Ninkasi Brewing Noir Milk Stout

Beer Name: Noir Milk Stout
Brewery: Ninkasi Brewing Co. (Eugene, OR)
ABV: 7.6%.
How sold: 22 oz. (650 mL) bottles
Where bought: WinCo (Vancouver, WA)
Price: $4.99 for 22 oz. bottle

Date Purchased: October 27, 2015
Date Opened/Drank: November 1, 2015
IBUs: 60
When brewed? Special release. Available September to December 2015.

Where distributed: As of November 2015, Ninkasi Brewing ships to 14 states (includes the District of Columbia) and two Canadian provinces (British Columbia and Alberta). Click here for where Ninkasi ships its beer!

What's on the Bottle/Website: "Noir blends two signature brews of the Pacific Northwest: coffee and beer. This coffee milk stout combines toasted malts with smooth cold brewed coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters. A subtle sweetness from milk sugar (lactose) makes this beer reminiscent of the most satisfying cup of joe: distinctive and delectable." Read more here!

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured jet black into a pint glass. Several millimeters of tan head that reduce to a sudsy surface. 4/5

Smell (25%): Pleasant creamy coffee aroma. Basically as advertised. 4/5

Taste (40%): Initial blast of rich, creamy coffee. Coffee lingers pleasantly on the tongue. Bitter notes are there, but kept in check. Smooth experience, as the milky coffee overpowers any detection of alcohol. A lovely, tasty example of a proper milk stout. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-full body. Coffee permeates the entire mouth. Slightly velvety on the tongue. Little carbonation. 4/5

Overall (20%): A good milk stout. This beer was made for the cold winter season, both in name and flavor. It does come out (at least in 2015) in the fall and stays on shelves through winter, so one can enjoy it before the holidays begin or wait a few months. While I generally do not venture into the stout or porter beers very often, the "special release" on the bottle made it more an impulse buy. I'm also a big coffee drinker, and I was pleased that coffee was front and center in every sip. The coffee also masked the alcohol nicely, and the price is a damn good one for a 7.6% beer. 4.25/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.15/5