by 
It?s Friday, it?s close to the end of the day, so you know what time it is – time for another edition of the Afternoon Beer Break. Today, we?ve got another dive into the offerings from Longmont, Colorado-based Left Hand Brewing. While they?ve got a wide variety, we?ve got something on tap that?s a great fit for this chillier weather – the Left Hand Chai Milk Stout Nitro.
As you can easily surmise from the name, the Left Hand Chai Milk Stout Nitro is more than ?just? another nitro stout – they?ve mixed up the recipe a bit and have brought something interesting to your table. First off, you?ve got the nitro bit – this gives things a creamier texture – both in the head and in the beer itself – and this is something the brand has a fairly wide variety of offerings in (read: they know how to make this work). More interestingly – at least for me – was that word ?chai? in the name.
For those unfamiliar, masala chai is a particular blend of tea that has an instantly recognizable flavor. When I make it at work, I just drink it plain, but if I order it after dinner at an Indian restaurant, it very commonly is served with milk in it, which brings another dimension to the flavor. Here, you?ve got those lactose sugars in there for the milky qualities, and it works unexpectedly well here with the chai spices.
When you open the can and pour it into a glass, your nose very much is greeted by those chai tea spices. As you might expect for a stout, you?ve got a nice deep dark color in the glass, with a thick head that is reminiscent of (what else) chai tea with milk in it. On the tongue, you?ve got a very smooth and creamy mouthfeel (thanks, nitro!) with a big hit of chai spices up front. This was primarily a sweet cinnamon note, with other supporting ones in the background. And, while we tend to not look on the aftertaste favorably, here, it was actually quite nice.
When the weather turns cold, you might be looking to switch it up to some stouts and porters from those lighter IPAs. Should you be looking for something different than the one-note-songs most stouts tend to sing, several of the Left Hand Offerings – and particularly the Left Hand Chai Milk Stout Nitro – are worth your time seeking out. lefthandbrewing.com
Like the glass I used in this review? You can pick one up yourself right here
Tasting Notes
- Definite chai spices on the nose
- Dark
- Creamy head
- Smooth
- Chai spices up front, picking up a sweet cinnamon mostly with some others in the background
- Quite a pleasant aftertaste
Details from Left Hand
- Description: super smooth milk stout nitro with aromatic spices
- Collection: Limited
- Style: Stout
- ABV: 5%
- IBU: 22
- Packaging: 4-pack cans, Nitro Keg
- Ingredients
- MALT: Pale 2-row, Crystal, Munich, Roasted Barley, Flaked Oats, Flaked Barley, Chocolate
- HOPS: Magnum, US Goldings
- OTHER: Left Hand Chai Blend
