Beer – #851 – Speakeasy – Black Hand
The Black Hand Chocolate Milk Stout. I don’t know that I can rightly help myself, but I find another stout awaits me, this one from the USA, so at least I’m getting out and about a bit.
” … full-bodied and creamy.. “
With an ABV of 6.9% and around 217 calories a serve size, this comes to 5.4 standard drinking in this litre fill bottle that I have – truth is it’s 1.25 litres so that’s about 6.7 drinks really.
Brewed by Speakeasy Ales and Lagers this one in the style that is of a Sweet Stout and they are based in the city of San Francisco, California USA
The Black Hand lures you in with its dark, smooth character, taking you prisoner with its creamy sweetness. Without warning, this milk stout seizes your senses with aromas of rich chocolate malts and roasted cacao nibs and holds on for a lingering finish.
No I’m not hugging it
Speakeasy bars came about as a revolt against the prohibition era of the 20’s in the United States. These places often had, what looked like, legitimate businesses as a front for selling the then illegal alcohol. Speakeasy Brewery from San Francisco thumbs its nose at this time with the Black Hand – Chocolate Milk Stout.
This is a seriously good mid-winter Milk Stout, with a rich creamy body and smooth chocolatey/coffee body.
The prohibition era was a dark time for those that had to live it and what better way to show respect then than to drink an equally dark stout.
So, what could possibly go wrong?
ok, so chocolate milky aroma, which was no surprise.
Pour is dark but with an amazing redness about it, and the head is thick and lush, firm. The aroma is more towards that green coffee kind of sour note in the glass, or might be light coffee grounds. I’m never sure.
That’s a very sweet first mouthful, but thankfully a second turned it around with some of that stronger bitterness coming through and filling it our somewhat.
Lots of coffee, cocoa, chocolate, in this intertwined It’s very balanced and well delivered and a bit tasty.
Very tasty, and with that sweetness it’s hard to resist another sup, I can imagine some thing that it is over sweet to be honest. For me though I’ve realised that I quite like it like that.
No surprises then that I’ve managed t drink more than I ought in a quicker time than is prudent.
CAn’t help it though, this is tasty tasty beer, and there isn’t any sign of an alcohol tang or edge that reminds you to take it easy. Once inside the speakeasy there is no stopping.
Bloody brilliant.
I shall waffle on some more about even as this warm it’s still lovely to drink the whole really is a whole and not just parts that are playing parts, it maintains that lovely sweetness, balanced on a bitterness, with a fullness of taste that is smooth and delightful.
To the end smooth easy drinking, lovely all over might be to sweet and cloying for some, doubt I could have more than two pints before being sugared out, but… what a way to go out.
The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 10 of its things from the thing. I wanted to hard not to give this a 10, because you know they’re not confetti and I think I’m pretty easy with the higher numbers, but this is just too good a beer not to. This is a chap that rated the #15 beer in the top 50 a 7 🙂 and this beer, the Speakeasy, can’t find the list.
The double dip review
- Where did I get it? The FWDC in Auckland.
- Am I enjoying it? I am having a total blast with it.
- Would I have another? I will, I am, I should.
- Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes. A really nice beer that isn’t a desert beer, or beer to end on, this is a beer I’d be happy to have first middle or last or all three. Although that 7% might catch you out.
Music for this: ” The Mission ” a new album ” Another Fall from Grace ” on Spotify
The Mission are an English gothic rock band formed in 1986. Initially known as The Sisterhood
SWEET STOUT
Dark brown to black in colour. Sweet stouts come in three main varieties – milk stout, oatmeal stout, and foreign stout. Milk stouts are made with the addition of lactose, and are sweet, low-alcohol brews. Oatmeal lends a smooth fullness of body to stouts, while foreign stouts are stronger (6.5-8% abv) and have a sweet malt profile and high esters. All of the sweet stouts are noted for their restrained roastiness in comparison with other stouts, and low hop levels.
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