90 Rating: Chocolate Orange Milk Stout by Garage Brewing Co.

Aromas of strong milk chocolate covered by cloying candied orange peel and vanilla jelly with a lingering note of warm bourbon vanilla.  A very low tan film with sea spray-like legs cover the glass over an opaque dark brown stout color.

The flavor starts out with moderate ethanol notes followed by rich milk chocolate and slate minerality that ends with bright bitter orange peel.  One’s mouth is left warm and dry after experiencing a medium-plus body, crisp carbonation, and a mouth-coating creaminess with an excessively viscous alcohol presence.

Overall, it tastes exactly like what you expect a milky chocolate orange stout to taste like.  When looking at the 2015 Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) style guidelines for a 15A Sweet Stout and 29A Fruit and Spice Beer, the goals are drinkability, pleasant aromas, and flavors of orange and chocolate, as well as the original beer style. Here the beer falls out of style because its drinkability is hindered by cloying and boozy aromas and flavors.