REVIEW 158: MUDBANK MILK STOUT

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA (Croydon, PA!)

BREWERY:  Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company

STYLE:  Milk Stout*

*Per the brewery's website, brewed with oats. Could be therefore classified as an oatmeal stout.

ABV:  6.5%

PURCHASE:  22-oz. bottle, $10.99

SERVING:  Said bottle, poured into Guinness branded imperial pint glass. Like many stouts, not very heady with a steady pour. This got maybe, maybe, half an inch with a normal pour from the bottle, which withered away in seconds. A faster pour, however, got some and then some more: Two and a half inches (or thereabouts). Congratulations. On that go-round, retention was solid but unspectacular. 

APPEARANCE:  Dark, dark brown bordering upon black--it's a freakin' stout. Tannish-beige head. Faint bubbling. Lacing is scattery at first, then better on the second pour, but dies anyway. 

BOUQUET:  Mostly oaty and malty. Caramel, chocolate, and berry-like fruit essences round things out. A hint of toffee seems evident as well.

PALATE:  Scratch the berry. I couldn't taste any. The toffee is also arguable, at best. Everything else was there, tempered by mild hop notes. Expertly balanced. Slightly heavier than average body, but smooth and inviting. Carbonation is timid at first, but becomes cola-like if held. Relatively sweet mouthfeel from start to finish, though in varying degrees. Finish is equally sweet and roasty. Chocolatey aftertaste--best part of a beer with a lot of contenders for "best part."

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  This was as addictive as your favorite junk food, and that, my friends, is the mark of a truly great beer. I couldn't stop drinking this tonight; I had to re-up almost immediately after every single sip, even toward the end of the session. 

I downed two 22-oz. bottles of this while listening to classic Guns N' Roses songs, and therein lies a fitting analogy. Like GNR, this isn't something you're into right away. But you force yourself to try it, then try it again, then again, and at some point . . . you're hooked. The other music out there just doesn't measure up. 

I actually started writing the final part of this review as "Patience" came on. Which is my advice for those of you who are put off by stouts. Give this one a chance, and "just use a little patience."

Yet another winner for Neshaminy Creek, yet another outstanding Philly-area brewery. 




GRADE:  A