NOTES: Bottle @ McHops Monastery
STYLE: Milk Stout
ABV: 6%
APPEARANCE: I could just say “black” and call it a day, but it’s more like an intensely dark, mahogany brown. Screw it, let’s just say black.
HEAD: Small, tan and short-lived.
LACING: Limited…just some oily residue streaking the top of the glass after the head fades.
NOSE: Subtle and pleasant. The nose is predominantly a traditional stout aroma…well-roasted malts, a hint of coffee bitterness, and a faint whiff of booze. The slightly sour, slightly sweet aromas of lactose and chocolate frosting drift in and out with every sniff.
TASTE: I appreciate that Terrapin’s non-traditional beers are never one-note or unbalanced. While a sweet stout could go the way of Southern Tier’s Choklat (ie: ridiculously over-the-top in terms of sweetness and chocolate) or Hitachino’s Sweet Stout (ie: so underwhelming that it tastes like black water), the Moo-Hoo hits that nice “sweet” spot in the middle. There’s plenty of fudgy chocolate and a nice hint of lactose, but those dessert flavors take a back seat to the solid, well-crafted, dark-roasted malts. This is a classic stout first and foremost…the milk chocolate flavors are truly just bit players. They’re welcome additions to the party, but they don’t take it over by talking too loud or double-dipping.
MOUTHFEEL: Here’s where the Moo-Hoo takes a slight hit. It drinks a touch thin for the style and that, in conjunction with its strong carbonation actually gives the beer a bit of a cola mouthfeel. Not terrible. Just not as full and creamy as I’d expect from a milk stout.
DRINKABILITY: Because of that thin, light mouthfeel, the Moo Hoo drinks fast ‘n’ easy. A sixer will disappear in the blink of an eye. It’s actually quite thirst-quenching (never thought I’d say that about a milk stout).
RATING: 3 Hops
ALEHEADS 