Beer Review Friday - Mackeson XXX Milk Stout

Ahhhh.... Mackeson... what a beer.

I thought that I would start off this blog feature with a staple of my beer fridge. When you think stout, naturally, the first thought is Guinness, the smooth, creamy beer with the fantastic ad campaign. Now, don't get me wrong, Guinness is a great beer. I especially enjoy it in a relaxing atmosphere. But if you speak to ANY beer enthusiast, they will tell you that Guinness is only TRULY acceptable from the tap. It doesn't cater to the at home with a drawing pad crowd as much.

Enter Mackeson.

Now, the first, distinct difference between the two is that Mackeson is a Milk Stout, while Guinness is an Irish Dry Stout. Milk stouts have more unfermented sugars in them, most of the time lactose is added, and thereby, have a much sweeter taste. It pours a bit thicker than most stouts and its head has almost a reddish hue to it. Its got the usual chocolates and coffees in it, but what is the kicker for me is the solid flavor you get from it. No water here. Furthermore, Mackeson is far less expensive than most stouts. I get mine for $9.99 a twelve pack.

As far as pairings, I recommend Mackeson with a fine issue of Runaways, or possibly Young Avengers. Anything that you are getting more than your money's worth. My thanks go out to Chad for introducing me to this beer.

For more information on this, or any beer, check out the link to the Beer Advocate Website.