Left Hand Chocolate Orange Nitro Milk Stout

I know there is a thing with a chocolate orange, but I think it's mainly a UK thing. There's something about how it's made where you smack it on a table, and it separates into little slivers of orange slices that are actually chocolate. Do... do people actually want citrus in their chocolate? Is it any good? Is it something I've been missing, and I didn't know it?

I never get tired of the head on a nitrogenated beer. These miniscule bubbles look amazing, and the widget inside the can was worth every effort they made to put it there. I am reminded that the widget, when introduced, won several awards as the greatest invention, and it beat the internet. I think they're right. So, the black beer's aroma should have some orange on it, and it certainly does. There is chocolate, but the chocolate smell isn't really making it through the nitrogen cap.

First sip is not what the label told me it was going to be. Look at the giant oranges on that label. This should be an almost juicy beer, but that's not going to happen with most milk stouts. It isn't happening here. Instead, this is almost entirely their delicious milk stout, and there is a very light add-on of citrus. There might be an impression of chocolate, but maybe a sip isn't good enough to show it. 

Tip-in is a lot of subtle flavors; bitter chocolate, coffee, and orange are here in a way that was not self-evident in the simple sip. The middle is smooth, and the orange highlights well, but the bitter chocolate detracts from the sweet malt, and the coffee.... has to go. The finish is just another wave from the center, and the coffee hangs on for just too long.

Bottom Line: It's hard to beat the original.

1.75/5