Style: Milk Stout
ABV: 11.5%
Joe’s Take
This Monday’s NC beer of the week comes from a trip to Double Barley Brewing in Smithfield NC that Nick, his finacee, and Stephanie (unofficial intern and guest reviewer) took without me. I was sad to miss the trip as we have sampled a variety of their beers in the past but at least I learned it was so close to us (only a little over an hour away). Not to mention that Nick being the swell guy he is, picked up a 4-pack for us to split for the subject of this week’s NC beer of the week.
That beer is “Sparkky’s Coffee Chocolate Milk Stout.” This heavyweight brew drinks smooth and…a bit too easily. It’s a great way to continue our reviews that heavily reflect that this time of year is #stoutszn.
“Sparkky’s” poured inky black into my can shaped pint glass….hey I couldn’t find my nonic pint, which, if you remember from our tasting glasses article, is our preferred glass for thicc boi like this. The color was rich and deep and let no light through. The beer started out with virtually no head, then a few seconds after pouring it started to bubble up from the bottom. A very thin layer of tan to light brown foam formed and dissipated over the course of a few seconds. Only a small ring stayed around the edges of the glass.
The aroma was strong and revealed the two namesake ingredients…coffee and chocolate. The coffee manifests in rich notes of roasty goodness and gave me somewhat of a reminiscence of a fresh pot being brewed. There was the faintest aroma of alcohol that presented itself as a sweetness with a bite. From the rich aromas the beer was giving off, I knew the flavor would be intense.
The mouthfeel mimicked this intensity, but not in an unpleasant way. The beer was smooth and viscous. It had a syrupy quality and reminded me a touch of Hershey’s chocolate syrup. Now, this may sound a bit overwhelming, but that was a bit of exaggeration for imagery’s sake and the heft of the brew was balanced out by a nice hit of carbonation. Overall, the components of the mouthfeel contributed to a smooth, easy drinkability.
As the sense of taste and smell coincide with each other, so did the taste and smell of this beer. I was immediately hit with the flavor of sweet chocolate and coffee, almost like drinking a sweet mocha without cream. After the flavor of chocolate and coffee died down, I picked up a roasty almost charred flavor and the subtle bitterness did well to fight the sweetness of the first act. Alcohol was very subtle in “Sparkky’s” and I was shocked when I found out this beer was 11.5%. This is the definition of dessert beer to me and I even tried a little experiment when tasting: I ate a Hershey Kiss and took a sip of the brew. Try it for yourself and see how the chocolate intensifies and the flavors mesh together.
All in all, I think this brew by Double Barley is a winner. If you enjoy chocolate stouts like I do, it should be on your list of beers to try. As always, if you like our review or have tried this in the past, be sure to comment and subscribe to the blog!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Inky black, no light penetrates. Tan-brown head that fades quickly. (4/5)
Aroma: Strong chocolate and coffee. Alcoholic sweetness. Roasty malt.(4.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Syrupy, viscous, mouthcoating. Fair amount of carbonation. (4/5)
Taste: Sweet, roasty dark malts, a hint of char. Sweet chocolate and alcohol. Smooth coffee pulls through on the finish. (4.5/5)
Drinkability: Smooth drinker, can’t tell the ABV is so high so be cautious! (4/5)
Total: 21/25
Nick’s Take
I recently made my first trip to Double Barley Brewing in Smithfield, NC, which was long overdue. Their “Thrilla in Vanilla Porter” is perhaps their most famous beer, and one I enjoyed a couple of months ago, but I hadn’t seen much around Greenville in terms of their other beers (with the exception of “SteakCake Stout”). The brewery itself is cozy and has a nice outdoor area with plenty of seating. I would definitely recommend making the trek there if you live in the area!
Today, we are reviewing the beer I brought home: “Sparkky’s Coffee Chocolate Milk Stout.” I’ve had this in my pantry for just over a week and was excited to get it chilled and give it a taste. When I poured the contents of the bottle into my Spiegelau stout glass, there was a decent formation of light brown foam, which eased down to a thin blanket across the entirety of the beer. It’s a very dark brown beer that hardly lets through any light. It looked like a very appealing stout.
The Spiegelau glass’ shape lends itself to allow good head retention and room to swirl the beer to agitate it further. I gave a couple good swirls to bloom the head and bring the aromas out. I was getting a good amount of sweetness on the nose in the form of chocolate syrup, as well as roasty qualities. It appeared to have some essence of cardamom, too.
“Sparkky’s” has a bright mouthfeel from its noticeable carbonation and the perception of some spice. This milk stout has a full body and is pretty creamy. It was not particularly drying but did leave a bit of a sticky mouth coating after a few sips. I also noticed a minor burn or tingling in the back of the mouth upon swallowing.
The flavors in this milk stout are complex and align closely with the aromas. There were spices (possible products from the roasty malts) I tasted, like cinnamon and cardamom, but this was balanced by the amount of creamy sweetness in the mix. The chocolate was very present on my palate, and it was clear that this was a milk stout and not a standard stout, due to the added sweetness and creaminess. Though the coffee in the brew wasn’t the standout flavor, that roasty flavor from Full Bloom Coffee Roasters made for a nice finish to the beer. Most sips also resulted in boozy retronasal olfaction.
While this is a whopping 11.5% milk stout, it was really an enjoyable product. I liked the balance of sweet chocolate and roasty malts and coffee, and the creamy attributes. My recommendation is to enjoy this one as a standalone drink and not pair it with food. You may also find that it is a bit overwhelming on the palate with all of the flavors and the syrupy, full body. Nonetheless, “Sparkky’s Coffee Chocolate Milk Stout” is a delicious creation from Double Barley Brewing, and it has me wanting to make another visit soon.
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Dark brown, almost opaque but a little light clears through the edges. Light brown head that retains well. (4/5)
Aroma: Sweet and roasty. Chocolate syrup, some coffee, roasted malt. Some spice detected – cardamom. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Crisp/bright upfront and slight burn in the back of the mouth. Full body and creamy mouthfeel. (4.5/5)
Taste: Spices like cinnamon and cardamom. Sweet chocolate. Light coffee flavor. Alcohol in retronasal. (4/5)
Drinkability: Tasty and complex coffee milk stout that is surprisingly easy to drink despite the high ABV. I would probably limit to one per sitting due to the alcohol content and the amount of roast and sweetness that can be overwhelming. (3.5/5)
Total: 20/25
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