Cranky Reviews

After almost 40 years of training (marriage), I’m usually pretty good at following instructions, although the Department of Corrections may disagree. She blames my selective hearing for the occasional missed missive. Fair enough, at least I’m pretty good with instructions of the written variety. So, I was excited to try out this Muskoka Winter Beard nitro series latte stout, complete with instructions on the can. “Gently shake, Pour hard. Enjoy once settled.”  For those of you not familiar with the concept of  “pour hard”, it is not a curling term for before or after an end, but involves tipping the can or bottle upside down and pouring fast and furious, heaping helpings of head be damned.

After a shimmy and a shake, it was a full bore pour, and what a pour it was. A cascading beauty. Waiting for it to settle gave me just enough time to fawn in admiration over my own handiwork. And settle it did, into an impressive in good standing stout with a full tan foamy creamy dreamy head. It looked good enough to drink! So I did, and in doing so I carried out the final instruction, “Enjoy”.

An aroma of creamy coffee cocoa, it smells scrumptious. And guess what. It is. A super smooth creamy delicious coffee chocolate combo with very mild espresso bitters. Excellent. The nitro is doing it’s job. This creamy craft creation has the mouthfeel of velvety pillows. Not that I’ve ever had velvety pillows in my mouth, it’s just an expression, damn it. Let’s leave the pedantic comments to our Editor, shall we.* The coffee cocoa roasted malt and slight sweet slight bitters mix is the ultimate balancing act. This is not a slammin’ stout or a sippin’ stout, it’s a medium swill at will stout.

Two thirds of my glass down it started to settle into a traditional stout, the sweet evolving into a bit of vanilla sweet.  I enjoyed their original super strong double cocoa Winter Beard, but this nitro latte takes the cake and the pie. Great stout, well done Muskoka.