The year is 2020. Unbeknownst to most of the continental United States, the world was about to shift in a dramatic way, but until such time, we continued to imbibe on our favorite libations.
Basement cellars. Large wooden doors. Old refrigerators. Leaking antifreeze. A collection of bottles gathering dust. The makings of an assemblage of rare beers. This is the stuff of stories. If you knew that in only a few months hence society as you knew it would change forever, what would be your choice?
For me, it’s a story that goes back to when I first began to involve myself in the world of craft beer. I was slowly branching out into the foreign and exotic. In particular, Belgian beer, German beer, Danish beer fascinated me. In 2018, when I was studying for my level two cicerone exam, I discovered a beer called George, by Mikkeller in Sjaelland(Zealand), specifically in Copenhagen. If you’ve never had Danish beer, look for Mikkeller first. They never disappoint.
However, their cousin brewery in Copenhagen, known as To Øl, also makes some of the most amazing brews I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Forty-five Days. Jule Malt. Goliat. Everything they do is expertly crafted to achieve a specific profile. Jule Malt, for example, derives its name from Christmas and is loaded with winter spices, like fresh juniper, toasted rosemary, frozen cranberries, and vanilla. However, in the dredges of winter in 2020, in the heart of February, merely a month before everything changed, forever, I came across a beer I had never encountered from To Øl; well, two beers. Maelk Shake, and a barrelled variant, but it’s the rum-soaked variant that I wish to discuss, as the other spent time aging in a used bourbon barrel and ended up not as pleasing to the palate. These collaborations with a brewery in Belgium were made once and never graced shelves again.
Imagine the most luscious and irresistibly silky chocolate milkshake loaded with notes of caramelized brown sugars, roasted coffee beans, and just a hint of vanilla. That’s what this first beer, called Mælk Shake reminded me of. It was reminiscent of being at my grandmother’s during winter holiday, sipping on a mug of hot chocolate, playing cards and watching the snow fall. It was like every good memory coalescing all at once. I admit, I have searched long and hard for a beer like this one since and come up short, every time, without fail.
If you’ve ever graced yourself with an imperial milk stout before, you know what to expect. It should be sweet, but not sticky. It should have an almost creaminess from the milk sugars – henceforth referred to as lactose. A roasted, earthy balance begetting a soft head and mild hints of tannins. A touch of vanilla or chocolate, or even oats to add a more robust mouthfeel. All of these lending their heads to an incredibly balanced, subtly sweet, slightly creamy, but overall, tantalizing stout pouring jet black with a beige head.
The result? To Øl’s Mælk Shake delivered uniformly on every single front. As aforementioned, it was like every happy memory coming together in one instance.
Beer: To Øl & De Proef Mælk Shake
Brewery: To Øl & De Proef
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark; Lochristi, Vlaanderen Belgium
Age: 6 months in a virgin oak cask with fresh vanilla beans and oak chips that spent 6 months soaking in dark rum
ABV: 12.5%
IBUs: 44
Appearance: jet-black, medium-high viscosity
Head: dark-tan, two fingers thick
Retention: average, average lacing
Mouthfeel: thick and warm, expected carbonation, heavy on the palate but not aggressive, woody-tannin finish
Malt: graham cracker, roasted coffee, baker’s chocolate
Hop: tree sap, black cherry, blackberries, citrus oil
Yeast: allspice, cloves, caramel
Adjunct: lactose, molasses, vanilla
Flaws: tannic finish, slightly booze heavy
Rating: 9.60/10
Comments: The search for the perfect beer continues. Despite the high commendation, the carbonation was a little forward – expected for a milk stout of this caliber, and though this is subjective at best, the darker and heavier the beer, the less you want the carbonation to be noticed as it can compromise the mouthfeel and lead to the off-flavors being more noticeable: in this case, the slightly tannic finish from the barrel process. Notes of chocolate, vanilla, and caramel dominate the nose, but the most prominent profile in the taste itself is actually the lactose, followed by graham crackers. Not at all unpleasant, but rather disproportionate to the profile on the nose. Irrespective, this beer is by far one of the most amazing I have ever tasted and it is, without a doubt, worth getting your hands on if you’re able to find it. Absolutely delicious!
