Brews and Blues Beer and Smokin’ Blues

Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout

I picked up another sample to try from The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery on my last trip to the World Market. The Milk Stout is one I have been interested in trying, so I tossed it in with a mixed sixer and brought it home...

For those of you who may not know this already, the name Milk Stout does not indicate that this beer has milk in it.  In fact, I really wonder why a brewery would use this name.  I can only assume that they are marketing to people who do know what it means...  Milk in beer would be just... umm... nasty.  The Milk in the name of this beer indicates that it contains lactose as a sweetener.  Lactose is one of the primary sugars found in milk, which is where this name comes from.  Lactose is not a fermentable sugar, so when it's added to beer, it doesn't create additional alcohol.  It creates additional sweetness, body, and mouth feel when drinking it. 

That being said, Duck-Rabbit's Milk Stout is just that.  It's a stout that has the normal flavor of roasted malts but it also displays an additional sweetness that isn't as common in the stouts.  That makes it rather unique.  I'm personally not a fan of this beer.  It's drinkable and I can't really say anything bad about it.  The flavor is good, unique, and worthwhile in general.  I guess my attitude about a stout makes me want a more hard-edged roast flavor with the bitterness that accompanies that.  Maybe I'm a little more lenient when they call the beer a Porter :)