Black Bridge Milk Stout

Check out the website for Black Bridge Brewing and you’ll see an ominous, black and white picture of an old steel bridge spanning the river outside of Swift Current. This bridge is well known to locals and is the subject of many stories and legends ranging from hauntings to afternoons spent fishing. Inspired by the iconic status of this local landmark, the owners of Black Bridge Brewing have worked to make their brewery as much a household name as the bridge for which their brewery is named.

After spending a year putting together a business plan and acquiring finances, Clayton and Kari Stenson acquired the property they needed to open a brewery. With a 20HL brewhouse and six fermenters, Black Bridge Brewing is now in a position to produce a solid lineup of core beers as well as some seasonals and one-offs. And today, after taking time to build their brand, Black Bridge beers are finally available in Alberta, ready for me to review. Black Bridge Milk Stout fills my glass with a solid, inky blackness. Jet black beer supports a dense head the color of coffee and cream.

Taking a sniff, this milk stout has an up front sweetness. It’s a rich, smooth, lush sort of sweetness that reminds me of a milk chocolate bar. Milk sweetness is supported by a rich, deep maltiness. That rich malt character comes through as fresh baked rye bread, caramel, and maybe just a hint of what smells like anise. All of this leads into a finish where I can smell just a little bit of roasted grain. Not a lot, just enough to slightly contrast the otherwise sweet aromas.

On the tongue, Milk Stout is smooth and lush but the mouthfeel moves very quickly into a gentle, but pleasant dryness. The flavor seems at first to quickly bypass the lactose sweetness you might expect from a milk stout. That being said, there is some sweetness behind that initial turn into dryness, just not the huge presence I expected. Lactose sweetness leads into flavors of licorice before moving quickly into roasted grain dryness.

I’m giving Black Bridge Milk Stout 7.25 out of 10. It’s a decent enough milk stout. The aromas, flavors, and mouthfeel hit most of the notes you might want from this style of beer. My only real complaint is the mouthfeel is lush, but not quite as lush as it could be given, the style. Likewise, the flavor could stand a little more sweetness, given that it is supposed to be a milk stout. That being said, you may want to check this out and decide for yourself.