No, not THAT buffalo sweat, THIS Buffalo Sweat...
I drank a bit of this Tallgrass Brewing Co. beverage on our East Coast trip both on tap and out of the 16oz cans!
She pours an insanely opaque shade of dark black (seriously, I'm talking Darth Vader's helmet status.) with a clean, light brown head. You can see both of these qualities for yourself in the picture I posted above, I just really wanted to use that Darth Vader line.
Ahhh, Smooooth. Buffalo Sweat sits fairly light in your mouth considering how rich and creamy the flavor is. I immediately taste a heavy dose of dark, toasty malts accented by the sweetness of lactose, the key ingredient in brewing a Milk Stout.
Basically, Buffalo Sweat has the sweetness of chocolate milk, the roastyness of coffee, and the thin consistency of beer. I'm always a little caught off guard by the thinness of Milk Stouts. There is such an impact of flavor and sweet tongue tingle going on that it's hard to believe this stuff is mostly water!
Unfortunately, Tallgrass's blades do not reach all the way to the West Coast, leaving me destined to go without this most triumphant beverage in my day to day life.
On that note, I'm not really sure why Milk Stouts are so hard to come by in my neighborhood. I've never talked to anyone who openly disliked them. Maybe the smooth, creamy body freaks out bitter hopoholics, or the roasty malt taste annoys crisp pilsner buffs. I just can't figure it out. Port Brewery does a pretty fantastic Milk Stout which is available on draft at Pizza Ports, but unfortunately not in can or bottle form. If you haven't ventured into this realm of darker beer, I fully encourage you to go in search of one. Make sure to report back!
Great post! Thanks for linking to it from the Tallgrass page. Your description of the taste and mouthfeel is right on. If you haven't tried Left Hand's milk stout, you should - it's also delicious, but I think the Tallgrass was better.
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