The Stats
Style: Milk.Sweet Stout
ABV: 7.6%
Current Ratings...
- Untappd: 4.6/5
- Beer Advocate: 4.57/5 (Top 250: #204)
- RateBeer: 4.09/5
"Hold On To Sunshine is a rich and delicious stout intended to be savored and enjoyed as we enter the cool Autumn months here in New England. Brewed with Pale and Chocolate malts, Lactose, Coffee, Cacao, and Peanut Butter, it exhibits notes of rich milk chocolate, dark brown sugar, creamy espresso, and chocolate covered peanut butter cups. A luxurious mouthfeel and creamy body contribute to a beer that feels much bigger than it is - a decadent treat and one that won't overwhelm you with heaviness, yet is loaded with delicious bold flavors that express themselves as it warms. Life can come at us fast and hit us with unexpected hardship, inducing stress, fear, anger, confusion, sadness, and uncertainty. But together we must find solace and comfort in each other, and in something wonderful, equal, and free for everyone to hold on to - Sunshine. For Lauren."
Sits pitch black in the glass and I could just barely make out some dark brown edges. The pour produced a finger of brown head.
The aroma is decadent with peanut butter/chocolate cookies reminiscent of Girl Scout Peanut Butter Patties. The chocolate is rich, but not too fudgy or dark. Lots of mocha and fresh iced coffee and a small amount of vanilla sweetness are also here with a overall peanut shell aroma. This is a peanut butter cup in a glass.
The flavors don't explode as much they did on the aroma, but they are all present and accounted for and are still delicious. The peanut butter is most noticeable, but with more of a straight peanut and peanut shell taste. The chocolate is more dark and bitter here akin to Hershey's syrup. The dark chocolate bitterness tends to counteract the natural sweetness of the base Milk Stout, so there is a good balance here with the flavors. Oddly enough, the chocolate changed from lighter, fluffier milk chocolate on the nose to bitter and dark on the taste, but the coffee did the same thing. Coffee on the nose was darker, but here it is fresh and reminds me of a cold brew coffee with no bitterness. Again, very much in balance. A nice thud of bitterness takes over the aftertaste with residual coffee grounds left behind for days.
Mouthfeel is soft, very soft. The body coats the tongue and leaves some stickiness. It feels like a much bigger beer than 7.6%, but the Milk Stout base stays true with lactose sweetness sticking to every inch of my mouth.
Hold On to Sunshine was an ideal match for the peanut butter and chocolate lovers out there while staying grounded in it's Milk Stout roots. Tree House was wise to choose a Milk Stout for a base rather than going for an Imperial Stout as this keeps the beer more drinker friendly and allows the ingredients to shine more while not having to fight any overpowering roasted character for screen time.
Rating
9.3/10
That's 400 down and many more to go! See you at the next century mark!
Re-live past landmarks...
Review #100
Review #200
Review #300
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