be extra special and rigorously foamy as compared to a bottle pour.  Milk Stouts are like most any stout, but, uh, milkier, which compliments the chocolate malt flavors usually found in stouts.  And the nitrous from the draught creates carbonation that is less soluble than regular beer bubbles.  These micro-bubbles result in a more stable and longer lasting foamy head and other science.  But expect a longer pour time though, as the nitrous tends to slow the tap down (which is honestly an explanation that I just made up.  It just took a long time to pour.)

And now the Specs

Beer Name: Left Hand Milk Stout

Style: Sweet Stout

ABV: 6%

Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO

How Served: in a Becker pint glass.

Aroma:  Pungent hop aroma likely from the Magnum hops.  A sweet mellowness comes through as well.

Appearance: Not quite black.  Closer to a dark coffee color.  Oily too.  The medium-dark tan foam was ever present, superbulously creamy (just look at that gleam in the photo).  There was lacing aplenty as the beer glass became less full.

Taste: Tastes like a stick of butter microwaved in a Guinness.  Very rich toffee.  Almost like a dessert.  The longer than normal pour time might have been due to some sort of butter melting process hidden in the tap.  The Milk Stout logo should have the Land O’ Lakes girl riding that cow.  Thankfully the hop bitterness kicks in the aftertaste and makes everything ok again.  A welcomed soft, dry, dark chocolate aftertaste hangs around for a bit too.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth with little carbonation in the mouth.  Nitrous causes smaller than normal bubbles which may cause less of a ruckus.

Overall: Left Hand Milk Stout is popular for a reason and this was worth every penny, all 500 of them.  It’s a sweeter alternative for most bitter, dark stouts, and very heavy.  So don’t expect to knock out a sixer during the big game.  And always take an opportunity to sample a beer poured with nitrous.  It creates longer head retention thus greater aroma and it allows for a smoother beer.   And considering this beer’s sweet toffee and butteriness, its best use might as an ingredient in your next batch of egg nog.