Summer Wine Brewery Mokko Milk Stout

Good evening all. The Great British Beer Festival and a pub crawl around London are the reasons behind my recent lack of activity, so I know you'll all forgive me as it was in the interest of pursuing large quantities of fantastic beer. GBBF was even better than last year, mainly due to the inclusion of more friends and an even better range of foreign beers (although Fantome Saison still eludes me as it was noticeably absent by the time of my arrival on Thursday), and the pub crawl included the opportunity to try Alesmith IPA and Speedway Stout at Craft Beer Co., so I needn't say anything more on that matter! Now that I'm back for a few days before heading off to Brussels it seems appropriate to get back into the swing of blogging, and I've chosen Mokko Milk Stout, a Milk Stout from Summer Wine Brewery (Holmfirth, UK) to do just that. Review after the pic....

Mokko Milk Stout (6.0% ABV) pours a jet black colour with a thick beige head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is remarkably amplified for a milk stout, with lactose, coffee, cocoa powder, caramel and some dark fruits in the background. As with most stouts the coffee and chocolate hit the nose first, accompanied by the sweetness from the lactose sugar, whilst the caramel and dark fruits gradually become more noticeable with frequent inhales. The latter aromas do a great job of supporting the contributions from the roasted malt, giving the whole experience a richness and depth that you would normally expect from a higher-ABV stout. The taste continues this "full-bodied" idea, with coffee, chocolate, blackcurrants, caramel and some light grapefruit hop flavours towards the end of drinking, all delivered with a surprising amount of power. The fruitier aspects of the roasted malt create a slight tartness towards the end of drinking, acting as a nice transition into the finish, which is quite dry and full of lingering grape hop flavours. The sourness and dryness warrant frequent sips, which is fortunately a conceivable prospect with this beer as a result of the lower ABV percentage! The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is moderately carbonated, which acts as a great platform for the flavours on show. Overall, this is a mini powerhouse of a milk stout, with a good balance between the subtleties of the lactose sugar and the richer flavours provided by the roasted malt. On par with Young's Double Chocolate Stout and Bristol Beer Factory's Milk Stout, so it's very much recommended!

Until next time....