I get it. I understand why Left Hand is doing the things that they're doing. I mean, if you make a good milk stout to begin with, why wouldn't you try producing different variations of that same beer? Lamborghinis are all performance oriented vehicles for people with lots of money who want to show it off. Lamborghini knows what they're doing, and so does Left Hand. I'm sure I've probably run into a Left Hand beer I didn't like, but I don't remember it. Instead, I'm left with a lasting impression of a brewery that knows what they're doing and cares about their craft.
Like a proper stout, this pours a very dark mahogany. The tan head is lots of very tiny bubbles that don't completely go away. Instead, the head almost completely covers the top of the beer with a strong ring around the sides and even some scattered lacing. The aroma definitely brings some of the maple and vanilla forward. I also smell some coffee, but it seems relatively muted. I like Left Hand's milk stouts, and I expect I'm gonna like this one.First sip is expectedly sweet, but the coffee is a little more pronounced than I smelled and/or would like. Nevertheless, the maple and vanilla are joining the sweet milk lactose to produce a thick and quite delightful beverage underneath. It's so good under the coffee that I already like this beer. And any beer the can overcome a coffee flavor is a pretty darn good beer.
Tip-in is sweet maple and vanilla with some smoky malt. The middle picks up with some coffee joining the fray, but the caramel malt rises up to meet the challenge. The finish is a bit more smoky and coffee, but the sweetness of the milk lactose keeps this from turning bad, yet bitterness seeps in for the trail off.
Bottom Line: Left Hand can keep making milk stouts, and I'm going to keep trying them all.
3.5/5