Ranger Creek Strawberry Milk Stout

Brewed by Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling
Style: Stout
San Antonio, Texas USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker, Snifter

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Black pour with a brownish head. Nose is strawberries, lactose, coffee, earth, smoke, roast. Flavor is peaty, burnt plastic, strawberries, phenols, smoke, BBQ. Dry mouthfeel.

I was afraid at first of the idea of this beer, as many surely are, but after close evaluation of my own thoughts I came to this conclusion: never use the name of a fruit in the name of a beer. If Ranger Creek never disclosed what they put in this it might have even been made the beer so mysterious that it actually makes it seem better than it actually is. Instead, there’s an aversion to the beer before you even experience it. I mean... a stout... with strawberries? Really? Overall, after it’s all said and done and the beer’s down the hatch, it’s (at its core) a very smooth stout, well-flavored and well-bodied, easy to drink, but with a gentle addition: frozen strawberries. Yes, it tastes just like frozen, dehydrated strawberries. Maybe even strawberry sorbet or milkshake (thanks to the lactose). It certainly is a novelty. Although a good one, I don’t imagine this is the type of beer that many people will want to buy and drink over and over again. Chicks will likely dig it, but men will likely be annoyed by it, even though its cheery nature is due more by its fruity flavor than its sweetness. Then again, there are alot of men out there with questionable palates. Ah, well. Points for pulling this off, Ranger Creek.

(Draught) Pours a black body with a medium brown head. Aroma of lactose, chocolate, roasted malt, and strawberry. Flavor of chocolate, caramel, lactose, light roasted malt, and strawberries.

1st sampled at Flying Saucer on the Lake Beerfest, but I was so toasted that I forgot to rate this brew. I remember it being bad ass, so this has been on my must try radar for a while. Along came Fort Worth Untapped. Poured a dark brown color with a thin tan top. Taste of strawberry, chocolate milk, roasted and toasted malts, smooth finish. Nice carbonation, well balanced!

draught. cloudy brown with a cream head. nose is milk, strawberry, sweet, and chocolate. great on the palate, heavy roasted malts, milk, and a strawberry finish.

On tap @ Lake Saucer Beerfeast. Near black brew with some tan head. Aromas of smoke, chocolate, roasted malt, and Nestle Quick. The smoke aroma may be burnt malts as the flavor has a smoky/burnt quality as well. Odd one.

On tap at the Flying Saucer at the Lake Beerfeast 2012. The beer pours a black color with a tan head. The aroma has a lot of chocolate and roasted malt in it, as well as a hint of strawberry. The flavor is very heavy on the roasted malts and chocolate, with a little bit of lactose. There is a little bit of sweet, fruity strawberry in the flavor, but it is fairly subtle. Still, it doesn’t clash with the other notes in the flavor and makes the beer quite enjoyable. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Draught. Nose of chocolate malt with some coffee notes and a bit of strawberry if you try hard enough. Black with a firm brown head. Sweet, light acidity, and as expected it brings notes of chocolate covered strawberries. Finishes roasty. Creamy texture. Subdued fruit from the use of fresh berries, but it works. Odd, but enjoyable.

For once, subtlety works for me. The name invokes images of Nestle Strawberry Quik but this is something else entirely. Instead it’s a rich, creamy, malty stout with perfect hints of strawberry sneaking in here and there.