Balter’s Handsome Elvis is just that. Handsome. It’s also smooth. Just like the King 🕺. Regular readers will know how much I love @balterbrewers limited edition brews, and this Nitro Milk Stout is no different. There aren’t too many milk stouts on the market, so it’s great to add some variety to the broad category of ‘stout’ that is probably my favourite style. Also known as sweet stout, these beers are sweeter through the addition of lactose (milk sugar which can’t be fermented by the yeast) and generally a touch lighter in ABV than some stouts. The style was initially marketed and prescribed by doctors as being good for nursing mothers to increase their milk production. See, beer is good for you. Get on this one quickly, my local bottle shop is out already, so it won’t last long.
Can on nitro. Pours black with thick cappuccino frothy head that retains well. Beautiful nitro pour. Aromas of chocolate milk, roasted nuts, iced coffee, berries and brown sugar on porridge. Chocolate milk to start, moving into roasted espresso, berry fruits, dark chocolate and just enough bitterness. It’s sweet, but you never feel it’s getting too sweet, with the dark roasted malts perfectly pulling it back. The mouthfeel is only medium bodied, but the flavour profile is so rich that good balance is reached. The nitro makes it incredibly smooth. This is very very good.
4/5. Trent.