Millstream Brewing - Back Road Stout

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-

Millstream Brewing - Weizenbock

Tonight I'm drinking a freshly brewed batch of Weizenbock from Millstream Brewing in Amana, IA.  This is another brew I picked up while I was visiting the inlaws last weekend.  The "Brewmasters Collection" label on the four pack immediately caught my attention while I was sifting through Millstreams numerous other offerings.  Little did I know at the time that this was a brand new beer, just hitting the shelves a few days prior to my arrival.  A recent tweet of theirs said they were bottling this Weizenbock on November 8th.  Common knowledge of the style suggests the best way to drink a Weizenbock is straight from the bottling line.  The fresher the better.  Although, 15 days later ain't bad either.

The first thing that takes me back about this brew is the appearance.  The color is a murky, brownish hue.  Not something that I would have anticipated.  It is in line with the BJCP style guidelines for a Weizenbock, but I think this is a bit on the extreme side of cloudy.  The lack of foam retention is also a little disappointing.  However, you will quickly forget about these fallacies after you take your first sip.  The aromas are a nice combination of banana, clove, yeasty bread and a touch of caramel.  These aromas continue straight through to the flavors which are just as potent.  The "weizen" flavors of banana and clove are more bold in the flavor than the aroma.  A nice mild carbonation helps to keep this brew from being overly cloying since any hop bitterness that may have been added is nowhere to be found.  The 8.5% ABV is only noticeable as a slight tingling feeling on the tongue.

Overall - Once you get past the appearance, you will find a solid Weizenbock that is full of flavor.  All the normal suspects are present: banana, clove, bready caramel and yeast are all easily discernable.  While this may not stack up against a fresh Weizenbock from Germany, it certainly does the style justice.  And to find this quality of beer in the middle of the Midwest is certainly a luxury few have.  Unless, of course, you live in Iowa.  In which case you should be as happy as a pig in... well... you know what.