Tonight I'm drinking Back Road Stout from Millstream Brewing in Amana, Iowa. Last week, Steve reviewed their Weizenbock, which turned out to be a winner. Back Road Stout is another gift brew that Steve brought back from the great state of Iowa. It's an oatmeal stout with a grain bill that includes a whopping 10% oatmeal - that means this will likely have a thick, creamy texture. By the way, before March 2010, Iowa brewers weren't allowed to brew beers over 5% alcohol....but this ridiculous law was reversed and now brewers can produce beers up to 12%. This is Millstream's first high gravity beer (at 6.7%) since this silly legislation was corrected. Bottled in November 2011. The beer is dark brownish black, with a thin layer of dark tan head that recedes quickly. The smell is robust - chocolate roast, coffee, caramel/toffee sweetness, and most of all, it's NUTTY. The flavor starts off with strong roasty malts, bitter dark chocolate. Thick and chewy. Baking chocolate, more sweetness, then comes some more intense coffee flavors. Slightly burnt barley also comes in towards the end. Did I mention this beer is thick and chewy?
Overall Rating: Great oatmeal stout! Sweetness prevails throughout, but the slight bitterness and alcohol warmth in the background keep things balanced. This would make a good dessert beer. A-
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