Saint Brewis

A St. Louis Craft Beer Blog

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4 Hands Brewery – Chocolate Milk Stout

Brewery: 4 Hands Brewery
Location  St. Louis, MO
Style  Milk Stout
 ABV  5.5%
 IBUs  n/a

 

Best Quote During Tasting

Does Florence and the Machine use that much vibrato?

[ssba]

Justin:

Aroma - Aromas of roast and coffee dominate while the sweet chocolate notes are a little underwhelming.
Score: 9/12
Appearance - The head dissipated quickly but the beer itself, while dark, was actually fairly clear when held in the proper light.
Score: 2/3
Flavor - Dark tea was something I didn't expect but I definitely got it.  Everything else you'd expect from the beer was there too:  chocolate, coffee and toffee.  The more surprising flavor I picked out was burnt caramel.
Score: 15/20
Mouthfeel - Medium carbonation is just one of the things that caused this beer to have a lighter body than expected.  Very light creaminess.
Score: 3/5
Overall Impression - I was really disappointed in how thin this beer played out.  With that being said, I personally purchase this on occasion whether I'm at the store or when I need a "go-to" at the bar.  It's great to have on hand at home for when you want a dark beer that won't kill your taste buds or dominate whatever you're eating.  Actually, it'll be a perfect beer to drink with a sweet dessert.  Give it a try.
Score: 7/10

 

Blake:

Aroma -  Sweet milk chocolate emanates from the aroma. I even picked up a slight dark chocolate vibe, which might have been created by the natural bitterness of the beer itself. 
Score: 9/12
Appearance - Dark brown, not totally opaque. Light tan head dissipates quickly. (Sorry, you aren't likely to get a chocolate milk mustache from this one.)
Score: 2/3
Flavor -  Milk chocolate is the most forward flavor, much as you would expect from something called Chocolate Milk Stout. Roasted malts really go to work on this beer, giving it a lot of flavor. 
Score: 15/20
Mouthfeel -  This is where the beer looses me slightly, all those robust flavors feel odd in such a light beer. The mouthfeel is terribly thin for the style, and causes some confusion when paired with the flavors. 
Score: 2/5
Overall Impression -  Once you get past the odd mixture of rich flavors and thin mouthfeel, CMS is a nice little milk stout. I tend to prefer stouts with a bit more heft to them, but unlike those beers, CMS isn't as hefty in price. At a local market I go to, they often have it on tap for $2 a pint, and at that price I'll drink it all day long. This is what I refer to as a gateway beer, a beer that you can easily offer to a friend who has never liked a dark beer in their life, and they'll still enjoy it. These kinds of beers are needed to ease people into those heftier beers. Share one of these with a friend, and next time you open a Founders Breakfast Stout, they might be a bit more open to the suggestion of having one as well (or sharing yours). 
Score: 7/10

 

Chocolate Milk Stout Final Score
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
3.4
User Rating: 0.4 (21 votes)
Sending
Blake Fehl

Blake Fehl

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis

Comments

  1. Great review! This beer nearly single handedly brought my wife to the dark side. It’s not easy to get someone started on Stouts and Porters, but the Chocolate Milk Stout had the perfect combo to pull her in and make her want to start trying others. Thanks guys!

    Reply

    • Yeah, I’ve known quite a few people who were unwilling to try stouts, and were pleasantly surprised by the sweetness of this beer. The only bad thing is that I now have to share more of my good stouts.

      Thanks for the comment!

      Reply

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