Day 7 of the 6th Annual Advent-ure Calendar
Day 7: R. Shea Brewing Candy Cane Milk Stout
We got another Ohio brewery here! R. Shea has been around for a few years, but they just recently started canning and distributing their beers. The website and can have no description but from the name we know it’s a candy cane flavored milk stout. It sounds like this one will have a lot of flavors packed in.
Reflections
Ben: Really gave one this shot, but it is waaaaaaaay too minty. Bummer, cause it tastes like it’s a pretty solid stout underneath the mintiness. It’s minty to the point where that’s all I taste while drinking it, in the finish, and now ten minutes later. Definitely going to try more beers from these guys but this one is a hard, hard pass.
Julia: I will be completely honest, I was not looking forward to this beer at all, even more so than 3 Hos. I do not like peppermint anything and I don’t ever want it mixed with chocolate, beer or anything I like. The smell was not as overpowering as I thought it would be, but I could not make it past a first sip. This is for sure the worst holiday beer I ever had. Adam and Alex said it tastes like fernet and I disagree. While I don’t love the taste of fernet, its tolerable and I drink it because it serves a purpose. There is no purpose to this beer other than to make me unhappy. If you like peppermint, you may enjoy this so don’t let my review discourage you.
Adam: This beer tastes a lot like what you would expect. It’s peppermint and milk stout. There isn’t much more underneath that. Much like Alex stole from me, it tastes like fernet which, if you like… you’ll like this.
It’s fine. I love Candy canes and milk stouts so this is not the worst thing in the world. In December 26th I would launch this into the lake but on December 7th? Sure. Whatever.
Alex: 2020: A Candy Cane Milkstout: I honestly do not like this beer. I feel like it smells/tastes like medicine. I couldn’t figure out the taste, but Adam said Fernet, and that’s exactly what it tastes like to me. I can see why some would like this, but it’s definitely not for me.
Scott: I really wanted to give the candy cane milk stout a fair shake. It’s got a cool can, I love stouts, it’s holiday themed but I just didn’t find the strong peppermint flavor and aroma appetizing today. It’s a beer that is exactly what the name says, and I just couldn’t love this one. I think this might be a perfect beer to mix with something lighter to tone down the peppermint, so I’ll need to do some research for my next experience with this beer.
Christa: Oof, this one was tough. Way too much peppermint. An uncomfortable amount of peppermint. It honestly reminds me of one of those 100 proof shots you did in college to get yourself feeling good before hitting the bars at a reasonable 11 PM. But, that same principle rings true here with this candy cane stout: sure, it will do the job but at what cost?
Tony: Hmmm….ummm….its close but I don’t think this works. I appreciate the originality, I personally haven’t seen many candy cane milk stouts in prior years. Milk Stout I’m in, but the peppermint isn’t my favorite. I dont know that peppermint works in any drink quite frankly but everyones different. Its nice and dark like a typical stout and it has a creamy feel which is nice and 8%ABV is a party waiting to happen but then the peppermint kicks in and starts to take over. I will say it started to grow on me after a few sips because it does live up to its name, its like drinking a stout that a candy cane melted into but i just dont think I’m a big peppermint fan, especially in a beer. Novel idea, eye catching can, but not sure if I’d go back for this one. Curious to hear what the rest of the group thinks.
Megan: Wow. If Abita Office Party was a stout, this is a stouuuuut. It’s really dark, thick and creamy. Once that passes, the peppermint creeps in. I’m usually not a fan of Starbucks peppermint mochas so I didn’t think I’d like this but I like it more than I thought. You definitely have to be a peppermint fan but it’s intriguing and I enjoyed trying it. It’s a little much for me to have more than a few tastes but I like the creativity and creaminess and it most certainly is a Christmas beer.
Brad: I’m excited to see R.Shea Brewing sell canned beer in Cleveland. The brewery is down the street from my parents in Akron and I’ve always enjoyed going to their little establishment. They have great food and I’m a fan of almost all of their beers. This one is no exception. Finally, a holiday stout that I can taste exactly why it’s a holiday special. I’m not the biggest peppermint fan but they’ve done an excellent job with this flavor profile. It’s not overpowering and it leaves a great aftertaste. 4 stars.
Heather: I love R. Shea Brewing, and was looking forward to trying their peppermint stout for the first time. It’s exactly what I expected it to taste like: a delicious stout with a subtle peppermint coming in late to the tastebuds. I liked it. I want to dip a chocolate-covered pretzel in it. It’s smooth and creamy and just the right amount of holiday sparkle. I’ll keep this on my list of seasonal go-tos.