My friend Joe and I have been on our somewhat annual tour of St. Louis microbreweries. So far this weekend, we hit Perennial Artisan Ales, 4 Hands, and Urban Chestnut, along with a stop at the International Tap House in Soulard. We’re now at Dressel’s Public House in the Central West End having dinner and a couple more beers. I already had Urban Chestnut Brewing Co’s Zwickel with dinner, and now I’m finishing the meal with this one for dessert.

Location: Enjoyed in a stout glass at Dressel’s Public House in the Central West End area of St. Louis, MO.

Numbers: 5.4% ABV, 29 IBUs, 41 SRM, ~ 185 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It was black in color with some slight ruby/brown highlights when held up to the light. There was a very nice, very creamy, cream-colored head on top, which left some decent lacing on the glass. There was a sweet malty, slightly toasty aroma as well.

Taste & Feel: The body was medium and the mouthfeel was smooth and creamy. It had a sweet malty and milk-chocolaty flavor up front, followed by a roasty malt flavor and darker chocolate flavors. In the finish, some roasty coffee flavors came in and lasted into the aftertaste for a bit.

Food Pairing: I thought this went nicely by itself as a beer dessert, but it would also pair well with a chocolate dessert. However, for some reason, I as I drank this, I thought it would also be very good with something like cherry pie, mixing the sweet malty chocolate and tart flavors for a nice match of sweet flavors.

Overall Impression: I thought this was a solid milk stout, which was very drinkable and had a nice mix of sweet malt, chocolate, and roasty coffee flavors. This seemed to fit perfectly within the style for a milk stout, and is one I’d certainly try again when craving a milk stout.

My Rating:

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